Author: Beth - blogger, coach, consultant

The Invisible Hand of God…

Beth - blogger, coach, consultantLeave a comment

Just coincidence? Or hand of God?

Lectionary Readings:

  1. 2 Samuel 18:5–9, 15, 31–33
  2. Ephesians 4:25—5:2
  3. Psalm 130
  4. John 6:35, 41–51

A couple of years ago, I took it upon myself to read the Bible, from start to finish, SLOWLY.  Without any hurry.  Without trying to read 3 chapters a day and 5 on Sundays and finish within 12 months. Simply cruise through it slowly, and let it take as long as it takes…
Intent on reading it again for the first time.
Did I make it all the way through to Revelations yet? No… still chugging along, slowing. Getting side-tracked along the way. Enjoying the scenery and where the winding roads take me.

But, during this time, I re-read these verses from Samuel that we have in our lectionary today.
I wasn’t struck by the choices that David had to make between his public persona – King of Israel – and his private persona – father of Absalom.  I wasn’t moved by the grief of a father, upon hearing that his wayward son had been killed.  And I wasn’t even intrigued by whether Joab had done the right thing or not in slaying Absalom, the traitor.
No, the verse that caught my eye was 2 Samuel 18, verse 8.

… and the forest swallowed up more men that day than the sword.

At the end of Samuel we read, verse 31:

“… The Lord has vindicated you today by delivering you from the hand of all who rose up against you.”

But there is no mention made that God’s hand played a role in winning this battle.  I’m pretty sure that this wasn’t an “enchanted forest”, like the one in Lord of the Rings, where the trees talk, and walk around, and where vines reach out, tangling themselves around your legs, and pulling you to the ground.
There were probably just uneven ground, where horses would stumble, throwing their riders into oncoming immovable objects, broken branches, sharp as swords that would slice through you if you ran into them, vines and debris under foot that would cause you to stumble and fall.
And yet… all of this contributed to the defeat of Absalom’s army.  He outnumbered David’s men. He had the favour of the people.  He should have won…  but he was out-done by a forest.

And more than that, I find it particularly intriguing that David’s first instructions to his commanders was:

Be gentle with the young man Absalom for my sake.

We read in verse 9 of Absalom’s undoing:

He was riding his mule, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom’s head got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in mid-air, while the mule he was riding kept on going.

Notice that even the tree followed David’s instructions: “Be gentle with the young man Absalom for my sake.”

Yes, Absalom was brought off his high horse, in the most humiliating way – hung out to dry by his pride and joy: his head of hair.  Ironic – The very source of his pride, brings about his down-fall.  (I wonder if the angels were laughing).

But he’s not killed by this – he’s killed by human hands.  By a person that takes the choice into their own hands to put an end, once and for all, of this rebellion.
So, was this all just coincidence?  Or was God’s hand directing the battle and the slipping banana skins under the rebel’s feet?

As I’ve said many times before, I find it so easy to find God in the woods and forest.  There I find it easy to sit, at peace, in solitude and quiet, and commune with God.  To hear the birds singing praise and odes to joy.  To listen to the quiet running of the streams and brooks.
But there’s a greater challenge:  We don’t live in the mountains.  I don’t always have time to get to Summit park or Parque Metropolitano, or better yet, further out of town and away from everything.
Monday to Friday I spend a good eight to ten hours a day confined inside an office, under fluorescent lighting.  No mountain vista, no deep oceans to contemplate, no soaring eagles to admire.

Where’s the supernatural in my life?
I haven’t seen any burning bushes like Moses.
I haven’t watched a wind come up and blow at gale force for a couple of hours, strong enough to move water out of the way, so that I can walk across on dry land and then when the wind stops the “tidal wave” that comes swelling back in as the water recovers its normal boundaries.

Just another mundane Monday morning?
So, maybe we need to start looking for God in the ordinary places.  A little closer to home, perhaps.

For me, as many of you know, the past few months have been fraught with health challenges.  To re-wind a little and give you the bigger picture:

  • For the past 10 years I have suffered from what I thought (mis-diagnosis it turns out!) from IBS – Irritable Bowel Syndrome. This was brought on by a horrid bout of food poisoning or Montesuma’s Revenge that I got in Nevis… yes, I can still vividly remember that night and the next day!
  • About 2 or 3 years ago I was diagnosed with Insulin Resistance, which is a common problem which plagues men & women, when they are accidentally starving their bodies from bad eating habits.  In order to ensure your body is getting the right amounts of sugars and not rapidly digested sugars, the doctor’s recommend a whole-wheat diet, with a switch over to whole-wheat pastas, bread, and cereals.  I learnt to eat on schedule, with controlled portion sizes and to avoid highly processed foods.
  • But about 5 weeks ago, after 5 years of trying to get pregnant to no avail (“assisted conception techiques”, 4 artificial inseminations, 2 in vitro), my doctor sent me to test for Coeliac Disease (allergy to gluten).  It turns out that’s exactly what I have.  Good-bye whole-grain pasta/bread/cereals.  Welcome back easy to digest carbohydrates…
  • So, after those positive results, I went in for an endoscopy, and the biopsy came back positive for little monsters: helicobacter pylori.  So, I was sent on a round of 15-days of antibiotics and treatment to kill my internal monsters.  The side-effects of these anti-biotics have drawn on every ounce of my strength to carry on.
  • One of the effects of helicobacter and Coelic Disease is that my iron reserve levels are through the floor and my B12 is almost non-existence. So, to add injury to insult, injections for 10 days.  I’m black and blue…

Even though I feel that I should know better, I couldn’t help but ask – WHERE is God in all of this?  Why am I being put through this?

I have felt totally like Absalom, hanging in a tree by my hair; knocked of my high horse, the one that has always enabled me and given me the strength to “push through” any obstacle along the way.
This time round, I have felt defeated.  I have felt that “I can’t go on”.

But the Spirit speaks to me and says “there’s a lesson to be learned here” – search for it.  And as I started looking, I fell across (as one usually does accidentally) the Hand of God in my health and well-being.  I was looking at the characteristics of vegetables & fruits, to see which ones would boost my immune system and which would rebuild my reserves of iron, B12, Omega 3, etc.

And I tripped over “The Doctrine of Signatures” – the relationship between us and God – how God placed a signature on each plant indicating what it was useful for.  Without realising it, I started reading articles on how the qualities of plants are often reflected by their appearance.
Is this just coincidence?

For example:

  • the seeds of skullcap – they resemble small skulls – and the herb is known to be effective in the treatment of brain and nervous system disorders.
  • The hollow stalk of the garlic – resembles our windpipe – useful for throat and bronchial problems.

There’s a whole area of science dedicated to “Teleological Nutritional Targeting”  – every whole food has a pattern that resembles a body organ or physiological function, and this pattern can indicate to us the benefit the food provides to us.

Here are a few better known examples, and some that may simply astound you:

  • Sliced carrot – resembles the human eye – the pupil, iris and radiating lines… and we all know that if you eat your carrots you’ll be able to see better in the dark!
  • Try some heart food!
  • Tomatos – with their four chambers and blood-red colour. They’re loaded with lycopine – essential for the functioning of the heart and blood.
  • Grapes – the cluster often resembles a heart, with each grape looking like a blood cell
  • Beetroot – excellent for cleansing the blood. A fantastic source of iron, helping you to produce haemoglobin
  • Need some brain stimulation?
    • Walnuts – open them up and there you have it: left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums.  These little nuts will help you develop more than 3 dozen neuro-transmitters for brain function
  • Having kidney problems?
    • Look no further than your kidney beans.
  • Need to strengthen your bones?
    • Bones are 23% sodium – and so are these food items that look a little like bones:
      • Celery
      • Bok choy
      • Rhubarb
  • Having female problems? How about looking for some vegetables that resemble the womb and cervix?
    • Avocado – interesting detail – it takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit!
    • Eggplant
    • Pears
  • Problems with your ovaries?
    • Try olives
  • Need to improve sperm count and mobility?
    • Try figs – they are full of seeds and hang in twos when growing.

You cannot imagine how the list continues…

This isn’t just a formula for healing – it’s a spiritual quest.  The expansion of our spiritual quest will lead us to a complete cure, if only we would listen and open our eyes to see.

If we would return to the study of plants, we would learn that they are so much more than just the nutritional attributes that we focus on.  They are each unique, created for a purpose, as only our Great Creator could have designed.
Coincidence? No.  I don’t think so.  Definitely the Hand of God!

It has been stated that this generation is the first to suffer from “Nature Deprivation Disorder” – a lack of regular, intentional interaction with nature is causing a definable syndrome in children and adults.  Perhaps we overlook the importance of creation in our understanding of God and ourselves.  When we look to nature, God’s handiwork is evident – order, variety, colour and even a sense of humour.

Throughout human history we have seen God’s reflection in nature. The same way that we can feel that we are at one with all creation, the creatures that walk the earth, the plants, and air, the water, and earth itself.  And most importantly, a Oneness with that Spirit which permeates all and binds all together and gives life to all – a Oneness with God.

Mis-quoting Emerson:

The happiest man is he who learns from nature the lesson of worship. The noblest ministry of nature is to stand as the apparition of God. It is the organ through which the Spirit speaks to the individual, and strives to lead back the individual to his Creator.

The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the word of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard. … [1]

Job 12, verses 7 to 9 instructs us:

Ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?

St. Francis of Assisi is rumoured to have said:

Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.

According to Genesis we were put on this earth to be its stewards – to look after it and care for it.  Nature is not independent of its Creator.  Each day, creation looks to God for provision: they seek their food from God.

Hosea has warned us:

Hear the word of the LORD, … because the LORD has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: “There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed Because of this the land mourns, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the fish of the sea are dying.”

How often have we failed in our responsibilities before God? Everything that we say & do affects the balance of the earth – the natural, the human and the supernatural.

The most important part of our example of our relation with the Creator is in our actions.  What we have learnt will be reflected in what we do: how we live our lives, day to day.

Our reading from Ephesians provides us with some solid instructions to show that we have a special relationship with our Creator – that we allow the Spirit to control our lives:

Don’t grieve God – don’t break His heart.  The Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life. Don’t take this gift for granted.

  1. Suddenly you will find, you are walking in the Spirit – and this means no more lies, no more pretences. We are all connected to each other. Tell your neighbour/brother/sister/work-mate the truth –When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself.
  2. Watch carefully the way you talk. Let nothing cruel, degrading, hurtful or dirty come out of your mouth.  Instead – say only what helps.  Each word out of your mouth should be a gift; gentle & sensitive
  3. Go ahead and be angry – but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. Don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. You have to let it go.  Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God, in Christ, forgave you.

[1] Psalms 19

The Ultimate Sacrifice

Beth - blogger, coach, consultantLeave a comment

Lectionary Readings:

  1. Acts 10: 34-43
  2. Psalms 118:1-2, 14-24
  3. 1 Corinthians 15: 1-11
  4. Mark 16: 1-8

Let’s pray:
Lord of life,
From the beginning of time, You knew the final outcome and watched as the jigsaw pieces were slotted into place.
While Your blood was poured out and on Your head was placed a crown of thorns, even to the darkness of the grave, You saw the triumph that would be won over the power and fear of death.
You walked from the empty tomb, opening wide the gates of life. You defeated death to show us that we can rise from all that binds us to the world: pride, envy, anger, fear and the debt of sin that holds us here.
Lord of life, You defeated death to demonstrate a love that is beyond our understanding.
On this day we pray, Lord of love and Lord of peace, Lord of resurrection – be known through our lives and through Your power. Amen.

How many men in history can claim to have had such a radical effect on the world as that man Jesus of Nazareth?  While many may doubt the historical accuracy of the Bible, it’s impossible to ignore the striking effect of Jesus on those who witnessed his life, his death and his resurrection.

In our day and age, with the internet, television & radio, news travels in a moment.  But 2,000 years ago, there were no mass means of communication.  There was word of mouth, the news was passed on from village to village… And yet, we find in Acts we find Peter in Caesarea, speaking in Cornelius’ household, where he said:

“you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power.  He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”[1]

In the first Century after Christ, we find that the Emperor Domitian (in the second great persecution – not the first one under Nero), some 40,000 Christians were martyred. If forty thousand died in just this second phase of persecution, how far had Christianity spread in those first 100 years?  It has been said that there may have been as many as five hundred thousand or a million Christians by the end of the first century.  All of this, by word of mouth.

Try, for a moment, to put yourself in the shoes of those early Christians, living 100 years after Christ. The apostles were all dead.  There was no one living that had been a personal witness to his life and death. There were no history books to refer to, cataloguing the life of Christ as a historical fact.  There was actually no New Testament either.

So, why would they slip out at night, away from their masters and hiding from the Romans, to meet in caves and catacombs and darkened rooms?  What did they expect to happen that was so different, so important, that it would attract them to risk their lives to hear of the gospel?  What kind of church meeting would bring them out at night, against the threat of a government that was trying to kill them?  If today it’s hard to fill a church when it rains, what would it be like if you thought you might be killed for coming on Sundays?

Forget about the paraphernalia, comforts and trappings that we have inherited from nineteen hundred years of church councils, traditions, theologians, translators & interpreters.  Forget the creeds, the prescribed order of worship, the special church language, the hymnal, scholarly commentaries, or anything else that we may use to structure our services.   What was so special about the events of Easter that it was worth dying for?

What is it that we celebrate today?

Today we celebrate the ultimate sacrifice of that man Jesus, who taught us:

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.[2]

His crucifixion was indeed the greatest act of sacrifice, perfectly demonstrating his teaching.  But his death is not where it ends.

We are taught that there is no fear in death, because Jesus was resurrected from the dead.  This celebration is not about Jesus hanging on a cross; we celebrate because we believe he is the Lord of life, that there is life after death, and that there is victory over death.

Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians emphasises the importance of the resurrection:

“If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.  … For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. … If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.[3]”

As followers of Jesus, we are to live in hope – not just a hope for a better world or life in this lifetime, but a hope for all eternity.

But I want to take this day not only to reflect on that ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made, believing until death that his sacrifice would be enough; I want us today to reflect also on the sacrifices of his life.

His daily walk was an example of the Golden Rule: doing unto others as we would have them do for us.  He exhausted himself in giving to others: preaching the Kingdom of Heaven, healing, casting out demons, and comforting those who came to Him for help.

His life has been exalted as the perfect pattern for our lives.

But let’s be honest: sacrifice is not a concept that any of us truly enjoys.  Yet the man we know as Jesus, sacrificed those things that we prize as “good” and “worthy”:

  • Family, with all the joys and comforts that come with it;
  • Ambition, wealth, prestige & popularity
  • Position and other elements of success

How do we embrace being a follower of Jesus more seriously and focus on its core: the life of Christ?  When considering how to live our lives and how best to demonstrate the love of Jesus and that we, are truly his followers, we should ask ourselves daily “What would Jesus do?”

Right now the phrase “What would Jesus do?” is being used by the Occupy Movement.  It has been used by anti-war protestors in the question “Who would Jesus bomb?”, and even gone so far as to be the subject of the “What would Jesus eat?” biblical diet plan.

Many of us may be confused about how to imitate the life of Christ, when He lived in such a different culture, society and age as we live today.  Some may argue that the Bible offers little detail about Jesus’ daily life when he wasn’t preaching or performing miracles; and others will mischievously point out that when he wasn’t doing that, he was hanging out in bars, with prostitutes and tax collectors or trashing the temple.  (Perhaps that’s not quite the answer we’re looking for.)

Jesus’ purpose on this earth was to show us the way to establish a relationship with the Creator God, with the Divine.  To open the way for us to be anointed by the Spirit, to do bigger and greater things.  Jesus didn’t tell us to do what He did, He told us to do even greater things.

In the spirit of asking how we can better follow His example, it may be helpful to ask “What did Jesus do?”?

  1. He was humble and served others – no matter how much power and glory he had or was entitled to, this is the man who washed the feet of his disciples.  Is your life characterised by a servant’s heart?
  2. He glorified God – In all of Jesus’ teachings, he doesn’t speak of Himself, so much as of God and God’s Kingdom.  His purpose on this earth was to re-establish our relationship with the Creator God.
  3. He lived a life of prayer, meditation and constant communion with God.  As if points one and two weren’t hard enough, I truly struggle to take the time to stop everything and just be still.  Many of you know me as “the Prayer Lady” – but that doesn’t mean it’s any easier.  I’m not talking about those prayers were you have a list of petitions that you put before God, those ones where we try to convince God that we want Him to uphold our agenda, and bless our ambitions (I’m quite good at those ones! They fit into my way of working and thinking).  I’m talking about that prayer and meditation where you have a private two-way conversation with the Spirit.  That time where you stop everything else and get quiet, open your heart and mind, elevate your spirit, care for another and become one with the Universe, reaching out for God, where you bow Yourself humbly before the supernatural and inquire of the Creator, stop thinking, analysing and planning and just listen; and then make sure that you test the spirit & nature of anything that pops into your mind.
  4. And lastly, Jesus lived a life of sacrifice – He gave of his time to others, He gave of his energy to others, He laid his hands on the sick and worked till He was exhausted.  And his final sacrifice completely changed the world’s religions in a way none of us could ever have imagined.

For me, the following phrase sums up the life and example of Jesus “Not my will but Thine be done”.[4]

It’s that life that relinquishes and unclasps our grubby little fingers that are tightly grasping our possessions, money, hopes & expectations, and then demanding that God uphold our plans.  It’s understanding that our wants don’t come first, and understanding that it’s the Divine Way, not “my way”.

Today, we remember Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.  We give thanks to God for his gentle mercy and untiring love.  We give thanks to Jesus for His ultimate sacrifice and for his pattern of how to live our lives: saying “yes” to the Divine, and “no” to our own selfishness.  We learn today the meaning of sacrifice and surrender.  We learn today that we are given enough grace to do what our Creator has planned for us to do – whether that be serving a meal to a homeless person, buying uniforms for needy children, taking a meal over to widows and those without families to support them, or contributing to our society in any other way.

The pattern of the Christian life we are to follow, demonstrated by Jesus, provides us with unadulterated peace in our relationship with the Creator God. It’s one in which we may have to learn obedience through suffering, and submit to the will of the Divine.  Heaven is waiting for those who have gone through Gethsemane, who have finally handed over the reins of their lives, and let go.  No longer stubbornly refusing to submit, hoisting clenched fists defiantly in the air… but humbly saying to the Spirit: “not my will, but Thine be done.”

That will be the moment in which we begin to do greater things than even Jesus did, as we were put on this earth to do by our Creator.

Let us pray:

Grant us the strength, Lord God, of body and of spirit, to offer you the sacrifice of our lives.
So often we find ourselves apologising to you for our abbreviated prayer life; and yet you draw us into your presence, as you did the disciples at Gethsemane.  You ask us to share in your life and to play our part.   You ask us to watch and pray, so that we might not fall into temptation.  And yet, so often in prayer our thoughts are distracted by sounds or circumstances, or diverted by trivial concerns.  We carry our baggage with us, rather than leaving it at your feet.
Come Holy Spirit: dispel the darkness from our minds and open our eyes.  Revive our drooping faith, our doubts and fears.  Kindle in our hearts the flame of everlasting love.
Grant us each the strength to be still and know that you are God.   Speak to us through the grass of the meadows, through the trees of the forest, through the valleys and the hills.   Speak to us through the rain, thunder and lightning, through the waves of the sea, through the dew of the morning and the peace of the evening.
God of gods, in Thy mercy, in Thy love, be with us now.  We know and we speak of Your love and ask that you help us to put away, for this hour, the cares of this life; so that we may know in truth your presence.
Let us each find that place of the inner vision and through Your Spirit let us hear the wondrous secret.  Through Your mystic insight, cause a spring of knowledge to well up inside us, a fountain of power, pouring forth living waters, a flood of love and of all-embracing wisdom, like the splendour of your eternal Light.
Creator, open our hearts to peace and healing between all people; open our hearts to provide and protect the children of this earth; open our hearts to respect for the earth of which we are guardians and the gifts that it grants; open our hearts to do greater things than those done by Jesus in his brief 33 years on this earth.
God who sees all things, in our consciousness, let us find happiness in the love of Thee.  Fill us with love towards our fellowman. Make us worthy to serve our fellow men throughout the world, especially those who live and die in poverty & huger.  Let our life, our words, our deeds, bring the joy and happiness of Jesus to each person that we meet, day by day.  Give to our fellow man, through our hands, this day their daily bread and by our understanding, give them love, peace & joy.
Amen.

[1] Acts 10: 37-38
[2] John 15: 13
[3] 1 Corinthians 15: 13-19
[4] Luke 22:42

Leaving the walls in ruins

Beth - blogger, coach, consultantLeave a comment

Lectionary Readings:

  1. 2 Samuel 7:1–14a
  2. Psalm 89:20–37
  3. Ephesians 2:11–22
  4. Mark 6:30–34, 53–56

What was the very first thing you did this morning when you woke up?
Think… for a moment:  How did you set the tone for your day?
Did you smile?
Did you groan?
Did you pull the covers over your head and think, just a couple more minutes, pleeeease God?
Did you say a small prayer: “Thank you God: This is the day that the Lord has made, I WILL rejoice and be glad in it!”?

How were those waking seconds?
Now… delve a little further: What is your morning routine?

  • Do you stretch and get all those toxins out of your muscles and moving through the lymphatic system?
  • Breathe deeply and get the toxins out of your lungs and fresh air to feed the cells of your body for this day?
  • Do you break your fast with water to cleanse your digestive system? Add a slice to lemon to it to improve the taste and the cleansing effect?
  • Do you go for a walk, get on the treadmill, use a rebounder, elliptic machine, body shaker – anything to wake all the cells and muscles of your body and make sure the blood and lymphatic system are truly flowing and cleansing the body?
  • How about your mind? What do you do first thing in the morning to rid your mind of the toxic thoughts and attitudes you may have suffered yesterday and ensure that today is filled with love?  Before you went to bed last night – did you let go of the toxins of the day? Or did you take them to bed with you?

As usually happens to me on the internet, I was searching for more information about the God gene and I went off on this tangent of how to renew your mind, find peace, and connect with God.  And that lead me to this webinar[1] about “how to start your day right”.

I’d never bothered to think about the first action I did when I woke up, until now that is!

Let me make a vivid comparison for you:
I’m pretty sure my first actions are groan and think: “OKAY, gotta get out of the bed and take the dogs for a walk”; stumble to the closet and get exercise gear and get dressed, make my way to the kitchen to fix a cup of tea, search the house for my keys, grab the leashes, find my mobile and earphones, and get out the door.

All the while, Susy and Mercedes are, on the other hand, bounding round the house! She woke up!  GREAT! Ah, fresh air! Scenery! Companionship!  I’m so excited. I can’t wait to go!  Yes, we’re going for a walk.  The day has begun!
They exude happiness and joy at the start of a new day.  They live in the moment.

The webinar about how to start your day right got me thinking:
What is it about the day that I groan about? Why do I “complain”?
Do I feel “obligated” to take the dogs for a walk and resent it?
No.
In fact, I actually enjoy it.
For an hour and 10 minutes I can shut myself off from the entire world, live in the present moment and only think about walking, the scenery, the dogs, the street, the trees, and morning…
To me, it doesn’t matter what the weather is doing. I’ve gone out in the pouring rain to walk the dogs.

I have other options – I could train the dogs to get up at 6.45 instead of 5.45… I could get up and put the dogs out of the bedroom and go back to bed, and Yari would take the dogs for a walk.  I don’t actually have to take the dogs for a walk every morning.
But that hour and 10 minutes of being out, breathing deeply, listening to my affirmations and meditations, is an essential part of my morning ritual.

The affirmations go something like this:
I joyously release the past, I am at peace. I forgive others and I set myself free from them. I forgive, and I let go of the past. I am forgiven, I forgive, I forgive others. I forgive myself and I set myself free from the past. I accept others for how they are, and how they are not. I forgive myself completely, let go of the past, and choose to live in the present moment. … I love and accept myself, exactly as I am now. I love everything about myself: I am perfect, whole & complete. [2]
I am in harmony with God, … I am always connected to my source, to Spirit, to God. I am one with all that is, and with the Power that created me, with Source, with Spirit, with God. The love, power, and presence of God protects & surrounds me, wherever I am, God is. I am the manifestation and infinite possibility of God. I live life in the present moment, in the now, in Spirit. My power is in the present moment, in my Source, in Spirit, from God. Who I am is Spirit, Source, God. … God is always present in my life. [3]

So… I have made a conscious decision, from now on, when I wake up, the first thing I am going to do is SMILE, and say “This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it”. I will stretch those muscles and let my body release the toxins; I will breathe deeply, while I’m waiting for the water to boil to make my tea, and drink that glass of water with lemon juice.  And THEN I’m going to put on my sneakers and go and enjoy that hour and ten minutes that I am so blessed to have that I can spend bonding with my two dogs, meditating and spending time with God; choosing to forgive and getting into the right frame of mind for the rest of the day.

I choose to leave the walls which God has broken down, as rubble; and more importantly, to clear away the rubble, rather than using it to build new walls.

Jesus, in Matthew 5:43-48 teaches us:

43-47“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. … When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.

48“In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.”

And so, in Ephesians 2:11-22 we read:

14-15The Messiah … tore down the wall we used to keep each other at a distance. He repealed the law code that had become so clogged with fine print and footnotes that it hindered more than it helped. Then he started over. Instead of continuing with two groups of people separated by centuries of animosity and suspicion, he created a new kind of human being, a fresh start for everybody.

16-18Christ brought us together through his death on the cross. The Cross got us to embrace, and that was the end of the hostility. … He treated us as equals, and so made us equals. Through him we both share the same Spirit and have equal access to the Father.

19-22That’s plain enough, isn’t it? You’re no longer wandering exiles. … You’re no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, … God is building a home. He’s using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.

Think of these walls that existed at the moment that Christ died:

  1. There’s the wall that kept the Gentiles from approaching the temple – marked by signs in both Greek & Latin – warning foreigners that they would be killed if they tried to enter further…
  2. Then there’s the wall that separated the males from the females – a gender wall, INSIDE the temple… right in the middle of God’s house!
  3. And inside that wall, there’s another wall, beyond which no lay person could pass.  Priests only from hereon in!
  4. And then there’s another wall – a curtain – that separated the holy things from the unholy.  Setting apart the Holy of Holies.

And yet, here we read in Ephesians that Christ knocked ALL of these walls down.  Jesus told us, and Ephesian repeats to us – there is NO ROOM for “us and them” in this new kingdom.  Everyone is welcome to come to God, to become spiritual beings, to have that personal relationship.

It’s interesting to notice that in the original Greek text, it doesn’t actually say the “circumcised” and the “uncircumcised”.  That’s a very politically correct translation. What it actually says in Ephesians is the “circumcised” and the “foreskins” – you know, that little piece of useless flesh that you cut off and throw away!  That’s what they were calling the gentiles.  Foreskins.[4]  It wasn’t merely a description.  It was a hateful slur against the new Christians.  Used by Christians to refer to other Christians.

One of the things we can learn from this passage of Ephesians is how our view of God and our relationship with God needs to be perfected.  Ephesians is about my identity in what God has done for me.  Paul calls me to be changed by Christ – but God Himself – to allow God’s spirit to work in me every day.  The debate about circumcision was about people changing themselves (physically) so that they could make themselves acceptable.  It contrasts our view: how God loves me just the way I am and God’s Spirit works to transform me; on the other hand: I must earn God’s love by changing myself to conform to man’s standard of what God wants of me.

Do I use hateful words, just as they were hateful in former centuries? Do I build walls?

Hostility, almost inevitably, goes both ways.  When a person is cruel and unjust, there is anger.  Cruel words lead to more cruel words, forgiveness is difficult.

We all know about walls.

  • The Great Wall of China – built to protect and to keep out the invaders.
  • The wall built in November 1940, by the Nazis, in Warsaw, Poland – to create a ghetto for hundreds of thousands of Jews to segregate them from the rest of the population of the city.
  • The wall built in August 1961, separating “East” and “West”, right down the middle of Berlin.  Separating families and friends.
  • A wall built in Belfast, Northern Ireland, to separate Protestants from Catholics

Yet, somehow, all of these walls are built on the foundations of fear, misunderstanding and hatred. We build these walls to protect us from being hurt, or being changed, or being vulnerable.  My wall feeds off your wall. When I come into contact with your wall, I build mine a little higher and little thicker.  Others learn not to be trusting or vulnerable when they run into my walls.[5]

So, Christ came into this world for the purpose of tearing down walls. It’s our job, however, to let go of the rubble.

Unfortunately, many of us see the pile of rubble that used to be the wall – we see that rock or stone that reminds us of the hurtful words spoken by another, and we use it as the cornerstone to rebuild a new wall. For cement, we’ve used the mortar of name-calling, labelling and prejudice.  Rather than understanding that we need to throw away all the rubble that is left from the wall, we hold onto it.  “I might need it later”.

This is not what we are called to do.  We all live in the same house – God’s house.

Ephesians 4: 31-32 call us to:

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

1 Peter 3: 8-18 reminds us:

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For “Whoever desires to love life and
see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer.

We have been given the gift of peace from God – but it’s hard to receive a gift if you aren’t holding out open hands to receive it.  It’s especially hard when your hands are busy clutching the bricks for building personal walls, especially those bricks labelled prejudice, bias and judgement.

We are God’s masterpieces, created by God to do the good works for which we were predestined.  God Himself is our peace – peace in the full sense of “Shalom”.  Not just the absence of animosity and outright fighting, but “shalom” in the sense of true oneness, wholeness and healthiness.  All roads to peace begin with God.

And to be one with God, to commune with Him, there is no room for personal or group grudges.  There’s no room for self-righteousness or holding on to hate or malice.  To be in harmony with God, we cannot break fellowship with our fellow man over differences in doctrine, liturgy, politics or controversial moral issues.  This is a denial of our oneness with God, which we have from Christ.

Christ tears down the walls – who are we to rebuild them?  Jesus abolished bitterness, unforgiveness, and unresolved anger. It chokes our fruitfulness, keeps up from growing and hinders our ability to truly pray and be in communion with God.

I started this morning, asking “how do you start each day?” Each day we have to make sure that we clean away any rubble left from the ruins of the walls that God has torn down.

The same way that we take the time to cleanse our body of toxins, we need to clean our heart and mind of the toxic materials that we used to build those walls.  The same way that we hop in the shower and let the water wash away anything that stains us, we have to let God’s love wash away all the stains in our heart.

Because we have this promise from God:

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.[6]

And so we cry out each morning to God for cleansing:

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.[7]

[1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PliFBr__T7Y&feature=related
[2] Dr. Harry Henshaw – Affirmations for Forgiveness
[3] Dr. Harry Henshaw – Affirmations for Spirituality
[4] http://michaeldavidjay.wordpress.com/2010/02/01/sermon-on-ephesians2_11-22/
[5] Beth Richardson.  From http://www.pflame.org/html/worship/sermons/PFUMC_Sermon_20090621.pdf
[6] Ezekiel 36:26
[7] Psalms 51:10

Do you not know? Have you not heard?

Beth - blogger, coach, consultantLeave a comment

Lectionary Readings:

1-    Isaiah 40: 21-31
2-    Mark 1: 29-39
3-    1 Corinthians 9: 16-23
4-    Psalms 147

Once upon a time, there was a man who groaned within himself:

My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God”. [1]

And to this man we reply fervently:
Don’t lose hope!

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.[2]

“Ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.[3]“

From time immemorial man has faced 3 great questions: [4]

  1. Does God even exist?
  2. And if God does exist, then what is His nature?
  3. Does God love me?  Is God a personal god? Does God care for me?

Man has sought to answer these questions by examining the nature of the universe and life as we know it.

Paul says in Acts that God has not left us without clues, in that He did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.[5]  And then in Romans:  even though His eternal power and divine nature may be invisible, they have been understood and seen through the things He has made ever since the creation of the world.[6]  The truth of creation expresses the thought that everything existing outside of God has been called into existence by Him.

Does God exist?

Consider the heavens, and poetic way in which David describes God’s existence:

When I consider the heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained[7]

No… forget the poetry…

Think of the cold hard facts:  the complexity of the balance of life points to a deliberate Designer that sustains our Universe.  Astro-physicist Robert Jastrow, a self-described agnostic, stated (when discussing the Big Bang Theory): [8]

“The seed of everything that has happened in the Universe was planted in that first instant; every star, every planet and every living creature in the Universe came into being as a result of events that were set in motion in the moment of the cosmic explosion…The Universe flashed into being, and we cannot find out what caused that to happen.”

We live on earth, whose size is perfect, such that our gravity is exactly right to hold a thin layer of nitrogen and oxygen that only extends about 50 miles around the Earth’s surface.[9]  A little smaller, and no atmosphere, a little larger and the hydrogen would be free.  For some peculiar reason, Earth is the only known planet equipped with the right mixture of gases to sustain plant, animal and human life.

And consider our distance from the sun – any further away, and we would be freezing.  Any closer, and Earth would burn up.  And yet somehow, we remain the perfect distance from the sun, while rotating at a speed of nearly 67,000 mph.  Add to that the complexity of the rotation on our axis, so that we have day and night, heating and cooling all sides of the planet.

How about the moon, and its gravitational pull, creating ocean tides and movement?  No tides – and there would just be stagnant water.  Had you considered that?  And yet if there wasn’t the ebb and flow of gravitation, the oceans would overflow onto land.

When the Apostle Paul set foot in Athens he said to those assembled there:

“As I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘To an unknown God.’ What you worship as unknown, I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, is Lord of heaven and earth…” [10]

Jeremiah proclaimed:

Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.[11]

This is the God that made the earth by His power and wisdom, and stretched out the heavens by His understanding.[12]

Now, consider that liquid that forms more than 2/3rds of the human body, and most of the world’s surface: “WATER”.[13]  Both David and Jeremiah tell us that God makes the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he makes lightning for the rain, and brings the wind out of His treasuries.[14]

Without water, nothing can survive: plants, animals or humans.  It’s colourless, odourless and has no particular taste.  With an unusually high boiling point and freezing point, even though it is an integral part of our body and cell-structure, we are able to stay at 37 degrees (Celsius).  And this water, an integral part of our blood, carries food, medicines and minerals through our body to be absorbed and used.

And here are some more interesting facts about water:[15]

  1. Because of its unique surface tension, it is able to flow upwards in plants, against gravity, and taken life-giving water and nutrients to the top of trees.
  2. It freezes from the top down, and when frozen it floats – so fish can still live under the ice during winter.
  3. Most of our water is in the oceans: salt water.  But it evaporates, forming clouds, and is then distributed throughout the world in clouds that disperse the water over land, plants, animals and people.  This system of purification and supply sustains life on this planet Earth – recycling at its most basic and essential form.

The writers of the Bible had noticed all of this, and commented:

All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full…[16]

God makes the drops of water; they pour down rain according the evaporation, which the clouds then drop and cleanse man with abundantly.[17]

“You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops. You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.[18]“

Scientists have discovered laws of nature that never change. But why is the universe so orderly, so reliable?  Why should the Universe obey rules, let alone abide by the rules of mathematics?  Why doesn’t our Universe have conditions which change unpredictably from moment to moment? Why is it even mathematical?[19]

At the beginning of the 20th Century, many of the laws of nature and physics had been described so successfully that many scientists felt that all that remained were just a few final decimal places.[20]  Isaac Newton had described the laws of motion and gravity, Maxwell the laws of electromagnetism.  The small anomalies were ignored or unrecognised by the physics community.

And then along can Albert Einstein, with this theory of relativity, in 1905. This theory shocked the scientific community – it was a staggering new view of space, time, matter and energy.[21]  Einstein’s theories revealed that the flow of time & the structure of space were relative to the velocity, mass and acceleration of their observers:  their observed values were actually fixed, they were relative to each other.  Einstein was able to show that time was not merely a mental contrivance of man:  it is a physical property of the universe and that rate of time that flows depends entirely on the physical conditions present where you are measuring the time.  Space and time were somehow connected.

Imagine, then, several years later, the shockwave that was felt throughout the scientific community when the astronomer Willem de Sitter found a small error in Einstein’s equations – and when he corrected this error he suddenly discovered that the Universe was finite![22]  Space, time, matter and energy had a beginning.

The prophet Amos tells us:

Seek Him that makes the seven stars and Orion, and turns the shadow of death into the morning, and makes the day dark with night: that calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out upon the face of the earth: the LORD is His name.[23]

The law of cause and effect states that the cause is always greater than its effect.[24]  This being true, our God – Creator of the Sun, the moon and stars – must have more power and energy that the Sun and all the stars together combined.  Our Creator is more powerful than all of the energy stored in all of the stars in all the galaxies of the entire Universe.  Are you starting to get an idea of how powerful our God is?

He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; He suspends the earth over nothing. He wraps up the waters in his clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight. He covers the face of the full moon, spreading his clouds over it. The pillars of the heavens quake, aghast at His rebuke. By His power He churned up the sea…. By His breath the skies become fair…. And these are but the outer fringe of His works; how faint the whisper we hear of Him! How then can we understand the thunder of His power?” [25]

The earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made…for he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded and it stood forth.[26]

So, if that is God, why do we need Jesus?

We need Jesus, because He shows us that God, while omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, is gentle, loving, aware of our self-centeredness and shortcomings, and wants to be a personal God.[27]  We need Jesus to teach us about the personal God and the relationship that we can EACH have with this all-consuming fire and energy of life and knowledge.   That we have forgiveness for all of our sins, short-comings and hang-ups.

And we also learn from Jesus that every morning is a new day and a new opportunity to spend time with the Creator.  We read in Mark this morning:

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.[28]

Some of our most vivid encounters with our Creator will be when we are alone with Him, surrounded by His Creation!  We need to know the God of the forest, the God of the hills, the valleys, the rivers and the oceans.  The Spirit of Peace finds us in that quiet place of contemplation. Creation can teach us constant awareness of our Creator and reverence for Him.[29]

Have you ever noticed how birds praise their creator, first thing in the morning?  When you wake up, you can hear them singing their hearts out – praising God.  (You know the one I’m talking about – that annoying little bird that at 5.30 a.m., before you’re really ready to get up and face the day, is sitting outside your window jabbering and singing and saying “Hallelujah” – and you just want to throw a shoe at it! Yeah! That bird! That song!) Thanking God for another day.  Joyful and energetic.  After they have sung their praises, then they go about the business of getting some food, building their nest, collecting twigs or whatever they need.  But first, they sing praise to God the Designer, Artist, Architect, Engineer, and Life-giver.  We each need to take time to meditate daily about our Maker.

Isaiah 40: 26 reminds us:

Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things …

When we take that moment to meditate on our Creator, we will see His nature more clearly:

Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all the depths; fire and hail, snow and clouds; stormy wind, fulfilling His word; mountains and all hills; fruitful trees and all cedars; beasts and all cattle; creeping things and flying fowl; kings of the earth and all peoples; princes and all judges of the earth; both young men and maidens; old men and children.[30]

When I look at the beauty in a forest, I see that every one of God’s creatures is a masterpiece. From the ant or caterpillar crawling along a twig, to a panther, lion or elephant – each is unique, beautiful, bringing harmony and balance to the forest, with careful attention to detail, precision, accuracy, and symmetry.  Notice the variety of each species! Everything has its purpose and fits harmoniously into earth’s web of life. Even the bugs and flies have a purpose.
And yet, the Bible reminds me: I have a special value!  I am special!

Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?[31]

Creation also teaches us to take care of God’s property:[32]  Genesis says that we were put here to tend and keep God’s garden!  Our Creator is the owner – we are the stewards and caretakers.

A righteous man regards the life of his animal.[33]

And there are even rules in the Bible about cutting down trees![34]

When in your war against a city, you have to besiege it a long time in order to capture it, you must not destroy its trees, wielding the ax against them. You may eat of them, but you must not cut them down.
Are trees of the field human to withdraw before you into a besieged city?
Only trees that you know do not yield food may be destroyed; you may cut them down for constructing siege works against the city that is waging war on you, until it has been reduced. [35]

If we paid a little more attention to the instruction manual we’d received regarding our relationship with God and His creation, we might have a few less problems.

And finally, creation teaches us that our Creator knows best[36] – we need to look to Him for help and healing and to solve every problem.  When we are feeling down and neglected, and our rights disregarded, we are promised:

He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds.[37]

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.[38]

Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.[39]

For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In His hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is His also. The sea is His, and He made it: and His hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.[40]

[1] Isaiah 40: 27
[2] Isaiah 40: 28
[3] Job 12:7-10
[4] Mark EASTMAN, M.D. “Science & the Bible: Cosmos & Creator” http://www.khouse.org/articles/1999/233/
[5] Acts 14:17
[6] Romans 1:20
[7] Psalms 8:3
[8] Robert Jastrow; “Message from Professor Robert Jastrow”; LeaderU.com; 2002. Quoted in Marilyn Adamson “Is there a God?” http://www.everystudent.com/features/isthere.html
[9] Marilyn Adamson “Is there a God?” http://www.everystudent.com/features/isthere.html
[10] Acts 17:23-24
[11] Jeremiah 32:17
[12] Jeremiah 51:15
[13] Marilyn Adamson “Is there a God?” http://www.everystudent.com/features/isthere.html
[14] Psalms 135:7; Jeremiah 51:16
[15] Marilyn Adamson http://www.everystudent.com/features/isthere.html
[16] Ecclesiastes 1:7
[17] Job 36:27-28
[18] Psalm 65:9-13
[19] Marilyn Adamson  http://www.everystudent.com/features/isthere.html
[20] Mark EASTMAN, M.D. http://www.khouse.org/articles/1999/233/
[21] Mark EASTMAN, M.D. http://www.khouse.org/articles/1999/233/
[22] Mark EASTMAN, M.D. http://www.khouse.org/articles/1999/233/
[23] Amos 5:8
[24] Mark EASTMAN, M.D. http://www.khouse.org/articles/1999/233/
[25] Job 26:7-9, 11-14
[26] Psalms 33:5-6, 9
[27] Marilyn Adamson  http://www.everystudent.com/features/isthere.html
[28] Mark 1: 35
[29] “Crucial Lessons from knowing God is our Creator” http://www.freebiblestudyguides.org/bible-teachings/God-crucial-lessons-knowing-our-creator.htm
[30] Psalm 148:7-12
[31] Luke 12:24
[32] “Crucial Lessons from knowing God is our Creator” http://www.freebiblestudyguides.org/bible-teachings/God-crucial-lessons-knowing-our-creator.htm
[33] Proverbs 12:10
[34] “The Jewish Way to Wage War: War & Peace in Judaism” http://judaism.about.com/library/3_intro/level2/bl_war.htm
[35]Deuteronomy 20:19-20
[36]http://www.freebiblestudyguides.org/bible-teachings/God-crucial-lessons-knowing-our-creator.htm
[37] Psalms 147:3
[38] Matthew 7:7
[39]Isaiah 40: 28-31
[40] Psalm 95: 3-6

Why God loves my body

Beth - blogger, coach, consultantLeave a comment

Lectionary Readings

  1. Psalms 139: 1-6, 13-18
  2. 1 Corinthians 6: 12-20

Time for those 2012 resolutions – starting with diet & exercise!

I don’t know about you, but every year seems to start with a new resolution to restart the diet and exercise.  I’ve learnt over the years that this can never start “tomorrow” or “next Monday”; if it’s doesn’t start TODAY it’s never going to start!  And yet, it seems that every year I’m starting over again.

I blame it on Panama’s weather!  I always find it’s easier in Panama’s summer months – clear blue skies beckon to go for walks, to hike in parks, and even eat salads. January through March, I love skating and cycling and just getting outdoors.  But then in April it starts to rain some mornings, not often, but just enough that you have to check the weather before making plans.

Come October, with rain every day, sometimes all day, it all goes to pieces,  and then you have all the holidays in November, and then Mother’s Day at the beginning of December, and the Christmas parties and events and get together’s… and before you know it, you’re 10 pounds up on where you  were in April!

If only during December we would remember Paul’s words from 1st Corinthians 6:

“All things are lawful for me”, but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me”, but I will not be enslaved by anything

And that includes the Christmas ham and eggnog!

And maybe remember Galatians 5:13

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

So give someone else that extra helping, in love serve another!

But seriously, as Paul says in Corinthians, my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, received from God.  I know that I am not my own… But sometimes I really do struggle to glorify God in my body.

And God knows these struggles!

Psalms 139 reminds us:

You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise, You perceive my thoughts from afar.  You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

Especially the lazy ones…

All the ways that I make excuses at 6.00 a.m. not to go for a walk, and all the reasons that I “forget” to do sit-ups, and every one of my pretexts for “later”.

So, what does the Bible say about exercise and diet?  Other than the analogy that my body is a temple and therefore needs to be kept in pristine order, what does it really say?

Let’s start with the wise man – Solomon.  He has something to say both about men as well as advice for women:

Proverbs 24: 5 – A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might…

Proverbs 31:17 – She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.

And then, of course, we have Paul, living in the time of gladiators and Olympic sports:

1 Corinthians 9:27 – But I discipline my body and keep it under control…

1 Timothy 4:8 – For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come

On the other hand, Peter says:

Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.[1]

So – don’t get too caught up in how your body looks!  It’s not about being the perfect hour-glass figure or the ironman.

And keep in mind what Isaiah says:

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. [2]

So, always keep in mind that the spiritual is just as important as the physical. And we can’t forget about one and focus exclusively on the other.  The Bible has quite a lot to say about moderation and keeping everything balanced:

1 Corinthians 9:25

Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath (i.e. the Olympics), but we an imperishable.

Philippians 4: 5

Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.

So, we have to be reasonable about it.  Well, that’s easy right? Ask a lawyer what “reasonable” means!

And how about diets?

Proverbs 23: 2

Put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite.

That’s a little harsh, isn’t it?

Once again, I think it comes back to balance and moderation.

Did you know that you can find on the internet “Biblical diets”?  Of course, when I read them, it sounded very much like what my Mum would say: “if you don’t eat your veggies, you can’t have any pudding”.

I think she said it was something like: a third of your plate should be covered with veggies, a third with grains, cereals, or starch, preferably whole-grain, and then the remaining third should be split up between dairy, cheeses, meats, sweets and fat.

But really, what does the Bible say about food & diet?

Starting in Genesis 1:29 we find:

And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.

I guess that doesn’t include ice-cream and chocolate cake – although I’m still hoping one day they’ll grow on trees!

What’s really interesting, when you think about it, is that we have natural fruit & vegetables from every colour of the rainbow (literally).

Here are some examples:

  • Red: we have tomatoes, apples, cherries, strawberries, watermelon, beets, rhubarb, and radishes
  • Orange: we have oranges, peaches, pumpkin, squash, carrots, and sweet potatoes
  • Yellow: lemons, pears, apricots, grapefruit, squash, wheat, and corn
  • Green: avocados, olives, limes, apples, cucumbers, peas, green beans, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, sprouts, and spinach
  • Blue:  blueberries, blackberries & mulberries
  • White: coconut, dates, pears, nuts, onions, cauliflower, mushrooms, potatoes and ginger
  • Purple: cabbage, onions, plumbs, figs, beets, eggplant and grapes

And those are just the ones that are easy to remember!

Then, add to that: Psalms 104: 14

He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth.

So want to add a bit more spice to it – use herbs!

And think about this verse:  Leviticus 26:5

Threshing time will last until grape gathering, and grape gathering will last until planting. You will eat all you want and live securely in your land.

Maybe that just applies to farmers and those that are physically active, right?

Try making your way through Leviticus and all the rules about what you can and can’t eat!  It’s health and safety 101!

I personally don’t believe in the Atkins Diet – because while Jesus may have said “man does not live by bread alone”, he also says “Give us this day our daily bread” – so I think it goes without saying that we are to have some carbs!

Do you want a recipe for bread? Try Ezekial 4:9

“…  take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and emmer, and put them into a single vessel and make your bread from them.”

And then there’s the need to have meat:  Genesis 9:3

Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. As I gave you the green plants, I give you everything…

Daniel’s diet, on the other hand, does teach us that we could be vegetarians, although I’m pretty sure that includes vegetables in a very broad sense and not just greens!  It would have been your potatoes, rice, grains, nuts, fruits, and all the rest of nature’s bounty.

So what about fat and fried food?

Leviticus 7:23

Say to the Israelites: ‘Do not eat any of the fat of cattle, sheep or goats.

Guess we’re supposed to make some effort then to stay skinny – although it does clearly say olive oil is good!

And what about wine?

I remember joking as a teenager: wasn’t it obvious what God had to say about wine? Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine.  What else do you need to know?

By the same token, we find Paul giving Timothy some advice:

No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.[3]

I heard something similar recently from a visitor to Panama – they had caught a tummy bug and they found an immediate solution – drink Coca Cola – it kills everything for you!

And there are even rules (in Leviticus and elsewhere) about parties and feasts:

Try Nehemiah 8:10

“Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!”

 When it comes to eating and exercise, I think the most important rule to remember is what Paul says in Romans 14:

As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. …

Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. …

And most importantly of all:  We are to remember always, no matter how much time we may have (or not) for exercise and diet, that God made each of us as we are.  With the metabolism that we were given, the body shape that we have – whether we are tall or short, heavy-set or slim, lots of energy and drive or not, God created each of us in His image.

Psalms 139:

13 – For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.

We are each loved by God – irrespective of how we look on the outside! We need to celebrate that, making the Holy Spirit’s temple as beautiful a place (both inside and out) as we are able with God’s help and guidance.

[1] 1 Peter 3: 3-4
[2] Isaiah 40: 28-31
[3] 1 Timothy 5:23

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Sunlight is said to be the best bleach and streetlamps the most effective police officers…

Beth - blogger, coach, consultantLeave a comment
Lectionary Readings:
  1. Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
  2. Luke 1:46b-55
  3. 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-24
  4. John 1:6-8; 19-28

Growing up here in Panama, I went to Boarding School in Chame. As a child, after playing games or skating on the basketball court, we’d head back to our dorms, taking the shortest way back straight across the soccer field.  Pitch dark – although probably only 7.30 or 8.00 p.m.  Not something I wanted to do alone!

I remember (probably on more than one occasion), walking back across that field, and my friend Marion would let out a screech or scream and take off running, and I would scream and bolt for the buildings and the lights.  In overtaking her I would notice she was doubled over with laughter, but that wouldn’t really sink in until I was safely standing, out of breath, on the porch under the lights.  She’d eventually show up, still laughing.  I was so predictable: waiting for those unseen snakes or ghouls or scary monsters to grab me out of the dark.

I’m not afraid of the dark, I’m just scared of what might be hiding in it.

Today I want to speak about the LIGHT.

Ever since mankind crawled out of the primordial slime, we’ve cried: “More light.”

Sunlight. Firelight. Candlelight. Torchlight. Neon, incandescent light that banishes the darkness from our caves, homes; lights that illuminate our roads, dangerous intersections and treacherous corners; and even lights that turn on when you open the door scaring the bogey man out from inside our refrigerators. Floodlights for our sports arenas. Tiny flashlights for those books we read under the covers when we’re supposed to be asleep.

Light is so much  more than watts and foot-candles. Light is metaphor: knowledge and truth (the age of enlightenment); light is life and growth (photosynthesis, vitamin D); light is energy and force; and light is light.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.   He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.

The Pharisees said to him: “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us.  What do you say about yourself?”

He said “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Make straight the way of the Lord.’”

This is our third week of Advent, our celebration of the birth of Jesus: the way, the truth and the life.  The gospel of John starts with these words of Truth:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… Through Him all things were made… In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness…

Notice the connection with Genesis 1?

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep… And God said, “Let there be light” and there was light. God saw that the light was good…

And to Genesis 3?

The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

I want to start today by quickly reviewing the dichotomy of light versus darkness, in all its metaphors. Take a moment to reflect on these contrasts. What images come to mind as I read these words of Light and Darkness?

Doubt Anxiety Nightmares Despair London winter Dimness Depression Fear Tiredness Lethargy Captivity Blindness Haunted  Sickness Grief Sadness Deception  Heavy-hearted Addicted Imprisoned Contaminated Hatred Ignorance Consumed Hungry Famine

Faith Peace Courage Energy Dreams Freedom Hope Health Sunshine Sight Brightness Pleasant Contentedness Truth Joy Happiness Light-heartedness  Free spirit  Pure Love Knowledge Rejuvenated  Plenty Satisfied

Light is a force and energy, whereas darkness is merely the absence of this force and energy.  So, when the Bible says that God is LIGHT, what are the author’s trying to communicate to us?  It doesn’t say that God is LIKE light, or God is “surrounded by” light, or “God has a great big electric generator so He can sit in the spotlight”, it says “God IS light”.

Light is the essence of God – the same way that man is flesh and blood.  This light is self-existent, God possesses this power in and of Himself.  It has no external source. God is pure light, not diluted or mixed in any way with evil, hatred, untruth, ignorance or hostility. God is light is not a theoretical assertion about the nature of God, but a statement that drives us to the heart of what God is like: God is pure light.

God is the source of all living things.  God is truth and enlightenment.

If we briefly look at some of man’s encounters with God in the Bible, we can see a little better this Light and its many meanings.

Think of Moses’ first encounter with God: the burning bush. The bush was on fire, but was not consumed by the flames.  God has his full attention – but didn’t have to destroy anything in order to do so.

The children of Israel got a glimpse of the glory of God at Mount Sinai:

under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself… but the cloud covered the mountain, and the glory of God looked like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain.

This was all a little much for the children of Israel, especially when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with a radiant face, and they were afraid to come near him.  A little like Jesus’ transfiguration  on the mountain with Moses and Elijah.  A bright cloud enveloped them… and when Peter, James & John heard the voice, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified.

On the other hand, think now of David, and his beautiful psalms. Here we find at least three metaphors:

  1. Picture God “clothed in garments of light”, symbolising the One who is pure, righteous and holy (there is no dirtiness, nothing to taint or contaminate God).
  2. God’s revelation through spoken and written word gives light: “Thy Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”; offering moral guidance and direction for how to live.
  3. Light symbolises also salvation: “God is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

Or how about Isaiah:

The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.

Did you ever notice that most of the prophets start with “The word of the Lord came to…”, except for Ezekiel. Have you noticed Ezekiel’s spaceship?

I looked and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north – an immense cloud with flashing lightening and surrounded by brilliant light.  The centre of the fire looked like glowing metal, and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures (with faces and wings – each of the four had the face of a man, the face of a lion, the face of an ox and the face of an eagle) – so it didn’t matter which way they were facing, they were always facing forward.  The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches.  Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright and lightening flashed out of it.  The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightening.

Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked like an expanse, sparkling like ice, and awesome… Then there came a voice… Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man.  I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him.  Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.

This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.  When I saw it, I fell facedown…

I’m somewhat relieved I haven’t had THAT encounter with God!  And then sent out to preach against the injustice and evil of man…

And what about Paul? While breathing out murderous threats against the disciples, on the road to Damascus suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him, sending him to the ground.  When he got up and opened his eyes, he couldn’t see.  And for three days he was blind.  Three days to sit in quiet and solitude, and meditate on the meaning of his life.  Three days to sit and think about what he’d been shown when he saw the light.  Three days to wonder if the light was going to be the last thing he ever saw.

And yet, without light, none of us can see.  Our eyes are useless in the pitch dark.  Our sense of hearing and smell and taste and touch are unaffected by the darkness – but take away the light, and we are all blind.  We need the reflection of light off objects to be able to see them.  Light = sight.

You know, and I know, we each need that encounter with the LIGHT.

Some of us will find that light burning within us, but like the burning bush, this light doesn’t consume us. It is the Light that sends us out to rescue those who are prisoners or slaves, whether they are addicts, those imprisoned by poverty, those bound by depression or those just in need of love.  This light from within feeds itself and gives us energy and light, but it doesn’t destroy us. It is the light of life!  The light of the Spirit! The light of joy and giving! This is the Light that we are called to share with our fellow man. Don’t hide this light under a bushel.  We are not to be mirrors of this light – this light is meant to burn inside each of us!

Some of us will fall on our faces, before the purity and power of the LIGHT, and simply worship.  And when we walk away, after being in God’s presence you will be radiant, transfigured.  Perhaps scary for others to see, but we will be RADIANT.

Some of us need to walk in the light, as David did: the light that guides each footstep and guides our path. We all need the words of truth.

Others will find in the Light that place of safety and security, the salvation that they so desperately need.  The light that lifts them out of depression or addiction.  The light that sets them free.

Some of us may be in that place where it seems that there is no light from the sun, and then we will hear, as Isaiah did “the LORD will be an everlasting light”.

Others of us will need to see the supernatural, like Ezekiel. That light that takes our breath away – and when it’s done, empowers and emblazons us to stand up and speak out against the injustices in the world.   That takes us to fight for the 13 million people in the Horn of Africa that are starving because of the drought; the drive and motivation to face the starving refugees of Somalia; the motivation to stand up in “occupy” and say I disagree with the financial powers that be, “this is wrong”; or whatever message is laid on our hearts regarding the injustices and inequality in this world.

We need that Light that moves us to pray for the family in England of the man who after losing his job went home and shot his wife and daughter and 2 other children and then turned the gun on himself, leaving 2 orphaned children in the hospital to deal with the horror of the future without a father or mother or sister.  And yet others will be called to minister directly to the grieving.

Some of us need that jolt of lightening like Paul, that stops us in our tracks, and makes us take time out from our endeavours and goals and plans, and the rat-race we call life, to make us rethink the direction that our life is heading in.

But more than anything, ALL of us need to be plugged into the LIGHT, the energy, the life-force.  We are all like stand-alone computers, that until we are plugged in to the electricity, we can’t do anything, and unless we’re connected to the network, there’s a limit to how much information or data we can access.  We all need to be plugged in and connected.

We read in first John 1: 5-7

This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is Light; in Him there is no darkness at all.  If we claim to have fellowship with Him, yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus… purifies us from all sin.

I ask each of you to take a moment right now, before we go on with this service, to meditate on what God’s Spirit reveals to you.  How are you called to respond this Christmas season?

Some of us will be called, like Isaiah to proclaim:

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because I have been anointed by the LIGHT; the LIGHT has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; To proclaim the year of the LIGHT’s favour… to comfort all who mourn; … to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. For the LIGHT loves justice, and hates robbery and wrongdoing; the LIGHT will faithfully give them their recompense. … I will greatly rejoice in the LIGHT, my whole being shall exult in my God; for the LIGHT has clothed me with the garments of salvation, and covered me with the robe of righteousness…   For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the LIGHT will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.

Others, will, like Mary proclaim:

My soul magnifies the Lord, my LIGHT, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for the LIGHT has looked with favor on the lowliness of this servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me…  His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; the LIGHT and TRUTH has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. The Mighty One has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; the LIGHT has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. The Mighty One has helped his servant … in remembrance of His mercy.

And finally, from Paul we are reminded:

Rejoice always; Pray without ceasing; Give thanks in ALL circumstances, knowing that this is the LIGHT’s will for you. Don’t quench or put out the Spirit of Light by allowing darkness to take hold in your life; Do not despise the words of the prophets, but test everything that you are told and hold fast to what is good and true; abstaining from every form of evil.  And know that the God of peace Himself will sanctify you entirely; that your spirit and soul will be kept sound and blameless, no matter what happens or how crazy this world gets.  Because the one who is call THE LIGHT has called you, and the LIGHT is faithful and true, and will do this.

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Everything beautiful in His time…

Beth - blogger, coach, consultant1 Comment

Lectionary Readings:

1-     Joshua 24: 1-3a, 14-25

2-    Psalms 78:1-7

3-     Matthew 25: 1-14

I often wonder what our relationship with God would be like if we had no Bible. Think about it for a minute – other than your relationship with God, what friendship or relationship comes with a guide-book?

So, how on earth did Abraham discover God and become God’s friend? He had no Pentateuch, Psalms, Isaiah or Jeremiah, no gospels or epistles from Paul to help him along his way.

We read this morning in Joshua:

‘…Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshipped other gods. 3 But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout Canaan…[1]

How did Abraham, living in a family that worshipped other gods, discover God for himself?  Why do we have Jews, Muslims and Christians believing in this infinite all-powerful God, building faith and rituals and traditions on the God described in the Westminster Confession?

One & only,(a) living, and true God:(b) who is infinite in being and perfection,(c) a most pure spirit,(d) invisible,(e) without body parts,(f) or passions,(g) immutable,(h) immense,(i) eternal,(k) incomprehensible,(l) almighty,(m) most wise,(n) most holy,(o) most free,(p) most absolute,(q) working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will…”[2]

Even if we read the Koran we find:

“Your God is but one God. There is no god other than Him, Compassionate and Merciful. In the creation of the heavens and the earth, in the alternation of night and day, in the ships that ply the seas to the benefit of man, in the water sent down from the heavens to revive the earth after its death, in the different species of animals scattered across the earth, in the rotation of the winds, in the clouds that are subordinate to God’s command between heaven and earth, in all of this, there are signs for men who use their intellects.”[3]

“Tell men to reflect with care and see what things the heavens and the earth contain.”[4]

The Bible says that if I seek God, I’ll find Him.  How long is building my relationship with God supposed to take?  There are supposed to be signs for those who use their intellects to see God – but where am I supposed to look? When will God’s work in my life be done?

In answer to my question, how did Abraham discover God for himself, I found some light shed in a couple of legends that are sometimes recounted to Muslim children.  I told one of those legends this morning to the children, and now I want to tell the 2nd one to you. Then I’m going to relate these to our Bible readings this morning.

Here goes:

In the days of mighty King Nimrod, there lived in Mesopotamia a young man named Abraham. Now, Abraham’s father was an idol maker named Terah Azar, who carved the wooden gods worshipped by his people. But Abraham was a believer in the one God, and not in the gods made by hand.

Azar would send Abraham and his other sons to sell his idols in the marketplace. But Abraham would call to the passersby, “Who’ll buy my idols? They won’t help you and they can’t hurt you! Who’ll buy my idols?”

He’d also mock the gods of wood: take them to the river, push their faces into the water, and command them, “Drink! Drink!”

Abraham would ask his father, “How can you worship what doesn’t see or hear or do you any good?”

Azar replied, “Dare you deny the gods of our people? Get out of my sight!”

“May God forgive you,” said Abraham. “No more will I live with you and your idols.” And he left the house of his father.

Now, the time came for one of the festivals of that town. The people gathered in their temple and placed offerings of food before their gods.

Abraham walked among them, saying, “What are you worshipping? Do these idols hear when you call them? Can they help you or hurt you?”

But their only reply was, “It is the way of our forefathers.”

“I am sick of your gods!” declared Abraham. “Truly I am their enemy.”

When the people had gone out, Abraham took some of the food and held it up to the idols. “Why don’t you eat?” he mocked them. “Aren’t you hungry? Speak to me!” And he slapped their faces.

Then Abraham took an axe and chopped the idols to pieces—all except for the largest idol, of course, the chief god of the people. And he tied the axe to the hand of that idol.

When the people returned, they were shocked to find their gods broken up and scattered about the temple. Then they remembered how Abraham had spoken, and they sent for him.

“Abraham,” said the head man, “was it you who did this?”

“Surely it was someone!” he replied. “Their chief stands there with an ax in his hand. Perhaps he grew jealous and destroyed the rest. But why don’t you just ask him?”

The head man said, “You know they neither strike nor speak.”

“Then why worship gods that you make?” demanded Abraham. “Worship instead the Maker of all!”

But few of the people would listen. Abraham was seized and brought to King Nimrod for punishment.

When Nimrod had heard the accusers, he turned to Abraham. “Who is this mighty God you spoke of?”

“He it is Who gives life and death,” answered Abraham.

“But I too give life and death,” said Nimrod. “I pardon a guilty man sentenced to die—then I execute one who is innocent!”

“That is not the way of my Lord,” said Abraham. “But listen to this: Each morning, my Lord brings the sun up in the east. Can you make it rise in the west?”

Then Nimrod grew angry. He had a great fire built, and he ordered Abraham to be tied up and thrown into it. But the fire only burnt away the ropes, and they saw Abraham sitting peacefully among the flames. Beside him was an angel in Abraham’s likeness, comforting and protecting him.

After that, Nimrod did not dare try to harm Abraham again. Abraham returned to his town, where he gathered those who believed in the one God. Then he set out west, placing all faith in the Lord.

And so… As in Genesis, we find Abraham setting out to the west from beyond the Euphrates.

The timelessness of God came up one morning in our discussions in adult Sunday school – our clocks are set by the earth’s rotation around the sun, and our tides and seasons by our orbit around the sun and the moon’s orbit around the earth.  So, if God created the earth, the sun, the moon and the stars, then it goes without saying that God created time: the hours, minutes, and seconds of our day– and therefore God is timeless – above and beyond our restraints of time.

In Matthew 25 we read about the 5 wise and the 5 foolish virgins waiting for the bridegroom to arrive – to light the way for the bridal party.  The 5 wise virgins had enough oil and the 5 foolish virgins burnt out their lamps and had to run off to get more.  While they were gone, the bridegroom arrived and by the time they got back, it was too late – they were no longer needed.  The 5 foolish virgins made one small mistake – they acted on their expectations, rather than acting with forethought.  They expected the bridegroom to show up at a certain time.  Not in his time – when they expected him to.  They were ready now… he should be here now… “oh, what could possibly be taking them so long?”  “They should have been here hours ago.”

Think about it like this:

15 years ago we didn’t have cell phones to coordinate with each other.  Let’s say us girls were getting together to go shopping for Christmas tree ornaments, and we organised to meet at Albrook Mall at 10.00 a.m. Saturday morning, at the entrance by the supermarket.  Everyone would be there at 10.00 a.m., because if you weren’t there on time, you would know if we were still at the mall or whether we’d moved on from there over to El Dorado, or if we’d decided to go to Caledonia to see if we could find better bargains.  Then we would organise a time, and whoever failed to be there was out – unless, of course, the one that’s missing is the one that has the car!

So, imagine this wedding… you’re waiting for the bridegroom – an essential part of the wedding! Without him, nothing gets started.  And while you’re waiting, you run out of oil… Now, he’s an essential part of the wedding – but are the lamp-bearing virgins “essential”?  No… they’re part of the wedding, but one more or one less – the show can go on without them.  The bridegroom has arrived, the procession leaves… and whoever went out for oil gets left behind.

So… How about you and God?

Are you expecting God to act “on your timetable” or have you come to understand your minor role in Act 2011?

Is your attitude: “I prayed about it, and I need the answer by next week, OK God?” Or are you working on God’s time?

Psalms relates: that for God 1000 years is like a passing day, as brief as a few night hours.[5]  I found on the internet where someone actually worked out what that meant – if 1000 years is one day, then one minute in heaven-time equals 8.33 months on earth.  So, when God’s response to your prayer is “I’ll be with you in just a minute” you know how long you’re supposed to wait?

Solomon, in Ecclesiastes 3 explains it:

1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, … 5 … a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, 6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, 7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,

… 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.

15 Whatever is… has already been, and what will be… has been before; and God will call the past to account.

Solomon, the philosopher and wise man, the King – looked on the world and on creation, and saw God in it; got a glimpse of eternity.

When I read the Hebrew Scriptures, I get a feeling of how quickly generations pass.

You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath[6].

In our Psalm this morning, we read about what our ancestors have told us, and how we are to pass these experiences on to the next generation.  Our job on this earth is to learn from the past and build for the future, while understanding the eternity which is set in our hearts.

In business, we talk about leaving a legacy – what legacy are we leaving? What have we learnt about God and our relationship with Him that we are leaving to those who will come after us? If each new generation were to write another book of the Bible, what would it say? How could we describe what we have learned about God to others, to make it easier for someone else to understand?

I want to finish this morning revisiting our reading from Joshua 25 – that I’ve taken a little of literary license with:

Respect God and serve Him faithfully.  Throw away your gods – stop chasing after more money, fame and fortune, keeping up with the Joneses, fitness and health, making a fashion statement – and focus on the truly important and eternal things in life.  If this change of lifestyle (focusing on the eternal and leaving a true legacy) seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves today who you will serve: Money? Intelligence & Knowledge? Fame & fortune? The Joneses? Fashion? Fitness? Pleasure? The big “I” – me, myself, and I?

But as for me and my family – we’ve decided we’re going to focus on our relationship with God and how to translate that into everything we say and do.

All the people answered – “No, we won’t get caught up in the present and material world and forsake God and chase after meaningless pursuits! We’ll remember what we were before and what God has done for us, the miracles we’ve experienced; His protection and guidance in all our travels.  We’re going to make this commitment too, because He is our God.” 

Joshua warned them: “You won’t be able to serve God – He’s holy and perfect and without any faults or weaknesses.  And he expects the same from you! God won’t just overlook and forgive your intentional rebellion and sins – when you decide to forsake the eternal and run after money or fame & fortune, or get so caught up with running your business that you forget that there’s more to life than the bottom line.  If you start looking to the material world for your happiness and satisfaction, you’ll be headed for disaster: it will be the end of you, and you’ll lose everything that you’ve built and learned in your relationship with God. Remember the eternal. 

But the people were adamant: “No, we’ve decided. We’re going to serve God.” 

And so Joshua responded to everyone present: You are witnesses against yourselves – YOU’VE chosen God for yourselves (I didn’t choose Him for you.  I didn’t force Him on you.  It’s your free-will choice). Worship Him. 

And they responded – “We are witnesses…. We’ll worship God. What He says, we’ll do.”

We have each been given the gift of God’s Spirit – and the right to be called Children of God. Do we accept the gift?

Having accepted this, it’s our responsibility daily to tend to this Spirit – the continual flow of the relationship we have – keeping it constant and flowing.  Eternity has already started for each of us – it’s not some unknown moment of the future.

Our relationship with the Creator, with the Eternal –This is what really matter. 

Even in the mundane, we need to find that pearl of growth and change that lights our way, so that we can light the way for those that will come after us.

Each day of our lives should be lived as if it were our last: THIS is the day that will decide my future.  I’m ready and prepared to live this day filled with the Spirit!  Seeking and finding God. Not just reading my Bible – but actually building on my relationship with a living God. Building on yesterday’s foundations, and making room for tomorrow’s dreams.

Being the lamp that is shining in our community and lighting the way for others to follow.  Believing that God makes everything (even me) beautiful in His time… and working toward that final finished product.

It’s only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth — and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up — that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had.[7]

[1] Joshua 25: 2-3

[2](a) Deut. 6:4; I Cor. 8:4, 6; (b) I Thess. 1:9; Jer. 10:10; (c) Job 11:7, 8, 9; Job 26:14; (d) John 4:24; (e) I Tim. 1:17; (f) Deut. 4:15, 16; John 4:24, with Luke 24:39; (g) Acts 14:11, 15; (h) James 1:17; Mal. 3:6; (i) I Kings 8:27; Jer. 23:23, 24; (k) Ps. 90:2; I Tim. 1:17; (l) Ps. 145:3; (m) Gen. 17:1; Rev. 4:8; (n) Rom. 16:27; (o) Isa. 6:3; Rev. 4:8; (p) Ps. 115:3; (q) Exod. 3:14.

[3] (2:163-164)

[4] (10:101)

[5]Psalms 90:4

[6]Psalms 39:5

[7] Elisabeeth Kubler-Ross

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Jehovah Jireh – my provider

Beth - blogger, coach, consultantLeave a comment

Lectionary Readings:

1- Exodus 16: 2-15
2- Matthew 20: 1-16

You may recall, last time that I spoke, I gave a 5 minute summary of the Pentateuch, Joshua and Judges.  And one of the recurring themes throughout these 7 books was that the children of Israel grumbled, complained, fussed, griped, groaned, kvetched, muttered, mumbled, moaned, protested, spluttered, snuffled and snivelled.  And yet, God still came through for them.

Our reading this morning from Exodus 16, starts with:

The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.
If only we had died… in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

Our course, Christian don’t complain, the same way we never gossip.  Have you ever actually heard a Christian say: “I don’t like what God’s given me!”?  or: “I can’t believe God is taking me down this road! It’s not like I have a lesson I need to learn…”
Of course not.
At least, that’s not HOW we complain…
We merely vociferously express our discontent with what God has given us, couched as a “prayer request”, so that others can pray about it with us.
I want to ask you today:

How BLESSED are you?  Have you counted your blessings lately?

Let me give you a short-list of how blessed I am:
1- I am married to a good man, with strong family ties; and he loves me!  He makes me feel special and loved.
2- Both of my parents are still alive, and more importantly – still together.  My nephew Luka-James was born September 7th, no C-section required, my brother was able to cut the umbilical cord, and both mother and child are healthy with no complications.  I now have 6 nephews & nieces, ranging from a few days to 21 years old.
3- I have a fantastic network of friends and loved-ones, who are there for me in my times of need, helping to work through problems or issues that I may have.
4- I have my health!
5- There are 925 million hungry people in the world, mostly living in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.  I eat well: nutritious, regular, balanced meals, 3 times a day, and snacks when I’m peckish.  My fridge & pantry are usually full.
6- 80% of the world’s population lives on less than $10.00 a day – that’s less than $300.00 a month.  So, how blessed are you?
7- More than 660 million people live without sanitation, and live on less than $2.00/day, and more than 385 million on less than $1.00/day.  My comfortable 3 bedroom apartment, with 3 bathrooms, running water, and flushing toilets is looking really nice!
8- There are about a billion people that cannot read and write or sign their names: I am blessed with having 2 law degrees, and struggling to finish my thesis for my Master’s degree.
9- In the world, with a population of 7 billion, there are only 812 million people that own cars.  I’m one of them.

I am truly blessed.

My needs: roof, clothing, food & security – they are all taken care of.
This reminds me of Proverbs 30, verses 7 to 9:

Two things I ask of thee; deny them not to me before I die:
#1 – Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
#2 – give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, “Who is the LORD?” or lest I be poor, and steal, and profane the name of my God.

That is to be truly blessed by God. A magical word: “enough”.
So – how does God deal with the complaining Israelites in our reading from Exodus?  He gives them what they need: raining bread from heaven every morning with the early morning dew, so that they could simply have enough for each day.  But with a test: can they follow instructions?

Collect only enough food for today; BUT, on the day before the Sabbath, collect enough for both days.
How well do you think the children of Israel did at following those instructions?
Yeah – you’re right – they failed miserably.

There were some that stored the manna on the first day, and found to their disgust on day 2 that it was rotting, with worms, and smelt awful; and yes, there were those that didn’t collect before the Sabbath, and went hungry on that day… and there is a “note” made in Exodus “How long will you refuse to keep my commandments & instructions?”

Every evening quails came up and covered the camp, and so they had bread and meat to eat.  And they ate manna, every day, for 40 years.

2 simple lessons:
#1: GOD PROVIDES FOR US DAY-TO-DAY.
#2: HE TAKES CARE OF OUR NEEDS – EVEN IF NOT QUITE THE WAY WE WANT.

Our earthly desire and insecurity lead us to want to store up for “a rainy day” that extra so that we will never go without.  But God has promised us food each day.  Day-by-day we are to present ourselves before God.

Day-by-day we ask for strength, for patience, for understanding and wisdom, for that special anointing of the Holy Spirit, for power – enough for today.
Jesus warns in Luke 12:15:

Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.

And then goes on to say in verses 22 to 30:

… do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat, nor about your body, what you shall put on.  For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.  Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap,… and yet God feeds them.  Of how much more value are you than the birds! … But if God clothes the grass which is alive in the field today and tomorrow is thrown in the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O men of little faith!  And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, not be of anxious mind.  For all the nations of the world seek these things; and your Father knows that you need them.

Most of us struggle with the concept of God provides:
• I’m self-sufficient!
• I work.
• I earn a salary.
• I go to the grocery store and buy my food with the money that I earned.

Where is God in this?

Maybe it’s easier to see God when you live and work on a farm: where you depend on the rain and sun and frost at just the right time, because the change in weather can either mean bounty or lost crops.
Have we lost touch with Jehovah Jireh?
Deuteronomy 8 warns:

He gave you manna to eat in the desert… to humble and to test you… You may say to yourself: “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.”  But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth.

Or maybe, we don’t notice God’s hand in providing for us, because we’re looking for the supernatural:
1- Manna raining down from heaven
2- 5 loaves and 2 fishes feeding 5,000
3- Ravens bringing food, when you’re hiding in a cave
4- Your oil and meal never running out during a famine
5- Or maybe like what God did in Exodus 3 – where the Egyptians gave the Israelis all their gold & silver and fine clothes as they were leaving.
6- Or maybe like in Ezra 1, where Cyrus (king of Persia) commands all the neighbours of the Jewish people that want to return to Jerusalem and  rebuild the temple that they should give them silver & gold, and goods and livestock and freewill offerings.

I’m going to try that sometime – go and tell all my neighbours that God says they should give me all their gold & silver & precious things.

7- Or maybe you’re looking for the big miracle, mentioned in Deuteronomy 6:
When the Lord your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers… a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant….

How do you think that would go down with my neighbours?

Are you too busy looking for the supernatural to notice God’s hand in the everyday common & mundane life?
Do you see God’s hand: when you get or don’t get that promotion or new job that you’re after; when the offer you made on the new house got accepted; when the loan you needed to buy the car came through…
Or did you presume that was a result of your own hard work, just normal business practice.  That’s how life is, how things work…  it wasn’t a miracle…
But, I believe God takes care of us each day.

Phil says I’m a bit of a mystic – because I believe in a supernatural God.  And I do. I absolutely and completely believe in a God of miracles.  If the Bible says that you can move a mountain with faith the size of the mustard seed, the fact that I can’t move a mountain only tells me that I haven’t reached that level of complete trust and understanding of God where I know which mountain I’m supposed to move, when it has to be moved and where it’s supposed to be moved to.  Letting me move mountains right now would be dangerous (and probably irresponsible on God’s part.) How many environmental permits would I need to do this?

But I know that God does provide in unusual and miraculous manners.  When Mum & Dad were missionaries here, saying that they lived “by faith” seems an understatement.  When they got to Panama, and the mission leaders asked them how much had been pledged to them monthly, dad’s response was $2.00.  Yeap – that’s what they had in pledges.  The rest was going to be “by faith”.
Did I wear hand-me-downs?  You bet!  Did we eat a lot of veggies out of our own garden? Absolutely! Where there times where we had rice and beans, rice and beans, and rice and beans? Just ask my Mum!
And yet, when we left Panama to move back to New Zealand, we moved into a house that was ours.  We hadn’t bought it. But we moved into this 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom house, with about 1/5th of an acre of land around it, in dad’s home town.  About 1 block away from Jamie’s primary school, and maybe 8 blocks away from high-school.  Once we moved back, and dad had a job, this lady organised with the bank that held the mortgage for us to take over the mortgage, but ½ of the house was fully paid and gifted to us.
Don’t get me wrong – it wasn’t a mansion – it was in a humble part of town, with a rainbow of nationalities and backgrounds as neighbours.
I find it hard to complain about how God provided for us when we moved back to New Zealand without a dollar to our names.  We had furniture (second hand, perhaps a little worn, but comfortable); a friend of dad’s gave us an “indefinite loan” of a beat-up ol’ car, until we could buy one; dad got a job quite quickly (although a humble one), and we were settled.  Everything we needed was taken care of.  In all those years of my parents living “by faith” – I don’t remember going hungry.

Jehovah Jireh provides.

So now let’s talk about our second reading, the parable about the landowner that hires workers for his vineyard.  What can we learn from this about Jehovah Jireh, our Provider?
He hires one group of workers first thing in the morning – agreeing with them the wages for the work.
He hires another group at noon, at 3.00 p.m., and then at 5.00 – with each one agreeing the wages to be paid for the work to be done.
And at the end of the day, the foreman pays each of them the agreed upon wages.
Now, those that had worked all day, had something to say about receiving the same amount of wages:

These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.

And the master replied:

Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you.  Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me?  Or are you envious because I am generous?

God provides for each of us in a different way – according to His purpose and plan – not according to our wants or sense of what is right and just.  We may look at other Christians and feel that they are more “blessed” than we are – but who are we to question what God has chosen to give to them?

And what about those murderers? Thieves? Drug dealers? Arms dealers? Those that traffic people and keep them in slave labour?  Why does God let them also have their food, roof and clothing?
Matthew 5:44-45 tells us:

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

While it might not make any sense to me, God not only is providing for me, but He’s also providing for those guys that don’t believe in Him and don’t even realise that He’s providing for them!
Because He chooses to. And it is His to give.

And what about the gift of a relationship with God?  A murderer may, the night before his execution, turn to God… and we believe that this simple act of faith will be enough to save him.  Why does he get the same treatment from God that I do?

GOD’S RESPONSE: I make the sun rise on the evil and on the good; I send rain on the just and on the unjust.  Because I choose to. Because I am God.

Why do some Christians get to speak in tongues, have the gift of prophecy, or words of science or wisdom?
GOD’S RESPONSE: Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you.  Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?

Why do some have the faith to lay hands on the sick and heal them, cast out demons, while others lack the supernatural touch and anointing?
GOD’S RESPONSE:  O ye of little faith!  I said that these signs will accompany those who believe…

We read in Romans 9: verses 14 to 21:

What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! …
“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
So it depends not upon man’s will or exertion, but upon God’s mercy. For the scripture says to Pharaoh: “I have raised you up for the very purpose of showing my power in you, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.”
So then he has mercy upon whomever he wills, and he hardens the heart of whomever he wills. You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?”
But who are you, a man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me thus?”
Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for beauty and another for menial use?

And so, each of us can say with confidence:

My God will supply all of my needs, according to His riches in glory.

In quick summary:
1- As Christians there is no room for complaining and murmuring, we are to be thankful and count our blessings
2- We are to present to God our needs, request our daily bread and whatever else we need each day
3- Our faith and trust should be in God, not in ourselves, our savings, our retirement plan, but like the Israelites we need to learn to trust God – one day at a time
4- There is no room for envy in life as a Christian – go back to point one – be thankful for what you are given and count your blessings.  Jehovah Jireh has promised to take care of your needs.
It’s because of this that we can give food to the hungry, give something to drink to the thirsty, welcome strangers into the safety of our homes, give clothing to the naked, take in the sick and care for them, and visit those in prison:

Because as we treat the lowest and most needy of all people, we are treating Jesus.

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God is… merciful and gracious

Beth - blogger, coach, consultantLeave a comment

I am, therefore I do.
Our reading from Romans 12 starts with:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.

Most of us “know” Romans 12, verses 1 to 8 almost by heart.  In fact, when you’ve heard them repeatedly, ad nauseum, you actually switch off and stop paying attention. You think you already know it.
I’m always busy skimming ahead, searching for the “quick fix instructions”:  how to live a better Christian life? What do I have to DO?
And so, I jump over the first phrase “in view of God’s mercy” and I boldly grasp hold of “offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy & pleasing to God”.  That’s the “what I’m supposed to do” – alright! let’s do it!
What’s interesting to note is that most of Paul’s teaching (I read this somewhere – and I’m amazed it actually stuck in my mind), the books of Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, & Colossians – all seem to be divided in 2 halves.
First half: Theology. God’s character or what Christ is or has done.
Second half: Christian behaviour – what to do. What to avoid.
Part I – answers the question: WHY?
Part II – answers the question: HOW?
Finally – the explanation of why I always enjoy the 2nd half of his writing much more than the first half.
If you look in my study Bible, you will find Galatians 5 & 6 heavily studied, while chapters 1 to 4 are hardly touched; the Mary’s of this congregation will enjoy Ephesians chapters 1 to 3 for study, meditation and prayer – and I’m sure that like me the Martha’s skip over those and go straight to chapters 4, 5 & 6 – where almost every single verse will give you instructions about what to do to be a better Christian.  You might also read Colossians 2, onward – where is says “continue to live in Christ, rooted and built up in Him”, you will be tempted to skip over Paul’s’ discussion of the Supremacy of Christ in chapter 1 and the beginning of Chapter 2…
My study Bible divides Romans in 2 parts: Chapters 1 to 11 (Part A – actually titled  – “What to Believe”) and Chapter 12 to the end (Part B – “How to Behave”).  ¿Notice how part A is always so much longer than part B?
And so, I skip over the reference in verse 1 of Romans 12 to God’s mercy (perhaps not having understood it, because Romans 11 just seems so dry… I mean, have you read it?  “The remnant of Israel”;  “ingrafted branches” and “all Israel will be saved”).  Come on Paul! Just get to the point!  What are we supposed to be doing here?
Of course, Paul DOES actually explain the importance of “what to believe”, in order to tell us “how to behave”.

Romans 12: 2 – … be transformed by the renewing of your mind. THEN you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing & perfect will.

The more I know God (and know “what to believe”), the better I understand the Creator, and the better I understand God, the more I am able to think like God, and the more I think like God, I am able to discern His will for me and my life.  And THEN I will know what to do!

So, Paul starts this Part B “How to Behave”, with a reference to Part A – what to believe (how to think). And this reference is “in view of God’s mercy”.
What mercy?
Well, the mercy he’s been talking about for the last 11 chapters of Romans that you skipped over because it’s oh… soo…  a little dry, perhaps?
Here’s your 20-second summary of chapters 1 to 11:  the foundations of Christian holiness & righteousness.  God is gracious and gives us a free gift of righteousness that we don’t deserve.  In faith, we believe in the Lordship of God and in His loving mercy to save us and count us as righteous through Christ.
Maybe a little too precise!
Let’s try the 1-minute summary:
Romans 1, 2 & 3 – You’re all a bunch of sinners.
Romans 4 & 5 – Not to worry, God did something about it.
Romans 6 – We identify with Christ in baptism, likening this to death, leaving our “old self” behind and being renewed into a new self.  Old self is dead.
Romans 7 – occasionally, however, the old self comes back to bite me, and as much as I try to be well-behaved and do what I’m supposed to, I keep messing it up. Woe is me! What a wretched man I am!  Oh… but that’s right, I’m not the one that’s supposed to be doing the work of transformation.
Romans 8 – the Holy Spirit is supposed to transform me – stop trying so hard to do it yourself and let God be God.
Romans 9, 10 & 11 – God’s plan of salvation isn’t limited to the Hebrew nation, but also the Gentiles.  God understands that man is sinful, but is gracious & merciful, and is going to take care of the salvation of man, because whatever man does will never be good enough.

God’s mercy for mankind is that man can re-establish the relationship with God and spend eternity in God’s presence, light and love.
So, there you have it – God is merciful & gracious.  That should be enough of an explanation to take care of the neuro-part of changing your way of acting.  Right?

I haven’t even begun to comprehend God’s mercy, but I see it best in the Old Testament:  Welcome to the bullet train ride, through Genesis to Judges in less than 5 minutes!
God and the angels are all in heaven.  Satan decides he’s the most beautiful creature ever created, and gets 1/3 of the angels to believe him.  They revolt against God – demanding an independent democracy, 2-party system, with elections every 5 years and the right to be re-elected.  God unilaterally overrules their motion, Satan and the fallen angels are banished from heaven.
God creates the heavens, earth, and light; sky, brings up dry land, and gets vegetation to grow on the land; creates the stars, sun & moon; creates the creatures of the sea, birds, and animals, livestock, etc., and then makes his masterpiece – man in his own image.  He gives man dominion over the living creatures.
Satan is jealous – why didn’t he get one of those worlds?
God sees that man is lonely, and so makes a woman for him.
Satan’s really jealous now!
Then Satan sees opportunity: a chance to get more power and followers.  He tricks the woman into disobeying God, seeking to become like God herself – and Adam with her.
Ha! Got them!  Commit the very same sin for which Satan had been banished:  man gets banished from the Garden of Eden.  Satan’s elated –if you can’t rise to the challenge, bring them down to your level.
But God, in His great mercy, keeps His Word and yet manages to re-establish his relationship with man, by sacrifices of innocent blood of a lamb:
Cain & Abel, the gardener and the shepherd, make their offerings to God.  Cain gets angry and hurt when God favours Abel’s offering, and kills his brother.  Rather than killing Cain, God in his mercy marks him with a special mark, so that others will not kill him.
God establishes a special friendship with Abram, and promises him that his descendants will occupy Canaan.  They move to Egypt because of the famine, and there they grow and multiply, but because the Pharaoh is scared of them, he makes them into slaves.  God, in His mercy, hears their cries and remembers his promise to Abram, and sends Moses to lead them out of Egypt.
When getting out of Egypt proves a little harder than just telling Pharaoh to let them go, and Pharaoh orders harder labour, the Israelites complain against Moses & Aaron. Satan starts smiling, opportunity knocks… where there’s complaining there is rebellion and sedition.
After 10 plagues on Egypt and more hardship, Pharaoh tells them all to leave and get out, and God is merciful and gracious: the people of Egypt gave them all their articles of gold and silver.
They camp by the Red Sea and Pharaoh chases after them.  The Israelites are terrified and complain to Moses – Did you bring us to the desert to die?  But God is merciful, and delivers them from the Pharaoh and his army, and they celebrate with songs and dance.
3 days later and the water in Marah is bitter, so they grumble to Moses “why isn’t everything perfect? I’m a Christian – I shouldn’t have any problems”. God is merciful, and shows Moses a piece of wood, to make the water sweet.
After 6 weeks of travel, they start to grumble and complain – they have no food. God, in His great mercy, rains down manna from heaven.  They get bored with the manna, “Rice & beans with sardines, again? Back in Egypt we had McDonalds, SushiExpress, vegetarian delights, and Italian cuisine”, and oh… how they complain, but God, in His mercy, gives them quail to eat.
They reach the Desert of Sin: no water, they complain… and God, in His mercy, tells Moses to strike the rock and water gushes forth.
Because there are 600,000 men as well as women & children, God gives Moses the 10 commandments and some other rules.  In the 40 days Moses is up on Mount Sinai, the children of Israel get impatient, the complain… Moses obviously isn’t coming back and they make a golden calf. Satan throws a massive party!
God suggests to Moses that He will destroy them all, but Moses reminds God of His promises to Abram, and so God relents and is merciful.  They get the 10 commandments on the tablets of stone.
When they get to the Promised Land, the 10 spies forget that their mission was to tell the people HOW to invade Canaan, and suggest that they shouldn’t even try.  Forget everything that God has done so far! All those miracles, they’re worthless.  Not near strong enough to defeat these giants!
They complain and rebel against Moses.  God threatens to destroy them all.  Moses reminds God of His promises, and God in his mercy does not strike them all dead.  Instead, He forgives them, but removes the GPS unit from the camels and so they wander the desert for 40 years, with a little complaining and a few rebellions along the way.

You can almost HEAR the women saying “I told you to stop and ask for directions, but no… you’re not lost… which is why we’ve run into this same oasis 3 times in the last 8 years. No… we’re not going around in circles!  Men! We could have asked those Bedouins for directions and been there already.”
Joshua leads them victoriously into the Promised Land.  They take Jericho by the power of God, with the walls miraculously crumbling down.  But, as we always do when faced with a seemingly normal situation, when the Gibeonites come to them demanding peace, they forget to ask God’s opinion and made a treaty. When they discover they’ve been tricked, it was too late.
Oops.
Nonetheless, God, in His mercy, still helps them to conquer all of the land that they were promised.
Once they were settled into the Promised Land, they became complacent, and failed to drive out all the remaining peoples. Satan re-establishes his residence in the high-places.  God appears at Bokim, reminding them of the covenant He had made with them “I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.”  But the people of Israel had disobeyed. They repented and God, in His mercy, accepted their sacrifices and forgave them.
A new generation was born, that didn’t know personally what God had done for Israel, and they started to worship Baal and other gods of the people around them.
God allows other nations to raid their lands and plunder it.  But God, in His great mercy, raised up judges who saved them out of the hands of these raiders.  But they didn’t always listen to the judges, and quickly turned to worshipping other gods.  Whenever God raised up a judge, he was the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as he lived, because God had compassion on them as they groaned under those who oppressed and afflicted them.  But when the judge died, the children of Israel would forget God and go back to following other gods.

God in His mercy and grace eventually sends Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice, Satan’s ecstatic when the Jews send Jesus to be crucified on the cross!   When it’s too late, Satan realises that God had an ulterior plan, taking the battle right down into the depths of hell to beat Satan on his own ground, and raising Jesus from the dead.
Never quite seems to work out for him!  God somehow manages to play by the rules and still win! It’s just not fair!
And because the Israelites failed to accept Christ, salvation comes to the Gentiles as well.
By faith in God & His mercy, anyone can re-establish the relationship with God.
And so we read in Romans 11, verses 33 to 36:

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable His judgements, and His paths beyond tracing out!  Who has known the mind of the Lord?  Or who has been His counsellor?  Who has ever given to God, that God should repay Him?  For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory…

So, there, I’ve said it.  God’s great mercy and grace is simply this –we can accept His transformation by the renewing of our mind, by the simple act of believing, changing our perspective of how we view ourselves.
Forget about that Romans 7 man or woman, the “sinner” – defeated – unworthy.  Of course you can’t fulfil the law!
See yourself through God’s eyes – the potential of what you COULD become if you allowed GOD to transform and change you.  Don’t focus on what you are right now, on your failures and weaknesses of the past.  Live in the present, today, and look to your future – be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

I’d like to finish today, by reading Romans 12, verses 1 to 8, to you, remembering God’s great mercy. This is from the version “The Message”.
So, here’s what I want you to do, God helping you:
Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking around life – and place it before God as an offering.  Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.
Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.  Instead, fix your attention on God.  You’ll be changed from the inside out.
Readily recognise what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it.  Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you.
Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God.  No, God brings it all to you.
The only way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what He does for us, not by what we are and what we do for Him.
In this way, we are like the various parts of a human body.  Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around.  The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people.  Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of His body.  But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we?  So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvellously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t.
If you preach, just preach God’s Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don’t take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don’t get bossy; if you’re put in charge, don’t manipulate; if you’re called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantages, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them.  Keep a smile on your face.

Like it says above:
The only way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what He does for us, not by what we are and what we do for Him.
The more I know God (and know “what to believe”), the better I understand the Creator, and the better I understand God, the more I am able to think like God, and the more I think like God, I am able to discern His will for me and my life.  I recognise my gifts – And THEN I know what to do!

Now go out – by God’s mercy – and serve others as you were meant to!

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inexplicable pure, perfect love

Beth - blogger, coach, consultantLeave a comment

Those who believe that they believe in God, but without passion in their hearts, without anguish in mind, without uncertainty, without doubt, without an element of despair even in their consolation, believe in the God idea, not God Himself. ~Miguel de Unamuno

My friend, pastor Franc Ortega, suggested that trying to explain God’s nature is venturing where angels fear to tread.  I’m starting to think he might be right…
Today, I want to venture into talking about God’s love, His essence, His nature.  And I feel is so shallow, not even getting close to what I wanted to achieve.

We read in the Westminster Confession:
There is but one only, (a) living, and true God:(b) who is infinite in being and perfection,(c) a most pure spirit,(d) invisible,(e) without body parts,(f) or passions,(g) immutable,(h) immense,(i) eternal,(k) incomprehensible,(l) almighty,(m) most wise,(n) most holy,(o) most free,(p) most absolute,(q) working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will…”

I can see in this a small glimmer of what we read in Romans 8  this morning:
…the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  … And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes … in accordance with God’s will. 
…And we know that in all this, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.  …
If God is for us, who can be against us? …will He not also… graciously give us all things?  Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?… Who is He that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died… is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? …
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God…

So, what is God’s love?
We all know the passage of 1 Corinthians 13… what Love is… But, I want us each to have a personal experience with it today.

You will each find in your bulletin, a little yellow card.  As you will notice, there are blanks in it (if the side facing you is in Spanish, you can turn it over and find English on the other side).  I want you to all put your name in the blank. For example: Beth is Patient; Beth is kind.

So, let’s do this together then:
________________ is patient;
________________ is kind;
________________ is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.
________________ does not insist on her/his own way;
________________ is not irritable or resentful;
________________ does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.
________________ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
________________ never ends.

Now… I don’t know about you, but it makes me feel a little like a hypocrite and liar.

I may strive to be those things, but that’s not my true nature.  I may be able, when consciously trying, be some of those things, some of the time, but I cannot for the life of me live 24/7 in that state.

Many make the mistake when writing or speaking about God’s love of seeing it as amiable weakness, a good-natured indulgence: somehow reduced to sickly sentiment, patterned after human emotions.  But if this were true, then God would be fickle, and every place in the Bible where it states that God is unchanging would be a lie.

I don’t think this is God’s essence.  In a general sense, yes: God loves all of creation (the universe, the cosmos).
But, God’s love is more than this: it is pure, unadulterated love – a love that pulsates through death and life, that breaks through the path of angels, demons and powers, a love that is timeless, making the present and the future irrelevant, a love that is greater than any height, depth or anything else in creation.  It doesn’t matter where we go or what we do, it can reach us at the ends of the earth.

Think of going to the mall with a group of friends, and stopping at the food hall to have lunch:  one of you can ask for sushi, while another has vegetarian stir-fry and another one Indian cuisine or just a good ol’ hamburger and fries.  Most us would like God to be like that.
Where I can come to with my requests or order for the day, and simply ask and get what I want.
But true love doesn’t work that way… not really…
Pure love is often harsh.  Seemingly uncaring.

Parents call this “tough love”.  We all have our experiences with tough love – whether on the giving end or the receiving end.  And if on the receiving end, it sometimes takes us years to understand the “love” that was shown to us.

Jeremiah 31: 3 reminds us:
I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.
And yet… God lets us choose whether or not we want to accept His love.

First John:
God is love.  Whoever lives in love, lives in God and God in Him.  … There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

If I truly trusted in God, understood the magnitude of His presence and love, I would have no fear.  I would have trust that His will is for my good.

Thankfully, God is not sitting there waiting for me to get my act together, God hasn’t washed his hands of me until I straighten up and stop making mistakes.  No, God understands me fully and completely.  His loving eyes look past my acts and look straight into my heart and mind, at my motivations, my fears, my uncertainties.  God doesn’t get impatient with me.

David says:
O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise, You perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue, You know it completely, O Lord. …
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?  

I know that even failing just once, just one act of impatience or lack of kindness, makes me unworthy to stand before the power of this love.  And yet God still loves me, because that is the very nature of his being.  God is love.

Exodus 34: verses 6 and 7 teach us:
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…

I know the definition of true love – and yet, I focus on MY problems and MY needs, I am self-seeking and rude to other people, easily angered when my plans don’t work out the way I wanted, holding a grudge against that person that I am sure rained on my parade – even if accidentally?

Where do I get the nerve to insist that God allow me into His presence carrying all of my personal baggage with me? I want God to let me contaminate His presence of pure love?

Jesus teaches us:
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Hate, anger, envy, bitterness and other negative feelings towards others hurt me more than what they affect the person towards whom they are directed.

Like my friend, I want God to prove His love for me by pulling me back from the brink of disaster, rather than accepting that He wants me to love myself enough not to walk over the edge.

God’s love doesn’t mean I get to walk through life totally unscathed.  It means that I have a choice about how I will react to the injuries and scars.

It’s only when we understand the magnitude of God’s love – the purity & perfectness of this agape – that we can begin to understand our gospel reading today.
Matthew 13: 44-52
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.  When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

When I recognise the power of the love that God is, then I start to understand that I need to get rid of everything that is “me, me, me”, so that I can be filled completely with the purity of this perfect love.  I will sell all I have just to have this one treasure.

I can’t make this decision for someone else – I don’t go out and buy the field or the fine pearls for anyone other than myself.  What I have discovered is for me alone.  I may tell others about it.  I may share with others.  But I can’t choose for anyone else.
1 John 4 tells us:
The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

Let’s go back to our yellow cards in your bulletin, and this time I want you to fill in the blank with your favourite name for God, whether that be Yahweh, the Almighty, Elohim, Creator, the Lord God, Jehovah, the Prince of Peace, as you feel closest:
Jehovah Jireh is patient;
Jehovah Rapha is kind;
Jehovah Nissi is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.
Jehovah Shammah does not insist on her/his own way;
Jehovah Raah is not irritable or resentful;
Jehovah Tsidkenu: does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.
El Elohe Israel bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
The Great I AM never ends.

When I understand the nature of God, the immensity of God’s love, the purity and perfection of the choice to love, it’s easier to understand my need to be emptied of myself and filled with God’s Spirit.
You may remember that I started this morning with a quote:
Those who believe that they believe in God, but without passion in their hearts, without anguish in mind, without uncertainty, without doubt, without an element of despair even in their consolation, believe in the God idea, not God Himself.

Seeing that God is perfect and pure love should cause anguish in my mind, uncertainty as to my ability to please God by my own naïve efforts, doubt as to whether I will ever be fully filled with God’s love that drives out all fears… it leads me to understand my guilt before God for my negative feelings and harbouring bitterness, my unworthiness, my failures … but if I believe that this is what God truly is, then I have to believe that God is able to transform me.  It doesn’t depend on me… God has already done it.  God is willing and able to overflow this love into me, if I am willing to say yes, I want to be emptied so that I might be filled.

I want His Spirit to help me in my weakness, to know that in all trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger or sword that God works for the good of those who love Him in spite of it all.
I want to conquer all of these things, because I believe in God’s perfect love:
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate me from the love of God…
Because that love lives inside of me; it IS me.