January 10 - Job 19:25-26

I know that my Redeemer lives,

and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.

And after my skin has been destroyed,

yet in my flesh I will see God ...

Job 19:25-26

 

Congregations have favorite songs. For various reasons, particular tunes and lyrics become congregational anthems. Therefore, in my first ten years of ministry and across my first fifty burials, the most familiar funeral anthem of one congregation proclaimed a mixture of Old Testament Job and New Testament hope:   

 

I know that my Redeemer lives.

What comfort this sweet sentence gives.

 

Standing on the Easter side of the cross and the empty tomb, Christians join with every eye-witness to the resurrection in proclaiming with that our redeemer truly lives.  

 

But Job's confidence is even more astounding. The only empty tomb Job experienced was the yawning grave that swallowed his whole family. Job didn't know Jesus' resurrection, he only knew earthly death ... and pain ... and grief. On top of that, his body was swallowed in boils and sores and pain and misery.

 

"I know that my redeemer lives" was faith. Pure faith. Powerful faith!

 

And how about us? Even after powerful testimonies of the resurrection, we still have nagging corners of uncertainty like Doubting Thomas. Therefore, in the midst of one of the longer and more unsettling books of scripture -- like Job -- pause long enough to remember that Job didn't have eye-witness testimonies or a resurrected promise. All he had was pain, turmoil, and a faith that flickered but couldn't be extinguished.

 

He could see no hope ... and yet he still hoped. 

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who wants to

change his name to Hope

January 9 - Job 16:1-2

Then Job answered: 

"I have heard all this before.

What miserable comforters you are."

Job 16:1-2

 

Half of the Book of Job is the ramblings of Job's miserable friends.

 

"Miserable comfort" is Job's diagnosis of their misguided words and worldly wisdom.

 

But do you know what? At least these three friends get credit for showing up!

 

When a friend is hurting, how many of us say, "I don't know what to say"? Afraid of being miserable comforters, how many of us have ever stayed away.

 

Generally speaking, when a friend is hurting, the most miserable thing we can do is abandon them.The second most miserable thing we can do is ramble on like Job's friends with misguided words and human wisdom. If that's happened, God forgives you; now move forward. What do we do next time?!

 

Christian caregiving is NOT about wise words and what we say. Have you ever heard the statement, "Don't just stand there, do something!"? Well, Christian caregiving is just the opposite: "Don't just do something, stand there!!!"

 

Stand there! Be present! If they ask you something, and you don't know the answer, say, "I don't know the answer to that. But what I do know is that I care about you and God cares about you."

 

The Book of Job would have been much shorter if Job's friends said just that. Human wisdom just frustrated him and slowed down the healing. Don't just do something, stand there ... and remind them that you care and God cares.

 

In Christ's Love,

a doer

who had to be taught

to listen

January 8 - Job 12:4

I, who called upon God and he answered me,

a just and blameless man, I am [now] a laughingstock.

Job 12:4

 

When Mary Louise and I were young parents, we were very, very proud! Our son, Paul, was literally the perfect child. He was happy, compliant, and perfectly behaved. He was also very bright, very intelligent. And we thought we were the perfect parents.

 

Then we had Jay.

 

As a little guy, Jay was stubborn and willful. He would fight us for every advantage. And he was so determined to get his way, he dismissed every form of correction and punishment, pushing on and on and on along his path instead.

 

And in a matter of moments, we went from very proud to very humbled.

 

That's the story of Job. When things were going well for Job -- an extraordinarily rich and blessed man -- he was surely dispensing wisdom left and right. And it was surely, "If you just follow God with all your heart, he will bless you." And the implication was surely, "If you're not getting all you hope for, you're probably not trusting well and thoroughly enough."

 

Job was completely "just" and thoroughly "blameless." He confidently "called upon God" and "[God] [consistently] answered [him]." Yes, Job proudly, confidently dispensed advice ... until he went from very proud to very humbled in a matter of moments.

 

Faith and character absolutely have an impact on the quality of our life ... but not in the way Job -- and most of us -- naturally think. Job -- and many of us, whether we admit it or not -- think of God as a genie in the bottle. We think he repays us good for good. That's NOT how faith and character help.

 

As Jesus said in Matthew 5:45, "rain [falls] on the righteous and unrighteous"; or in other words, challenges will come to us all. If our spoken or unspoken theology is that God repays us good for good, we will, like Job, become a laughing stock. If, however, we expect the trials and the rain, our faith and character will transform our perspective on these events. It may just become, "Life is hard, but God is good."

 

In the midst of this sinful, broken, temporary world, can you say that? If you can, faith, hope, and love will fill your days. If you can't, you'll spend a lot of time sitting in the dust ... just like Job does for much of this book.

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who'd rather be wise enough 

to sit in an easy chair of faith and perspective 

than to roll in the dust of despair

January 7 - Job 10:20-22

"Let me alone,

that I may find a little comfort 

before I go, never to return,

to the land of gloom and deep darkness, 

the land of gloom and chaos,

where light is like darkness."

Job 10:20-22

 

Job is having a bad day -- needless to say. And needless to say, this is one of scriptures most vivid pictures of hell. The two phrases that grab me most here are:

 

"Where light is like darkness" -- Imagine standing in the middle of a maggot infested room. When the lights are off, you can pretend that the swarms of filth are not there, but what happens when you strike a match. The solid surfaces move. They crawl with infection.

 

In the hell of a swarming, polluted room -- as in the horrors of hell -- "the light [is actually worse than] darkness." Why? Because it illumines the terrors.

 

Do you like that vivid picture? Here's another ... "Never to return."

 

Now, in the face of this, Job -- and way too many people in our world -- say, "Leave me alone." The words just before this passage are, "the days of my life are few." Time is short. Who would you like to invite into a light that illumines even greater hope?

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who usually doesn't think like this

... but maybe should

January 6 - Job 5:17-19

But consider the joy of those corrected by God!

Do not despise the chastening of the Almighty when you sin.

For though he wounds, he also bandages.

He strikes, but his hands also heal.

He will deliver you from six troubles;

in seven no harm shall touch you.

Job 5:17-19

 

Most of us would say that Job is a book of "wounds," "chastening," "troubles," and "stri[ckeness]," and that would be absolutely correct. But how many of us would "consider" that Job is also a book of "joy"?

 

Job = Joy?!!

 

James the Apostle (1:2-4) seems to have the same unusual perspective on joy, saying, "Whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because ... the testing of your faith produces endurance ... so that you may be mature and complete." (I don't know about you, but if "trials" are the path to "complet[ion]," some days I'd rather stay "[im]mature.")

 

Fortunately, both Job and James, are wise enough to realize that it's not "if" the trials will come, but "when."

 

We live in a sinful world, and "the wages of sin is [occasionally, ulitmately, inevitably] death." Nevertheless, God promises that "no [permanent] harm shall touch you."

 

Looking at today's verse, I obviously added the word, "permanent," but isn't that absolutely true! What if we embrace -- with Job and James -- the old cliche: "Anything that doesn't kill you will only make you stronger" ... but ... what if we add the confidence of one more line to this cliche: "And even if trials do kill you, still no real harm will come because you'll be in heaven just that much sooner."

 

Does that make you feel any better?! (Probably not.) But here's the cool part of this verse to me ...Imagine God as a shield. When scripture says, "[The Lord] will deliver you from six troubles; in seven no harm shall touch you," what I hear is, "The Lord -- my shield -- stops six arrows, but even when a seventh happens to get through, it can't cause me any permanent harm." Do you see that in that verse?!

 

How many of us curse the seventh arrow and life's inevitable trials? But what if we thanked him, instead, for his protection from the unseen arrows and the non-permanent wounds.

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy with an invisible umbrella

(therefore, I ought to be singing in the rain)

January 5 - Job 1:1

Once there was a man in the land of Uz

whose name was Job.

This man was blameless and upright. 

He feared God and turned away from evil.

Job 1:1

 

Did you notice how today's lesson began? Read my translation here carefully: "Once upon a time there was a wizard in the land of Oz." The similarities are eerie, huh?!

 

The temptation with may parts of the Bible is to turn them into myth, legend, and fairy tale. The world says, "That's ancient literature. Therefore, if you're enlightened, you need to understand that it's ancient and that the majority of these ancient folk were uneducated and superstitious."

 

That's how I grew up.

 

I grew up as a mythbuster. That's how the college, church, and parts of seminary taught me to read the Bible. I felt wise ... proud ... intellectual ... and empty. Then I was humbled in my life and career. And not being able to solve everything for myself, I began turning to a God who was bigger than me -- instead of the one I created in my mind.

 

I started, in fact, to submit myself to God and His Word. And in doing this, God's Word came more and more alive. Powerful truths began to connect. And I started to see strands of God's power weaving their way through our lives together.

 

When you begin to read books like Job, some passages may not always make sense (especially today), and you may just want to excuse it away as myth and legend. But might I suggest a powerful alternative: Sit with it for a while. Keep reading deeply. Trust God's wisdom. And start saying, "God put this here. What is He trying to tell me today." 

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who tries to let

scripture define me,

instead of me defining it

January 4 - Genesis 11:3-4

"Come, let us make bricks ..." 

[So] they had brick for stone ...

Then they said,

"Come, let us build ourselves a city,

and a tower with its top in the heavens,

and let us make a name for ourselves ..."

Genesis 11:3-4

 

A friend recently asked me to listen to a "news program." On it was an old Jewish rabbi, talking about the Tower of Babel.

 

Most of us look at the second "come, let us ..." And that is indeed a powerful tale. Thinking we can reach the heavens is a repeat of the first sin that the serpent presented to Eve, "when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God." Wanting to "be like God" is something we all do all the time -- usually unconsciously. But think about it ... whenever we say, "I want," "I think," "I choose," or "my way," we're in danger of placing our own self on the throne. 

 

That's a powerful, paramount story in Genesis 11. But that's not the story the Rabbi told. He talked about a forgotten phrase with an equal beginning and, therefore, equal weight -- the seemingly innocuous, "come, let us make bricks."

 

Whenever God commanded humans to build an altar, it was out of stones. Why stones? Because God creates the stones ... while humans make bricks. Stones are unique. Bricks are unique-less. They are identical, interchangeable.

 

The Rabbi went on to compare this to philosophies in our world. A Genesis 11, God-ordained worldview, he said, sees humans as unique and irreplaceable. Dangerous, deceitful human philosophies see humans as invaluable, interchangeable, and replaceable. Hitler saw the Jews as a commodity that should be replaced by a better race. Stalin killed ten times as many, viewing objectors as expendable for the sake of the whole. I've wept with many parents who've endured the loss of their baby through the heartache of a miscarriage, yet others view a fetus as an invaluable and non-viable mass of tissue. Others are beginning to view the elderly as expensive and expendable -- a drain on limited resources.

 

When I was a kid, we used to take things to the repair shop and fix them. Now it's more expensive to repair (a hundred dollars an hour plus travel time) than to throw things away and replace them. We're building bricks. We're subtly adopting a Babel-ling mentality. Let's vow never to buy into any philosophy that even subtly extends that to humans.

 

In Christ's Love,

Rocky

(occasionly rough, hard, and oddly shaped,

but uniquely made by God!)  

January 3 - Genesis 9:13

The Lord said,

"I have set my bow in the clouds,

and it shall be a sign of the covenant

between me and the earth."

Genesis 9:13

 

I came across an interesting Jewish reading of this passage just the other day. Some say that the "bow" that God set in the skies is symbolic of his setting down his "bow and arrows." The flood, in other words, was an act of war.

 

Now, most of us would prefer more peaceful images of God and his kingdom. And that's God's goal! God graciously promises that each of us can discover "shalom" in the midst of daily circumstances and true peace in the heavenly end. But ... in the meantime ... we miss the whole point of the divine drama in scripture when we fail to admit that we are in a kingdom at war.

 

In the battle against sin and unrighteousness, most of us would prefer a swift victory -- "If only God would just sweep away the unrighteous, then ..." The problem is that the story of Noah reminds us that WE are the unrighteous. Swept away would be all of us. (And even if we think we're the most righteous person in the whole world, how did the most righteous person in the world -- Noah -- fare when he got off the boat? He got drunk and humiliated his family.)

 

Therefore, I'm glad that God set down his archer's bow in the sky. Indeed, I'm glad he declared that this is a battle that will not be won by killing sinful humans -- i.e. each of us -- but through, instead, the sacrifice of his Son.

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who needs crayons

(I want to color a picture of the cross

in the colors of a rainbow)

January 2 - Genesis 6:5-6

The Lord saw that the wickedness

of humankind was great in the earth,

and that every inclination

of the thoughts of their hearts

was only evil continually. 

And the Lord was sorry

that he had made humankind

on the earth

Genesis 6:5-6

 

I don't need to say much today. This -- along with the scenes of the crucifixion -- is perhaps the hardest passage in all of scripture: "The Lord was sorry that he had made humankind on the earth."

 

This coming year, let's resolve not to wink at sin anymore.

 

And let's resolve to no longer lie to ourselves and say, "I can do whatever I want. After all, my sin hurts no one but me." Sin hurts God. As it says in the next sentence, "it grieve[s] him to his heart." In fact, it hurts him enough that he endured the cross the conquer it.

 

I don't know about you, but my goal is to grieve God less this year!

 

In Christ's Love,

a cheerleader

(indeed a guy who want to find

new ways to bring God more cheer)

January 1 - Genesis 1:28, 3:5

God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply,

and fill the earth and subdue it;

and have dominion over ... every living thing"

Genesis 1:28

 

[The serpent said,] "God knows that

when you eat of it your eyes will be opened,

and you will be like God ..."

Genesis 3:5

 

At the very beginning of the Bible, both God and Satan make us an amazing offer: "We want you to be royalty."

 

God's offer is holy. And it comes in relationship. If and when we choose a proper relationship with God -- who is the King of creation and Lord of our life -- we can be adopted. We can be his children -- think royal princes with dominion over every living thing.

 

The serpent's offer is devious. He plays on the royal character that God built into each of us. He says, "Don't you want to fulfill your destiny. Don't you want to be king. Open your eyes, you can be like God." 

 

God's plan is "humbleness = royalty." Satan's lie is "pride = royalty."

 

Jesus reflected God's plan in many places, including Matthew 19 and 20 -- "19:30 the first will be last and the last will be first" and "20:26 whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant." HIs mother, Mary, sang about God's plan in Luke 1 -- "52 [the Lord] has uplifted the humble in heart." 

 

But how many times have Satan's lies tempted you in a different direction.

We want to do what we want to do!

We want to think what we want to think!

We want to be masters of our own destiny!

We don't want to bow to anyone!

We want to live our lives as kings of our own lives ... and sometimes it works ... until it doesn't.

At least at the end of our days, we want (and need) a king who is more powerful than death. Why not start this year and the rest of your life by bowing before the only King who can give us life!!!

 

In Christ's Love,

a prince

(and that's not prideful!

I'll never be in line for the throne,

but I have a brother -- Jesus Christ --

who is the true prince, the Prince of Peace)  

December 31 - Revelation 21:2

And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem,

coming down out of heaven from God,

prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Revelation 21:2

 

Jesus' final promise of "new" is on the final pages of scripture. In this glorious passage, as he is pointing toward the eternal blessings of a New Jerusalem, Jesus promises, "5 Behold, I am making all things new."

 

One of my favorite quotes of all time bears the timeless wisdom of C. S. Lewis. He says, "If you read history you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. ... Aim at heaven and you will get earth "thrown in." Aim at earth and you will get niether."

 

That's a good and final suggestions for a New Year's resolution for 2011 -- Aim at heaven. Why? Because if you have an absolute confidence in the promise of heaven, the things of this earth, can never sink you. This coming year will have it's share of worldly trials, "but take heart!" said Jesus, "I have overcome the world."

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who needs to sign up

for archery lessons

(I want to aim better)

December 30 - Acts 2:13

But others sneered and said,

"They are filled with new wine."

Acts 2:13

 

The first time that "new" is mentioned in the book of Acts comes on Pentecost day. The Holy Spirit filled -- transformed -- the disciples. And the world sneered.

 

Here are two simple New Year's resolutions:

• Pray that you may be filled with the Holy Spirit! How? Turn away from sin (confession). Turn toward God (obedience). Pray for his indwelling. And then don't fight it! Indeed, yield your whole life to the Spirit's movement and direction.
• Quit caring what the world says. That was part two of the Pentecost power that the disciples discovered. Before the breathe of the Spirit, they were hiding. Jesus had just been killed, they were afraid they might be next, therefore, they hid. But when the Spirit came, they quit worrying about what the world might say or do. The world called them drunk. The world might call us overzealous. Who cares?! What if our New Year's Resolution was to have an audience of One?!

So ... where to start? What's your sticking point in the progression of discovering the Spirit's power?

1. Sins to be confessed?
2. Obeying God's commands and promptings?
3. Actually, literally, asking to be filled?
4. Yielding your whole life to God's leading -- rather than holding something back and fighting it.
5. Going all in ... and not caring what the world might say, think, or do?!

In Christ's Love,

a guy who's power-hungry!

December 29 - John 13:34

I give you a new commandment,

that you love one another.

Just as I have loved you,

you also should love one another.

John 13:34

 

The first time  that "new" is mentioned in the Gospel of John is in terms of a New Commandment:Love One Another!

 

How many people do you know who think of Christianity as legalistic? Pharisees -- including you and me from time to time -- can easily turn religion into legalism. But Jesus proclaimed something wonderful and new! And it's the overwhelming principal behind all of the laws.

 

Think of the ten chief commands declared on Sinai. If we love one another, are we going to be stealing from them? bearing false witness against them? abusing or murdering them? No! And only in the most twisted sense would anyone ever pretend that loving one another justifies adultery.

 

Rather, if we simply and consistently loved, God's law would never be a burden ... just a reminder of the life and blessing which God wants to bestow on each of our lives.

 

That's pretty basic, right?

 

So let's put it into action. Who's the person you have most trouble loving? Loving the unlovable might be a powerful New Year's resolution. Why? Because if we can learn to love our public enemy number one, then maybe that will extend to loving others too and transforming US one relationship at a time.

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who wants to be a love machine

(but NOT in terms

of the crass old image from the 70s;

rather, looking more like Mother Theresa

whom even a sex-addicted world

acknowledged as a love machine) 

December 28 - Mark 1:27

They were all amazed,

and they kept on asking one another,

"What is this? A new teaching—with authority!

He commands even the unclean spirits,

and they obey him."

Mark 1:27

 

One of them more frequent words associated with Jesus' ministry was "new," and in the Gospel of Mark, the first "new thing" was his new teachings.

 

Jesus has so many new and wonderful teachings that even a few non-Christian religions call him a prophet. But ... don't mistake Jesus' main contribution to be adding a little more wisdom to the world. The most important words in this passage are "with authority."

 

In fact in the verses surrounding Mark 1:27, Jesus wasn't really teaching at all. He was simply saying to the evil spirits, "25 Be silent and come out." As I said, that's not a teaching. It's a command. In other words, what was new about Jesus was not the words ... but the power!

 

So what's new about this for your new year. Here's an idea for a resolution: Don't look for just the wisdom and teachings from the scripture. Seek to see God and faith more clearly as a source for real power! Try speaking to your doubts and objections, saying, "be silent and come out." And see if you might discover more hope, joy, peace, and power, by embracing truth.

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who wants

to be amazed

December 27 - Matthew 9:17

Neither is new wine put into old wineskins;

otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled,

and the skins are destroyed;

but new wine is put into fresh wineskins,

and so both are preserved.

Matthew 9:17

 

When wine is first made, it is grape juice. Then with the passing of time, the grape juice spoils -- ferments is a nicer word for this. And with fermentation comes expansion. And if you put new wine (unexpanded grape juice) into an (old) wineskin that has already been stretched, it has no more capacity to stetch. Thus, the skins will burst. Therefore, new wine is put in new wine skins so that both can expand.

 

We are about to begin a new year. And the analogy here to life is obvious: If you have anything you really want to work on or change, you must change a lot of old habits that surround the area of life you want to work on.

 

If you're like me, there are plenty of problem areas that you want fixed, but how many of us aren't quite willing to change the habits that make it a problem. We need a new wineskin -- a new way and a new pattern in life.

 

Here's a new pattern that might just give you a new strength to meet many of these challenges: Make 2011 - The Year of the Bible. Plugging into God's Word is like plugging into a power outlet. The better we know him, the more power flows through our lives -- including the power to change! Therefore, praying about joining our Bible in a Year group and let God's Word shape each day in a richer way. Details below.

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who acted too much like new wine

over Christmas -- I fermented and expanded

and my old wineskins (jeans) don't fit as well

(I guess I need some new habits this year!)