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Posts Tagged ‘God’

Wickedness Suppresses Truth

Posted in Christmas Through Epiphany, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 14, 2010| 1 Comment »

People will often say, “what is truth?” And perhaps that can be debated, particularly in philosophical or academic circles. But I will hold to this: wicked (corrupt, evil, unethical) people will suppress whatever truth there is.

Romans 1:18-19
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.

Truth is dangerous. Truth is in your face. Truth demands justice. Truth is messy.

One of my children has perfected the art of the lie. He actually believes the lie simplifies his life (at least at first). A quick lie will delay explanation. A clever lie will satisfy curiosity. A believable lie will delay consequences.

The biggest problem with lying is that if one does it regularly, pretty soon, the lie becomes one’s personal truth. This is the lie that births wickedness. And at this point, actual truth is much more difficult to discern.

It’s not just children who metamorphose lies into a manufactured truth. Adults do it all the time. Couples do it. Leaders do it. Companies do it. Governments do it.

Anything that “man” has not made, is God’s handiwork. God is in nature. God is wind. God is sun and moon and stars. God is dirt and insects and animals. God is energy. God is light.

God is truth.

People can try to suppress God, but in the end, truth is always revealed (sometimes sooner, sometimes later).

Give way to truth. Give way to God. And the knots of wickedness will be untied by the power of Spirit. Today.

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Dead Man Named Jesus

Posted in Christmas Through Epiphany, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on December 29, 2009| Leave a Comment »

To some people, Jesus is just another dead man in a long list of religious zealots or crowd-fabricated leaders. Many cannot wrap their sensibilities about the idea that he resurrected. Nevertheless, this is core; the ultimate miracle.

Acts 25:19
Instead, they [Jewish leaders] had some points of dispute with him [Paul] about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. [Festus speaking to King Agrippa]

Christianity is a miracle-based faith. Becoming a follower on the Way includes several leaps of faith. During this time of year, we have the first miracle to digest: a baby born to a virgin. Then we get a 12 year respite. After that, but then, this same Jesus, as a boy, engages learned scholars in the temple after a high holy day. That’s no less miraculous. But then, nothing. For twenty years, Jesus lives and works in obscurity.

Just by his appearance at the waters of John the Baptist and his baptism there, Jesus’s short ministry begins by a miraculous voice… dove… light… whatever. And then he goes into the desert for forty days without food or drink. Only a miracle could allow for that kind of fast.

From there, it’s one miracle after another. Is his death and resurrection such a surprise?

If the first leap is made, that Jesus is God come down to dwell among human beings… Emmanuel… then the none of the subsequent miracles are really miracles, they are a “norm” in the world of God.

Jesus is not another dead man. He is alive because God is alive. And to be on the Way is to connect with God’s Spirit and live the life that God is calling people to live. I can be alive in Christ Jesus.

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30th Anniversary

Posted in Christmas Through Epiphany, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 25, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Thirty years ago, I finished reading the New Testament all the way through for the first time. I had a decision to make. Was it the truth or a lie? I kneeled beside my bed and confessed to this Jesus that the words felt… they resonated like truth. That decision changed my life forever.

Hebrews 5:14
But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

In some ways, I feel as though I am still on “spiritual milk” and have not matured as I should. After all, it’s been a long time. I have professed followership of Jesus for many, many years. And yet, I still struggle with many of the basics: love, trust, faith, hope…

Perhaps that is the maturity… I recognize I am still struggling. When I was younger in the Lord I can remember attending spiritual retreats where confession was a signature event where we pounded our written sins onto a cross. For many, it was extremely cathartic. But for me, in those early years, I’d struggle with the writing. What should I put on that little piece of paper? What great sin had I committed that still needed to be confessed. Hadn’t I confessed them all by now?

That makes me laugh. These days, I confess my sins daily. They accumulate quickly. I place even the smallest sin at the foot of the cross before that sin can grow, like yeast, to a besetting mountain of emotional pain or denial; before it can darken or harden my heart any more than it already has. And, unfortunately, I confess, some days, it’s the same sin… judging, pride, resentment, self-pity, anger… to name a few familiars.

I understand now, more than ever before, what it means to pray the Jesus prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner.”

My sins are legion, which reminds me of the demoniac [Luke 18:30] who was possessed of many demons. In the same way that many demons can be “swept away,” they can also come back to look for purchase in a newly cleaned “soul.” Sins also reappear [Matthew 12:43-45] to plague the spirit.

This is my message to any believer, young or old: confess often, accept grace and forgiveness daily, and give to others what Christ gives to you.

This is not just the beginning of the church year, it is also the beginning of my own new year in Christ. Continue to teach me, guide me, and renew me. Amen.

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Vow Making and Taking

Posted in Advent, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on December 3, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Acts 18:18b
…before he [Paul] sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because of a vow he had taken.

There is a small difference between taking a vow and making one. I believe taking a vow is accepting an existing agreement such as taking a vow of celibacy (how that is done is already established). While making a vow is something you create yourself, like making a vow to stop or change a particular behavior.

In modern times, more and more couples are “making vows” (that is, they are creating their own marriage vows) as opposed to taking on a traditional vow. In an age of casual divorce, many couples remove the “til death do us part” bit. It’s easier that way.

In ancient times, vows were serious business. There was often an outward sign that a vow had been taken to alert the community (like the cutting of hair). These practices may have served as another form of accountability for the person making the vow. Historically, the wedding ceremony was similar: a public voicing of the vow and then a symbolic exchange of rings to signify the vows were made and accepted.

But the seriousness of vows has been lost in our age. We have softened vows into “promises.” And somehow, promises hold less power and are often broken. How often do we say, “I promise … I will …” and then don’t. There is no apparent result. There is no cost.

I maintain there is a cost however. The cost is within. Broken promises break the heart of the one to whom the promise was made and hardens the heart of the one who made the promise and broke it. The effects of broken vows is even worse.

If a vow is made before God, then the breaking is not only between the people, it’s a triad vow and includes God in the mix. Broken vows give pain to God as well.

Keep me mindful this day of my words and thoughts. Oh God, keep me in the circle of your covenant with me.

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A Miracle Gone Wrong

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , , , on November 13, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Acts 14:10b-11
…”Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!”

Miracles are tricky things. In Lystra, the people who witnessed a crippled man healed at the word of Paul, completely mistook this show of power and called both Paul and Barnabas gods (Hermes & Zeus respectively). They responded to that event, that miracle, within the context of their own culture.

We are no different. We often take what we don’t understand and integrate it into what we do understand. We do all we can to make sense of it. It is very difficult to absorb something so outside the norm and make it fit our world.

Jesus could have done many more miracles than he did. But how would people understand them? Even today, we try to attach formulas to miracle working: oil anointing, laying on of hands, prayer, fasting, and commands, just to name a few. We are trying to recreate the circumstances in which we hope healing can take place.

But here’s the truth: it’s not about the words, the actions, or even the faith. It’s the relationship we have with Jesus, with God, that sets the stage for miracles. It’s our ability to “hear” the Spirit… feel the Spirit… know the Spirit is ready for us to broker a miracle. God chooses. God says, indicates, reveals: this one but not this one is to be healed. This circumstance, but not this one, is to be changed. This mountain, but not this one, is to be moved.

Jesus knew that miracles could overshadow the message. He chose carefully. Each miracle had an intent and a message. This overshadowing was the case for Paul and Barnabas in Lystra. Paul knew the man could be healed… but perhaps Paul missed the timing or the method. Paul was not Jesus. Paul was fallible just as we are fallible.

We all want miracles in our lives. It might be for the healing of a loved one, ourselves, or a transformation of a situation. I pray each day that God would heal my daughter of fibromyalgia. It is a debilitating and chronic pain condition that is overwhelming for a teenager. And yet, I know, with each day that she is not given a miracle of healing, there will be another day, a moment, when that miracle will come for her… it may not look like the miracle that either of us expect, but it will come. Miracles cannot be dictated… not in their timing or their effects.

I have said before and will say again, miracles are not private. Miracles happen for the person, yes, but also for the witnesses and bystanders. As believers, we must trust God’s timing. And when the miracle comes, give praise and acknowledgment where it is due.

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Prayers and Angels

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , on November 4, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Acts 12:5, 7a, 10b
So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him…. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell…. When they [Peter & the angel] had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.

How did the believers pray for Peter? Did they pray for his miraculous release by an angel? I don’t think so. They knew that miracles could happen, they had seen a boodle of them. But I’m guessing they prayed for some miracle at the public trial. They imagined him getting an opportunity to speak and people would be filled with the Holy Spirit etc. And how was Peter, himself, praying? Was he asking for wisdom or just courage in the face of death? Either way, the angel bit was a total surprise.

Since God doesn’t make mistakes, apparently, the best thing for Peter and the followers who were praying for him was to cut Peter loose. Peter was officially a fugitive from that point forward. And Luke does not speak of Peter again in Acts until several chapters later. Peter is no longer in public ministry. His work is behind the scenes.

Over the years, there has been a lot of teaching about prayer and how it should be as specific as possible. I’m starting to really doubt the wisdom of this type of prayer. Who am I to know what is the best solution to a difficult situation? God is so creative. If I can trust God with the resolution, chances are it will be a better end that I could ever imagine.

The angel that helped Peter only stuck around as long as angel-help was needed. The angel unshackled Peter, led him out of the prison, past several guards, though a locked gate, then out and down a street. When the angel disappeared Peter was on his own again to make the next decision. Angels do the heavy lifting.

I believe persistence in prayer may not be to call down my ideas of a solution, but to faithfully place that loved one or that difficulty in the light of God’s presence. Then, angels can come or minds can be changed or hearts can be broken…. whatever is best for that moment in time.

One of my favorite scenes in the Lion King (I know, I know, it’s a kid’s movie) is when the Mufasa and Rafiki dedicate Simba and hold him up in the air. This feeling of dedication and letting go is how I imagine prayer to be…. for my current issues, my family, my friends, and all those I have promised to pray for… may we all experience the wonder of angels as God moves our mountains.

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Opposing God

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , , on November 2, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Acts 11:17
“So if God gave them [gentiles] the same gift as he gave us [Jews], who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I [Peter] to think that I could oppose God?”

How often do we make judgments against others? How often do we doubt that God can touch a life? How often do we assume that we have “it” right and the others do not?

If we didn’t doubt, we would be telling our story every day. We would be loving everyone whose life path crossed our own. We would love as Jesus loved.

One would think I’d get this right by now. After all, I was once on the other side of the story.

After I accepted Christ as my guide and my King, my savior and my redeemer, I returned to acting school in New York (I was in my brother’s home for the holiday). As people began to hear about my conversion experience, I was told quite bluntly (and more than once): “You? You are the last person that I would ever expect to become a Christian.” My life was so depraved that no one imagined that I could change. My language was peppered with swearing; I really doubt there was one sentence I could say without some form of f**k, sh*t, or any of the other expletives, be they verbs, adjectives, adverbs or nouns. I was a regular drug and alcohol user. I was active sexually. I even worked as a bookkeeper in a place where I kept two sets of records. I was a liar and a thief. I justified my behaviors easily because I was totally self-absorbed.

There were some things that actually did change overnight but there were many other lifestyle habits that did not. Was I any less a believer or lover of Jesus?

I can see now that it was the Holy Spirit who was my patient teacher. And I am learning that it’s not about “being” a Christian by following the laws or rules. Instead, it’s about walking on the Way, a process of integrating the kingdom of God into my heart, mind, soul, and eventually, my daily life. The Bible can open the door but it is the body of believers who walk through it together that changes lives.

A young woman who was in one of my bible studies once asked me if I really believed that a Democrat could be a Christian. And I say yes, because God is not limited by political agendas, sin, violence, or religious dogma. God can touch anyone, teach anyone, love everyone. Who am I to oppose God?

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