Let Justice Roll Down

Readings for today: Amos 4-9, Revelation 6-7

“For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter‬ ‭4:17‬)

Judgment always begins with God’s people. The people called by God’s name are held to a higher standard. Having been delivered and set free from slavery to sin and death. Having been set apart as God’s treasured possession. Having been chosen as the object of God’s special devotion and love. God expects His people to be a light to the nations. Salt for the earth. A nation of priests interceding constantly on behalf of an unbelieving world. He expects His people to set an example for the nations. He expects them to conduct themselves in accordance with His will and His ways so as to show the nations what life looks like in His kingdom. When they fall short. When they sin. When they follow the ways of this world and take up the tools of oppression, violence, and injustice; God steps in. God will not be mocked nor will He allow His name to be defamed. 

Amos is prophesying to the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II. This was the golden age for the northern kingdom. Jeroboam II was the most powerful northern king, amassing great wealth and expanding their territory as far as it had ever gone. But there was something rotten at the heart of the kingdom. Injustice. Cruelty. Oppression. Violence. These were the hallmarks of his reign and God was watching. The righteous were sold for silver. The poor for a pair of sandals. Drunkenness. Sexual immorality. Idolatry all were rampant. God had given them multiple opportunities to repent. He had withheld the rain. Sent blight and mildew. Warfare on their borders. But still they didn’t return to the Lord. 

Their main transgression was their mistreatment of the poor. “Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy...” (Amos‬ ‭4:1‬) “Therefore because you trample on the poor and you exact taxes of grain from him...” (Amos‬ ‭5:11‬) “Hear this, you who trample on the needy and bring the poor of the land to an end, saying, “When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may offer wheat for sale, that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great and deal deceitfully with false balances, that we may buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals and sell the chaff of the wheat?” (Amos‬ ‭8:4-6‬) Throughout the Scriptures, especially the prophets, God makes it clear that He judges nations primarily based on their treatment of the poor and afflicted. The less fortunate. Those who have the odds stacked against them. Nations that mistreat or refuse to care for the least of these are judged harshly. Those who show compassion and care are blessed. 

America claims a Christian heritage. We sing songs asking for God’s blessing on our nation. We talk about a divine calling and how God has shown His favor on us. This can only be true insofar as we walk in obedience to God and serve as a light to the nations. A beacon of compassion and grace and hope for the world. This is why it is essential, for example, to solve crises like the one we face on our southern border in a humane and compassionate way. It’s why we must work for comprehensive immigration reform so that refugees and those seeking asylum can find refuge and safety. It’s why we must not separate children from parents and parents from children. It’s why we cannot accept unfettered or unregulated capitalism. It will grind the poor to dust, leaving them at the mercy of an ultra-Darwinian “rich get richer and poor get poorer” economic model. This is why we cannot accept the political status quo. The brinkmanship that exists between the extremes of both political parties. The anger. The outrage. The hatred. The rancor. It’s literally causing chaos and real lives are being hurt or even lost. This is not a Republican or Democrat issue. There’s plenty of blame to go around. This is a gospel issue. A Kingdom of God issue. And we are fooling ourselves if we think we won’t have to answer to a higher justice should we fail. 

The closing words from Amos 5 are sobering. God says to His people, “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them. Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” (Amos‬ ‭5:21-24‬) In essence, God is saying, “My people are saying all the right things. Going through all the right motions. They worship. They praise. They give. But they do not love me with all their hearts. They are not seeking to walk in My ways. Until they do, I will not hear their prayers. I will not accept their offerings. I will not receive their worship. I will not bless their land.” May we have the courage to repent. Confess. Seek God’s face. Turn from our wicked ways. And re-commit ourselves to the Kingdom of God.

Readings for tomorrow: Obadiah, Jonah 1-3, Revelation 8

God’s Justice

Readings for today: Amos 1-3, Revelation 5

We all want justice. We want those who do evil to get what they deserve. We want those who commit the crime to do the time. No one is above the law. No one should get a pass. It doesn’t matter if they are a President or a member of the US Congress. A lawyer or a doctor. A pastor or a priest. Everyone is subject to the governing authorities and all should be held accountable for their actions. We believe this passionately. It’s driving so many of our political debates right now. It’s the underlying issue at stake in our conversations around race and poverty. Justice is all we seem to talk about these days.

But what about God’s justice? What happens when God judges the nations of the earth? How do we feel when we read about God’s judgment on Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, the Ammonites, and Moab for the violence and suffering they caused? What do we think when God applies the “eye for an eye” standard against those who transgress His Law? More often than not, we start to backpedal. We start making excuses. We reject God’s justice as too harsh and unforgiving. We recoil at the awful and terrible suffering He inflicts. We begin to question His character and ask why He does not show mercy. Why do we have such a problem with God’s justice?

I think it’s because down deep - in the dark and secret places of our hearts that we don’t want to talk about - we all know we are guilty. We all know we are sinful. We all know we make mistakes. We all know we’ve committed crimes against God and against our fellow human beings every single day. And while we seemingly have no problem crying out for justice against others, we certainly don’t want that same standard applied to us. We don’t think twice about attacking someone on social media but never want those same guns turned on us. We quickly impugn another person’s character, question their motives, and assume the absolute worst of their intentions but we definitely want to be given a break. Shown a little grace. Given a little mercy. In short, we are so quick to judge others but so unwilling to judge ourselves.

The same was true for Israel. They were the people of God. They enjoyed a special relationship with their Creator. “You only have I known of all the families of the earth…” (Amos‬ ‭3:2‬) God had chosen them from among the nations of the earth. He had shown them favor. Showered them with blessing. Given them His Law. And God’s desire was that they would become a light to the pagan nations that surrounded them. They would serve as His instrument of salvation in the world. But Israel rejected God’s Word. They rebelled against God’s Law. They betrayed God at every turn. So God lays down His judgment on His own people. It is terrible and swift and complete. They would not escape God’s justice.

What was true for the people of Israel was true for the churches of Revelation. What was true for the churches of Revelation remains true for us today. We all stand under God’s judgment. We are all subject to God’s justice. All of us are guilty. All of us stand condemned. Left on our own with no advocate to speak for us before the Father, all of us would suffer the same fate as the pagan nations that surrounded Israel or the Nicolaitans whom God hated. This is why we need Jesus. The Righteous One who took our place. Stood as our substitute. Took the punishment we deserved. Satisfied the demands of God’s justice. Turned aside God’s wrath. It is only through faith in Christ that we escape the wrath to come. This is the true message of Christmas. God loving the world so much He sends His only Son to suffer on our behalf. God desiring none to perish so He takes the sin of the world on His own shoulders. God unwilling to watch the creature made in His image continue their descent into darkness, evil, and pain so He plunges into the depths to rescue. To save. Thanks be to God for the gift of Jesus!

Readings for tomorrow: Amos 4-9, Revelation 6-7

Revival

Readings for today: Joel 1-3, Revelation 4

Joel is my favorite “minor prophet” of the Old Testament. Perhaps because I have witnessed firsthand the aftermath of a locust plague. I have been in areas suffering from tremendous drought. Seen the impact of famine. Talked with people whose “seeds shrivel under the clods” and whose “beasts groan” as they search in vain for food. I have prayed for them in their desperation. Cried out to God on their behalf. Fasted, wept, and mourned with them. I have also rejoiced with them when the rains finally came. When their crops flourished in the fields. Their herds grew sleek and fat. I have seen God restore the years the locusts had eaten and it is glorious.

Joel is talking about more than seedtime and harvest, of course. What he really is referring to is spiritual renewal and revival. Israel was languishing. She was struggling both physically and spiritually. The dry and barren wastelands that once were filled with so much life were simply an outward representation of what was taking place in their hearts. They had departed from God. They had left their source of life and were suffering as a result. Joel calls for revival. He calls for God’s people to return to the Lord with their whole hearts. He longs for the day when their spiritual life as a people will be renewed. We see some of the same dynamics in play today. There is a lot of talk in the American church about revival. A lot of prayers ascend asking God to bring renewal. To pour out His Spirit. To bless our nation. To awaken the slumbering hearts of God’s people across our great land. Why then does revival not come? Why does our culture continue it’s rapid descent into chaos? Why is there such a rise in hate and anger and rage? Why is God not answering our prayers? 

According to Joel, the answer is quite clear. Repentance always precedes revival. We have not yet come to the end of ourselves. We have not yet exhausted our strength. We still believe on some level that it is up to us and our programs and our resources to bring this revival about. If we could just elect the right person. Just put the right programs in place. Just attend church more often. Just engage with more emotion in worship. We will seemingly do anything and everything to avoid falling on our faces, helpless before the Lord. We will do all we can to avoid acknowledging our failures, putting on sackcloth and ashes. We simply refuse to bow the knee, confess our sins both personal and corporate, and cry out to God. And this is why revival has not and will not come to the American church. We are too puffed up. Too prideful. Too divided. Too rich. Too comfortable. To consumer-driven. We spend more time complaining and arguing about worship styles like music than we do in heartfelt prayer. We spend far too much time guarding our hearts because we’ve been wounded rather than forgiving those who hurt us. We have such little faith and are not willing to put the time and effort into deepening our spiritual lives. I know these are broad generalizations but study after study confirms they are true. 

Joel speaks prophetically to the American church. To our church. To my church. To my own heart.

• “Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. Go in, pass the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God! Because grain offering and drink offering are withheld from the house of your God. Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.” (Joel‬ ‭1:13-14‬)

• “Yet even now," declares the Lord, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God?” (Joel‬ ‭2:12-14‬)

• “Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people. Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber. Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep and say, "Spare your people, O Lord, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?” (Joel‬ ‭2:15-17‬)

These are challenging words. Joel is unafraid to get in our face. They leave us no room for equivocation. We either accept them or reject them and the consequences of our decision is clear. Reject them to our own peril or accept them and receive God’s promise. 

• “Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before. "The threshing floors shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you.” (Joel‬ ‭2:23-25)

• “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.” (Joel‬ ‭2:28‬)

Friends, the answer we keep avoiding is simply this...surrender. Relinquishment. Submission. To God’s will and God’s ways and most importantly, God’s love. Until we do this, we will not see revival come. Repentance is the precondition to revival. Surrender is the precondition to the pouring out of God’s Spirit. We cannot receive from God until we open our hearts and unclench our fists. And this is a process. It’s not something that happens easily. It is a daily decision we make to place ourselves before the Lord. Believe Him for who He is and what He has to say. Bow the knee and obey His commands.  

Readings for tomorrow: Amos 1-3, Revelation 5

Radical Love of God

Readings for today: Hosea 11-14, Revelation 3

In the midst of all the judgment in Hosea, hope springs eternal. God loves His people with an everlasting love. He cannot abandon them to their fate. He cannot relinquish them or give them up. He cannot walk out on them. His love is steadfast. True. Loyal. Even in the face of betrayal and adultery and sin. I love how Hosea 11 describes God’s love...

“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son...it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them.” (Hosea 11:1, 3-4) One thing we must always remember when reading the Scriptures is that God has revealed Himself to us as Father. Abba. Daddy. This description is a precious one every parent can understand. We teach our children to walk. We watch them take those first steps. We hold them in our arms. Comfort them when they fall. Bandage up their nicks and cuts and “owies.” We lead them throughout the course of their lives, always desiring what is good for them. We provide for them. Train them. Discipline them. Teach them. This is our calling as a parent and it is notable that God chooses this particular metaphor to describe His relationship with His people. 

“How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute my burning anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath. They shall go after the Lord; he will roar like a lion; when he roars, his children shall come trembling from the west; they shall come trembling like birds from Egypt, and like doves from the land of Assyria, and I will return them to their homes, declares the Lord.” (Hosea‬ ‭11:8-11‬) How many of us as parents have watched our children go astray? Watch them wander off the path? Watch them choose self-destruction? How many times have I sat in my office across from parents trying to give them hope for their addicted son or estranged daughter? How many times have I prayed these very words myself over my own children? No matter what they do, I cannot give them up. I cannot hand them over. I cannot let go. I will always love them. I will always cherish them. I will always pursue them. I imagine the same is true for every parent reading these words today. Isn’t a great comfort to know God feels this same way?

All those who believe in Jesus Christ are adopted as sons and daughters into the family of God. God becomes our father. We become His children. Like Israel, we too have sinned. We too have gone astray. We too have chased after other gods. Idols in our lives. Whatever we wrap our lives around that is NOT God. Thankfully, our Father is merciful and gracious. He disciplines us in His love. And when we feel His discipline, what should our response be? Hosea 10:12, “Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.” When we repent and turn back to God, we will find Him waiting with open arms. Ready to welcome us back home. 

Readings for tomorrow: Joel 1-3, Revelation 4

2nd Advent

Readings for today: Hosea 7-10, Revelation 2

One of the things I love most about reading through the Bible in a Year is getting to December and starting the Book of Revelation. Reading about the 2nd Advent of Christ while we celebrate the 1st Advent seems very appropriate. Even as we celebrate the joy of Jesus’ birth, we find our hearts naturally turning towards the Day when He will come again. The great Day of Judgment when the living and the dead are raised. On that Day, heaven and earth come together in consummate glory and the reign of God is established once and for all.  

When will it happen? How will it happen? No one really knows and the Book of Revelation is notoriously difficult to decipher and understand. So here are some basic ground rules as you wade into the final book of the Bible. First, it is written by John while in prison on the island of Patmos. In order to get this letter out to the churches, John had to write it in code. The Roman authorities would have screened every piece of communication coming in and out of the prison so John had to be careful. Second, the writing is apocalyptic which is a very specific genre known to many in the ancient world. The fantastic images and visions are hallmarks of this type of literature. Third, the churches John is writing to are under persecution. They are facing the prospect of torture and death on a daily basis. This book is meant to encourage and equip them so they can endure the rough days ahead. Fourth, many different Christians approach this book from many different interpretive angles. There is no one way to read this book and we want to make sure to extend liberty and charity to one another as we go. Wherever you land on the “End Times” theological spectrum, what’s most important is that we all agree Jesus will come again. 

So let me begin this home stretch with one of my favorite verses...“I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation‬ ‭1:8‬) God spoke the first Word in creation and God will have the last Word in consummation. He who began all things, will bring them to a close according to His will and good pleasure. God is. This is all we know. This is really all we can say. God stands outside the time and space continuum He created and will remain there looking in until He determines the time is right for His return. As John said in His Gospel, God revealed Himself to the world but the world did not recognize Him. He revealed Himself to His people, His family, and they rejected Him. When He comes again, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord. He will leave no doubt. “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.” (Revelation‬ ‭1:7‬)

These are important words to reflect on as we begin as are the Spirit’s warnings to the seven churches. They provide a good spiritual barometer to help us discern how ready we truly are for Christ’s return. Have we abandoned our first love? Are we facing persecution for our faith? What idols do we cling to? What sexual immorality do we engage in? Do we tolerate sin? Are we ambivalent towards the gospel? Is our faith lukewarm at best? 

These are important matters for prayer as we close out one year and head into another. What spiritual resolutions will you make in 2022 to grow your relationship with Christ and His church? What commitments will you take on as you seek to serve Christ and make His name known?

Readings for tomorrow: Hosea 11-14, Revelation 3

Spiritual Adultery

Readings for today: Daniel 11-12, Hosea 1-4, 3 John 1, Jude

As a pastor, I have spent countless hours counseling married couples. More often than not, they are in my office because one or both have been unfaithful. They have stepped out on their spouse with porn or with an old flame, a co-worker, perhaps even a prostitute. The pain is unspeakable. The betrayal beyond words. It is almost impossible to recover. Why? Because even in our sex-saturated culture there is a sense that sexual intimacy is the greatest gift one can give to another person. It is the gift of oneself. The gift of the deepest, most profound parts of oneself. It is an act that transcends simple physical pleasure, joining hearts and entangling souls in a deeply spiritual way. This is why God has always reserved it for the marriage covenant. Sex was something to be enjoyed within the bounds of an unconditional commitment to one other person for as long as you both shall live. 

However, we have made a mockery of this gift. Our culture debases sexuality by promoting a hookup, swipe right culture. We called it sexual freedom and yet suffer from an epidemic of STD’s, unplanned pregnancies, and sexual abuse. We thought it would lead to greater relational intimacy but the quality of our relationships continues to decline. Marriages fail as individuals pursue their own pleasure and fulfillment at the expense of the other. The sexual revolution continues to gain steam through social media, television, movies, etc. which are univocal in their declaration that we are at the mercy of our hormonal urges. Whatever feels good is right and true regardless of the collateral damage it leaves in our wake. 

This is the central message of Hosea. God takes up the very real issue of adultery and employs it as a metaphor to describe the relationship between Himself and His people. He even calls His prophet Hosea to embody this relationship by marrying a prostitute. Hosea’s pain is a reflection of God’s pain. Hosea’s heartbreak at Gomer’s continual betrayals is a reflection of God’s heartbreak over Israel’s worship of the pagan gods. The names of Hosea’s children reflect not only his suffering but the divine pathos of God Himself as He wrestles with the unconditional love He pledged to Israel. When Hosea purchases his bride back from the slave traders in Hosea 3, one is reminded of the incredible grace of God which relentlessly pursues us to the day we die. 

It is abundantly clear, throughout the book of Hosea, that our only hope is the great faithfulness of God. The steadfast loyal love of God for His people. No matter what they may do or where they may go or how many times they play the “whore” and chase after other gods, Yahweh will not let go. He will redeem. He will save.  

“Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, "You are not my people," it shall be said to them, "Children of the living God." And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head. And they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel.” (Hosea‬ ‭1:10-11‬)

“Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. And there I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt. And in that day, declares the Lord, you will call me 'My Husband,' and no longer will you call me 'My Baal.' For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more. And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord.” (Hosea‬ ‭2:14-18, 20‬)

“Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days.” (Hosea‬ ‭3:5‬)

This is the heart of the gospel. No matter how bad things get. No matter how many times we sin and fall short of the glory of God. No matter how far we run into the far country and play the prodigal. God is faithful. God is loyal. Steadfast. True. He will never stop pursuing. Never stop watching. Never stop waiting for us to repent and return. There is nothing that can separate us from His love. Nothing that can snatch us out of His hand. Nothing that can break the eternal covenant He first made with us. This is good news! Even great news for those who love God and are called according to His purpose! 

Readings for tomorrow: Hosea 5-6, Revelation 1

Systemic Sin

Readings for today: Daniel 9-10, 2 John 1

The 16th century poet and priest, John Donne, once wrote these famous words…

No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as any manner of thy friends or of thine own were; any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never sent to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

It’s a powerful reminder that we are intricately connected. We are part of a larger whole. What I do or do not do impacts those around me. I create ripple effects that I am largely oblivious to but are nonetheless very real. Daniel understood this, of course. And his prayer in chapter nine of our reading today reflects the Biblical truth that we are both individually as well as corporately responsible for sin. He uses the first person plural pronoun throughout. He says things like, “We have sinned and done wrong”, “We have not listened to your servants”, “All Israel has transgressed your law”, and “We have not obeyed your voice.” Daniel clearly understands he is part of a larger whole. Part of a larger community of people who are being held accountable for generational sin. He is being punished for things his forefathers did and it is righteous. It is just. It is good. He also doesn’t pretend like he’s perfect or somehow any different than those who came before him. He confesses his own sin and the ways he has contributed to their current predicament. He is as much to blame as any and acknowledges his own need for God’s grace and mercy even as he prays for his people.

This is a hard truth for us to grasp. Especially if one lives in America. We have been raised on the myth that every man or woman is indeed an island. That one’s success or failure in life is directly tied to the amount of effort one puts in. And while individual effort is absolutely essential for success, it is not the only factor in play. In fact, it may not even be the biggest factor! Certainly the start one gets in life makes a difference. One’s physical and mental health. The stability of one’s family of origin. Educational opportunities. Access to resources, especially financial resources, is key. Opportunities to advance in one’s career. The elimination of any barriers that might otherwise impede upward mobility. The list goes on and on. Layer in the impact of local, state, and federal laws, social policy, community resources, etc. and I think you get the point. None of us is an island. None of us finds success purely on our own. All of us are part of something larger than ourselves that directly contributes or inhibits our ability to succeed.

Now there are some on the progressive left who want to eliminate personal responsibility altogether. They argue we are NOT responsible for own actions but are simply products of the environment that produces us. So we should not be held accountable. If we are unable to succeed in life, it’s because the system is stacked against us. Expectations are thereby lowered. Equity of outcomes must be mandated and enforced. Standards must be eliminated because they are products of oppression. On the flip side, there are some on the conservative right who want to pretend like systemic oppression doesn’t exist. They argue everyone is solely responsible for their own actions and all environmental challenges are essentially the same. They resist any attempt at reform. They refuse to acknowledge the structure barriers that do exist. They close their eyes to the many ways standards, outcomes, and standards are culturally bound and influenced. Christians must reject these false binaries. We must embrace the truth of Scripture that we are both personally and corporately responsible for our sin. Like Daniel, we must confess our personal and corporate guilt and ask for God’s forgiveness. Furthermore, we must hold both people and systems accountable. We must work for personal transformation and corporate reformation. We must work for personal holiness and communal/social justice. We must ask the Holy Spirit to help us see the ripples we create with the lives that we lead and do all we can to make sure we are spreading ripples of righteousness and peace.

Ultimately, this goes back to the most ancient of questions…“Am I my brother’s keeper?” Am I responsible for my brother or sister and their well-being? Do I have a share in the lives of those around me? Am I aware of the impact I make with the words I say or do not say? The things I do or not do? Have I grasped the full effect of every dollar I spend? Every minute I waste? Every breath I take? The Lord’s answer is clear. You are your brother’s keeper. You are responsible for your sister. You are part of a larger whole. You are part of His family. You are part of His Body. You are a royal priesthood. A holy nation. A people for God’s own possession. And the great news of the gospel is that just as sin and death and guilt and shame entered the world through one man, so did righteousness and grace and peace through the one man, Jesus Christ! He died for all sin. Personal and corporate. Individual and communal. He is the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the entire world! Thanks be to God!

Readings for tomorrow: None

Strange Visions

Readings for today: Daniel 7-8, 1 John 5

What the book of Daniel is perhaps most famous for are the visions Daniel sees in the night. So much ink has been spilt trying to interpret the meaning of these dreams. Are they historical? Referring to past events and past kingdoms that have come and gone? Do they tell the future? Of a time when the great Enemy will rise and attack God’s people? Are they both? Can we learn from what has happened in the past and look for those same signs to take place in the future? And what does it all mean for the Christian in 21st century America? How does it all relate to our daily lives? 

I think we often miss the forest for the trees when it comes to reading Scripture. We get so wrapped up in the details. So lost in the weeds. And we lose sight of the overarching message God has for us. Daniel and his people are in exile. They have experienced national trauma on a level we simply cannot grasp or imagine. Their pain and suffering is real and terrible. Their hopes and dreams have been crushed out of existence. Ground under the heel of a merciless pagan empire. Everything they once held dear has been destroyed. These are the circumstances in which God has placed Daniel. He has been a counselor to pagan kings. He has served foreign rulers. He has done all he can to embrace the call God placed on His people back in Jeremiah to “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭29:7) And he has prospered. He has been given power and authority. He has access and influence. He has wealth and privilege. He is considered one of the greatest wise men the empire has ever produced. But one thing continues to set Daniel apart...his great faith.  

Daniel never loses sight of God. Never loses hope in a future restoration where God will act to deliver His people once again. Daniel trusts God. Daniel is faithful to God. At great personal risk, Daniel has demonstrated this faith over and over again. Lions. Fiery furnaces. Under threat of torture and death. Daniel has seen it all and done it all and not only survived but thrived. And now God is again visiting him with visions and dreams. He is showing him the future. Kings and empires will rise and fall. The pain and suffering they inflict will be great. The fear they will engender will cause many to flee. Safety and comfort will be in short supply. But over it all, there is this promise…God is in control! God is on the move! God is bringing human history to a predetermined end with Christ taking His seat in glory and His kingdom shall never end.  

“As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened...I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel‬ ‭7:9-10, 13-14‬) Forget the four great beasts. Forget the visions of lions and eagles and bears. Rams and goats thundering towards one another across the earth. Forget the terrifying beast with ten horns or the little horn with the big mouth. The focus of Daniel’s vision is on the One called the Ancient of Days. The One who reigns and rules over it all. Pure as driven snow. Engulfed in holy fire. Tens of thousands at his beck and call. He judges the earth. He judges kings and rulers. He holds all dominion and power in His hand. And He calls to the Son of Man. Out of the clouds of heaven comes the Christ and He is given all authority on heaven and on earth. All peoples and nations and tribes and tongues shall serve him. His kingdom shall never end. This is the main point of the vision Daniel receives. God letting his beloved prophet know He is not done. There is still hope. There will come a day when Christ shall come and all things shall be set right and made new. 

And what happens to us on that great day? Listen to how Daniel describes it, “And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.'” (Daniel‬ ‭7:27‬) We get to share in this glory! We get to share in this victory! When Christ comes again in glory, we will be given dominion and power and authority to reign and rule at His side and under His Lordship! There will be no more sin. No more evil. No more crying. No more pain. No more suffering. No more fear. For God Himself will be our God and we shall be His people! This is the great hope of the gospel! The great hope sealed by Christ’s death and resurrection! An empty tomb bears witness! Millions upon millions throughout history all stand to give their testimony! Christ has died! Christ has risen! Christ will come again! 

Readings for tomorrow: Daniel 9-10, 2 John 1

Another in the Fire

Readings for today: Daniel 3-4, 1 John 3

As I said yesterday, I love the book of Daniel. I think it’s an important book for us to read in this particular cultural moment here in America. Our culture is rapidly cutting ties with it’s Judeo-Christian heritage. This has created a moral vacuum that all kinds of secular, humanist theories have rushed in to fill. Formerly shared understandings about gender, sexuality, marriage, and family are all being upended or cast aside. Even professions like medicine, law, accounting, and science are now viewed as fluid and mutable for lack of a common moral framework. And while some important good has emerged like a deeper awareness of systemic injustice especially as it relates to economics and ethnicity, we no longer seem to have the moral resources to find a solution. Every proposal is viewed with deep suspicion because it comes embedded within power structures that are by definition corrupt. The result is chaos. Riots. Violent protests. Anarchy. So what’s a Christian to do? How should a Christian respond? What does it look like to live in a thoroughly pagan world where “might makes right” and those in power will go to any lengths to stay in power?

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced similar challenges. They served at the whim of a megalomaniacal emperor who demanded the worship of his people. Nebuchadnezzar is one of history’s greatest tyrants. He was initially pagan to the core. Believed himself to be a god. He had a statue of himself built of gold that was 90 feet high. He set it up in a broad plain where everyone could see it. He had scores of musicians ready to call people to worship. At the sound of their instruments, everyone was instructed to fall on their faces before the idol. Those who refused would be burned alive. So how did the three men respond?

First and foremost, they kept faith. They refused to break the First and Second Commandments. They refused to offer any god but Yahweh their devotion and worship. They would not bow down to any graven image or idol. Second, they humbly accepted the consequences of their choices. When Nebuchadnezzar confronts them and threatens them with death, their response is telling…“If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” (Daniel‬ ‭3:17-18‬) They feel no need to fight back. No need to resist. No need to even object. They fully trust God. They place their lives in His hands. Third, they apparently take no credit for the miracle that takes place. When Nebuchadnezzar sees the fourth figure in the furnace and observes that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are not harmed by the flames, he asks them to come out of the furnace. We don’t know what they actually said to Nebuchadnezzar but the king’s own words surely communicate what he must have heard, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.” (Daniel‬ ‭3:28-30‬)

What a courageous example for us to follow! When faced with the challenges of our current cultural moment, we must resist the temptation to break faith. We too must stand strong in the Lord, trusting Him with our lives. We must accept that keeping faith will result in very real consequences. We may lose jobs or livelihoods. We may lose opportunities or be unjustly treated. We may be personally attacked or denied certain rights. Who knows? Maybe we’ll even eventually face prison for the crime of belief as many of our brothers and sisters do around the world. Rather than compromise or run or even resist, we must embrace the cost of discipleship. We must place our lives in God’s hands and trust Him for provision and protection, whether in this life or the next.

A few years back, a great worship tune came out called, “Another in the Fire.” I encourage you to give it a listen as you prayerfully reflect on today’s reading.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zmNc0L7Ac5c

Readings for tomorrow: Daniel 5-6, 1 John 4

Faithful

Readings for today: Daniel 1-2, 1 John 2

Daniel is one of my favorites. He is a man sold out to God. No matter what life throws at him, he always remains faithful. As a teenager, he was carted off into exile in Babylon. A traumatic, painful experience. Once he arrived in Babylon, he was identified as a young man of promise and removed from his family. Sequestered in the king’s household, he began training as a “wise man.” Someone who would counsel the king on the most important matters. Someone who would serve the empire and seek to expand its influence and power. One can easily imagine the internal struggle Daniel must have felt. How does he serve God faithfully while counseling some of the great tyrants in history? How does he speak God’s truth to a pagan power? How does he maintain his integrity even as he offers wisdom to kings whose egos are often out of control? 

The challenges start early. As part of his training, he is presented with unclean food to eat. Right off the bat, he has a choice to make. Will he trust God or will he compromise his convictions? Here it is critical to note how Daniel responds. It will become the pattern for the rest of his life. “But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, "I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king." Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, "Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king's food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see." (Daniel‬ ‭1:8-13‬) First and foremost, Daniel resolves to remain faithful to God’s Law. He will not eat unclean food. At the same time, he recognizes his convictions put the chief eunuch in a tough position. If Daniel and his friends refuse to eat and start to suffer physically, the eunuch is going to be punished so Daniel comes up with a plan. Essentially, let us do it God’s way for ten days and then compare us with the rest of the group. If we don’t measure up, we’ll do it your way. It’s a brilliant approach. Daniel remains faithful to God and he is able to share with the eunuch the reason for his hope. His obvious humility and respect for the people in authority over him - even when they are unbelievers - garners him a great deal of respect in return and raises his standing in the eyes of those he would seek to influence.

Fast forward a few years. Daniel has taken his place among the wise men of Babylon. A decree goes out that all of them are to be killed because no one can interpret the king’s dream. “Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon.” (Daniel 2:12-14) Once again, Daniel demonstrates humility and respect. He asks for an audience with the king. He trusts God to reveal the mystery in prayer. And when given his audience, he testifies to the greatness and power of God and the king humbles himself before him. 

A few more years pass. The king grows so insecure he decides to build a monument to himself and demand everyone fall down in worship before it. It’s the height of arrogance. Daniel doesn’t appear in this story but his colleagues do. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego follow his example. Confronted with a situation which would force them to break the second commandment, they refuse to bow down in worship and instead remain faithful. The king is furious but the men answer him with grace and truth. "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." (Daniel‬ ‭3:16-18‬) They are thrown into a furnace of fire. The king and his courtiers watch, waiting for them to be consumed. An incredible miracle happens as God Himself appears and delivers them from death. The result is again the humbling of the king. "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.” (Daniel‬ ‭3:28‬)

More years pass. More dreams and visions. The king actually goes insane for a period of time. Mysterious handwriting appears on a wall. Nebuchadnezzar gives way to Belshazzar who gives way to Darius. Political power shifts and once again Daniel finds himself put to the test. Now an old man, he has lived his life with great integrity. His political opponents try to dig up dirt on him but can’t find any so they attack his faith. The core of who he is. They make it illegal to pray for thirty days. This is old hat for Daniel so he does what he always does. He continued his regular practice of prayer. When arrested, he humbly submitted to the king’s injustice, trusting God with his fate. When God delivered him from the lions, Daniel answered the king with humility and respect, giving him the reason for his lifelong hope. "O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm." (Daniel‬ ‭6:21-22‬)

Daniel is an amazing example of faith to us all. In the way he lives his life, he shows us how to humbly and respectfully engage our increasingly non-Christian world in a faithful way. We do not have to relinquish our faith in Christ to serve in politics or business or education or any other field for that matter. However, holding onto Christ in our hearts means being prepared to give an answer for the hope we have in Him. People will ask. They may wonder why we do the things we do or refuse to act in ways that are dishonest or morally compromised. We may be attacked for our faith at times. Through it all, we are not to respond with violence or anger or fight for our “rights” but instead stand firm with humility and respect. We are not to resort to the underhanded ways of this world to accomplish the will of God. We must not use the ways of this world to achieve the purposes of God. Instead, we must let go and let God act as He chooses. Use us as He pleases. We must place our lives and our future in His hands. 

Readings for tomorrow: Daniel 3-4, 1 John 3

Living Water

Readings for today: Ezekiel 45-48, 2 Peter 3, 1 John 1

If you go to the 9/11 memorial today, you will see a memorial pool. Specifically designed by an architect who watched the second plane hit the South Tower from a rooftop on the Lower East Side, he found comfort in the days that followed by the waters of the Hudson River. He also found inspiration. Rejecting any notion of rebuilding on the smoldering ruins, he imagined a scene where a deep void was continually being filled by water. A powerful representation of grief and loss, the memorial pool is a perfect reflection of his vision. As each individual stream flows over the edge of the pool, they join together at the bottom to become one. Constantly emptying. Constantly refilling. Those who visit sense healing in those waters. Hope in those waters. Even while acknowledging the reality of the void. 

Ezekiel sees a similar vision. Water flowing from the Temple of God. It begins as a trickle but soon becomes a mighty river, flowing southeast out of Jerusalem towards the Dead Sea. The region around the Sea is a wasteland. A desert. A void. A place where nothing grows. And yet, as the river reaches the sea, this amazing miracle takes place! Trees begin to grow on either side. Their fruit providing food and sustenance to all. Their leaves never wither or fade. The water itself teems with life. Fish of every kind find a home there. As the waters reach the Sea, they bring it from death to life. The saltwater turns fresh and it begins to produce a hundredfold. Yes, there are still reminders of the former days. Still reminders of the death that once reigned here. The marshes and swamps retain their salty character but those simply serve as witnesses to the miracle of resurrection that has taken place! 

For the Christian, we recognize the prophetic nature of Ezekiel’s vision. Many centuries later, the Apostle Peter will actually stand on the steps of the Temple and preach the gospel for the first time. The Holy Spirit moved powerfully through his words and 3000 gave their lives to Jesus Christ. Along the very stairs where Peter most likely preached are the ceremonial mikvehs where Jewish believers would wash before going into worship. The 3000 who were saved were probably baptized in those very waters! What began as a trickle soon became a mighty river as the Spirit moved in the hearts of those early believers. From 20,000 at the end of the 1st century to over 20 million some two hundred years later to over 3 billion today; the Living Water just gets deeper and wider as it flows! 

God is still on the move, friends! Even after all these centuries, lives are still being changed by the gospel! It moves out into the wasteland of our world. Into the darkest places where death reigns. And it brings life. Hope. Joy. Peace. Churches sprout up along its banks, bearing the fruit of the Spirit to sustain the nations. As they seek Christ themselves, they find their leaves never wither. The world itself is renewed. Restored. Redeemed. Where O Death is now thy sting? Where O Death is now thy victory? The Living Water that Christ offers us fills the void! It becomes a spring of water welling up continually in our souls. Healing our hurts. Easing our pain. Comforting our grief. Sustaining us until the day when Christ will come again to wipe away every tear and make all things new. 

Readings for tomorrow: Daniel 1-2, 1 John 2

Living the Christian Life

Readings for today: Ezekiel 43-44, 2 Peter 2

I am often asked what it means to be a Christian. Is it raising a hand and praying a prayer? Is it participating in confirmation as a young person? Does it have to do with church attendance? Is it an intellectual assent to an idea? Living a particularly moral life? What does it mean to actually be a Christian? I think Peter’s words from yesterday sum it up quite well... 

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ...” (2 Peter‬ ‭1:3-8‬)

First and foremost, being a Christian involves faith. Faith is having complete confidence that God is able to deliver on His promises. And God has promised that every Christian will be filled with His divine power, be a partaker of His divine nature, and given everything that pertains to life and godliness. In short, we will lack nothing when it comes to living for God. Our hearts will burn with a desire to know Him more. We will love being in worship. Love spending time in prayer. Love studying God’s Word. We will love serving those whom God loves. The least and the lost in our world. 

Second, being a Christian means actively seeking to align your life with Christ. Submit all you say and do to His Lordship. It means walking in faithful obedience to His Law not because you have to but because you long to. Once we’ve been saved by grace, we walk in grace. Peter says it clearly. The true Christian will seek to supplement their saving faith with virtue and knowledge and self-control and steadfastness and godliness and brotherly affection. As these things increase in your life, you will bear much fruit for the Kingdom. This requires a diligence and intentionality that often escapes us. The temptations of this world are strong and distract us. We find our hearts pulled in a lot of different directions and too many of us settle for the lowest bar rather than push ourselves to greater heights for the glory of Christ. 

Third, Peter offers a sober warning as well. Refusing to follow Christ is serious business. “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell...if God did not spare the ancient world...when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; if God by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes condemned them to extinction...then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment...” Therefore, we need to take heed lest we, in our pride and arrogance and willful ignorance, refuse to tremble before the glorious ones. We do not want to be counted as “irrational animals”, “unsteady souls”, “accursed children”, “waterless springs”, or “mists driven by the storm.” (Assorted verses from 2 Peter 2)

Friends, as we draw near to Christmas, we are reminded of the significance of our celebration. Nothing less than salvation is at stake in what God has done in Jesus Christ. Devoting our lives to Him is essential if we are to escape the righteous wrath and judgment of God and gain entrance into God’s Kingdom. As we journey through this season of Advent, I encourage you to take Peter’s words to heart, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:10-11)

Readings for tomorrow: None

The Lord’s Return

Readings for today: Ezekiel 41-42, 2 Peter 1

I know it may feel like a slog to read through passages like the ones we’re in right now in Ezekiel. Basically, we’re getting an overview of the blueprints of the new Temple. It’s all measurements and dimensions and cubits. It can be hard to understand much less picture in your mind’s eye. Why should we care? Well, take a step back. Ezekiel has received a vision of the Lord’s return! All this work from the initial vision in chapter forty to the coming of the Lord in chapter forty-three is about the restoration of God’s people! It’s a glorious promise and it must have filled Ezekiel’s heart with hope.

It’s hard for us to imagine all the emotions Ezekiel must have felt when he saw the Lord returning to the Temple. The only thing close to it might be watching the memorial being built after the Towers fell in New York City. To visit Ground Zero or see the lights shining on a clear night reminds all of us to never forget what happened on that terrible day. I know I still remember sitting in my car waiting to make a left turn onto Alexander Road from Canal Pointe Blvd as I headed into Princeton for school that morning. Classes were cancelled. Work was suspended. We all watched in horror as the events unfolded. My wife Kristi remembers being at school when the news came down and scrambling to figure out if any of the parents of her kids had been trapped in the towers as they fell. One of my good friends was mobilized as a National Guardsman and spent the next year serving as a chaplain at the site where they took the remains of those who had been killed so they could be identified. The experience was so traumatic for him that he ended up in therapy himself for an additional year. Another friend of mine was serving as the senior pastor of 5th Avenue Presbyterian Church at the time and when the towers fell, he donned his clerical robe, threw open the doors of his sanctuary, and ran out into the streets to usher people into safety. Living in such close proximity to New York meant we knew people personally who experienced the loss of loved ones. Lisa Beamer, whose husband Todd lost his life heroically in the charge to retake Flight 93, went to church literally a few miles away. As terrible as that day was for so many, it is equally if not more powerful to watch our nation memorialize those who fell. Millions visit the memorial and museum each year to pay their respects. It is a powerful witness and testimony to the resilient heart of the American people. 

Now multiply 9/11 many times over. Imagine not only the Towers going down but planes flying into the Capitol building in Washington DC or the White House. Imagine tanks rolling down the highways of our country. Imagine bombs being dropped on every major city. Imagine armies burning and destroying everything in their path. Imagine America in ruins. Imagine living in exile in some foreign nation for decades, wondering if you will ever return home. Now imagine a prophet coming to you and laying out the exact dimensions of a new Capitol being built. A new White House. A new Supreme Court building. Imagine that prophet rolling out the blueprints of every national monument and showing them to you. Imagine him telling you a time is coming soon when you will return and America will be reborn. Can you imagine your excitement and joy? The feeling of national pride that would swell in your heart? 

“Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing east. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory. And the vision I saw was just like the vision that I had seen when he came to destroy the city, and just like the vision that I had seen by the Chebar canal. And I fell on my face. As the glory of the Lord entered the temple by the gate facing east, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple.” (‭Ezekiel‬ ‭43:1-5‬) It is impossible to overstate the joy Ezekiel must have felt as he sees this vision the of the Lord’s return. As painful as it was for him to see the Lord leaving the Temple in his earlier visions, it is now equally exciting to witness the Lord’s return. God had not forgotten His people! God had not abandoned His promises! God would prove faithful! No wonder he fell on his face!

Life is often hard. There are moments, even seasons, where we feel like everything has come crashing down around us. COVID kills millions. Governments lock down to protect their people. Economies crash. Jobs are lost. Homes go into foreclosure. Relationships break down in divorce. Opioid abuse skyrockets. Someone we love dies. There is so much in this world that brings us pain and heartbreak. It can even feel at times like the Lord has abandoned us. Ridden off on his chariot somewhere far away, never to return. Don’t believe the lie! God is faithful! He is true! He is steadfast in His love! He will never forsake or abandon you! He is with you! His glory is your sanctuary and your rearguard! If you walk by faith. If you trust in Him. If you surrender to His will and His ways. He will provide for you. He will restore the years the locusts have eaten. He will rebuild the ruins of your life. He will bring forth new growth and new life from the barren ground. This is His promise and He will never fail!

Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 43-44, 2 Peter 2

Can Dry Bones Live?

Readings for today: Ezekiel 37-38, 1 Peter 4

Ezekiel 37 and the valley of dry bones is one of my favorite stories in all the Bible. I love how God uses Ezekiel to literally raise the dead to new life. In a sense, every time I get up to preach this is my prayer. That God would awaken hearts that have become dry. Stale. Still. Dead. And bring new life through the preaching of His Word and the movement of His Spirit. 

Of course, the power to raise the dead to new life doesn’t come from me. And this is of great comfort! Ezekiel was simply called to prophesy. To speak the words God gave him. This was his act of faith. To declare the goodness and glory of God to a valley full of scattered bones. We never know what season we will be born into. Some are born into seasons of revival where the church is vibrant and growing and seeking the Lord with all its heart. Some are born into seasons where the church is dying and struggling and enslaved to fear and sin. Ezekiel was called to be a prophet in exile. At a time in Israel’s life where it seemed all hope had been lost. Their beautiful city had been destroyed. Their Temple raised to the ground. Their land conquered and occupied by foreign invaders. All the promises of God seemed to have come to an end. But in the midst of this national catastrophe, God brings a word of hope through His prophet. Ezekiel prophecies to the dry bones of Israel and a great “rattling” is heard. The scattered bones come together. Muscles and tissue and sinews form. The bodies rise. A great multitude as far as the eye could see. So Ezekiel prophecies again and the Spirit of God begins to blow. The dead bodies come alive! And why does God perform such a miracle? What is His primary aim and goal? Listen to what He tells Ezekiel. “And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord." (Ezekiel‬ ‭37:13-14‬)

Now consider our own spiritual condition. The church in Europe and America is dying. For too long, it has tolerated sin. Think of the scandals that have rocked Roman Catholic Church in recent years or the number of influential Protestant pastors whose moral failings have been exposed. Think of the number of churches who have lost sight of their mission as they arguments over musical style or the color of the carpet in the sanctuary. Think of the number of churches who have exchanged the truth of the gospel for the lies of our culture. Think of the number of churches who are closing their doors every day in communities across our country. It is heartbreaking. It can seem hopeless. I close my eyes and it’s almost like I can picture the valley filling up with the bones of these formerly great congregations. 

Now let’s make it personal. As a pastor, I meet so many Christians who are struggling. Suffering. Dying spiritually. Their connection to God is tenuous at best. They’ve made choices and those choices have taken them far from God. They no longer spend time in His Word. No longer spend time with Him in prayer. No longer gather to worship with His people. Their everyday lives are filled with sinful pursuits they don’t even recognize because they do not give God a second thought. Their hearts are not broken by the things that break God’s heart. Instead, they spend their lives chasing their own happiness. Fulfilling their own wants and desires. They jump from church to church, never really putting down roots. Never really building authentic community because to do so would require them to die to themselves. It would require them to forgive past hurts. Look past the sins of others. Endure the heartache and pain that is part and parcel of the journey of building deep friendships. The end result of all this is spiritual death. This way of life ends in a valley of dry bones. But thankfully, even there, there is hope! For God can meet us in our valleys just as surely as He met Ezekiel! God can raise us to new life in these valleys just as surely as He did the people of Israel! With God, hope is never completely lost! 

So where does life find you this morning? Are you traveling towards a valley filled with dry bones? Can you feel your spiritual life growing stale and your heart towards God growing cold? Examine your life! Take stock! What sin are you holding onto that is dragging you down? Has God given you new life? Raised you up yet again? Breathed His Spirit into your soul? Awesome! Now who do you need to tell? Over whose life do you need to “prophesy” so that they too might live? 

Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 39-40, 1 Peter 5

Refugee Faith

Readings for today: Ezekiel 35-36, 1 Peter 3

It is good for my soul to spend time with refugees. Men and women from other countries who flee violence and persecution. Forced out of their homes for political, social, and religious reasons. They live as aliens and strangers in a new land. Sojourners and exiles in a foreign culture. No matter how long they may live in a place, they never truly adjust. A large part of their heart remains broken by the loss of their homeland. I remember talking with the Anglican Archbishop in Rwanda. His family was forced out of their home when he was very young due to tribal conflict. Through a miraculous series of events, he was able to make his way to America and get an education. He joined a large Christian non-profit and worked his way up to vice-presidential level of the organization. He was successful in every way one could imagine and yet, when the opportunity came to return, he immediately sold all he had and went home. Willingly re-entered poverty. Willingly gave up his comfortable and safe life here in the States to help his country recover from the violence of their recent past. I have another good friend who fled his country after being imprisoned for his faith. He was a teenager when the Communists put in him prison. He made his way across the border into a neighboring country to a refugee camp. He applied for refugee status and came to the US. He has been here for thirty years pastoring a church in Aurora, CO. But his heart longs for his home. He and I go back now to the region of the country where he was born and he is welcomed like a national hero. It’s amazing. 

In our readings from 1 Peter, Peter addresses his fellow Christians as “elect exiles” living in dispersion throughout the Roman Empire. He addresses them as aliens and sojourners in a foreign land. He calls them to live in radically faithful ways. Rejecting the ways of this world in order to live as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. They are a “chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter‬ ‭2:9‬) They are in the world but they are not of the world. The nature of their exile is not easy. They face trials of various kinds. Harsh persecutions. Their faith is under constant assault. Their way of living is strange. The holiness of their conduct sets them continually apart. The core values of their life together - “unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.” (1 Peter‬ ‭3:8‬) - make them easy targets. One would think this movement doomed to destruction. How in the world can they survive with no political access or power? No wealthy patronage to protect them? No military might at their disposal to keep them safe? They are scattered across the Roman Empire. They have no Temple. No earthly city to call home. They have no cultural center. Not even a common language. And yet they persevere. They hold fast to their faith. This ragtag group of exiles overcomes the world. 

There is no more unlikely story in history than the church of Jesus Christ. And that history continues to be written. In 2019, Pastor Wang Yi of Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, China was sentenced to nine years in prison for attempting to subvert the state. He had been arrested a year earlier with 100 of his parishioners. Like the Apostle Paul, he wrote a letter from jail which has been published in its entirety online. I commend it to you. However, here is an excerpt that I believe sums up what it means to embrace an “exilic identity” in this world...

“If I am imprisoned for a long or short period of time, if I can help reduce the authorities’ fear of my faith and of my Savior, I am very joyfully willing to help them in this way. But I know that only when I renounce all the wickedness of this persecution against the church and use peaceful means to disobey, will I truly be able to help the souls of the authorities and law enforcement. I hope God uses me, by means of first losing my personal freedom, to tell those who have deprived me of my personal freedom that there is an authority higher than their authority, and that there is a freedom they cannot restrain, a freedom that fills the church of the crucified and risen Jesus Christ. Regardless of what crime the government charges me with, whatever filth they fling at me, as long as this charge is related to my faith, my writings, my comments, and my teachings, it is merely a lie and temptation of demons. I categorically deny it. I will serve my sentence, but I will not serve the law. I will be executed, but I will not plead guilty. Pray that the Lord would use me, that I might take the gospel to them. Moreover, I must point out that persecution against the Lord’s church and against all Chinese people who believe in Jesus Christ is the most wicked and the most horrendous evil of Chinese society. This is not only a sin against Christians. It is also a sin against all non-Christians. For the government is brutally and ruthlessly threatening them and hindering them from coming to Jesus. There is no greater wickedness in the world than this. If this regime is one day overthrown by God, it will be for no other reason than God’s righteous punishment and revenge for this evil. For on earth, there has only ever been a thousand-year church. There has never been a thousand-year government. There is only eternal faith. There is no eternal power. Those who lock me up will one day be locked up by angels. Those who interrogate me will finally be questioned and judged by Christ. When I think of this, the Lord fills me with a natural compassion and grief toward those who are attempting to and actively imprisoning me. Pray that the Lord would use me, that he would grant me patience and wisdom, that I might take the gospel to them. Separate me from my wife and children, ruin my reputation, destroy my life and my family — the authorities are capable of doing all of these things. However, no one in this world can force me to renounce my faith; no one can make me change my life; and no one can raise me from the dead.” ~ Pastor Wang Yi

Friends, if you believe and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, you are no longer your own. You have a new identity. A new citizenship in a Kingdom that never ends. Your life is hid with Christ on high. This world ceases to have any power over you. You are truly free to live and to love and to serve the lost, the least, even your enemies in the name of Christ. Set your mind and heart on things above and let your conduct be salt and light to those who walk in darkness.  

Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 37-38, 1 Peter 4

The Watchman

Readings for today: Ezekiel 32-34, 1 Peter 1-2

Long have I prayed over these words in Ezekiel. What does it mean to be a watchman? To be given God’s Word to speak to a specific people in a specific place and time? To be able to look out on the culture at large and see the coming judgment? To speak to it not in anger or outrage but in tenderness and compassion and love? To lay aside my natural prophetic zeal and instead kneel in sackcloth and ashes and weep over the sins of God’s people? To plead with them to return to the Lord with their whole hearts?

Ezekiel was a faithful prophet. He understood his call from the Lord clearly. He was to speak God’s Word to God’s people. Only God’s Word. Nothing more. Nothing less. Nothing else. He was to speak God’s Word as boldly and clearly as possible. He was to speak with full conviction and hold nothing back. In so doing, he is creating the conditions whereby God’s people might respond in repentance and humility. It’s important to note that the watchman is not responsible for the results. They are only responsible for the warning they provide. So Ezekiel’s success or failure in ministry doesn’t ride on how the people respond. Those who listen to his words will be saved. Those who reject his words will be destroyed. Ezekiel will only be held responsible to speak. Truthfully. Honestly. Openly. Transparently. “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.” (Ezekiel 33:7-9)

At the same time, I imagine Ezekiel loves his people. All good pastors do. We live and die with the decisions we watch people make. We grieve when they fail to turn from sin. We rejoice when we see true life change. We get discouraged when we see spiritual complacency. We get excited when we see someone finally hit rock bottom and turn to Jesus. So the burden of the watchman is a heavy one. And I imagine Ezekiel felt this weight keenly. Especially as he watches God’s people respond to the Word of God preached. Some rest in their own self-righteousness. Others turn from their wickedness. The ups and downs of ministry are reflected in these words from Ezekiel 33, “The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him when he transgresses, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it when he turns from his wickedness, and the righteous shall not be able to live by his righteousness when he sins. Though I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, yet if he trusts in his righteousness and does injustice, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered, but in his injustice that he has done he shall die. Again, though I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ yet if he turns from his sin and does what is just and right, if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks in the statutes of life, not doing injustice, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he shall surely live. “Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just,’ when it is their own way that is not just. When the righteous turns from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it. And when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he shall live by this. Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his ways.” (Ezekiel‬ ‭33:12-20‬)

There is nothing worse than seeing God’s people choose their own way over God’s Way. Nothing more disheartening God’s people choosing the path of pride and arrogance and selfishness and greed over the path of humility and surrender and selflessness and generosity. Nothing more discouraging than watching God’s people “live their truth” rather than embrace God’s Truth. It never ends well. God will not be mocked. He will not bless sin nor will He let us escape the consequences of our actions.

I think about all I see happening in our world today. There is such a lack of compassion and empathy and love towards those who are different than us. The differences may be ethnic. The differences may be economic. The differences may be political. The differences may be social. No matter where the differences lie, we seem to have so little tolerance for one another. Our hearts are extremely hard. And if we let our hearts continue to harden, we will end up expressing only anger and hate both of which are poison to the soul. We must renew our commitment to one another. We must recover our calling to be our brother’s and sister’s keeper. We must embrace the command God has given us to be watchmen and watchwomen for our families, neighbors, friends, and communities, always speaking His truth in love.

Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 35-36, 1 Peter 3

Effective Prayer

Readings for today: Ezekiel 29-31, James 5

“Is any among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (James 5:13-16)

I’ve been praying about prayer lately. Perhaps it’s because I feel like I’ve fallen into a bit of rut. Perhaps it’s because some of my normal spiritual disciplines have become routine. Perhaps it’s because I find myself running out of words when I pray or simply repeating the same phrases over and over again. Perhaps it’s because the list of people I pray for is long and I don’t want to rush through their names. Whatever the reason, I’ve been asking the Lord to teach me how to pray on a deeper and more intimate level and He is answering my prayer. Here are just a few of the reflections I’ve written down over the last few days…

November 18 - “Prayer is colossal work. It is the nakedness of a soul intent before God - heart and mind and will, answering deep unto deep.” Prayer involves the whole person. Heart, mind, body, and will. It requires each of these facets of a person to intentionally direct themselves towards God. It’s a posture physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. This is the secret to true prayer. It is about orientation. I think of my Muslim friends who orient themselves towards Mecca or my Jewish friends who orient themselves towards Jerusalem. As a Christian, I orient myself towards no earthly city. No earthly place where a Temple once stood. No, I orient myself towards a Person. I fix my soul’s gaze on Christ. He is the fount of heaven from which I drink. He is the bread of heaven on which I feast. He is the joy of heaven which fills my heart. He is the strength of heaven which sustains my life. He is the wisdom of heaven which guides me through life’s challenges. He is the comfort of heaven in the midst of my griefs and losses. No matter where I am, He is there to greet me. No matter what condition I find myself in, He is there to receive me with open arms.

November 23 - Prayer is simply entering into Your presence each morning in the silence and quiet before the noise of the day gets too loud or the demands force me to pick my pace. To stand in that place before You with all the confused business of my life and this world spread out at Your feet. To try and see things as You see them. To try and see the people as You see them. To seek to understand the situations as You understand them. To have compassion. To open my heart to grace. And then to take up the burden once more onto my shoulders, full of confidence that I do not bear the burden alone, and go about my day not really having known what I should pray for but knowing that even as my words fail the Spirit prays for me with groanings too deep for words. This is what it means to pray.

November 25 - Prayer begins by slowing down long enough to truly see people. To listen long enough to truly hear people. To spend enough quality time so others feel valued and of worth. Prayer is attending to the hearts and souls of others. Hearing the words behind the words. Paying attention to body language and what’s being communicated subconsciously as well as consciously. Prayer is spending your day focused on others and then bringing them before Me in the quiet of your office at the end of the day. Keeping them in your mind’s eye with all their hopes and dreams, fears and failures, hurts and confusion, anger and frustration, joys and sorrows, loves and desires as you come into My presence. Holding them out to Me as I speak blessing and grace and peace over them. I know their needs before you speak them. You do not have to give Me a list. You can simply speak their names and the names of their children and any particular burdens you know they carry before Me and trust Me to meet them right where they are. You can do this not only for the individuals and families you know but also for entire churches and communities and nations. You can hold up the Town of Parker before me. The State of Colorado. The United States. You can hold up before Me the people of Ethiopia and South Sudan and Uganda and Bangladesh and Dominican Republic and North/South Korea and Afghanistan and Bolivia and the many, many other nations you’ve been and where you have friends doing My work. I am with them in their suffering and heartbreak and I am at work bringing beauty from the brokenness just as I am doing with you.

November 26 - Doug, the challenge of prayer has very little to do with finding the time for it or the space or the quiet or the solitude. It has very little to do with the internal wrestling that ensues when you feel you aren’t being heard or your prayers go seemingly unanswered. It has very little to do with the doubts that creep in when you try to make sense of prayer or evaluate it’s effectiveness or square it with science. No, the real challenge for you is allowing yourself to be stripped naked before Me. To be strapped in the “prison house of your own life.” To sit long enough for all the stuff you try to hide or stuff down deep inside to bubble to the surface. Prayer keeps you honest. Prayer keeps you real. Prayer reminds you that you cannot run from yourself nor from Me. You cannot hide from yourself nor from Me. You cannot ignore yourself nor can you ignore Me. We are linked - you and I - in an eternal relationship. We are locked - you and I - in an eternal dance. So hear my invitation to pray yet again this morning…““Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matt. 7:7) I am always here, waiting for you with open arms.

These are just a few of the thoughts that I’ve had recently and I believe they are leadings from the Holy Spirit. Ways He is answering as I seek to learn more about how to pray. You see, I want to be a man of prayer. I want to pray righteous prayers. Prayers that are powerful and effective for healing and forgiveness and reconciliation. Prayers for peace and wholeness and shalom. Prayers for my family, my church, my country, and my friends around the world. I want to pray bold prayers. God-sized prayers. Prayers of faith that will move mountains, drive out demons, and bring revival. I want to pray in such a way that the devil trembles and the kingdoms of this world shake. I want to pray such prayers not for my own sake but for the sake of the world God loves so much. Lord, teach me to pray!

Readings for tomorrow: None

The Deadly Sin of Pride

Readings for today: Ezekiel 27-28, James 4

One of the besetting sins of humanity is pride. Like Adam, we all want to become our own gods. Human history is replete with example after example of what happens when a person or tribe or nation achieves a certain measure of power, wealth, and privilege. They become proud. Arrogant. They forget God. They ignore God. They replace God. The most megalomaniacal even believe they’ve become God.

Interestingly enough, those who would be gods almost always fall into the same pattern. They almost always make the same mistake. In an effort to prove their “godliness”, they build monuments to themselves. Monuments to their own glory. Monuments that stretch as high as possible, reaching up towards the heavens. Think of the Tower of Babel. Think of the obelisks and images and pyramids of Pharaoh. Think of the temples and palaces and structures archaeologists have discovered all over the world in almost every great culture. Now think of our own time. Think of our own country. Think of how those who would be god build monuments to themselves through social media. Marketing. Advertising. The goal is to have the #1 hit single. The #1 bestseller. The largest, multi-national corporation. The most political influence and clout. They use their resources to self-promote, all in an effort to make their own name great. Pastors and churches are not immune. The goal for many is to draw the largest crowds. Raise the most funds. Build the biggest buildings on sprawling campuses across the country. 

Do we not realize the risk we are running here? We who would be great should take heed from the warnings God has given through the prophet Ezekiel to the kings of Tyre. "You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you. By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries; so I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you. All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever." (Ezekiel‬ ‭28:12-19‬) Whew. This pride thing is no joke!

I know I’ve shared this before but it’s worth mentioning here again. Several years ago, the Lord spoke to me during a time of prayer. You see, I am as ambitious as the next person. I am as prideful as any. My heart longs for success and recognition. I too would love to see my name in lights. So the Lord confronted me. And He gave me three words to guide the rest of my life…

• Obscurity: God has commanded me to labor in obscurity. To be content with where He puts me. He has made it clear that I never seek another position. Never seek another raise. Never seek another opportunity. I am simply to walk with open hands before Him and let Him fill them with whatever He desires for my life.

• Anonymity: God has commanded me to embrace anonymity. He has made it clear that I am never to self-promote. Never seek to make my name great. Never seek out recognition or pride of place. I am to spend my life and ministry promoting others above myself and let them have all the credit.

• Insignificance: God has commanded me to acknowledge my insignificance. In the grand sweep of God’s eternal plan, my contributions are very small. I am not an essential cog in this machine. I am easily replaceable. I am simply one servant among billions who has been called to play a very minor role in God’s Kingdom.

Does this mean all my success is evil? Does this mean all the wealth and power and privilege God has granted me is to be despised? Does this mean I should never aspire to anything? Never work hard? Never try my best? Anyone who knows me, knows that cannot be true. The key is motivation. True humility is not thinking more highly of oneself than one ought or less of oneself than one ought. Rather it is thinking of oneself less. Again, it means walking with open hands before the Lord. Letting Him fill them up with His plans for your life.  

As I’ve learned to walk with an open heart before the Lord, it’s been amazing to see where He’s taken me. Humbling to see what He’s entrusted me with. Professionally, I get to be the pastor of an incredible church. I’ve been given leadership opportunities nationally in my denomination. I am an adjunct faculty member at Denver Seminary. I’ve been blessed to teach overseas and help lead a revival in the Horn of Africa. Personally, He’s taught me how to be a better husband and father. A better friend and neighbor. All of this came to me from God’s own hands. I did not seek it out nor was I remotely qualified on paper for most of these positions. God simply moved me like a pawn on His great chessboard as He works out His will for the world. And I am happy and content to play my part. 

What about you? Do you find yourself aspiring to greatness? Seeking to achieve all you can? Accumulate all you can? Earn the recognition of your peers? What drives you? What feeds your ambition? Is it the Lord or is it your pride? Heed the words of Ezekiel. Take care lest you follow in the footsteps of Pharaoh. Humble yourself before the Lord and let Him guide your steps. 

Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 29-31, James 5

Watching our Words

Readings for today: Ezekiel 25-26, James 3

“The tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, these things ought not to be so.” (James‬ ‭3:6-10‬)

Reading these words today makes me wonder if James looked into the future and saw the dumpster fire that is social media these days! Everything from our national discourse down to the conversations we have around so many dinner tables only serves to prove James’ point about the untamable tongue. How many fires are started by careless words? How much violence is stoked by those who peddle lies? How much damage is done to people and to communities all across our country because some choose to weaponize their words to further their own selfish ends? Indeed the whole body that is America has become stained. Our entire way of life set on fire. So many relationships ended due to the restless evil and deadly poison that is spreading throughout our land. All because we can’t seem to tame our tongue. We can’t seem to control our words. We refuse to follow grandma’s advice, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say it at all.”

Sadly, far too many Christians are leading the charge. Rather than submit their words to Christ, they throw gasoline on the dumpster fire that’s raging. They speak out of both sides of their mouth. Praising God one minute and cursing those made in the image of God the next. Rather than offer a gentle answer to turn away wrath, they respond in kind and the flames only rise higher. Rather than overcome evil with good, they retaliate with “an eye for an eye” mentality and the fire only burns hotter. Rather than embrace humility and gentleness like our Lord, they feel the need to be prideful and arrogant, rude and abrasive, and the conflagration burns out of control. They are highly critical of everyone but themselves. They sing of God’s amazing grace but then refuse to extend it to anyone who might disagree with them. They assume the worst of their opponents and refuse to love their enemies. One might think James had caught wind of it or perhaps this is simply the way Christians have always acted.

My brothers and sisters, these things ought not to be so. The same mouth that praises God should not damn those made in His image. The same mouth that blesses should not curse. Imagine how different our world would be if those who claimed to follow Christ simply took these words to heart? Imagine how different our interactions would be if those who claimed to follow Christ refused to vent their anger and frustration but instead carried it to the Lord? Imagine how different our communities would be if those who claimed to follow Christ seasoned their words with love and grace and joy and peace? Imagine how different your Thanksgiving would be if you simply sought to bless each and every person who came to your home and sat around your table?

Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 27-28, James 4

Justice

Readings for today: Ezekiel 22-24, James 2

This morning the news came down that the three men who killed Ahmaud Arbery were found guilty of murder. This is a good thing. It is a just and righteous verdict. It gives us yet another reason to hope that we are making progress as a nation when it comes to ending racial discrimination. It also serves as a sober reminder of the work we have yet to do. It’s important to keep in mind that without the video being leaked to the media, the suspects might never have been arrested. The trial might never have happened. Justice might never have been done. So there is still much work left to do.

Many years ago, I had the privilege of serving as a volunteer chaplain at New Jersey State Prison. This is the maximum security facility for the state and, at that time, was also the location of death row. (The death penalty has since been abolished in New Jersey.) Most of the inmates had been convicted of some form of violent crime and were serving long sentences as a result. However, as I began to hear their stories and study the data from within the system, it became readily apparent to me that race and socio-economics had a significant and disproportionate influence on the types of charges filed, conviction rates, substance of plea deals, and sentencing outcomes. Those who could hire a private lawyer were far better off than those assigned a public defender. Those who were white were often treated differently than blacks or Latinos. Even adjusting for human error could not account for the disparities within the system. (For those looking for great research on the topic, check out the Equal Justice Initiative led by Bryan Stevenson at https://eji.org.)

What does all this have to do with today’s reading? I’m glad you asked. ;-) James begins his second chapter with these words, “My brothers and sisters, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.” (James‬ ‭2:1‬) He goes on to warn his fellow believers against showing favoritism to the rich and dismissing those who are poor. Catering to the powerful while ignoring the powerless. He reminds them that God Himself identifies with the poor and powerless, including the Jews themselves who were chosen by God when they were slaves in Egypt! “Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?” (James‬ ‭2:5‬) Tragically, for too much of our history as a nation, we have tended to let factors like race and economics and gender influence far too many outcomes. We have been guilt of showing partiality to those who are rich and powerful and white and male, giving them the benefit of the doubt. Consider not just the disparities highlighted by the case cited above but sexual abuse cases like the one against Larry Nasser or many Roman Catholic clergy or several high profiled evangelical pastors in recent years. Consider how differently Felicity Huffman was treated when compared to Kelley Williams-Bolar. Huffman is a white, wealthy, and well-known actress who bribed an SAT proctor with $15,000 to illegally change her daughter’s answers so she could get into a good college. She got fourteen days in federal prison, a $30,000 fine, and 250 hours of community service. Williams-Bolar used her father’s address to redistrict her children to get them into a better public school and was originally sentenced to five years in prison! Yes, her sentence was eventually reduced to ten days in jail and three years probation - thankfully - but the point still remains. We all have natural, sinful tendency to privilege some over others.

So what are we to do? We cling to the gospel. The gospel declares that those who were dead in their trespasses (death penalty) have been made alive through Christ! Those who were once trapped in spiritual poverty have now been made rich in faith and heirs to God’s Kingdom! Those who were once defined by their race, gender, or socio-economic status have now become one in Christ Jesus! This is the foundation on which true justice is built and it is the only way forward for the church, for our communities, and for our nation.

Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 25-26, James 3