Isaiah 15 & 16

I read these two chapters this morning. Pretty harrowing prophesy. I wonder what possible implication this can have for us today and I'm a little perplexed. I wasn't even sure where Moab was, so I looked it up.
As I read, I had to wonder, "Are we Israel or are we Moab?". In which place does the United States sybolically stand? For a very long time America has been seen as a chosen nation, a "city on a hill" as the puritan John Winthrop put it. I know that in the past America has recieved God's blessing. I know that there have even been long periods of time when America has been fervently Christian, but so have many other nations.
I have to wonder if the words spoken against Moab in Ch 15 and 16 of Isaiah aren't at least a warning to a nation that has become arrogant, proud, and insolent (Isaiah 16:6). Will we forever be the object of God's blessing, or will we someday incure his wrath?
However, even if the latter is true, there is hope. Chapter 15 v5 says "My heart cries out for Moab". Then in Ch 16 is this shadowy but inspiring prophesy:

  ^1(A) Send the lamb to the ruler of the land,from^(B) Sela, by way of the desert,
   to the mount of the daughter of Zion.
²Like fleeing birds,
   like a scattered nest,
so are the daughters of Moab
   at^(C) the fords of the Arnon.
 ³"Give counsel;
   grant justice;
^(D) make your shade like night
   at the height of noon;
shelter the outcasts;
   do not reveal the fugitive;
⁴let^(E) the outcasts of Moab
   sojourn among you;
be a shelter to them^[a]
   from the destroyer.
When the oppressor is no more,
   and destruction has ceased,
and he who tramples underfoot has vanished from the land, ^5(F) then a throne will be established in steadfast love,
   and on it will sit in faithfulness
   in the tent of David
one who judges and seeks justice
   and is swift to do righteousness."

A good quote I stole from another Blogger  http://amdg44.blogspot.com/ I happened to find when I hit the "Next Blog" button:

"A great quote from St. Ignatius Loyola, courtesy of Sam Sawyer, SJ:
 

"There are very few people who realize what God would make of them if they abandoned themselves entirely to His hands, and let themselves be formed by his Grace. A thick and shapeless tree trunk would never believe that it could become a statue, admired as a miracle of sculpture...and would never consent to submit itself to the chisel of the sculptor who, as St. Augustine says, sees by his genius what he can make of it. Many people who, we see, now scarcely live as Christians, do not understand that they could become saints, if they would let themselves be formed by the grace of God, if they did not ruin His plans by resisting the work which He wants to do....""

Sound Familiar??

Isaiah 3

¹⁶The LORD said:^(V) Because^(W) the daughters of Zion are haughty
   and walk with outstretched necks,
   glancing wantonly with their eyes,
mincing along as they go,
   ^(X) tinkling with their feet,
¹⁷therefore the Lord^(Y) will strike with a scab
   the heads of^(Z) the daughters of Zion,
   and the LORD will lay bare their secret parts.

 ¹⁸In that day the Lord will take away^(AA) the finery of the anklets, the^(AB) headbands, and the^(AC) crescents; ¹⁹the pendants, the bracelets, and the scarves; ²⁰the^(AD) headdresses, the armlets, the sashes, the perfume boxes, and the amulets; ²¹the signet rings and^(AE) nose rings; ²²the^(AF) festal robes, the mantles, the cloaks, and the handbags; ²³the mirrors, the linen garments, the turbans, and the veils.
 ²⁴Instead of^(AG) perfume there will be rottenness;
   and instead of a^(AH) belt, a rope;
and instead of^(AI) well-set hair,^(AJ) baldness;
   and instead of a rich robe, a^(AK) skirt of sackcloth;
   and^(AL) branding instead of beauty.
²⁵Your men shall fall by the sword
   and your mighty men in battle.
²⁶And^(AM) her gates shall lament and mourn;
   empty, she shall^(AN) sit on the ground.

I'm not sure of the history surrounding the times in the life of Isaiah, but I know he's my very favorite prophet of the Bible. I know he was a prophet for the reign of at least four kings mentioned in the very outset of Ch 1 and that was probably a long time. His writing is bold but poetic in its prose. I am always especially moved by the prophesies of Christ in Isaiah.

As I was reading this passage this morning, I couldn't help but notice how similar the situation Isaiah describes is to our own situation in America. Between questionable wars that have stretched for near ten years and an absolutely ruinous financial situation, our nation is sure to be brought to its knees in the near future. We live in a country where the culture is to buy anything you want right now, whether you have the money or not. Credit is so readily available people in the mid-2000s could get credit to buy houses they couldn't afford to pay the interest on. Just like those women mentioned in the passage, we're covered up in all kinds of fine things. Our government does a good job setting the example with a 13 trillion dollar deficit, too.

I'm not sure this is an altogether bad thing, though. Hard times usually bring people to their knees. And in that there is hope. I believe the end of this passage is really in Ch 4:

 ^1(A) And seven women^(B) shall take hold of^(C) one man in that day, saying, "We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our reproach."

Jesus, let us be called by Your Name.

Calling All Ezras

Nehemiah 8

¹And all the people gathered as one man into the square before^(A) the Water Gate. And they told^(B) Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the LORD had commanded Israel. ²So Ezra the priest^(C) brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard,^(D) on the first day of the seventh month. ^3(E) And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. ⁴And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose.

⁸They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly,^[b] and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

⁹And Nehemiah, who was^(L) the governor, and Ezra^(M) the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people,^(N) "This day is holy to the LORD your God;^(O) do not mourn or weep." For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law.

Summer went so fast. School's almost ready to start again. Crazy.

I heard Chuck Swindoll talking on the radio about a week ago in his overview of the Bible about the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. He called Ezra a true worshipper. Being a guy who leads worship at church from time to time, that intrigued me. I read Ezra, then I read Nehemiah. This passage jumped out at me. Not-so-ironically, this passage appeared again in a book I was reading yesterday about what else...worship. I've been absolutely struck by the profound simplicity of this passage - how simple the act of reading from the Law was and how profoundly the Spirit of God grabbed hold of the hearts of the people.

I mean think about it. Imagine a guy standing up and reading from the Bible for four or five hours. It says everyone was listening attentively and that by the time he was done, they were all weeping. If you ask me that's nothing short of a miracle. Of course, this is in the days before iPods, smartphones, and Facebook. Now it's hard for us to sit still for 45min. of preaching, let alone to set aside 5 minutes for private Bible study and prayer. Is this why we're struggling as a Body of Christ? Is this why the spiritual drought continues?

Ezra, where are you?

Do All Things

Philippians 2

 ¹⁴Do all things^(AE) without grumbling or^(AF) questioning, ¹⁵that you may be blameless and innocent,^(AG) children of God^(AH) without blemish^(AI) in the midst of^(AJ) a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine^(AK) as lights in the world, ¹⁶holding fast to^(AL) the word of life, so that in^(AM) the day of Christ^(AN) I may be proud that^(AO) I did not run in vain or labor in vain. ¹⁷Even if I am to be^(AP) poured out as a drink offering upon^(AQ) the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. ¹⁸Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

I can't say I've done a very good job of this lately. It's the end of the school year. Translation: Kids have checked out mentally and are asking questions like, "Can we watch a movie?" and "When are we going to the park?", which kills productivity and makes me, more than at any other time of year, feel like a babysitter rather than a teacher. I am not unique; the problem is systemic. Naturally, the blanket "Those kids..." statements start trickling, then pouring out of the mouths of teachers, and it's hard not to agree. Pretty soon I find myself mired in a negativity that seeps into every thought, every word, every action, first with the students, then with my family. It's amazing the difference an attitude makes.
Abraham Lincoln once said, "Most people are only as happy as they make up their minds to be." I think Paul is touching on the same theme here. God cares not only about the ends but the means; not only with what we do but how we do it. If we give or serve in the Church with a bad attitude, not only does our sacrifice become a hollow one but we rob ourselves of the joy that accompanies the gift. One must only look to the example of Cain and Abel to see what God thinks of sacrifices offered with stinky attitudes. Conversely, I think (this is my opinion, not scripture) God is more pleased with misguided sacrifices offered with the best intentions and attitudes than He is with the best sacrifices offered with ill motives or bad attitudes.
When it comes to most things in life, attitude is far more important than aptitude.

Faith

Philippians 2

¹²Therefore, my beloved,^(AA) as you have always^(AB) obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³for^(AC) it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for^(AD) his good pleasure.

I know...again. But its really amazing what God does in His time. I feel like God's been dealing with me on this particular passage. A few days ago I was reading another chapter in C.S. Lewis's "Mere Christianity" titled "Faith" and guess which verse came up...yep. It's too good for me to paraphrase so I'm going to temporarily ignore copyright infringment laws and put the whole passage up here hoping that my trespass will be forgiven since it was in the interests Bible study. In the chapter he's talking about the conflicting extreme views held by different Christian groups regarding salvation. On the one hand are those who say "Good actions are all that matter" and on the other hand are those who say, "if you have faith, it doesn't matter what you do." The passage picks up in the middle of this debate:

 

"The Bible really seems to clinch the matter when it puts the two things together into one amazing sentence. The first half is, 'Work out your salvation with fear and trembling'--which looks as if everything depended on us and our good actions: but the second half goes on, 'For it is God who worketh in you'--which looks as if God did everything and we nothing. I am afraid that is the sort of thing we come up against in Christianity. I am puzzled, but I am not surprised. You see, we are now trying to understand, and to seperate into water-tight compartments, what exactly God does and what man does when God and man are working together. And, of course, we begin by thinking it is like two men working together, so that you could say, 'He did this bit and I did that.' But this way of thinking breaks down. God is not like that. He is inside you as well as outside: even if we could understand who did what, I do not think human language could properly express it. In the attemp to express it different Churches say different things. But you will find that even those who insist, most strongly on the importance of good actions tell you you need Faith; and even those who insist most strongly on Faith tell you to do good actions. At any rate that is as far as I can go."

C.S. Lewis may not have been a trained theologian, but he had a talent for expressing complicated thoughts and theories in ways that are simple for the common man to understand. Like Dr. Zacharias, He interprets this verse to express a duality in Christianity where God is sovereign but man has a responsibility to act.
So with all the theology settled, what application does this have for us? First, it is a reminder that religion is not enough. To simply profess faith in Christ or, on the other hand, to just be a good person does not please God. He desires His children to cultivate a relationship with Him. When we develop a relationship with Christ - when we learn to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength - we will seek to please Him with our actions, and both parts - the faith and the works - will fall into place. Second, and refreshingly, while we work hard to please Him in all we do, the fate of the world does not rest on our shoulders. We give our best to God, and leave all our insufficiencies to the One who is all sufficient; our imperfections to the One who is Perfection; our failures to the One who never fails.
What a verse. What a thought. What a Savior.

Philippians 2

¹²Therefore, my beloved,^(AA) as you have always^(AB) obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³for^(AC) it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for^(AD) his good pleasure.
 ¹⁴Do all things^(AE) without grumbling or^(AF) questioning, ¹⁵that you may be blameless and innocent,^(AG) children of God^(AH) without blemish^(AI) in the midst of^(AJ) a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine^(AK) as lights in the world, ¹⁶holding fast to^(AL) the word of life, so that in^(AM) the day of Christ^(AN) I may be proud that^(AO) I did not run in vain or labor in vain. ¹⁷Even if I am to be^(AP) poured out as a drink offering upon^(AQ) the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. ¹⁸Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

That phrase "work out your salvation" has had me hung up for about two weeks now. How is it that if salvation is a free gift of God that Paul tells us we must work it out? I don't think this means that we do some kind of work to earn our salvation but maybe that it takes continual effort for the work of salvation to be completed in us. We have to constantly put ourselves in a place where we allow God to work in us. This takes a considerable amount of effort.
I was listening to a podcast by Ravi Zacharias the other day in which he was explaining the Biblical balance between the responsibility of man and the sovereignty of God. He was trying to explain how although God's plans are not and cannot be voided by the actions of men, we do have freedom of choice. He used this verse as an example of this balance as mentioned in scripture. "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (responsibility of man) "for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work, for His good pleasure." (sovereignty of God). The entire fate of mankind doesn't lie solely on the shoulders of men, but neither does it lie entirely in the hands of God unless we release it to Him. This is not to say that God's actions are dependant on us - not at all. But rather it is to say that the degree to which we become like Him and realize His plan for our lives is, to some degree, dependant on us. While God has a plan for each of our lives, he still gives us an opportunity to either give control over to Him or completely mess things up.
I believe this is the great struggle of humanity: to give up control of ourselves. Stated more simply, to give up control. This is the substance of Pride; the root of all sin. When we release ourselves and all He has given us back to Him, He is able to do some of His most incredible work. It is only when God has broken us of our pride that we are willing to admit that He is better able take care of us than we are to take care of ourselves. Only at this juncture can God truly "will and work" in us "for His good purpose". This is not meant to be a one-time act of contrition, but a continual process - a "working out" - of allowing God to chip away at our claim to ourselves; allowing Him to reveal the pieces of our beings that we didn't even know we were keeping from him; giving Him access to more and more of our minds and our hearts until He will one day, one glorious day, as we shake off the fetters of this life, become completely His.
The journey is long, but so is eternity. The cost is great, but not compared to our reward. Give us resolve, Lord, to continually commit ourselves whole-heartedly to the work You are doing in us. In Christ's Name.

Fear and Trembling

Philippians 2

¹²Therefore, my beloved,^(AA) as you have always^(AB) obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³for^(AC) it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for^(AD) his good pleasure.

"work out your own salvation with fear and trembling". I'm still struggling to figure out what exactly that means. Kierkegaard wrote a book called "Fear and Trembling", the title of which was taken from this passage (I have this book on my bookshelf and have never read it...heh heh). In the book, Kierkegaard says, "Infinite resignation is the last stage before faith, so anyone who has not made this movement does not have faith, for only in infinite resignation does an individual become conscious of their eternal validity, and only then can one speak of grasping existence by virtue of faith." He uses the example of Abraham who resigned himself to give up his only son to God. Kierkegaard argues that only in being willing to give up all that we claim - all that we are - do we ever really approach "faith". Only when we trust everything to God do we come close to real, deep faith. After all, the meaning of the word faith is "complete confidence in a person, plan, etc.".
Maybe I should read this book (since I do alread own it). Or maybe I should spend some time talking with the Author of Faith...
I'm still wrestling with this phrase...Lord, help me to understand.

Obey

^{Philippians 2
5(J)} Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,^{[a] 6(K)} who, though he was in^(L) the form of God, did not count equality with God^(M) a thing to be grasped, ⁷but^(N) made himself nothing, taking the form of a^(O) servant,^[b](P) being born in the likeness of men. ⁸And being found in human form, he humbled himself by^(Q) becoming obedient to the point of death,^(R) even death on a cross. ^9(S) Therefore^(T) God has^(U) highly exalted him and bestowed on him^(V) the name that is above every name, ¹⁰so that at the name of Jesus^(W) every knee should bow,^(X) in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹and^(Y) every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is^(Z) Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

It's been almost a week since my last pathetic post and I'm still thinking on this topic of obedience. "...obedient to the point of death..." I'm not even obedient to the point of staying on my knees long enough to ask for forgiveness. I have zeal enough for five men, but not discipline enough for myself. The terrible thing is I'm pretty sure I spend more time in prayer than the average Christian. We only pray when we feel like we have the time, then we never feel like we have the time. We're obedient as long as it's convenient. It's when obedience begins to cost us something - time, money, status - that you find out who the committed believers are. Conveniently Obedient - yet another form of compromise invented by the American Church.
What's crazy is I feel (as I think most of us do) that we would be obedient to the point of death, but we're not obiedent to the point of the crucified life. Many of us would give our lives for the gospel (probably not as many as I'd like to hope) but we won't give Him five minutes in prayer. What a paradox. We will die for Him, but we are reluctant to live for Him! What a defeated existence. How can we proclaim the power of prayer and the healing power of God in the pulpit and not exercise it in our lives? We speak truth with our lips and deny it with our actions. Is there hope for us? Good thing I serve a gracious, merciful, loving God - a God who loves me enough to accept me as I am but who loves me so much that He would not allow me to stay as I am.
Change me, God, into a man who proclaims your power and glory with words and deeds. May I not compromise the words You speak with the life I live. Reveal my weaknesses and give me the strength and the wisdom to confront them. Continue to hammer on this hunk of metal until all I do is reflect You. In Jesus Name.

The Example of Christ

I can't get over how awesome Jesus is. He truly is my hero. No one else I've ever read about or heard about has ever come close to being as cool. No one else has ever so embodied the perfect example for mankind. Not that it's a very fair comparison, since He was "in very nature God." I could go on...
And yet, as much as I admire, in fact worship, Christ, I still struggle to give Him myself fully. The number of people I can ever remember sharing the gospel with are few; the time I spend in the Word - scant; the time I spend with Him in prayer - meager. If He truly is the Answer to all of our worries, our problems, our little concerns, then why is it so hard to tell someone about Him or spend 15 minutes with Him in the morning?

^{Philippians 2
5(J)} Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,^{[a] 6(K)} who, though he was in^(L) the form of God, did not count equality with God^(M) a thing to be grasped, ⁷but^(N) made himself nothing, taking the form of a^(O) servant,^[b](P) being born in the likeness of men. ⁸And being found in human form, he humbled himself by^(Q) becoming obedient to the point of death,^(R) even death on a cross. ^9(S) Therefore^(T) God has^(U) highly exalted him and bestowed on him^(V) the name that is above every name, ¹⁰so that at the name of Jesus^(W) every knee should bow,^(X) in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹and^(Y) every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is^(Z) Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Day...?

Philippians 2

Christ’s Example of Humility

 ¹So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, ² complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. ³Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. ⁴Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

C.S. Lewis in his book "Mere Christianity" talks about the four Cardinal Virtues: Prudence, Temperence, Justice, and Fortitude. Toward the end of the chapter he mentions that God is as concerned with motives as he is actions. He uses the illustration of a tennis player. He says that a tennis player may hit a ball hard out of anger and it may happen to be beneficial, but that doesn't make him a better tennis player. On the other hand, the tennis player may hit the ball hard because he knows it's what he needs to do to win, which does make him a better tennis player if he does it repeatedly. The result in both instances was the same, but we know that the second tennis player was the better player. Likewise, we as Christians may do the right thing, but if it's done for wrong reasons, it does not make us more like Christ, which is God's ultimate goal. And "wrong" doesn't necessarily have to mean "sinful": just "because it's what I'm supposed to do" is not what God desires, either. God wants us not only to do the right thing but for the right reasons. He wants us not to just be rule-followers, but to become people who seek to please Him inwardly as well as outwardly. In this way, through lots of practice, our hearts become more like His.
I wonder how well we follow this in the American Church? How many of us truly seek to please Him with our intentions? Most of us do good things either because 1) its become one of the "rules" of Christianity that we follow blindly or 2) because it makes us feel good about ourselves. I don't t think either of these is wrong in and of itself, but lets examine what's really underneath each. In the first, rules replace relationship with the Creator to the point that we have no need for Christ at all - we become drones on auto-pilot obeying a fixed set of commands. A man who follows rules does not truly follow God. In the second, pride is the underlying issue. Feeling good because you did something right is not wrong, but doing it only because it makes you feel good about yourself isn't the right motive - that's the beginning of pride: "I'm a very good person." Or we do it because we know others will see us do it and praise us (also pride). This path ultimately takes us to the place Lucifer arrived; where we believe we're good apart from God and that we don't need Him. I think this is why Paul mentions humility. Our motives as well as our actions must be for Christ alone.

Day 9

<sup>Philippians 1

27</sup>Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, ²⁸and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. ²⁹For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, ³⁰engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

v. 29 and 30 are pretty straight-forward. It's not enough just to believe. In fact, he says "it has been granted to you" - in other words it is a privilege. The New Living Translation says "²⁹ For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him." Privileged. We know we are His chosen people, that He loves us and cares for us, that we are set apart. But I think we too often think of this as only good things. We don't see suffering as a privilege. And why should we? Suffering hurts. No one wants to suffer. Suffering, pain, death - aren't they all the result of sin? God doesn't wish bad for his children, does He?
Never. Suffering may be a result of sin. When you sin there are consequences that you may suffer. But there's another type of suffering as a result of sin. Because we live in a sinful, fallen world, those who are righteous, upright, blameless, followers of truth will suffer at the hands of the sinful. The gospel offends people. Jesus says in Luke 12:50-52 "⁵¹ Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division." Just by living lives that are pleasing to Christ we offend people and thus should expect to "suffer" social consequences from those people. For some of us, suffering will be physical; others emotional. There are so many different ways to "suffer", but to suffer is to be identified with Christ and His suffering at the hands of the unrighteous for our sins.

Day 8

<sup>Philippians 1

27</sup>Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, ²⁸and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. ²⁹For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, ³⁰engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have

To not be frightened by your opponents. Honestly I'm not to sure what he means here in v.28. Frightened of what? We sometimes fear death, which is something we shouldn't be frightened of as Christians but rather should embrace. That could be a pretty scarry deal to our opponents. One of the biggest threats someone could make is "I'm gonna kill you!" If we aren't afraid of death that threat doesn't hold much water. In fact, it would probably scare the one who made that threat. One who doesn't fear losing his life is much more likely to act unpredictably. Unpredictability is as scary to bad guys as it is good guys. The theif who breaks into your house is assured by his assumptions: that you fear death; that if he points a gun at you and tells you to do something, you'll do it because you don't want to die. But what if you didn't fear death? What if, because of this lack of fear, you didn't do whatever it was he asked you to do? Then the thief is the one who is afraid.
Fear is a powerful weapon. It has been a tool used by the wicked since the beginning of time to make good men do bad things. I wonder how many things we do or don't do out of fear? Don't share the gospel with that co-worker for fear of what he may think. Don't confess sin because you fear that God will punish you. Satan is a master of fear. But if we shed fear, Satan becomes powerless. All of a sudden the thief who came to steal, kill, and destroy is the fearful one. What could a world of unafraid Christains do? Without fear of losing jobs, losing favor, losing relationships, losing comfort, losing life? We know that the security these bring is a false security anyway. We also know that the One who gives them can also take them away, or give doublly what we had if it were lost (Job). Fear is turned on its head, and with it evil. Should we truly trust in God, we have nothing to fear. The loss of fear is truly a sweet thing!

 “Where, O death, is your victory?
   Where, O death, is your sting?”
-1 Cor. 15:55, Hosea 13:14

Day 8

 

<sup>Philippians 1

27</sup>Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, ²⁸and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. ²⁹For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, ³⁰engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have

With one mind. Striving side by side. I'm noticing a trend in Philippians. Maybe instead of calling it "The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Philippians" the early Church fathers should have called this "On the Unity of the Body".
I know this is theological impressionism here, but the alegory here of "striving side by side" conjurs images in my mind of war. Maybe it's because I'm a history teacher but it makes me think specifically of the picture of the soldiers raising the flag on Iwo Jima. Striving side by side. In the midst of war with the enemy. And in a very real but unseen way, we are at war with "principalities, powers, and spiritual darkness" (Ephesians 6). Our enemy is a crafty coward. Instead of fighting directly, he figures out ways to lull us to sleep, distract us, divide us. We get so caught up in living the lives we've made for ourselves that we forget to live for the One who made us. We forget there even is a war. We get so caught up in theological duels with other Christians that we let the "enemy of our souls" escape. We must remember, if we are indeed soldiers, that this isn't a peace-keeping mission, because we know peace will not last here until our Leader returns. This is not a war to be won except by the Rider on the White Horse (Revelation 19). This is a rescue mission. "To seek and to save the lost."
If only we could see our lives in light of eternity. Then we might lay down our guns, lay the peripheral things aside, and focus on lives.

Day 7

<sup>Philippians 1

27</sup>Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, ²⁸and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. ²⁹For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, ³⁰engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

I appreciate that there's a rough outline description of what a "life worthy of the gospel should include. 1) Standing firm in one spirit, 2) one mind, 3) striving side by side. I'm no Bible scholar, but "one spirit" says to me that we all have the same intent - same motives - that we are unified in what the ultimate goal is. I don't know if we can say that, at least in my church if not for all of America. I think different people have different ideas of what the ultimate ends are. Some really think the goal of "church" is to make a bunch of perfect people who can all attend this little exclusive club meeting each week...only if you're perfect that is. Others believe it's a place to gush "love" out of every pore, whether that be in the form of emotional outbursts or a general attitude of "we love everyone just the way they are." I think both of these are misguided. I once heard someone say that God loves you the way you are but He loves you too much to let you stay the way you are. God, the perfect Father, loves us as we are but also, like any good Father, disciplines and corrects his children. Love and Sanctification go hand-in-hand, and both are a lifelong process - a goal to which we strive but never achieve (in this life).
This isn't intended to be a manifesto on what we as Christians should believe, but rather a call for Christianity to become "of one spirit" - to really evaluate the huge list of doctrine we say we believe in - the same doctrine that usually divides us especially in Protestant Christianity - and unite under those things that really matter. Imagine if all of Christianity worked together toward the same goal "in one spirit". If we could agree on what the "goal" is - what the spirit of the gospel is - the body of Christ might truly change the whole world.
Lord, give us eyes to see past what "we believe" so we can see what You believe; so we can see what truly matters. Lead us toward one spirit, and shower us with Your grace as we make lots of mistakes along the way. In Jesus' name. 

Day 6

<sup>Philippians 1

27</sup>Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, ²⁸and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. ²⁹For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, ³⁰engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

I love the first line of this passage. One of the most quotable lines in the entire Word, I think. I actually like the Holman translation even better: "Just one thing: live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." In a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Worthy of the gospel. If Christians would focus on doing just this one thing, trying to live a life worthy of the gospel, instead of focusing on not doing what we're told not to do, how much differently might the world look? Rather than focusing on not sinning we should focus on being as much like Christ as we can be. Rather than asking, "What can I get away with and still be called a Christian?" we should ask, "How much like Christ can I become?" Legalism is focusing on the "do's" and "don'ts"; Love is the gospel.

Day 5

Philippians 1

To Live Is Christ

   Yes, and I will rejoice, ¹⁹for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, ²⁰as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. ²¹For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ²²If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. ²³I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. ²⁴But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. ²⁵ Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, ²⁶so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

I can't get away from this passage. Maybe it's because of how positive Paul is in his circumstances. How many of us, languishing in an ancient prison, would say that, "It's all gonna work out for the best"? Maybe that's because our definition of best is "what we think is best for us at the moment" and not "what God knows is best for us in the long-term" or "am I right where God wants me to be?" Sometimes I complain (don't we all?) but my complaints are never really that good. I complain about the weather or how busy I am and forget about all I've been given; all the ways God has blessed me. I think it's later here in Philippians that Paul says (paraphrase) "I have learned to be satisfied in every situation." How many of us are able to take that kind of comfort in God's providence? How many of us can really say with peace "whether I live or die, Christ will be glorified."
I think a lot of times I miss the forest for the trees. I get hung up on something that seems really important at the time (job) and neglect all the other areas in which I'm called to be Christ's ambassador (really being there for my family, students and friends). How many of us miss the higher calling on our lives because we're so caught up in the here and now. It's a great time to think about that, what with "wars and rumors of wars" and "earthquakes and famines" (Libya, Tripoli, Egypt, New Zealand). I really believe the end is very close; Jesus is coming soon - sooner than we think. How many of us would be so caught up in the trivia of our own lives that we would miss the coming of Christ (not possible, I know, but...).
God, open my eyes. Help me to look past the things that clamor for my attention and see You. Help me to fix my eyes not on the fleeting goals of this life but on the eternal goals of the life to come. Amen.

Day 4

It's a cold, overcast, dreary winter morning. I hate winter.

Philippians 1

To Live Is Christ

   Yes, and I will rejoice, ¹⁹for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, ²⁰as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. ²¹For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ²²If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. ²³I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. ²⁴But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. ²⁵ Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, ²⁶so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

February has got to be one of the worst times to be a teacher. It's that long third quarter that has no end in sight with state testing right around the corner. What's worse, it's winter. On cold, melancholy winter days like this I long for home. Not my house...my home; the one I'm waiting for when this life is over. It's kind of strange when you think about the Christian's relationship to this world: be in it but not of it; live in it but be seperate from it. In terms of our physical lives we want to be healed and live a long time...sort of. Then again, the quicker this physical man dies the sooner this spiritual man can really "go home". This has got to be one of my absolute favorite passages of scripture. Paul hits it right on the head. Even in the Christian life there are those things you want to do and the things you know you should do. This most quotable line, "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain" emphesizes that while we are to enjoy the work He has put us here to do, we recognize that the best is still to come; that one day we'll shake off the fetters of this life and rest one day in our eternal home - the place we really belong.
It probably seems peculiar to people of this postmodern period (ah aliteration). Not that we wait anxiously for our death, but that we don't spend ourselves in efforts to preserve our lives. At least we shouldn't. I don't think some Christians have totally caught hold of what Paul is talking about here. We live in a culture that works feverishly trying to stretch out this life as long as possible and spends all of its time, money, and effort making this life as long and as happy and as comfortable as possible. Some Christians have been infected with this same attitude and thus get their eyes fixed on the temporal (i.e. Prosperity Gospel, "God wants you to have everything you ever thought you wanted: cars, houses, money...). Why do so many of us sell out for the cheap junk this world has to offer? The Bible tells us this life is trash compared to the eternity that God has prepared for us. How, then, should we act?
Kamikazes. But not for death; for life. Not for hate, but love. We need to learn again what it is to not fear death; to be anxious to give our lives, whether living or dying, for Christ and His gospel. It's only in learning how to die that we learn to truly live. In the words of the ancients, "Come, Lord Jesus."

Revelation 21
¹ Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”^[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’^[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

"When the shadows of this life have gone, I'll fly away!
Like a bird through prison bars has flown, I'll fly away!"