God is here! And we got problems!

Ever figured that if God was right there with you, everything would be fine.  No problems.  No worries.  Smooth sailing. 

You may have figured wrong. 

There are few stories in the Old Testament as captivating as Joseph’s.  At one point in the account his angry, jealous brothers sell him to some Ishmaelites, then to one of Pharoah’s officials.  Then, in what might be considered a nice turn of events Chapter 39 talks about how “The Lord was with Joseph”  - he prospers, enjoys great success is well-liked and gains much trust. 

Then gets thrown in prison. 

And while in prison, the writer says “the Lord was with him.”  In fact, the phrase is reiterated two sentences later “the Lord was with Joseph.”  But, alas, he is still in prison.  Some time later he gets a big break – someone he had helped had opportunity to help spring him from captivity – but, as the Lord is with Joseph, the man who stood to help free him “did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.”

The Lord is with Joseph, and Joseph is stuck.  Stuck in prison.  Stuck in unfair circumstances.  Stuck without a foreseeable way out. 

So, the story seems to want us to hear, it is possible for you to have a great relationship with the Lord and…have awful things in life happening to you.  And a large part of your discipleship in Jesus is apparently learning just that.

 - Stephen had the presence of the Lord, and got stoned.

- Paul had the presence of the Lord, and, well…where to begin?

“…troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger.  (2 Cor. 6:4-5)

-  The disciples had the presence of the Lord, and tradition suggests that Matthew was slain by a sword, Peter crucified, one James beheaded and the other beaten to death, Philip was hung, Bartholomew flayed alive, Andrew was fastened to a cross, Thomas speared, Thaddeus and Simon crucified, Matthias beheaded and John exiled after he was thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil. 

-  Jesus WAS the Lord, and was ruthlessly killed. 

This presence of the Lord stuff – apparently it’s not easy.  But, Joseph rescued starving nations, Stephen confounded his enemies and preached the Word, Paul launched out on three great missionary journeys, the disciples started a movement that reached you and me and Jesus – well, Jesus saved us. 

Not easy.  But good. 

“Lord, this may be the boldest prayer I have ever prayed… I want your presence.  Amen.”

Football, politics, fishing, porn

Ever wanted something so bad your whole life groaned for it?  A passion so strong that your yearning swallowed whole your very existence?

I have – an athletic achievement, a woman, a form of recreation, some accomplishment, a hobby.  We all have.  To have ardent passion for someone or something is built into our spiritual DNA. 

The first of the Psalms is what scholars call the “gateway.”  This single chapter of the Bible is thought by some to have been especially written to introduce all the rest of the Psalms.  It sets down basic options in life for the singers and readers of this precious poetry.  Those options between the righteous and the wicked are particularized across the rest of the 149 chapters of the Psalter, of the balance of Wisdom Literature in Scripture and, indeed, it could be argued, of all the Bible.  The first lines…

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 
But His delight is in the Law of the Lord… (Psalm 1:1-2)

Delight is a great word.  It crops up well over 100x in the Bible with the greatest concentration in the Psalms (esp. 119).  In the Hebrew (Heb. chephets/guttural - HAY-fets) it means to take pleasure in, long for.  Our English word is rooted historically in the Old French with a frequent sexual connotation attached.  Probably shouldn’t be surprised that “delight” comes up about five times in the highly erotic Song of Songs. 

A counselor told a friend of mine recently a simple yet memorable truth:  “Whatever you feed, grows.”   My friend was warned not to feed wrongful attitudes or wayward desires but to feed on the good and pure and the holy which, of course, would  grow into a relationship with The Good, The Pure and The Holy. 

This feeding is a choice that frequently grows into an affection, even an addiction. 

Obsessions…football, politics, fishing, pursuit of materialism, porn….these are all things that can grow in our lives as they absorb more time, more thought, more money.  We choose whether or not to give things like these an inordinate amount of our attention and emotional energy.

Or, the Lord seems to indicate, you can develop a passion for the Bible, God and the things that grow out of His Word and obedience to it. 

Choose any one of these competitors for your attention (or a multitude of other options) and pretty soon it affects your reading and viewing material, the group your root for, what you think about when your mind wanders and the way you spend your money or your day.  It impacts everything. 

Delight, obsession, passion can be chosen for good, for the trivial, or for outright evil. 

A moment ago we mentioned our spiritual DNA.  If “passion” is woven into our DNA then we must also recognize that the capacity to direct that passion is also part of our makeup.  We can choose the law of the Lord.  Or not.  God has built that option into every corpuscle of our bodies. 

“Father, grant me grace to delight in your Word today and the things it instructs me to do – mostly, the love of You, my neighbor and even of my enemy.  And then help these passions to grow.”

Christmas, and Cultural Rescue

 In one of the most famous biblical stories Moses stands in front of a burning bush as God tells the next unlikely hero of the pages of holy writ how the next forty or so years of his life will turn out. 

Let’s reduce this God speech of Exodus 3 down to six phrases:

• I have indeed seen the misery (3:7). God apparently has eyes.  He has used them.
• I have heard them crying (3:7). God apparently has ears, too.  He hears the anguish.
• I am concerned (3:7). God feels.  The suffering of His people hurts.
• I have come down to rescue (3:8). The Egyptians cannot handle what is about to happen to them.  But as we soon see in the narrative, the gods of the pagans are no match for the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 

This is enough to get a guy excited.  God to the rescue!  Talk about encouraging, exciting, invigorating.  Moses might have been on tiptoes at this moment. 
But then Yahweh has an interesting twist to the plan that gets his man flat-footed again:

• I am sending you (3:10).  Moses struggles with this part of the plan.  Who, me?  Why me?  But it is God’s way.  He works through people who are faulty, scared and who not infrequently suffer from low self-esteem.  It’s his M.O.  
• I will be with you (3:12).  It will happen because He wants it to happen.  Any questions? “If God be for us, who can be against us?”

You know the story.  The Israelites plunder the Egyptians and start their unlikely journey to their Promised Land.  This happens continually with various twists.  Think in terms of the Christmas story…

• “I have seen” – God looks and wants to redeem His people.
• “I have heard them crying.”  God knows Israel yearns for a Messiah and has been groaning for one for hundreds of years.
• “I am concerned.”  Rome occupies.  The Lord sees the people languishing.  
• “I have come down to rescue.”  Jesus invades. The Second Person of the Triune God arrives…in the flesh and with healing in His wings. 
• “I am sending you.”  To the astonishment of His closest followers Jesus dies but rises from the dead, gathers His disciples and says:  “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…baptizing…teaching….”
• “I will be with you.”  Jesus continues:  “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Confidence comes to His change agents through His grace, the Holy Spirit and the Body of Christ.   

Want to restore your culture to the Judeo-Christian ethic?  Want to do His bidding?  Want to deliver a people from a pitiful situation?  There is a Judeo-Christian way.  It involves eyes, ears, emotion, travel, sending and presence.  It works. 

“Lord, there are always new-fangled methods.  But for every new idea there are old ideas that seem to keep on working.  Help me never forget the older possibilities when considering the method of the month.  Amen.”

Journal: A spiritual secret (gain some weight!)

Got on the scales last night.  I was feeling heavy.  It was worse than a mere feeling, however, I WAS heavy.  Way over weight.  Perhaps I should have counted my blessings. 

Spiritually, we could stand to add a few pounds.  And maybe more than a few.  David writes about this in Psalm 39.  “Show me, O Lord, my life’s end…”  And here come the ‘light-weight’ terminologies:

• Fleeting
• Mere handbreadth
• Nothing
• Breath
• Phantom
•  Vain
  

In fact, that word hebel is the same word announced in Ecclesiastes of Solomon’s pitiful life (“Meaningless (hebel), meaningless, (hebel) utterly meaningless (hebel)!  Everything is meaningless (hebel).  Vanity, empty, phantom...Solomon needs some weight gain!

Reminded me of Paul’s writings to the churches in Ephesus, Colossae, Thessalonica, and Philippi when he tells them to, for instance, “conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.”  (Philippians 1:27)  The word there is axios – which means “same weight as” – the word picture is those scales with a bunch of weight on one side and my hebel life on the other.    

Live a life worthy?  How do you do that?  Here’s Paul - the weight of my life should be comparable to the calling I have received (Ephesians) or the gospel of Christ (Philippians) or the Lord Himself (Colossians) or of God, the kingdom of God, your calling (Thessalonians). 

That is a lot of weight!

How to pack on that much heft?  Here’s the good news.  The word “glory” in the Old Testament has a root (kabod) that means “heavy.”  In other words, the glory of God makes “same weight as/in a matter worthy” possible.  We CAN tip the spiritual scales, with His glory in us!

E. Stanley Jones talks about being “gloriously converted” in Baltimore.  Gloriously converted…is there any other way to be saved?

“Lord, make me heavy today.  Heavy with your glory.  Amen.”

Your theological world view? Here's mine...

You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan.

You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition.  You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavily by John Wesley and the Methodists.

Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan		100%
Emergent/Postmodern		71%
Charismatic/Pentecostal		68%
Neo orthodox		68%
Reformed Evangelical		64%
Fundamentalist		64%
Classical Liberal		43%
Roman Catholic		32%
Modern Liberal		29%

What is your theological worldview?

Throwing Your Children into the Fire

            The Hebrew word for profane is chalal (kha LAL) and it means basically what you would think it means – vulgar, defiled, polluted, dishonored.  But there is another meaning – “common.” 

To profane the name of the Lord is to make His name like all the other gods – of no noble character, wooed by superstition, manipulated with magic.  And, actually, it seems to be what usually happens in the Old Testament.

Leviticus flat lays down some tough law concerning a god named Molech:

The Lord said to Moses,  “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any Israelite or any alien living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the community are to stone him.  I will set my face against that man and I will cut him off from his people; for by giving his children to Molech, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name.  If the people of the community close their eyes when that man gives one of his children to Molech and they fail to put him to death, I will set my face against that man and his family and will cut off from their people both him and all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molech.  (Leviticus 20:1-5)

Wouldn’t happen to you, me or us?  Well, it apparently happened to what might arguably be the smartest guy of his day, or any day.  1 Kings 11 is one of the most pitiful chapters in the Bible for it tells of what the wealthiest, most blessed, most discerning man by the touch of God became.  In the fourth chapter of 1 Kings it is reported that Solomon received from God wisdom and insight and understanding – comparatively well beyond any peer.  He spoke 3,000 proverbs and wrote over a thousand songs.  People from far and wide came to hear the king’s wisdom.  My bet is that he had Leviticus and surrounding books memorized. 

But seven chapters later in the story this is what is penned concerning him:

He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.  On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites.  (1 Kings 11:5-7)

Profane!  And yet do we make God’s name common when those of us who go by the designation “Christian” spend more time and attention on our college football team than we do His causes or His Body?  Or when we spend our money almost precisely the way our unchurched friends spend theirs?  Or when our favorite Christian chants go something like this:  “The only difference between sinner and saint is one is forgiven and the other ain’t.” 

The ONLY difference?  Ouch. 

Did we mention anything yet about this Molech?  Most scholars say that the cult of this god sacrificed children by throwing them into a fire to guarantee his favor.  Some other researchers have suggested that no, it was something else - that children were given up by their parents to grow up and be trained as temple prostitutes. 

Wisest man in the world?  He died common but spared being put to death, stoned, cut off from his people.  But if God ever showed him on the other side of his passing the legacy left via a prostituting people that would have been pain enough.  Talk about throwing your kids into the fire…

“Holy Spirit, there is a fire I want my family to know.  YOUR fire.  The fire of the Spirit.  They will not be the wisest people of their generation, in all likelihood, but let them KNOW You and love You with ALL their hearts, souls, minds and strength.  Amen.”

Journal: After Sexual Sin, Mr. Christian – What do you Really Desire?

There is a growing multitude of Christians today who, in no small measure because of the increasing role of easy access technology in our lives, have grown victim to sexual sin.

Serious laymen, pastors, members of the episcopacy…all are vulnerable in a world where we, comfortably ensconced in our dens and offices, can quietly and cheaply open up the vile but enticing world of internet pornography to the delight of our eyes.

And this too often leads to other things, as well.

But sexual temptation, and the actual transgression, are hardly new. Neither is the cry from our hearts that prevents a woeful scenario.

King David saw a woman he wanted, called her to his bed and set in motion a whir of sin and cover-up that led to murder, a baby’s death, a crippled reign and, ultimately, to a nation divided.

In the middle of his repentance David sang something that we shouldn’t forget. Psalm 51… a song in four movements.

One – blot out, wash away, cleanse, wash, blot out…my sin. (51:1-9).

Two – create in me, renew, restore, grant me…that which will make a holy difference. (51:10-12)

Three – then I will teach, sing, declare…You and Your ways. (51:13-15)

Four – then I will worship with…a broken spirit, a contrite heart, with righteous sacrifices as we build up the walls of Jerusalem. (51:16-19)

But it is a small phrase in the middle of Movement Two that is most interesting to me. “Do not cast me from your presence, or take your Holy Spirit from me.”

David had witnessed what happens when God takes away His Spirit.

Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul,
and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. (I Sam. 16:14)

From that point, Saul loses it…his composure, his sanity, his nation, his life. And David saw it all first hand. And so he exclaims…

“Oh, God! DO NOT TAKE your Holy Spirit from me. For I have seen what happens when that Spirit leaves a man. Restore to me the joy of your salvation!”

What did David really desire after his sin? The Spirit that stays. A very nice desire.

“Lord, that last ‘Oh, God!’ prayer is my prayer too. Spirit, stay. Amen.”

Journal: The Greatest Test of Your Sanctification

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Typically, I read the “8” Psalms on dates that end in eight (today, the 28^th).  So today I read and prayed through Psalms 8,18,28,38,48 etc.  Except today, in the early hour, I got off track and read 59 instead of 58.  When this happens, I assume the Lord WANTED it to happen.

This might be why:  59:9-10a  –

“O my Strength I watch for you;
you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.”

David writes this Psalm, so it is thought, from the vantage point of a night escape from the upper window of his house (1 Sam. 19:11ff).   “Saul sent men to David’s house to watch it and kill him in the morning.”

When David is in distress, talk with God frequently gets VERY personal…my Strength…my fortress…my loving God.  But woven in this intimate conversation is an important phrase – I watch (shamar) for you.  It could be alternatively translated “cling to” or “search expectantly for.” 

Get this now – Saul sent men to watch (shamar – same word as David used) and kill.  So – it matters what you are “clinging to” and “searching expectantly for.”  Got priorities straight this morning?

I love the Christmas story this way:  

• Herod watched...to kill. 
• Mary watched...but didn't apparently get it fully - she wondered, pondered. 
• Simeon watched...and then said "Let me die."
• Anna watched...then wanted to go tell.  "She spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Israel."

As an evangelism professor, I have learned to love Anna in this story. 

--------------------------

My friend Bill Ury says that the greatest test of your sanctification is your next conversation…your next encounter.  I like that.  Watch for Him in that encounter. 

“Lord, sometime today (and maybe many times) I will need an extra dose of Your strength (power) and Your fortress (protection) and Your love (affection).  By Your grace, help me to intently watch for You in those times…to cling to You…to expect You…to search for you – even as, perchance, I am climbing out of my window to escape the enemies that surround.” 

Journal: Fretting? Stop it!

The Lord today in morning devotions: "...do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land." (Ps. 37:7-8)

Lesson - stop fretting.

Fret = "to be peevish, or to feel/express worry, annoyance, discontent..." It comes from the

• Old English "to eat, devour" which, one imagines, is what fretting will do to your soul if you don't stop. 
• In Middle English, "fret" was used of monsters and Vikings. 
• Heb. charah - to be hot, furious, burn, become angry, be kindled. 

"Lord, help me to stop fretting, lest my soul be devoured. I put my trust in you. Therefore, I am at peace. Amen."

Ministry Spotlight - James Lansberry

James Lansberry is the Executive Vice President of Samaritan Ministries International, and the Project Director for SMI's The Morning Center. He joined The Matt Friedeman Show to talk about his ministry to mothers in crisis. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

What is The Morning Center about?

The Morning Center is a project to provide free maternal care to underprivileged urban areas. We want to be there to give women not just the best care they can get, but also the gospel of Christ.

Why are women open to accepting Christ in this position?

I think it's because they're in a vulnerable position. Part of our mandate as the Church is to take care of the poor.

We want to take care of them both body and soul. That's what the original faith-centered hospital movement was about, and I think we've gotten away from that.

How do you find these women?

We partner with local Crisis Pregnancy Centers and churches. Most of our referrals are word of mouth.

We do our very best to find these women by collaborating with other Christian ministries in the neighborhood.

Walk us through the process that a woman experiences.

The first thing we want to do is rejoice with her. As she goes through the pregnancy, she's going to get all the prenatal care right there in her own neighborhood.

We want to make sure we have mobile care units so she is able to receive aid without having to get on a bus. Most women in underprivileged areas won't be able to travel to get prenatal care.

We will provide first-class care in a hospital for the delivery. Hopefully, by that time she's become a Christian, and we will provide mentors as she begins to raise her child.

We're meeting with urban churches to make sure we have partners there, so women can have a church.

What drives women to abortion?

The primary reasons given are either that they can't afford a child, or that it's a bad time in their life.

The two groups that tend toward abortion are professional women and women who don't have the means to raise a child.

We will be focusing on helping the second group, trying to provide first-class medical care, adoption services if they can't raise the child, trying to give them the best quality of care that we can.

We look at this as a mission field right in our backyard.

Brain Trust - Jeanne Monahan

Jeanne Monahan is the Director of the Center for Human Dignity at the Family Research Council. She joined The Matt Friedeman Show to discuss the upcoming March For Life. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of her interview.

Tell us about the March For Life. What is it?

On January 23, we've got the March For Life in Washington, D.C. It commemorates the sad decision made in Roe v. Wade.

There are events leading up to the actual march as well. And you can also get involved remotely.

How important are these kinds of events?

Quite important. I'm thinking back right now to Poland during the Communist years.

Millions of people came out to praise God together, and that was the beginning of the end of communism.

We aren't protesting communism here today; we're protesting the devaluation of human life.

How healthy is the pro-life movement?

We're seeing that more and more people in the U.S. are becoming pro-life.

We've also got technology on our side. We don't have to do manipulation of the truth; we just have to present the information and any sane person will agree that pro-life is a good position.

It's hard to ever say we're doing great when abortion is legal, but I'm excited.

What are your predictions for 2012 in regards to the pro-life movement?

You said earlier that we want to protect women and protect their babies. I think the truth that abortion is bad for women as well as their babies will become more prevalent.

I suspect that bills dealing with informed consent will be a major driver in the legislature. My general sense is that these issues and laws will really continue to pervade. I certainly hope so.