Holiness & Honor

"For this is the will of God, your sanctification... that each one of you know how to control your own body in holiness & honor, not with lustful passion... that no one wrong or exploit a brother or sister in this manner, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things..."

(1 Thessalonians 4:3-6)

Sexuality is a part of life.  We were created to be sexual beings.  Using our sexuality appropriately, however, has been a challenge since the beginning of time. 

It's not hard to find evidence of our ongoing struggle with our sexuality.  Human trafficking for the "sex industry" is rampant - even in the US.  The media is saturated with details of the Jerry Sandusky trial (former Penn State assistant football coach accused of molesting boys).  Religious leaders in a variety of denominations have faced charges of sexual misconduct.  Not to mention that popular songs, movies, and books revel in illicit affairs and "sexual freedom."  Unfortunately, the aftermath is heavy (both from those participating and those affected by others' sexual choices).

It's not a new phenomenon.  Paul knew this.  He wrote to the church in Thessalonia, encouraging them to "control your own bodies in holiness & honor," without exploiting anyone.  It's possible to do.  It really is.  But it's also really hard.  It takes discipline & resolve.

The real kicker, according to Paul, comes at the end of the passage.  "The Lord is the avenger in all these things."  God has a heart for the exploited & abused.  When no one else could (or would) help, God was there.  And in the end, God will hold us accountable for our actions.

May we surround ourselves by people who will encourage us to live with holiness & honor.

JUST a boy

[From June 17, 2012]

"Saul said to David, 'You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.'"

(1 Samuel 17:33)

"You're just a kid!" 
"You're too young!" 
"You don't have enough experience!"
These are all comments made to youth.  All... the... time!  Since the beginning of time. 
It drives youth crazy.

David knows how it feels.  The youngest of 8 brothers, he was always getting put down by his older siblings.

Like the time his Dad sent him to bring food to his brothers in the army.  The army that was not really being an army... because they were too afraid to fight!  You see, they were up against the Mighty Philistines and the giant, Goliath.  He'd challenged them to send one soldier out to face him.  Winner take all. 

No one volunteered.

No one, that is, until David came.  When King Saul heard his willingness to fight, he said those ill-fated words, "You're just a boy..."  (Ouch.  Like a punch to the gut!)

But wait a minute... Saul also said Goliath has been "a warrior from his youth."  David is a youth.  And a soon-to-be-warrior.  GIVE HIM A CHANCE!  We should give all our youth a chance.  How else can we expect them to learn?

Ask Her!

[From June 4, 2012]

"There was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah.  his wife was barren, having borne no children.  And the angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, 'You shall conceive and bear a son...'"

(Judges 13:2-3)

Judges 13-16 is the crazy, drama-laden, NC-17 rated story about Samson.  It definitely has all the makings of an HBO miniseries!  But before the exploits of Samson titillate our senses, we get his birth story.  Or, to be more specific, how his upcoming birth was first communicated to his parents: Manoah and "his wife."

The fact that this was a male-dominated society is clear from the start.  We hear the name & lineage of Samson's dad, Manoah.  But all we know about his mom is that she is Manoah's "wife."  Nevertheless, the angel comes to HER, not him.  The angel tells her she'll give birth to a son.  She is to have a tempered pregnancy (no wine, strong drink or unclean foods!).  When he's born, there's only one stipulation for his life: no hair cuts.  Ever.  His hair will be a sign of his relationship with (and separation for) God.

So "the wife' tells Manoah all that happened..  He, in turn, asks God to send the messenger back one more time.  God does.  Again, the angel comes to "the wife."  She runs to get Manoah, who wants to make sure it's the same guy from the day before. Then he asks the angel how they're to raise their son.  "What is to be the boy's rule of life; what is he to do?"

Now, what caused me to want to journal today is the very next words by the angel.  It's brilliant!  (Especially in a male-dominated society!)  "The angel of the LORD said to Manoah, 'Let the woman give heed to all that I said to her...'"  Then he repeats her pregnancy restrictions.  That's it.  He doesn't answer Manoah's question directly. Why?  Because he's already told "the woman" what to do: no haircuts.  Did Manoah not believe her when she told him that?  Did he think it was too simplistic?  Did he believe his wife not to be a reliable conduit of communication?  We don't know.  But I love the fact that the angel validated his message to her!  She knows.  Ask her.

God has ways to cut through the human biases that we project upon others.  God sees all of us as persons of equal value & worth.  Amen to that!

Avoid stagnant pools

[From June 1, 2012]

"As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God."

(Psalm 42:1-2a)

For a time, I used to love to watch the television show, "MAN VS. WILD."  Bear Ghrylls, former British military extraordinaire & outdoors-man, places himself in all kinds of perilous environments & terrains.... then shows others how to survive in the wild.  It's quite compelling to watch.

One of the basic tenants he teaches is the need for water.  That's not surprising, of course.  But he does warn against the dangers of  stagnant water.  Avoid it at all costs.  Too much bacteria!  Flowing streams are much better (& he even shows us how to filter water, but that's for another day).

In Psalm 42, the author makes a spiritual connection to Bear Ghrylls' practical advice.  His soul longs for the "flowing streams" of God.  No stagnant & stale religion.  His spirit "thirsts for the living God."  I believe we were all created with that "divine thirsting" in our souls.  Too often, however, we settle for stale and stagnant religion... an expression of God that is less than life-changing.  Shame on us.  God is active, alive, and ready to change us - if only we'll let him.  Pray, search the Scriptures, connect in worship, enjoy nature, connect with friends in the faith... all are ways God can "show up" in our lives in real & powerful ways!

Quite an Accomplishment

[From 5/31/12]

"Suddenly they saw two men, Moses & Elijah, talking to Jesus.  They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem."

(Luke 9:30-31)

When Jesus knew it was getting near the end of his mission and ministry (& life!), he started to let his disciples know what was coming (Luke 9:21-22).  But they didn't quite get it.  About a week later, Jesus took Peter, James & John up to a mountain to pray.  While there, Moses & Elijah appeared ("in glory") and were talking with Jesus.  Luke tells us they were "speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem."

Beyond the fact that Jesus was able to talk with two of the great legends of Israel's history, a couple of other things stand out to me.  First, they're talking with Jesus about the very thing eh was trying to tell his disciples about.  But instead of using the words "suffer... reject... kill..." they simply say "departure."  Meaning, death is not the focus (or the end).  It's a departure... from this world to God's Ultimate Kingdom.  Maybe that's why the disciples didn't get it.  They were focused too much on life & death issues.

Second, Luke tells us the "Holy Conference" centered around Jesus' departure in Jerusalem, "which he was about to accomplish."  This is another indication that the focus isn't on Jesus' death.  It doesn't take too much to "get killed."  That's usually done TO someone, not BY someone.  For Jesus to "accomplish" his departure, he'll have to bring everything he's been working for to fruition.  He'll finish his teaching & mission... and once that's accomplished, he'll depart from this world.

Again, it may seem like a game of semantics, but I see it as a HUGE distinction.  Jesus is the master choreographer in his passion scene.  Things aren't arbitrarily being done to him, he's accomplishing what he set out to do.  And it's not a death-wish, either.  It's part of the grand plan for the salvation of the world.

This reminds me that even for us non-Saviors-of-the-world, death is not the end.  There is a world beyond this one that we live on.  My job, then, is to accomplish whatever God calls me to do (right now, that's to be a husband, father, pastor & friend).  Keep focused on what's important in life.

A sober self-assessment

[From May 30, 2012]

"And now, O LORD, what do I wait for?  My hope is in you.  Deliver me from all my transgressions."

(Psalm 39:7-8a)

The Psalms are Israel's prayerbook.  A virtual compendium of all sorts of prayers, pleas and petitions.  "Rescue me from..." "Deliver me out of the hands of..." "Save me from..." are frequent phrases in the Psalms.  We all have people and situations we need God's saving hand from.

And yet, at the heart of Psalm 39, I got a bit of a surprise: "Deliver me from all of MY transgressions."  Same me from myself, God!  Rescue me from my sins.  This is an honest, sober, mature assessment of one's reality.

At times, we are our own worst enemy.  The apostle Paul put it so bluntly in the New Testament when he said, "The things I know I should do, I don't do.  And the very things I know I shouldn't do, I do!  What a wretched man I am!"  We've all been there, haven't we?

When Paul asked (rhetorically) what can rescue him from himself, the answer was ONLY JESUS.  Indeed!  Rescue me, Lord, from my sinfulness.  Erase the darkness I've let into my life.  Fill it with your healing light of grace.  AMEN.

A (Girl Empowering) Dad

[From May 25, 2012]

"Now Zelophehad son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh had no sons, but only daughters; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah."

(Joshua 17:3)

The Hebrew people have moved into the Promised Land and are now settling down into their own respective areas by tribes.  Each tribe gets a portion of the Promised Land.  When it comes to the tribe of MANASSEH, something interesting takes place.  Zelophehad (Manasseh's great, great grandson) had no sons. 

In the Ancient Near East, sons were everything!  Women only held status of they were married and had sons!  But Zelophehad had 5 daughters.  Five assertive daughters.  They asked Joshua for their fair share, since they had no brothers (sons) in the family.  And Joshua agreed!

My daughter, Emily, is now 14 years old.  She just finished her freshman year of high school.  I want to help her grow into a woman of substance.  A woman who can speak for (and stand up for) herself.  A woman who takes responsibility & remains connected to her (extended) family.  A woman who loves God with all her heart, soul, mind & strength.  I want to be the kind of Dad that Zelophehad was... Lord willing!