Elijah's Last Lesson

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.  And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.  From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.  God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.  ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’  As some of your own prophets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’”

~ the apostle Paul, speaking in Athens (Acts 17:24-27)

In America, we have set aside today to commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. – someone who called on all of us, Christians especially, to recognize the truth that all men are created equal.  I had the privilege of reading “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” earlier this year, and found it very convicting.

I am so grateful for people who are willing to stand up and speak truth in a world that so often refuses to listen.  King spoke about the truth contained in the verse above:  God has made all men from one man, showing our equality.  We are precious because we are made in God’s image.  He cares about each one of us.  As the verse goes on to say, he even cares about the times and places in which we live. 

Location matters.

History matters.

The other day I listened to a series of talks on the life of the prophet Balaam by Ravi Zacharias.  The talks were very good, but what stuck out to me was a side comment he made about the calling of Elisha.  And, again, I was struck with the fact that places…and history…are important.

In 2 Kings 2 in the Bible, we are told that God is about to miraculously take Elijah up to heaven.  Elijah and Elisha are just coming from Gilgal when Elijah tells Elisha to stay while he goes on to Bethel.  Elisha is not easily dissuaded and follows Elijah to Bethel.  While in Bethel, Elijah tells Elisha to stay while he goes to Jericho, and Elisha again refuses to leave his master.  In Jericho, Elijah tries to leave Elisha behind again while he journeys to the Jordan, and still…Elisha stays with Elijah.  They reach the Jordan, Elijah miraculously separates the Jordan River by striking it with his cloak, Elisha asks to inherit a double portion of Elijah’s spirit, and Elisha sees Elijah taken up into heaven by a chariot and horses of fire. 

Wow, eh?  We see what seems to be a random assortment of trips…Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho, the Jordan…almost as if Elijah is trying to either lose Elisha…or test him.  But it appears that Elijah was giving Elisha one last lesson about God before Elijah handed his job off to his apprentice.

What happened at each of these locations?

1.       Gilgal:  In Joshua 4, the Israelites miraculously cross the Jordan River on dry ground, entering the promised land for the first time.  One man from each of the twelve tribes of Israel picks up a stone from the middle of the river bed, and after they cross, they place these stones in a memorial at the first place they camp:  Gilgal.

a.       At this same place, God also asks the Israelites to be circumcised, recommitting to their covenant with God by doing what they had neglected to do while they wandered in the wilderness.  Gilgal sounds like the Hebrew word for “roll”, and it was there that they respected God’s holiness by following his commands, and it is said that God “rolled away the reproach of Egypt” from the Israelites at Gilgal.

2.       Bethel:  Bethel means “house of God,” and any good Israelite would remember that:

a.       Abraham pitched his tent west of Bethel (Genesis 12:8)

b.       Abraham first built an altar to the Lord at Bethel (Genesis 13:3-4)

c.       Jacob dreamed of the ladder/stairway to heaven, and God promised to give him the land and be with him at Bethel (Genesis 28:10-22)

d.       God told Jacob to settle in Bethel and to build an altar there (Genesis 35:1-7)

e.       Jeroboam set up a golden calf as an idol in Bethel for Israel to worship (I Kings 12:28-29).

3.       Jericho:  In Joshua 5:13ff, after the Israelites crossed over the Jordan and were circumcised, they see the power of God as the highly fortified city of Jericho comes tumbling down after 7 days of silently walking around the city (Joshua 5:13ff).  It is completely miraculous, because all the people do is walk, play trumpets, and shout – and the wall comes down! 

4.       Jordan:  the Jordan River was such a big part of the landscape of Israel, connecting the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea, separating the nation of Israel as it traveled North to South.  God splits the Jordan River in Joshua 3 as the priests step out in faith into the flood-stage river…and the people walk over on dry ground.  And, in 2 Kings 2, Elijah strikes the water with his cloak and the river splits.

How could I have missed this before?  Ravi mentioned that Elijah was reminding Elisha of God’s holiness at Gilgal, his faithfulness at Bethel, and his power at Jericho.  It wasn’t until I read up on those places that I understood what he meant. 

Elisha would have seen the 12 stones commemorating the crossing of the Jordan and through the name Gilgal remembered the circumcision that took place there to please a holy God. 

He would have seen the altars and recognized the faithfulness of God even when Israel turned away to idol worship. 

He would have seen the still fallen walls of Jericho, not rebuilt: a testament to the miraculous power of the God he served. 

And when Elisha got to the Jordan?  How could he miss the lesson there? 

God used sandals of men walking in faith to split that river in Joshua 3.

God used the rocks from the middle of the river to remind the Israelites of who He was and what he could do in Joshua 4.

God used the cloak of a prophet to split the river in 2 Kings 2.

Inanimate objects could be used to give glory to God.  Because it wasn’t the inanimate objects themselves, but the God behind them.

As Ravi said, “Even stones can be a testimony for God…how much more a person empowered by God?”

So, on this day commemorating American history, I think it’s good to go back to Biblical history as well and realize God cares about the times and places in which we live. 

He cares about the places He leads us to and through, if only momentarily. 

If we look and listen closely, I think we can’t help but hear the testimonies of those who have gone before us, pointing to a God who made the world and everything in it.  A God who is not far from any one of us.  A holy God.  A faithful God.  A miraculously powerful God.  A God who desires that we should reach out and to seek Him.  And a God who is willing to use the simplest things to share his truth and grace with others…even Christians…if we’re up for the challenge. 

As God used Elijah to show Elisha, all we might need as impetus is a short history lesson. 

Great Heart

In C.S. Lewis’s The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Lucy Pevensie called out for Aslan’s help when she and her shipmates were surrounded by thick, distressing darkness.  A beam of light appeared, and “Lucy looked along the beam and presently saw something in it.  At first it looked like a cross, then it looked like an aeroplane, then it looked like a kite, and at last with a whirring of wings it was right overhead and it was an albatross.  It circled three times round the mast and then perched for an instant on the crest of the gilded dragon at the prow.  It called out in a strong sweet voice what seemed to be words though no one understood them.  After that it spread its wings, rose, and began to fly slowly ahead, bearing a little to the starboard.  Drinian steered after it not doubting that it offered good guidance.  But no one except Lucy knew that as it circled the mast it had whispered to her, ‘Courage, dear heart,’ and the voice, she felt sure, was Aslan’s, and with the voice a delicious smell breathed in her face” (p. 159-160).

That image of whispered encouragement has always been precious to me. 

Aslan, as the Christ-figure in the Chronicles of Narnia books, whispered “Courage, dear heart” to his beloved daughter in darkness.  How often I need to be reminded of that very same thing – that no matter where I go and no matter what I do, I am dear to the heart of God.  Because of that, I can have courage.

The old hymn puts it well: 

So nigh, so very nigh to God,

I cannot nearer be;

For in the person of His son

I am as near as He.

So dear, so very dear to God,

More dear I cannot be

The love wherewith He loves the Son

Such is His love to me.

~ C. Paget (A Mind at Perfect Peace with God)

This past September, God saw fit to give me another heart reference as my theme for the new school year.  But it wasn’t an albatross whispering.  This time, it was a wizard speaking to a horse.  :)

I admit:  until this past September, I had put off reading the Lord of the Rings trilogy.  But I fell in love with them!  J.R.R. Tolkien has written so many quotable lines and come up with many analogies that help me to go deeper into my own life.  But, laughably, the most impactful quote for me was on page 262 of the Two Towers, where Gandalf says:

“Away now, Shadowfax!  Run, greatheart, run as you have never run before!  Now we are come to the land where you were foaled, and every stone you know.  Run now!  Hope is in speed!”

Thank you, Pinterest.  Definitely not my picture.

Great heart.

Horses have really big hearts.  No, really.  At 1% of their body mass, we’re talking about 9-12 pounds of pure muscle, pumping the needed oxygenated blood to the rest of the body for peak performance.  Partly from genetics and partly from training, the thoroughbred racehorses are known to have the largest hearts of all horses.  Phar Lap (from New Zealand) had a 14-pound heart, and it is believed that Secretariat’s might have been even bigger.  (Comparatively, human hearts are 0.5-0.8 pounds.)

Although Shadowfax was a horse, the encouragement from Gandalf to run and the name he was given spoke of more than the physical size of his heart.  “Greatheart” also spoke of Shadowfax’s noble character.  (You can’t read the books and not be impressed by Shadowfax, let alone not wish that he was your horse.)

Now, run with me on this… (see what I did there? :))

I can always imagine God whispering to me, “Courage, dear heart.”  I know that I will always be dear to the heart of God. 

But being called “Great heart”?  That’s a very different thing.  Being a “great heart” is not a guarantee.  It is the result of my choices.

My title of Dear Heart is dependent on God.  The title of Great Heart is dependent on me.

What would it look like this year to have a Great Heart? 

Could it be helped by:

·       A good cleaning?

o   emptying me of myself so that God has more room to work in my life?

o   clearing out the junk (or even good things that aren’t best) that so often fills my heart?

·       A bigger perspective?

o   caring about God’s plans more than my own?

o   considering others better than myself and serving in humility?  (Philippians 2:3ff, Mark 10:43)

·       More exercise?

o   the more I practice living for God and not for me, the more my heart might expand. (I mean, really – Dr. Seuss said the Grinch’s heart grew three sizes when he stopped being selfish. :))

Why is having a Great Heart so important? 

“For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”  Ephesians 3:14-19

Christ dwells in my heart. 

Does He feel at home there?  As Jonathan Brower asked a few weeks ago at my church, “In my life, is God’s presence dwelling where He wants to dwell?”

It sure seems like pursuing a great heart is a worthy goal this year.  I know that at times I will fail in my pursuit, but thankfully God is greater than my heart (I John 3:18-20). 

However, feel free to join me this year in praying that God would increase our hearts. 

That way, we can listen for the whisper of “Courage, Dear Heart,” knowing that He is speaking to us…

As well as…“Continue, Great Heart,” as we run in the paths and places in which He has presently called us to be.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!  Amen.” 

Ephesians 3:20-21

The Old, Old Story

Arabella Katherine (Kate) Hankey was born in 1834 and grew up in a neighborhood in the south of London called Clapham.  The people of Clapham were known for pushing for prison reform, children's education, and missionary overseas efforts.  William Wilberforce is one of the most famous members of the "Clapham Sect".

From a young age, the story of the gospel gripped Kate.  She taught Sunday school classes, organized Bible studies for girls in London, and donated many of her proceeds from her writing to missionaries overseas.  She wanted people to know the Old, Old Story.

While she was sick and confined to bed for a full year, she wrote a poem entitled:  "The Old, Old Story."  A few hymns have been written using her words: "Tell Me the Old, Old Story" by William Doane and "I Love to Tell the Story" by William Fischer.  

I read this poem this morning...and although it is long, it is worth repeating.  I have also put the links below showing where I found the words.  I hope it is a blessing to you like it has been to me! :)
***I also put in bold the words that really touched me.***

The Old, Old Story by Kate Hankey
(for a PDF version of the 1875 printed edition, click here)

Part 1—The Story Wanted

Tell me the old, old story   Of unseen things above,— Of JESUS and His glory,   Of JESUS and His love. Tell me the story simply,   As to a little child; For I am weak and weary,   And helpless and defiled. Tell me the story slowly,   That I may take it in,— That wonderful redemption,   God's REMEDY for sin! Tell me the story often,   For I forget so soon! The "early dew" of morning   Has passed away at noon! Tell me the story softly,   With earnest tones and grave; Remember, I'm the sinner   Whom Jesus came to save. Tell me the story always,   If you would really be, In any time of trouble,   A comforter to me. Tell me the same old story   When you have cause to fear That this world's empty glory   Is costing me too dear. Yes, and when that world's glory   Shall dawn upon my soul, Tell me the old, old story,   "CHRIST JESUS MAKES THEE WHOLE."

Part 2—The Story Told

You ask me for "the story   Of unseen things above,— Of JESUS and His glory,   Of JESUS and His love." You want "the old, old story,"   And nothing else will do! Indeed I cannot wonder,   It always seems so new! I often wish that some one   Would tell it me, each day; I never should get tired   Of what they had to say. But I am wasting moments!   Oh, how shall I begin To tell "the old, old Story,"   How Jesus saves from sin? Listen, and I will tell you;   God help both you and me, And make "the old, old story"   His Message unto thee! Once, in a pleasant garden,   God placed a happy pair; And all within was peaceful,   And all around was fair. But oh! they disobeyed Him!   The one thing He denied They longed for, took and tasted;   They ate it, and—they died! Yet, in His love and pity,   At once the Lord declared How man, though lost and ruined,   Might after all be spared! For one of Eve's descendants,   Not sinful, like the rest, Should spoil the work of Satan,   And man be saved and blest! [He] should be son of Adam,   But Son of God as well, And bring a full salvation   From sin and death and hell. Hundreds of years were over;   Adam and Eve had died, The following generation,   And many more beside. At last, some shepherds, watching   Beside their flocks at night, Were startled in the darkness   By strange and heavenly light. One of the holy angels   Had come from Heaven above, To tell the true, true story,   Of Jesus and His love. He came to bring "glad tidings,"   "You need not, must not, fear; For Christ, your new-born Saviour,   ;Lies in the village near!" And many other angels   Took up the story then— "To God on high be glory,   Good-will and peace to men." And was it true—that story?   They went at once to see, And found Him in a manger,   And knew that it was He. He whom the Father promised,   So many ages past, Had come to save poor sinners;   Yes, He had come at last! That was indeed His purpose,   To seek and save the lost, Although He knew beforehand—   Knew all that it would cost. He lived a life most holy;   His every thought was love, And every action showed it,   To man, and God above. His path in life was lowly,—   He was a working-Man: Who knows the poor man's trials   So well as Jesus can? His last three years were lovely!   He could no more be hid; And time and strength would fail me   To tell the good He did. He gave away no money,   For He had none to give; But He had power of healing,   And made dead people live. He did kind things so kindly!   It seemed His heart's delight To make poor people happy,   From morning until night! He always seemed at leisure   For every one who came; However tired or busy,   They found Him just "the same." He heard each tale of sorrow   With an attentive ear. And took away each burden   Of suffering, sin, or fear. He was "a Man of Sorrows!"   And when He gave relief, He gave it like a brother,   Acquainted with the grief. Such was "the Man Christ Jesus!"   The Friend of sinful man!— But hush! the tale grows sadder,   I'll tell it—if I can! This gentle, holy Jesus,   Without a spot or stain, By wicked hands was taken,   And crucified, and slain! Look! look! if you can bear it—   Look at your dying Lord! Stand near the cross and watch Him:   "Behold the Lamb of God!" His Hands and Feet are piercèd,   He cannot hide His Face; And cruel men stand staring,   In crowds, about the place. They laugh at Him and mock Him!   They tell Him to "come down," And leave that cross of suffering,   And change it for a crown. Why did He bear their mockings?   Was He "the Mighty God?" And could He have destroyed them   With one almighty word? Yes, Jesus could have done it;   But let me tell you why He would not use His power,   But chose to stay and die. He had become our "Surety;"   And what we could not pay, He paid instead, and for us,   On that one dreadful day. For our sins He suffered;   For our sins He died; And "not for ours only,"   But "all the world's" beside! And now, the work is "finished!"   The sinner's debt is paid! Because on "Christ the Righteous"   The sin of all was laid. Oh, wonderful redemption!   God's remedy for sin! The door of heaven is open,   And you may enter in! For God released our "Surety,"   To show the work was done; And Jesus' resurrection   Declared the victory won! And now, He has ascended,   And sits upon the throne, "To be a Prince and Saviour,"   And claim us for His own. But when He left His people,   He promised them to send "The Comforter," to teach them,   And guide them to the end. And that same Holy Spirit   Is with us to this day, And ready now to teach us   The "new and living way." This is "the old, old story!"   Say, do you take it in— This wonderful redemption,   God's remedy for sin? Do you at heart believe it?—   Do you believe it's true, And meant for EVERY SINNER,   And, therefore, meant for you? Then take this "GREAT SALVATION"   [For] Jesus loves to give! Believe! and you receive it!   Believe! and you shall live! And if this simple message   Has now brought peace to you, Make known "the old, old story,"   For others need it too. Let everybody see it,   That Christ has made you free; And if it sets them longing,   Say, "Jesus died for thee!" Soon, soon, our eyes shall see Him!   And, in our home above, We'll sing "the old, old story"   Of "Jesus and His love!"

Glory & Awe

“When with the ransomed in glory, His face I at last shall see

Twill be my joy through the ages to sing of His love for me…

How wonderful!  How marvelous!  And my song shall ever be:

How wonderful!  How marvelous is my Savior’s love for me!”

-          C.H. Gabriel

Ever have a theme for the year without even realizing it?  It seems that the Lord has been patiently teaching me many lessons over the past year…but it wasn’t until I sat down and really processed through that it all started to come together.  I’m sure that I’m still missing the full lesson.  And I know that you don’t have time to read all of the things I’ve thought about today.  :)  But let me try to share a little.

I had the privilege of listening to two live performances of Handel’s Messiah this past Christmas season.  I don’t think I’ve ever listened to it in full before.  Sure, I could sing parts of the Hallelujah chorus and recognized the “Wonderful!  Counselor!” section…but I hadn’t listened to more.  I was struck with a few things as I listened to the words taken right from the Bible.

1.       “Behold!” – how often the prophets talked of His coming…and said to LOOK.

a.       “The Lord, whom you seek, shall suddenly come into His temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom you delight in; behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts” (Malachi 3:1-3).

b.      “O Thou, that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up into the high mountain.  O Thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up they voice with strength, lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Jerusalem: ‘Behold your God!’ (Isaiah 40:9).

c.       “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem.  Behold, thy King cometh unto thee…” (Zechariah 9:9-10).

2.        “Glory” came up frequently.  (and many times when the chorus joined the soloists)

a.       “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh will see it together” (Isaiah 40:5).

b.      “Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.  For behold darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people.  But the LORD shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee” (Isaiah 60:1-2).

c.       “There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night.  And lo, the angel of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid.  And the angel said unto them:  Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord…And suddenly, there was with the angel, a multitude of heavenly host, praising God and saying:  ‘Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth, goodwill towards men’” (Luke 2:8-11, 13-14).

3.       God is so far above us. He is awe-inspiring.

a.       “The Lord, whom you seek, shall suddenly come into His temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom you delight in; behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts.  But who may abide the day of His coming, and who shall stand when He appeareth?” (Malachi 3:1-3)

b.      “Hallelujah!  For the LORD God Omnipotent reigneth...The kingdom of this world is become, the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.  And He shall reign forever and ever…King of Kings and Lord of Lords”  (Revelation 19:6, 16; 11:15).

Beholding.  Glory.  The utter power and beauty of God.

Isn’t it ironic that when I spoke at a women’s conference in April, my title was “Beholding is Becoming” – and my talk centered around II Corinthians 3:18, “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect (behold) the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

What we spend our time looking at, we become like.  I told the Lord I wanted to behold Him…I wanted to become more like Him.  And that takes time...metamorphosis is not pretty in all its stages.  It’s a process of ever increasing glory.  And I will never be God (thank goodness!), but I can more clearly bear His image to those around me.  What helps that process is having a clearer vision of who He is.

My vision of God has been helped through more Bible reading for sure.  But I also finished a book today that I found earlier this week.  (I have a slight problem when it comes to books.  I love them.  I order them before I finish the ones I am in the midst of reading.)  When I came home a week ago, I found myself on Amazon, looking at new titles…and I was captured by one I had never heard of:  None Like Him:  10 Ways God is Different From Us (and why that’s a good thing) by Jen Wilkin.

I would highly encourage you to read it.  Jen reminds us that God is:

1.       Infinite – The God of No Limits

a.       He is immeasurable.

2.       Incomprehensible – The God of Infinite Mystery

a.       He is not unknowable, but unable to be fully known.  Yet, He has revealed Himself to us… “and eternity will increasingly disclose His hidden glories to the eyes of our hearts” (p. 39).

3.       Self-Existent – The God of Infinite Creativity

a.       God was not created.  He always was.  And He has created everything.

4.       Self-Sufficient – The God of Infinite Provision

a.       He has no needs.  He is whole.

5.       Eternal – The God of Infinite Days

a.       He is outside of time.

6.       Immutable – The God of Infinite Sameness

a.       He does not change.

7.       Omnipresent – The God of Infinite Place

a.       He is able to be fully present everywhere.  There is no place or time where God is not (immanence), yet He is distinct from the creation He fills (transcendence).

8.       Omniscient – The God of Infinite Knowledge

a.       He is limitless in His knowledge – not because He has learned everything, but because He is the origin of all things.

9.       Omnipotent – The God of Infinite Power

a.       “And these are but the outer fringe of His works, how faint the whisper we hear of Him!  Who then can understand the thunder of His power?” Job 26:14

10.   Sovereign – The God of Infinite Rule

a.       Based on all his other attributes, his most right and logical place to inhabit is the throne.

He is so not like me. 

As Jen Wilkin reminds us, we are designed to “reflect God’s glory” by bearing His image, yet often “we choose to rival it”.  We often try to be God…when it’s obvious we’re not. 

For example:

I am measureable (from the moment of birth I could be weighed in pounds and measured in inches). 

I am knowable (there is nothing about me God does not know). 

I am created (I can only create by rearranging what already exists…yet I try to take credit for creating things which God has merely called me to steward). 

I am so needy (“Sanctification is the process of learning increasing dependence, not autonomy” p. 63). 

I have a limited time frame on earth (I am a creature “of a particular era, with a limited perspective born of limited years” p.70). 

I change (Yet:  “Just as my assurance of salvation rests in the fact that God cannot change, my hope of sanctification rests in the fact that I can” p.87). 

I can only be at one place at one time (yet I try to be in more than one place to the detriment of my relationships…and miss that God is near me wherever I go). 

I will never know everything (and thoughtless consumption of all the information available to me at my fingertips can actually be more harmful than helpful). 

I am limited in power (I tend to chase the culture’s ideas of power in strength, beauty, wealth, and charisma…yet Jesus never chased these things as the most powerful human being who ever lived). 

I do not control the world (yet I can control my thoughts, attitudes, words and actions…although He is divinely sovereign, I have responsibility).

I am so different than God.

When I BEHOLD the GLORY of God…I am speechless.  I am in awe. 

As Jen Wilkin reminded me, the only response I can have is to “step away from the throne, acknowledging that [I am] utterly unqualified to fill it.”  And the God who does fill that throne reminds me that in all my insignificance, I have significance because of His love for me.

How wonderful!  How marvelous!  And my song shall ever be:

How wonderful!  How marvelous is my Savior’s love for me!

Today’s my birthday.  Another year has passed.  I am excited to see how God continues to show me who He is in 2017.  He is awe-inspiring.  And someday…we all shall truly behold Him.  And that day, we will be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (I John 3:2).

Until then, I am so thankful for His unlimited patience. :)  (I Timothy 1:16)

Hidden Gold

Sometimes, no matter how well things are going, you can feel a little empty.

This often happens to me after a good, full summer.  I recently spent a month with a great community of people where God was continuously, obviously at work.  I knew that coming back to a place away from that community, and away from my family, and away from some vocational dreams I’ve pursued would be hard.  And it is.

Yet God has reminded me that there is gold.

I’m not talking about the gold of the Olympic games.  (Although, winning an Olympic gold would be sweet.)   Michael Phelps has won his fair share (21 as I write this), and he admitted that outside of the pool he had wondered his own worth. (Phelps article)

I’m talking about hidden gold.

Ravi Zacharias, in his book, Walking from East to West, describes it:

“There is a beautiful story by F.W. Boreham that reflects this.  He tells of a woman who was sitting beside him on a bus.  As the journey progressed and the conductor came around to check the tickets, the woman was dismayed to realize that somewhere during the ride someone must have dipped into her purse and stolen two gold coins, along with her ticket.  Boreham reacts by saying how embarrassed he was because he happened to be sitting next to her and she kept giving him a look of suspicion.  But thankfully, he said, the problem was resolved quickly when, digging her hands deeper into the purse, she found the coins.  Promptly and with a red face she apologized, saying that it was her birthday and this was a new purse her daughter had given her.  ‘The compartments of the purse were more elaborate and ingenious than she had noticed,’ he said.

"Boreham, in his inimitable way, titled his essay ‘Hidden Gold,’ reminding the reader in the following words:  ‘Now this sort of thing is very common.  We are continually fancying that we have been robbed of the precious things we still possess.  The old lady who searches everywhere for the spectacles that adorn her temples; the clerk who ransacks the office for the pen behind his ear; and the boy who charges his brother with the theft of the pen knife that lurks in the mysterious depths of his own fearful and wonderful pocket.’  Often we are not aware of how close we are to that which we need but we think we do not have.  In His grace, God has placed some hidden gold somewhere in all of us that meets our need at a desperate moment.”  (p. 46)

Wherever God takes me, He has provided.  And He often places delightful things – like hidden gold – everywhere if I only look for them.  But I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the most precious thing that no matter where I go, I possess.

In the fictional (yet enlightening) book by C.S. Lewis called The Screwtape Letters, the demon Screwtape makes this statement:  “And all the time the joke is that the word ‘Mine’ in its fully possessive sense cannot be uttered by a human being about anything” (p. 247).

But is that true?  Can a human really not say “Mine” about anything?

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine;
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

-          Fanny Crosby

I have become convinced that the only thing I can truly claim to be mine in this life is Jesus.  And that’s just plain hard to believe.  The Creator, the Sustainer, the One who died on the cross to take my punishment…that Jesus is Mine!  (And I gratefully share him with anyone else who has accepted His gift of salvation :).) 

That, my friends, is gold enough to fill any purse.  Or any soul.

Heav’n above is softer blue,
Earth around is sweeter green!
Something lives in every hue
Christless eyes have never seen;
Birds with gladder songs o’erflow,
Flowers with deeper beauties shine,
Since I know, as now I know,
I am His, and He is mine.
- George W. Robinson

Tears and the Metanarrative

The following is from a brief talk I gave to the women at Summit TN Session 2, 2016.  Like most good things, many of the ideas I shared are borrowed from other thinkers – and I desire to give them credit as I type this out. 

We are glad that you are here at Summit!  We have people here from all kinds of backgrounds – some who are excited to be here and some who are not as excited.  J  But we, as a staff, are excited to have you here, regardless of where you are in your journey. 

We have two goals for tonight:

1.       To love you

2.       To invite you into the Great Story…because you are wanted.

Josh Bales has been walking us through the Great Story, the Metanarrative, during worship each night.  He has talked of Creation, Fall, Redemption & Glorification.  Whether we realize it or not, the Bible is the story of a loving God, not a vindictive one.  A God that pursues us.  So, let’s do a brief overview of the story of the Bible…and see how God wants to interact with people.

·       CREATION:  God created Adam & Eve, and it was good.  God walked with them in the garden.  They enjoyed perfect communion with Him.

·       FALL:  But then, because God gave them free will, they decided not to choose Him…and the relationship with God was broken as they disobeyed Him.  A Holy God cannot live with evil.

·       ***From this point on, the story of the Bible is a record of God reaching out to restore that relationship.

o   He chose Abraham and the nation of Israel to reveal Himself.  It wasn’t because Israel was better than anyone else, but He wanted to use them to reach the world.

o   He gave Moses the design for a tabernacle so that He could actually be present with His people as they traveled.

o   He had Solomon build a temple, a more permanent place for His name to dwell with His people.

§  But because God is a gentleman and doesn’t force Himself upon us, He allowed His people to yet again not choose Him.  And when they didn’t, He had to leave.  But He did so slowly…giving so many chances for them to change.  Ezekiel 10 is the record of the glory of the LORD leaving the temple.  First it leaves from above the cherubim, then goes to the threshold, then to the east gate, then to the east mountain. 

o   In Luke 2, God's glory returned to the temple again...this time in the form of a baby.  Jesus came in the flesh to restore our relationship between us and God.  He paid the debt we owed on the cross (REDEMPTION).  ***God coming in flesh?  What?!?!?

o   Jesus returned to heaven, but sent the Holy Spirit, so that God no longer just dwells in a tabernacle or temple…but He dwells in each of us.  The church is where God dwells now.

o   Eventually, the Bible tells us to look forward to GLORIFICATION, when all things are made right.  Listen to the words in Revelation 21:1-5:  “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now (at last!) the dwelling place of God is with men, and he will live with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’  He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’”

God is a loving God who pursues us…who exclaims at the end of time “At last!” because He has wanted to be with us since time began.

When God lives inside us (as hard as it is to fathom) – we are in the process of becoming more like him.  But our own flesh gets in the way, and we live imperfectly.  We, as a staff, are imperfect – but our goal has been to notice you, to find you, to make you feel like you belong, and to show you how you fit into this Great Story.

This story has a great ending that’s described in Revelation 21.  We get to be with Jesus…and He will wipe away every tear from our eyes. 

Tears are important.  Every tear contains a story, a memory.  In that day, when He wipes them away, He will tell us the rest of the story.

I heard a beautiful illustration from a sermon by Tom Hendrikse on January 31, 2016. (http://riovistachurch.com/message-series-archive-living-in-the-rhythm-of-grace/)  These are essentially Tom’s words verbatim…but not all of them.

“There is a beautiful illustration in the 7^th book of the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.  It is the scene in which Professor Snape dies.  Professor Snape is one of the most heroic characters in the series – and no one knows it until after this scene.  He was considered the bad guy the whole time. 

Snape is lying on the floor dying from the bite of a poisonous, magical snake…as he lies there, slumped against the wall dying from the repeated bites of the snake, Harry, Ron and Hermione come in and Snape points to the tears streaming down his cheeks.  He says, “Collect them.  Collect them.” 

Harry gets a bottle from Hermione, and he presses it against the cheek of Professor Snape.  The tears stream down into the bottle and Snape says, “Take it to the Pensieve.”  The Pensieve is a magical ball in which you can literally re-enter your memories.

Harry takes the tears and pours them out into the Pensieve and discovers that they contain the memories, the stories of Professor Snape.  He enters into it…and everything makes sense.

Everything in Harry’s life suddenly makes sense – the rest of the story is revealed. 

Is it possible that J.K. Rowling borrowed this idea from Psalm 56:8?

Psalm 56:8 tells us that God collects our tears and keeps a record of them...of their story.

Why?

So He can sit down with us in the new heaven and new earth and pour them out into His magical pensieve (if you will) and enter into them with us…and walk through them with us and say,  “I know you didn’t think I was here, but I was right here.  Do you see me now?

I know you had no idea what I was doing in this, but let me show you what I was doing.  I was doing this over here with this person.  I was doing this over here with this person…I know that you could not possibly conceive of how this could be good – but I am the God who delights and reveals His glory by bringing good out of the things that you can’t conceive…ways for them to be good. I’m going to wipe that tear away now for forever because for forever now you will praise me for what caused you to cry it….”

Can you imagine that?  It’s hard to imagine… Shouldn’t that be the case, though…as finite creatures of an infinite God?”

We, here at Summit, are aware that we all have brokenness in our stories.  We all have a bottle of tears.  Some of you have cried tears while you’ve been here.  Some of you have kept yourselves locked up for protection.  We understand.  And regardless of if you really let us into your stories, tonight we do want you to experience a bit of the love that we’ve gotten to experience as part of the Great Story.

Each of your small group leaders is going to take you tonight and love on you by sharing the beautiful and excellent things that they’ve seen in you.  Too often our tears have come from believing the lies that culture and sometimes, sadly, the church tell us.  We realize that, for some of you, talk is cheap because you have been burned by family, friends, church, etc.  But we, at Summit, believe that your true identity will only be found in recognizing your worth in God’s sight.  You are equally made in the image of God – yet uniquely gifted to be athletes, wives and mothers, politicians, teachers, nurses, landscapers, cooks, etc. 

We have noticed you.

We want to call out the good in you and affirm you.

And although we will do this imperfectly, we serve a God who loves each of us perfectly.  We want you to get a small taste of that tonight. 

We love you.

We are “all in for the cause of Christ in you.”   

God's Will

After working amidst high school and college students for years, I have realized how deeply we all want to know the answer to one simple question:  What is God’s will for my life?

But it’s not just high school students asking for God’s will about which college to go to.  It’s also about single people of any age wondering who God wants them to marry.  It’s about graduates (and those who have been in the work force for years) pondering what job God wants them to take and where in the world God wants them to live.  It’s about older adults nearing retirement trying to figure out what God wants for them next.  Big life decisions don’t stop after you choose your college major.  In fact, they just seem to grow in number and magnitude. J

I felt like I had a pretty good answer for anyone who asked me about finding God’s will.  As had been shown to me, I directed people to some of the verses in the Bible that specifically state what God’s will is

B.A.G.S.

Believe – John 6:40

Abstain – I Thessalonians 4:3

Give thanks – I Thessalonians 5:18

Submit & do good – I Peter 2:13-15.

If we follow what God asks us to do in the simple things, our hearts will be in the right place and we won’t miss the direction He wants to lead us.

I still agree with what I would have said.  But in these past few weeks, God has been reminding me that I have much more to learn. 

You see, here’s my issue.  I believe all of that.  But if God doesn’t show me on my time table…I start to stress out and worry.  Whenever I think about any decision, I often just say, “God, I really just want to do what you want.  If you show me clearly – I’ll do it!” 

The desire to do God’s will is not wrong.  However, by asking God for neon signs in the sky (yep, I did that…a few times J) I have been skipping over the process and just asking for the product.

I want an answer without any transformation.

It has taken thoughts from Elisabeth Elliot, the story of Abraham, Kevin DeYoung, and Rex Trogdon to remind me of the truth:  God doesn’t want me to just ask questions about His will; He wants me to KNOW Him.  In knowing Him, I will become more like Him.  And then His will will not be elusive. 

So, in case you’re like me and need a reminder of the truth, please allow me the privilege of sharing a little bit of what God has taught me in the past few weeks.  (Okay, maybe a lot a bit.  I’ve never been accused of having too few words. J)

From Elisabeth Elliot & Abraham

A few weeks ago, the world remembered the 60^th anniversary of the deaths of Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Pete Fleming, Ed McCulley, and Roger Youderian.  They risked everything to tell the Auca and Waodoni people of Ecuador about Jesus.

In commemoration of that event, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth re-aired a talk that Elisabeth Elliot (Jim’s wife) gave to a group of college students about endurance.  She asked three main questions: 

What do you live for?

How do you get it?

Is it worth it?

You should definitely listen to the whole talk if you have a chance, to learn about the term “Yunga” and the A.U.G. degree Jim Elliot desperately wanted to have.  It’s a convicting message.

Elisabeth used examples of men who considered knowing Christ and obedience to Christ as a higher call than anything else.  She spoke of her husband, Jim Elliot.  She remembered Eric Liddell, the Olympic gold medalist.  And she also spoke of Abraham in the Bible.  She noted that Abraham was asked by God to do a hard thing – to offer up his son, Isaac.  Elisabeth points out that the Bible never says, “Abraham struggled.”  He just rose early in the morning and did what God asked.  As she stated:

“Sometimes ‘struggling’ is a nice word for postponed obedience.”

Abraham has come up many times since then in my personal Bible study.  Here are some of the things that I’ve learned:

1.       Abraham was characterized by immediate obedience, whether or not he fully understood.

a.       Genesis 12:  God asked Abraham to “leave your country, your people, and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” 

                                                               i.      Umm…where?  I would want a little more direction. 

                                                             ii.      But verse 4 says, “So, Abram left…”

b.      Genesis 17:  God asked Abraham to circumcise the males in his household as a sign of the covenant between them.

                                                               i.      Umm…ow?  There was no mistaking this command.  I might have wanted to postpone something painful like this.

                                                             ii.      But verse 23 says, “On that very day Abraham…circumcised them, as God had told him.” 

c.       Genesis 22:  God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son.  His promised son.  The one he had waited for.

                                                               i.      Umm...seriously?  After waiting YEARS for that promise to be fulfilled?

                                                             ii.      But verse 3 says, “Early the next morning, Abraham got up and saddled his donkey…”

2.       The process of obedience purified Abraham’s faith.

a.       Abraham wasn’t perfect.  He messed up royally, like many people in the Bible.  But when God told him that He would do something, Abraham believed.  He even believed that the sacrifice of his son would not stop God from fulfilling His promises (Hebrews 11:17-19).

b.      A.W. Tozer had another take on this story in his book, The Pursuit of God, “…God let the suffering old man [Abraham] go through with it [sacrificing Isaac] up to the point where he knew there would be no retreat, and then forbade him to lay a hand on the boy.  To the wondering patriarch he now says in effect, ‘It’s alright Abraham.  I never intended that you should actually slay the lad.  I only wanted to remove him from the temple of your heart that I might reign unchallenged there.  I wanted to correct the perversion that existed in your love…’”

c.       God used tests to “sift” Abraham’s heart and show Abraham what was most important.  Those tests helped him correct what was wrong in his loves.  And after the test on the mountain, Abraham wasn’t bitter at God.  He was thankful, and called the mountain “The Lord Will Provide.”

From Kevin DeYoung

A friend of mine (thanks, Jen!) lent me a book called Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung.  It’s great.  Here are some of my favorite quotes:

• “Obsessing over the future is not how God wants us to live, because showing us the future is not God’s way.  His way is to speak to us in the Scriptures and transform us by the renewing of our minds.  His way is not a crystal ball.  His way is wisdom…We should start looking to God – His character and His promises – and thereby have confidence to take risks for His name’s sake” (p. 41).
• “Wisdom is the difference between knowing a world-class biologist who can write your papers for you and studying under a world-class biologist so that you can write the kind of papers he would write.  Too many of us want God to be the world-class scholar who will write our papers and live our lives for us, when God wants us to sit at His feet and read His word so that we can live a life in the image of His Son.  God doesn’t tell us the future for this simple, yet profound reason:  We become what we behold.  God wants us to behold Him in His glory so that we can be transformed into His likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18).  If God figured out everything for us, we wouldn’t need to focus on Him and learn to delight in His glory.  God says, ‘I’m not giving you a crystal ball.  I’m giving you my Word.  Meditate on it; see Me in it; and become like Me” (p. 93-94).

From Rex Trogdon

And just yesterday, as I was biking at the gym, I read from Rex Trogdon’s book, He Touched Me.  It seemed to pull everything together I’d been learning the past few weeks.

“Now, wait just a minute, you say.  You mean God’s will is more about how I live than where I live?  That is right.  God’s will guarantees us the best plan for our lives:

• Eternally – Salvation (John 1:13, 1 Timothy 2:3-4, 2 Peter 3:9)
• Outwardly – Sanctification (1 Thess 4:3) and how to suffer – for doing good and not evil (1 Peter 3:17)
• Inwardly – Thanksgiving (1 Thess 5:16-18)

…Do you want to know God’s will for your life?  You’ll find it in God’s word” (p.34-36).

Conclusion?

As I mentioned before, I will doubtless encounter the question of “What is God’s will?” again in my life.  I will either be asked for advice on it or have to process through it myself in a decision.

But as I knew before, God has some very specific things in His Word, the Bible, in which He asks me to be obedient. 

And then, there are things He doesn’t address in His Word.  Like…what college to go to, who to marry, what job to have, and where to live. 

For those “non-moral” decisions, God has reminded me that the best thing I can do is spend time with Him.  Read His Word.  Pray. 

And as I become more like Him because I have spent so much time “beholding Him”, I can step out and do something without second guessing my every move.  (and not end up like the fictional Walter Houston. J)

Isn’t it refreshing to know that God’s will is not as complicated as we make it? 

Let’s just spend time with Him.