It's Not What We'd Feared

Although I still believe our Enemy (the one who only seeks to kill, destroy and steal) was ultimately responsible for the death that occurred on Tuesday, there has been an important revelation made. The police have ruled his death accidental. Apparently, he was cleaning a weapon when it discharged. I'm so thankful to know that our Enemy didn't deceive him to bring about this tragedy.

Of course, his family and friends, people I love and care about, have nevertheless had him stolen from them, so we will continue to lift them before our loving and compassionate Lord, asking him to comfort them with his amazing peace.

Reminisces of Yesterday

“The heart is more deceitful than all else" (Jeremiah 17:9)

I was reminded yesterday how true that is.

Put on all of God's armor of God so that you will be able to stand firm against strategies and tricks of the Devil (e.g. Satan, the deceiver - Revelation 12:9) . For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but ... against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against the spiritual forces of evil. Stand firm then, putting on the breastplate of God's righteousness, [and] put on salvation as your helmet (Ephesians 6:11-17).

I was reminded yesterday why our hearts and minds must be protected.

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ (Colossians 2:8)

I was reminded yesterday that "human tradition" is to act on what I feel, and that the "basic principle of this world" is to do what I think is best for myself and others, whether or not it's true or what they would want.

I was reminded of these things yesterday as I learned of two tremendous struggles of grief for people I love and care about deeply. In both situations, Satan deceived and deluded the logic of one person into believing things that were not true and magnifying the things that were. As a result, their hearts were deceived, and they acted in ways that have brought about devastating sorrow and hurt to people they love.

Why else would a man leave his wife of nearly 22 years to be with a woman born the year they were married? As a result, his two teenage daughters (one a graduating senior), as well as his wife and multiple friends (including Darin and me), are left wondering who he truly is. And he seems to be wondering the same. His heart and mind are wandering about unprotected, and he has given in to believing that what he feels is most important.

Why else would a man chose to end his life prematurely? What seemed like rational, reasonable logic to him was taken and twisted by a deceiving Enemy who only seeks to kill, destroy and steal. And now his family and friends, people I love and care about, have had him stolen from them.

O God, act now in accordance with your word in the lives of these I love who are hurting so deeply right now. Heal their broken hearts and bind up their wounds, curing their pains and their sorrows (Psalm 147:3).

The Mystery of Christ

I've know I've mentioned recently my love for murder mysteries and on January 14, I quoted a devotional by Christian writer and musician, Michael Card regarding the "mystery of Christ" talked about in Scripture. I've been intrigued by this idea of "mystery" in the Bible since his devotional, and I've done a little of my own research about it.

The word "mystery" is used only 25 times in Scripture: six times in the Old Testament (book of Daniel only, involving the dreams of pagan kings) and 19 times in the New Testament (with only four of those uses in the book of Revelation - a mystery to everybody!). There are two things that strike me about these facts. First, God was actually a greater mystery to people under the old covenant than the new, although he is never described that way. Those followers never saw God incarnate (made human). The closest they got was a cloud by day, a pillar by night and an Ark in the holy of holies (oh, and Moses getting mooned! Ex. 33:23). Second, Paul and John, men who actually saw Jesus in person, were the only New Testament contributors to call Christ and his gospel a "mystery."

I find it amusing that Paul wrote three letters within one to two year's time (perhaps even from the same jail cell) with three very different perceptions on the mystery of Christ:

In Ephesians (likely written first), he writes, "Surely you have heard about...the mystery made known to me by revelation.... In reading this [letter], then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ....This mystery is that through the gospel, [we] share in the promise of Christ Jesus" (3:2-6).

In Colossians (possibly written second), he writes, "My purpose is that they may...have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ" (2:2).

Yet, in Philippians (probably the last of these prison letters), he writes, "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings" (3:10).

It seems as though Paul becomes less certain of what he knows about the mystery of Christ, and more certain that he has more to learn, more to absorb, more to experience. A process most of us call maturity.

Now, I'm not suggesting that Paul was making up something or speaking arrogantly of what he didn't know in his earlier letters. I believe with assurance that God had revealed a great deal to him about His nature, character and will. But I also believe that as God revealed himself, Paul realized (as most of us do) the true "otherness" and incomprehensibility of Holy God. A year or so later, in 1 Timothy, Paul even wrote that "without question" the mystery of Christ is "great" (3:16).

Therefore, rather than trying to "figure out" this mystery, wouldn't we be better served to allow God to reveal himself to us in his way, and in his time? Yes, God gave us a mind to use for comprehension and deduction; thinking about Who God is is an incredible use of those properties and energies. But, unless those efforts are rooted in faith, love and reverence, God is merely a study for science or philosophy, something to be proven or analyzed.

What God is after is a relationship with each of us, through which he reveals himself. Still better, he has given us the Holy Spirit to "[make] known to us the mystery of his will, [that is] to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under Christ" (Ephesians 1:9-10).

In other words, it's Ok for God to be a mystery. Couples married for 50+ years still sometimes find surprises in one another. Healthy relationships aren't dependent on knowing all about the other, they're dependent on wanting to know about them as you live life together.

What's God going to show you about himself today that will make him less of a mystery than he was yesterday? Let's give him the freedom in our relationship with Him to be Who He truly is.

Giggles with Jesus

Fourth grade boys sure can giggle. I realize that may not be a shock to anyone who has raised/is raising a fourth grade boy, but I offer it as a warning to those who may not yet have one of these persons in their home or frame of experience. Having been out of children's ministry for several years and having only taught fifth grade and up, I'd forgotten this fact. But, I was reminded of this truth this morning in Bible study as I laughed with two who'd been bitten by the silly bug. And, when they get that tickled, reigning in the troops can take a little longer than you'd planned. Somehow, though, we actually managed to get through the lesson, and had a wonderful time, too.

I'm doing some basic discipleship with these guys over a period of 4 weeks. Last week, we discussed what it means to be a Christian (Christ-follower), and this week we examined the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper. We even observed the Lord's Supper in complete reverence using Chips Ahoy and milk. We broke the cookies to remind us of Christ's body being broken, and sipped the milk explaining how the normal use of wine or grape juice is a great reminder of Jesus' blood being shed. It was more practical to use cookies and milk because as we discussed Jesus' baptism in Matthew 3, we saw that Jesus was actually dunked under the water. So, we "dunked" our cookies in our milk to get the idea of immersion. They are greatly looking forward to our next observance of the Lord's Supper as a church family, now, too. What has delighted me most is that they are really "getting it." I'm so pleased with the thoughts they are putting into the things we do and write about faith in Christ. Best of all, they're finding that following Christ can be a lot of fun. 

So, giggle away boys. I'd rather walk the journey of faith with a couple of kids who can't stop laughing, than a whole church of people who are too "pious" to be glad about the love and grace of God. I fully believe Jesus got bit by the silly bug and giggled from time to time, too. In fact, I think he was giggling with us, today.

Thoughts to Ponder

In addition to quotes by Einstein, each day on my Google homepage, I'm also amused with "Thoughts to Ponder" akin to the Saturday Night Live Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey. Who, by the way, I recently learned is a real person. He's not just a made-up character of the SNL writers. Even better, he's a native of San Antonio and El Paso! He's published nearly half-a-dozen books and numerous articles, but I don't recommend them for family-style entertainment.

Anyway, here are some of the recent thoughts you might like to ponder with me:

Why do croutons come in air-tight packages? They're stale bread.

Why are there phone bills in a country with freedom of speech?

Why is it when you get from here to there, you're still here and not there?

Why isn't "phonic" spelled the way it sounds?

Why do scientists call it research when they are looking for something new?

Why do banks charge you a "non-sufficient funds" fee on money they already know you don't have?

[For my husband:] Who took the bite out of the Apple logo?

[And my personal favorite:] If the cops arrest a mime, do they tell him he has the right to remain silent?

Comments welcome; especially if you've got one to share!