Humanity's History in Two Words

Joshua 7:1 But the Israelites were unfaithful in regard to the devoted things;
Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the LORD’s anger burned against Israel.

     "Were Unfaithful." There are two intertwining themes in our lives a human beings. The one we love to talk about. We talk about the great things that we accomplish, the buildings we build, the discoveries we make, the technologies we invent. These all reflect the creative potential instilled in us as image-bearers of the Creator of the Universe. We create, build, discover and invent because we are created to be like our Great God.
     But there is another side of us that we don't like to talk about. We also fail miserably at caring for each other, being stewards of the world in which we live, being faithful to our commitments, being true to our Creator's design. We all fail to one degree or another to rise to our full potential.
     Right after entering the Promised Land through a miracle from the LORD and capturing a city through unlikely means, one person disobeyed the simple, direct command of the LORD. The LORD had said certain things in the city belonged to Him and Him alone. Pretty simple, right?
     Achan thought he could get away with disobedience. He thought he wouldn't be noticed. He thought his sin wasn't so bad. It was only a few small things, after all. And the consequences of his sin cost the lives of thirty-six fellow Israelites! Their deaths were clearly laid at Achan's feet.
     The people responded by getting discouraged and turning to fear. Not the best attributes for those who will fight the battles.
     So Joshua pleads with the LORD. Not his best moment! He blames the LORD for what has happened. But the LORD puts the blame right back where it belongs. They had violated the terms of the covenant. So Joshua obeys the LORD and sorts through the people, tribes to clans to families to man. Achan is selected.
     Achan comes clean and suffers the consequences for his disobedience. His sin is so dangerous that the only solution is his complete elimination. Sin MUST be dealt with; it can't be tolerated in God's people.
     And there was a pile of stones to remind future generations of the consequences of disobedience. (See Stones To Remember)

Stones to Remember

Joshua 4:5b-7 Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.

     Our nation's capitol has some beautiful monuments, buildings made to help us remember our history. We place plaques on walls with names on them to remember the people who were foundational to the building of the buildings. We carve quotes into the stone. We erect statues of important people. We dedicate land, assigning people's names to it. We do all these things, and many more, to help future generations remember that past.
     Remembering the past, both the good and the evil is important. And we have to find ways of passing along the lessons learned from the past to future generations.
     Joshua, the new leader of the people of Israel, was told when they were about to cross the Jordan River to enter the Promised Land to pick twelve men to pick up twelve stones from the riverbed right where the priests stood when the LORD stopped the Jordan River's flow. There were to each pick up a stone that would later be piled up to help the twelve tribes remember this miracle.
     This pile of stones would prompt a "Daddy, why" question in future generations. Kids would see the pile of rocks and ask "Daddy, why is there a pile of rocks here?" This would give the parents the opportunity to answer the question by telling the story of deliverance from Egypt and their entry into the Promised Land.
     We seem many memorial stone piles in Scripture, many opportunities to tell the history of our Great God. How do we tell our 'next generations' about our Great God? How do we share what the LORD has done for us in our lives? Do we take time to do this? Do we have "Daddy, why?" memorials in our lives to trigger the questions?
     Maybe it is time we stacked some stones to remember what the LORD has done.

Hear the Report

Joshua 2:11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed
because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.

     Sometimes a report can knock the wind right out of us. It can take our breath away. It can make our knees weak and our determination to move forward melt away.
     I have had several moments just like this in my life. When the news of my father's death came, my world seemed to slow to a stop. My breath was taken away. I felt a great sense of loss. I felt alone even though I was surrounded.
     When I found out I was accepted for Active Duty as a Chaplain I couldn't believe it. It was what we had sought for years, but had given up hope of achieving. And then it happened. Out of the blue. All our efforts has failed, and when we had given up, the LORD moved on our behalf.
     The LORD didn't deliver the Israelites out of Egypt because of their special merit as a people. He did it to show His greatness and character to the Nations. He used His people as a storyboard on which to write His story of grace and mercy. They were a rebellious people, but He remained faithful to His promises.
     So as Rahab accepted the spies and protected them, she did so because she had heard what the LORD had done for Israel. It was not what they heard about Israel, but what they had heard about the LORD. Those reports had caused the bravest among them to shake in their boots. They were cowering in fear.
     The lesson I hear from this history is that it isn't about our strength or courage, but about His grace and mercy. The focus needs to always be on Him. What makes us able to stand is Him.
     So stand today because the LORD is with you. Be courageous because the LORD is at your side. Revel in His history of grace and mercy in your life and the lives of those around you. Exalt Him. Celebrate Him.

Selective Memory

Joshua 1:17 Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you.
Only may the LORD your God be with you as he was with Moses.

     Sometimes we are very selective in what we remember and what we proclaim about ourselves. We stretch the truth and shrink the lies. We tell fish stories and make excuses. We are not accurate re-tellers of our own lives, our own history, our own failings. We color it to bring out the best, but primarily we cover up the wrongs we have done.
     That is, most of us cover up the wrongs. We live in a day and age where some emphasize, celebrate the wrongs they have done as if it were a badge of honor. They glory in their failings which they see as victories. Their scoring system for right and wrong is opposite from what used to be. They proclaim wrongs right and rights wrong. Good and evil have been exchanged in their minds, hearts and behaviors.
     But they are not alone in shaping their own history. The Israelites were very quick to reshape their history, leaving out their failings. In the final days before they enter the Promised Land they answer their new leader with partial truth about themselves and their history of unfaithfulness. They have spent forty years journeying to the Promised Land to accomplish a trip of about two weeks.
     And that history is one of repeated failure, repeated rebellion and disobedience. And yet when they respond to their new leader, none of that rebellion is reported. Instead they say, "we fully obeyed!" What a crock of lies! It wasn't all obedience and it wasn't all disobedience. They possessed both. They should have proclaimed both.
     And they continue and say they will obey Joshua in the same way the obeyed Moses. If I were Joshua I probably would have shaken my head and said, "What have I gotten myself into?" Joshua was one of two people to have obeyed when the LORD first planned for their entry into the Promised Land. Only two people have believed. Only two had survived.
     Joshua had seen the cycles of disobedience, discipline and repentance. He had seen over and over again the stubbornness of this people, so he knew what was ahead.
     Perhaps that is why the LORD kept telling Joshua to be "strong and courageous." Maybe it wasn't because of the enemies they would face on the battlefield, but because of the stubbornness and hardheartedness of the God's people.
     How much patience has the LORD shown you in your life? Now is the time to return in humility and continue to seek His grace.

Face to Face

Deuteronomy 34:10-12 Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 who did all those signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. 12 For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.

     There are a few times in human history when a singular person has such a large impact on the course of history that their names is remembered. For most us us our names will be forgotten within three generations after out death.
     There are two ways to get on the "names remembered long after death" list. Hitler probably will make it on the list as will Mother Theresa. Exceptionally good people and notoriously bad people. They both make it on the list. But it is a very short list.
     I am pretty confident that I will not make it on the list. Other than my family and a few people I have encountered through the years, I will be forgotten, or already am forgotten. I really am a very insignificant person.
     But insignificant doesn't mean without tremendous worth. But I'll get back to this.
     Moses made it on the list, not because of who he was, but because of whose he was. The LORD had captured Moses' heart and soul. Moses tried to give excuses for not stepping into all the LORD had for him, but the LORD wouldn't accept any excuses.
     But what really set Moses apart was the intimate encounters he had with the LORD. He had met the LORD and seen Him face to face. He performed signs and wonders, miracles and judgements, but those are not what set him apart. He had seen the LORD face to face and lived.
     And those encounters had changed Moses. He was not the same person he was when he started on his journey. The LORD had shaped and molded him. He had yielded to the LORD's hand and will. He did so willingly.
     Will your life be marked by encounters with the LORD and your responses of obedience? Will reading your history be punctuated by the LORD. Or will it be a history of you?
     We all have choices to make that shape the future. What kind of future do you want? Obedience and surrender are your best path toward worth. You are of infinite value and worth. That was proven when Jesus died in YOUR place. Now live like it!

Call the Heavens

Deuteronomy 30:19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

    Who would you call as witnesses for you if you needed to call witnesses to your character? I would want to call someone with lots of pull, lots of reputation, lots of character. I want someone whose testimony would be believed. Wouldn't you!
    So who does the LORD, the Creator of everything, say He will call as a witness against a rebellious people? The LORD calls creation itself as witness. He pulls in everything, the very creation that speaks His Name, the creation that reflects His character of design and order. He calls it to the stand in His trial of humanity. People come and go, but the heavens and the earth are here to stay.
     He calls on heaven and earth to witness that He is giving humanity a choice. They must choose one way or the other. No sitting on the fence. No third position. We have a choice to make, every day.
     He calls on heaven and earth to witness because He knows that they are going to rebel against Him. Despite all the evidence that obedience is best, they will choose to worship other gods. They will turn away even though they know that punishment will come because of it.
     Does this sound like us?

Our Own Eyes

Deuteronomy 29:2-3 Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them:
Your eyes have seen all that the LORD did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials and to all his land. 3 With your own eyes you saw those great trials, those signs and great wonders.

     Sometimes we get the privilege of seeing something monumental, historic, foundational. We are there and we see it with our own eyes. And it changes our perspective on life.
     I remember when Americans first landed and then walked on the Moon. I still have the newspaper from that day with the headlines and the pictures. I didn't become an astronaut. But it gave me a pride in our county that endures to this day. Not a blind trust, but a pride that we could rise above our differences and accomplish almost anything.
     The Israelites as they were getting ready to enter the Promised Land are reminded by Moses their leader that they had seen with their own eyes the things the LORD did for them in delivering them out of slavery. They had seen it but they still had not comprehended its importance. They saw it, but they didn't understand its meaning.
     How many times do things happen right now in our lives and we don't see the long term affect they will have on us. We miss it. I think that is why older people tend to become more retrospective. They think about their lives and the choices they made. It finally hits them.
     Maybe we could become a people who think before we act. We could become a people who actively choose obedience rather than falling into disobedience. We look ahead into the future and imagine the outcome of possible decisions BEFORE we act. Now that would be a choice worth making.
     So let's start today. Let's not wait until another bad choice has happened before we turn ourselves around. Allow the LORD to open your heart and mind to His will. He will enable us to see what He is doing right now so that our choices reflect reality rather than our own contrived fantasy.
    

No Middle Ground

Deuteronomy 27:12 When you have crossed the Jordan,
these tribes shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: ...
13 And these tribes shall stand on Mount Ebal to pronounce curses: ...

     Sometimes there is no middle ground. But we like compromise, give and take, a little for me and a little for you. But to be honest we really like OUR way. We love to be on the receiving end of giving and we want a lot, not a little. We want it for ourselves! So when there is no middle ground we get uncomfortable. We squirm, wiggle and look for the exit doors.
     One of the final instructions that Moses gave to the people of Israel before they entered the Promised Land was how to visually demonstrate the choice they had before them. Half the tribes were to stand on one mountain and half were to stand on the other mountain. One half pronounced curses on those who would disobey and the other have pronounced blessings on those who would obey. He spends two full chapters outlining these blessings and curses.
     There was a clear choice. No one was in the valley between the two mountains. The lesson was clear. There were only two camps: Obedience leading to blessing or disobedience leading to the withdrawal of the LORD's presence and the resulting curse that would result. Those were their choices.
     Believe it or not, we still have those same choices today. We can line our lives up with the LORD's will and have the opportunity to experience blessing. Or we can disregard the clear instruction from Scripture and choose to live by our own set of rules and seperate ourselves from the life the LORD has designed us to live. We can choose our own fruit like in the Garden of Eden.
     We make the choice. There is no middle ground, no half way, no compromise.
     There is no guarantee that blessing will come in the way and at the time we want. But blessing will come. And just as surely curse will come to those who disobey at a time of the LORD's choosing.
     So what is your choice today? What kind of future do you want?

In Proportion

Deuteronomy 16:17 Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to
the way the LORD your God has blessed you. 

     Proportionality in giving. "To whom much is given, much is required." To put this simply, if we have a lot, we should be able to give a lot. This is one of the principles about giving in the Scriptures.
     It can be easy to look at the ultra-wealthy and say to them, "Give more." And they should voluntarily give more. But that shifts the responsibility away from us onto them. But we are all called to give in proportion to the blessing we have received.
     I read in the news that a certain candidate's proposals will cost about 98 trillion dollars. But the reality is that the total wealth of every member of the United States is about 98 trillion dollars. In order to fund the candidate's proposal, all the wealth of the total population would have to be confiscated. Every penny of asset seized and sold. Every retirement saving transferred to the government. No private home ownership. It all gets taken by the government.
     Notice I didn't say voluntarily given.
     In our life of generosity our giving needs to increase as our blessing increases. In our devotion to the LORD, our gifts need to increase as the blessing increases.
     This is not a plea for support. It is an invitation to join me in my struggle to give more proportionally. The blessing of obedience is still available. The blessing isn't about more finances, more stuff. It is about living the kind of life we were designed to live.

Give Generously

Deuteronomy 15:10 Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. 11 There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.

     Give generously. That is hard for so many people. We like to hold onto what we have, what we have earned, the things that demonstrate blessing. So it is counter-intuitive to give generously. And yet this is exactly what we are called to do.
     As the Israelites are preparing to enter the Promised Land, they are faced with a choice. They must choose how they are going to respond to wealth. The Promised Land is the place where God's promise meets God's people. Everything was provided for in the Land. What were they going to do with it?
     Their choice was a simple one. They could hold onto it for themselves or they could be obedient and take care of the poor, the widow and the orphan. They could build bigger barns (to borrow from a parable of Jesus) or they could give generously.
     The focus is on those who are part of the community, connected to the LORD. Fellow Israelites need to be taken care of by the people of the LORD. They are part of the covenant people, which includes foreigners who choose to align themselves with Israel.
     Too often we put labels on those less fortunate. We blast them as lazy in order to justify our unwillingness to lend a hand up. We think "they got themselves into this mess, they need to get themselves out of it."
     I am not talking about enabling bad behavior or encouraging continued wrong choices. "There will always be poor people in the land." We have an obligation as God's people to demonstrate our trust in the God who has 'blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus' in practical, tangible ways. We need to open our hands and let the blessing flow through us.

Debts Canceled

     Wouldn't it be wonderful to live debt free! As someone who does, it is! But debt free living comes at a cost. Debt free isn't free. It happened for Israel in seven year cycles.
     The history of Israel's lending policies is beautiful. They come into the Promised Land with no debt. They are given a land filled with everything they could ever want and need. And provision is made for the rare times when someone goes into debt. Part of that provision dealt with lending to each other, lending to fellow Israelites.
     When an Israelite fell into debt they would borrow from another Israelite. The Lender would calculate where they were in the nation's seven year cycle. They would then do a customized loan payment plan based on that. If there was any outstanding balance when the seven year cycle came, the balance would be forgiven.
     So how was this possible? First, the nation as a whole had promised to live life in a way that honored the LORD in all that they did. Their lifestyle and life choices were to be such that they would stand as a shining example of the power of the LORD, an example that would lead others to want to be in relationship with the LORD. So it started on the premise that Israel honored the LORD.
     Second, the nation's needs were provided for because of the blessing that was promised for this kind of obedient, submitted living. The Israelites didn't get to do just anything they wanted. They were part of a larger community that cared and supported each other. They took care of the poor, the widows and the orphans. They made provision for foreigners living in their midst. The blessing of the LORD was so evident that they had plenty to voluntarily share.
     Third, everyone took responsibility for their own choices. The Lender would calculate the time left before the seven year cycle was over and lent money based on that. The borrower took responsibility to pay back and made the appropriate sacrifices in order to be a responsible member of the society. Only in rare, unforeseen circumstances did they default on loans. Everyone paid their fare share.
     This is very different from so many societies, including our own, that want to just forgive debt. No society lived or lives by these standards. None lives a holy national life. None experiences the blessings of the LORD to the degree intended. None has a populace that takes personal responsibility for their debt.
     Instead, proposals are out there to steal money from one group and give it to another without any personal responsibility is not a Biblical concept. We, both individually and corporately, must take responsibility for our spending and our lending.

Singular

Deuteronomy 13:1 If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, 2 and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” 3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.

     There are so many things that are of value in our world, things worth living for and things worth dying for. With the role of advertising psychology ever increasingly being used in our world to tap into the motivation of consumers, we need to be able to sort through the messages and make good decisions.
     The key is to look beyond the moment, both to the past and to the future, and evaluate the offer based on history and destiny.
    We can read about this kind of "looking beyond the moment" experience in the Scriptures. In Deuteronomy 13 there is a warning about following after foreign gods as the people are preparing to enter the Promised Land.
     The first part of the warning has to deal with the present moment, a false prophet who is able to bring the razzle dazzle of foretelling the future as a way to get the people of God to be distracted. The distract of the present moment pulls us away from the lessons of the past and separates us from the promises of the future.
     There was a calling away from remembering the history the LORD had with His people. "Ignore the miracles associated with the Exodus. Here is a miracle right here. Run after it."
     And there is a glossing over the promises of the future of blessing for the immediate return of the present.
     It can be hard to balance the history of our past and the blessings of the promised future. We can get so wrapped up in the razzle dazzle of the moment that we loose our minds and hearts. So as we walk through this Lenton season, let's keep our eyes focused on the history of faithfulness demonstrated by the LORD and the promise of our future completed redemption. Notice the present, but don't get deceived by it.
    

Lent

     With the Lenten season starting today, I would like to propose a different way of thinking about it.
     So often we have heard that Lent involves giving up something in order to get closer to the LORD, say 'no' to our own desires and 'yes' to His. We simplify our lives in order to hear God's voice more clearly.
     But Lent, and life itself, is about us living below the blessing level that the LORD has provided. We are always living less than His design. Ever since that first fruit grab, and our subsequent exit from God's Garden, we have lived below our design.
     Think about driving down the road with two flat tires. It works. You can get places. But it is not the way cars were designed to be used.
     So during this Lenton season, don't think so much about what you are giving up, but about what you are gaining by living more in line with His will, more fully embracing His design for your life.
     Notice, for instance your need for food and the blessing food is in our lives. Clean water. Relative safety. The blessing of friendship. The joys of giving. The fulfillment of self-sacrifice. The lessons of suffering. The pain of being alone. Notice these things and hear the message of our Savior.
     Jesus provided for our restoration to full relationship with each other and with Him. And yet we don't live in this reality. We are already saved, set apart for His glory, and seated with Him in heavenly places. And yet we don't seem to experience this in the reality of our lives.
     So take this time to experience a little bit more of His design for our lives. Enjoy!

It's Official

     For those who might be interested, we will be serving a Military Hospitality House in Grafenwoehr, Germany starting the beginning of August 2020. We will serve for four one half months, returning before Christmas. We are excited for this opportunity to serve in the name of Jesus.
     Our ministry will be to sustain a home away from home, sharing the Gospel and our lives with the military community there. We will open our home there for Friday times of fellowship, eating, sharing of the Scriptures, prayer and support. Sunday nights for more fellowship and a time to make more lasting connections and dig deeper in more intimate conversations. Monday nights will include Bible studies in various locations. Tuesdays and Thursdays include meeting the needs of women and others in various locations.
     By being willing to share our lives, leave our comfortable station in life and serve for the benefit of others, we are saying "Yes" to Jesus. The easy thing would be to stay put, in our comfortable routine. But we feel the pull that only comes from the Holy Spirit. And so we will go.
     We covet your prayers most of all. There will be eternal moments, times of decision and wrestling with God and leaving broken by the experience. We want to be there at those critical moments for those who are in the fight. We surrender.
     So if you will do one thing, pray. For those who feel led, feel free to give financially, one time or many times, small amount or large. But we need your prayers. The finances will always be there, but we need your prayers.  Follow this link: https://cadence.org/directory/#!biz/id/58cff73307ac802046a09e83
     So stay tuned in the coming months as we prepare and as we arrive and carry on the ministry. We will try to give you opportunity to see ministry from our perspective among those who place their lives on the line for our national security.
     If you have been benefited by our ministry in your life in the past, please consider paying it forward.