No Unknowns

After him Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel, and he judged Israel ten years. Then Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried at Aijalon in the land of Zebulun. (Judges 12:11,12 ESV)

No Unknowns

Have you ever heard of Elon the Zebulunite? (No Elon Musk, jokes, please!) You probably have not.  He was one of Israel’s Judges, in the years before David became King.  We do not know much about him.  He judged for ten years.  He was buried at Aijalon.  We do not know his family credentials, his children’s names, his age, his appearance, his accomplishments, his successes, his failures, his reputation, his popularity, or his wealth.

But he is not unknown.  God knew Elon enough to write Elon’s name in God’s book.

Perhaps as a reminder to us.  We might feel unknown at times.  We might feel unnoticed at times.  We might feel insignificant at times.

But in God’s eyes (and HIS eyes matter!) we are not.

We do not matter merely because of something we accomplish.  We do not matter merely because of place in a community.  We do not matter merely because of where we come from, or who comes from us.

We matter because we are Christ’s.

And that is enough.

We are peculiar, Christ has no unknowns.

Victory

And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14 ESV)

Victory

Is the glass half empty? Or is the glass half full?  Popular philosophers assign the label of pessimist to the half empty glass folk, and call the half full glass folk optimists. 

But they miss the point. 

Today, looking at American church attendance, declining ethics, and common messages of hopelessness, we might conclude that Christ’s Kingdom is declining.  We look at those numbers and we begin to despair.

But Jesus promises something different.  He says here that His kingdom will expand, the church will grow, the faithful increase, and things actually get better and better!

Perhaps it helps to learn that while American society seems to be declining, Christianity throughout the world is not.  For instance, the number of Bibles printed continues to rise each year.  The number of non-Christians who know one or more Christians increases each year.  World-wide growth of Christianity far outweighs the decline in America.

Look wider, and see the victory of Christ’s Kingdom.

We are peculiar, Christ gives victory.

Impressing

If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10 ESV)

Impressing

Swedish genius Olof Rudbeck was the premier scholar at Uppsala University in the early 17th century.  Rudbeck had discovered the human lymphatic system, classified more birds and flowering plants than anyone before him, and gathered and organized most of our present knowledge of Norse Sagas and Viking history.

But he had a problem.  He had spent so much energy and time attempting to ‘keep peace’ with fellow academicians, that he had boxed himself in.  He became so worried about offending his supporters, patrons, and colleagues that he was afraid to speak, write, or decide anything.

He gave all that up one day, writing that he had finally remembered that he only served One, not many.

Christians do not need to worry about impressing anyone but Jesus, and HE already loves us.  Christians do not need to worry about appearances, reactions, or popularity, because we are already secure in Christ’s family.  Christians do not need to worry about first, second, or third impressions, as long as we are firmly rooted in Christ alone.

We are peculiar, we do not need to please mankind.

Not Stupid

Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan and said to them, “Go up into the Negeb and go up into the hill country, and see what the land is, and whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many. (Numbers 13:17,18 ESV)

Not Stupid

General T.J. (Stonewall) Jackson was once tasked with occupying an enemy fort.  He meticulously planned preparations, a diversion, and a tactically brilliant attack.  It succeeded.  A cynic from his staff, who had observed Jackson’s faith, asked him, “General, if you knew God was on your side, why bother to plan?”

Supposedly, Jackson looked the cynic in the eye and uttered, “Faith, sir, is not stupid.”

Moses knew this, too.  God had promised success in Israel’s Canaanite conquest.  Even so, even though Moses believed, even though Moses had no doubts… he sent spies to check Canaan out.  To collect data and facts.  To find out what he was in for.

And we get to do this, too.  Faith does not mean, ‘stupid.’  As well as faith, God gives His people brains.  As well as faith, God gives His people experience.  As well as faith, God gives His people some common sense.

We are peculiar, our faith does not make us stupid.

Consistency

But down the road the population of Israel is going to explode past counting, like sand on the ocean beaches. In the very place where they were once named Nobody, they will be named God’s Somebody.  (Hosea 1:10 The Message)

Consistency

Meteorologists change their tune all the time.  The forecast for next Tuesday will change six times over the next week.  Maybe more.  Investment brokers are just as flexible.  Economic forecasts vary almost as much as weather forecasts.  And political pundits sing the same sort of song.  How many time haven’t we heard that our particular political party is either doomed or unbeatable?  Each season brings new forecasts.

But God is consistent.

This promise God makes to Hosea regarding the numbers of Abraham’s children is an example.  It is almost exactly God’s promise to Abraham!  And the theme of the expansion of Christ’s Kingdom is found throughout the Bible.

And it is still coming true today.  We Christians are Abraham’s children, spiritual Israel, and the visible Kingdom of God.  And while we have reason to feel some discouragement at the number of folk in American pews these days, Christianity continues to grow faster than any religion.

Because God’s promises are true and consistent.

Other truths seem to wander around the page… but not God’s.

We are peculiar, we know consistent truth.

A Little

Better is a little with the fear of the Lord,  than great treasure and trouble with it. (Proverbs 15:16 ESV)

A Little

The grass seems greener on the other side of the fence.  We want to be able to buy Twitter.  We want to be able to buy a new car every year.  We want to be able to remodel our entire house, even the closets.  We want to be able to stop working and tunnel our toes in the sandy beach.  We want…

But we have only a little.

But that ‘little’ is enough.  Because a relationship with the One True Living God makes that ‘little’ better than treasure.

Part of it is perspective, of course.  Part of it is contentment, of course.  Part of it is the peace that comes from walking with the Lord, of course.

But mostly, it is because our fear of the Lord happens because He loves us.

And nothing is better than the Love of the Lord.

We are peculiar, we have a HUGE little.

Watch

Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. (Matthew 25:13 ESV)

Watch

When my children come to visit, I watch.  Sometimes they text along the way.  Sometimes we briefly speak on the phone.  I eagerly imagine the mile marker they are passing.  I watch because I am excited, glad, and pleased.

When the dental surgeon is on the way to my cubicle, I watch.  I listen for the sound of his shoes.  I imagine his flexing fingers as he prepares for my procedure.  I hold my breath in anticipation.   I watch because I am afraid, apprehensive, and displeased.

How do you watch for Christ Jesus coming? 

Because our end is nothing but the metamorphosis of this life into Jesus’ presence, it is not terrible, frightening, or awful.  It is exciting, calming, and awe-ful!

We are peculiar, the end is not the end.

Progress

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, (Philippians 1:9 ESV)

Progress

I am becoming a better mandolin player.  I am a more skillful driver than I was at 15.  My expertise in the Klingon language is increasing. 

Those growths make me falsely confident that I can improve in my Christianity through practice, experience, and training.  But it does not work that way.

Paul prays that the Philippians abound more in love, because Paul knows the only way for progress is through God’s amazing spiritual work in us.  Paul does not simply lay out twelve easy steps to ‘better love.’  Instead, he turns to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The Father is the source of more love because He invented, displays, and provides love for us. Only in Him does love abound, because He is all love. The Son is the source of love because He manifests love in His salvific sacrifice, His obedience on our behalf, and His experience on earth.  Looking at Him gives us knowledge of what love looks like.  The Spirit is the source of love because He takes the Father’s and the Son’s love and drives it into our hearts.  The Spirit enables us to interpret God’s Word and God’s world so we know it.  The Spirit enables us to discern where love is, and where love is not.

Loving better is easier than becoming a better mandolin player.  Just surrender to the work of God.  It is harder, though, because it requires humility, honesty, and openness.

We are peculiar, we can progress in love.

Holy

Greet one another with a holy kiss. (II Corinthians 13:12 ESV)

Holy

When I was a lonely teenager, I used to giggle about this verse.  I considered, a few times, trying to sneak a kiss from a cute girl by claiming to be simply following this command.  I am glad I never actually tried it because I misunderstood the verse.

Paul is not commanding us to do something selfish (like sneaking a kiss) by pretending it is a holy thing.  Any more than God wants us to rob a bank, so we have more to tithe, take offense easily so we can offer forgiveness, or swear loudly so we can loudly confess and repent.

Quite the opposite, in fact.  Paul is instructing the Corinthians to make everything holy… a greeting-kiss being somewhere in the middle of the extremely mundane and the extremely important.  And making everything holy (as the rest of Paul’s letters describe) means submitting every bit of our lives to our Lord.

Making everything holy means having Christ in our minds always, not just on Sunday.  Making everything holy means knowing that Christ has given us His robes to wear all the time, not just in formal worship.  Making everything holy means knowing that Christ is beside us constantly, and that changes our awareness, our intentions, our desires, and our actions.  Especially when we realize that the only way our awareness, intentions, desires, and actions are done right is when we submit to Him in all of those things.

Even a greeting, then, is potentially holy… because even a greeting is bathed in Christ.

We are peculiar, we can be holy.

Gifts

(they) approached and brought their offerings before the Lord, six wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon for every two of the chiefs, and for each one an ox. They brought them before the tabernacle. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Accept these from them, that they may be used in the service of the tent of meeting,” (Numbers 7:2-5 ESV)

Gifts

Once when a teacher left my middle school, we were supposed to bring farewell gifts.  I had decided that I did not want to give fruit, or a book, or a picture, like everyone else would bring.  So instead, I wrapped and brought one of those eyeglass-repair screwdriver sets.  I chose that gift because a) he wore glasses, b) I liked MY eyeglass-repair screwdriver set, and c) it is what I had available and ready to give.

It was an odd gift, I admit.  But I like to think that while the class snickered, this kindly man understood.  A gift is a gift.  Love receives gifts and uses them, even if they are odd, or unexpected, or not shiny, or silly on the surface.

God’s Old Testament Law has a long list of offerings to be given for particular purposes.  Specific instructions are given for sin offerings, harvest offerings, and dedication offerings.  And perhaps those descriptions make us worry that God is a fussy gift receiver.

But He is not.

He sees our gifts, and the heart behind them, and is glad… and He uses those gifts exactly where they are needed.  In today’s verses, while many Israelites were giving valuable and shiny gold jewelry and adornments, some folk brought oxen and wagons.  Regardless of the obvious value of those gifts, they were not beautiful, artistic, fancy, or religious. 

But God used those gifts, too.

And He uses what you are able to give Him, as well.  Whether it is five minutes out of your day, a brief conversation with a stranger in pain, an odd job done for a shut-in, a smile at just the right moment, a phone call while taking a break from work, or fifty cents instead of fifty thousand dollars… God knows how to love your gift, because He loves us givers.

And knowing our gifts are useful to Him is a grand thing!

We are peculiar, God appreciates our gifts.

Obvious

And on that day, there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, “Holy to the Lord.” (Zechariah 14:20 ESV)

Obvious

I’ve seen cats with bells, dogs with bells, goats with bells, and horses with bells.  And the reason for all of those bellifications is not beautification.  Those bells are not decorations.  Those bells are not intended to be cute.

Those bells are making an announcement.  The bells ring out, “Something is coming!”  Perhaps, “Something dangerous is coming!”  Or maybe, “Something important is coming!”  The bells say, “Look here!  Pay attention!”  Particularly if you are a smaller animal, a child, something tender, or in need of protection.

The Lord announces that the day is coming when horses’ bells will not simply be saying, “Look out! Hooves flying!”  but rather, “EVEN this horse belongs to God!”

When is that day coming?  The fact is, the day is already here.  Because that horse DOES belong to the Lord.  That day is already here because Christ Jesus has already been declared King and sits at the right hand of God.  That day is already here because all of creation, all of history, all of nature, all of everything shouts, “THIS belongs to God!”

The difference right now is that everyone has not accepted, admitted, or acclaimed that.

But if you are a Christian, you already have.  You already know it.  You might forget it sometimes, you might be too shy to shout it sometimes, you might be muffling your bells…  

But you get to claim it.

We are peculiar, we know the obvious reign of Christ.

Impartiality

…what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality… (Galatians 2:6 ESV)

Impartiality

I once submitted an article to a magazine for publication.  My submission was rejected.  When I telephoned the editor for his rationale, I found out that the accepted article was written by a good friend of one of the staff.  When I pointed out that I, too, was a friend of a member of the staff, I was told, “Oh… we did not know that.  If we had…”

Partiality is a problem.  Whether it is favoritism towards family members of politicians, or anti-favoritism towards family members… impartiality is both rare and wonderful.

Paul declares in this verse that God is impartial.  Perhaps that surprises us.  We might expect that God would show partiality towards US, His children!

But partiality, because our REAL relationship with the God of the Universe is that of rebellion, ignorance, and sin, would go against us, not in our favor.  What favor we have with God, and it IS intense favor, comes through our faith-brother, Jesus Christ.  What favor we have with God, and it IS wonderful favor, comes through our blood-brother, Jesus Christ.  What favor we have with God, and it IS abundant favor, comes through God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

God shows no partiality dependent on who we are, what we are like, what we have done.  Because God is completely partial towards His perfect Son, Jesus Christ.

So, God is indeed impartial… other than where Jesus is concerned.

And that actually makes Him partial to us, too.

We are peculiar, God is partial towards us.

Recant

Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. (Proverbs 30:5 ESV)

Recant day

501 years and one day ago at the Diet of Worms, Martin Luther uttered the immortal words that launched the Reformation, "Since your majesty and your lordships desire a simple reply, I will answer without horns and without teeth. Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason--I do not accept the authority of popes and councils for they have contradicted each other--my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right not safe. Here I stand, I can do no other. God help me. Amen

Today many of us do not understand Luther’s point.  He was not claiming that HIS knowledge was greater than the slipping church of his day.  He was claiming that God’s Word is supreme.  The key misunderstood words are: “convinced by Scripture and plain reason.”  Luther did not mean there were two ways of determining truth: Scripture and reason.  He was claiming that the Words of the Bible, and what can be plainly reasoned FROM the Bible are the only reliable source of knowledge.

Not just what someone told us.

Not just what we think our conscience might be telling us.

Not just what we hope is true.

Not just what our Great Brains deduce.

Those things are ultimately unreliable, out of focus, self-aggrandizing, and probably wrong.

But God’s people, when we have ears to hear and eyes to read… know God’s truth.  Speak those things, and we will not have reason to recant.

We are peculiar, we will not need to recant.

Beginning

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (II Corinthians 5:17 ESV)

Beginning

I do not think I could be a sculptor.  While in Italy, we saw a display of failed statues.  The artist, I imagine, chipped away, but suddenly (imagine a wasp, or a wind gust, or a bout of drowsiness) the hammer and chisel slipped… and the statue was ruined.

You do not get to start over on that statue.

I can only think of one situation where we can start over successfully.  And we celebrated it yesterday.  Christ was risen.  Death was not only changed into something better, it was defeated.  Sinners’ lives became new.

We got to start over.

And because of the infinite nature of Christ’s death and resurrection, we get to start over again… and again… and again.

There are no other fresh starts.  There are quite a few back-ups, or repairs, or practice moments.

But only Christ’s redeemed ones have true new beginnings.

Because even He did.

We are unique, we have a new beginning

Completion

“It is finished,” (John 19:30 ESV)

Completion

Recently, at a film set, the director shouted with glee, “That’s a wrap!”  And the crew and cast went wild.  We cheered, we shouted, we whistled, and we KNEW that moment was the most important moment in the making of the movie.

As we walked away, I thought through a lot of the other moments that had seemed so important.  The preparation, communication, and planning… each scene shot and repeated and finalized… the miles of travel and short nearly sleepless nights… but that moment, that ‘wrap,’ was the most important.

And the work was not done.  Editing remained, advertising remained, the soundtrack remained.  But that moment, that ‘wrap’ was the most important.

Jesus knew that on the cross and declared it.  The most important moment in all of history took place right then and right there.  It is finished.

What is finished?  Sin’s punishment, sin’s power, and sin’s presence were all trounced as Jesus died.

Everything beforehand led up to that moment.  Everything since looks back to that moment.

All we need to do to be finished with sin ourselves, is lean on Him.  And better than that, we GET to lean on Him.

We are peculiar, sin is finished.

Replacement

And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” (Mark 14:22 ESV)

Replacement

In reviewing the mechanics of some sleight-of-hand magic tricks, I was reminded that stage magicians work primarily through substitution and replacement.  You think you are looking at the hand holding the ball, but things have changed.  You think you have independently selected a card, but your card is not the card you chose.  You think the girl is in the box, the coin is in your hand, and the rabbit is not in the hat, but nope… you are wrong.

In a way, Jesus pulled a fast one on Satan.

And He talks about it during the Last Supper.  Way back in the Book of Exodus, God replaced the blood of the sinful Israelites with the blood of a lamb.  From then on, God switched the blood of that lamb with a symbolic dinner.  And here, Jesus replaces that symbolic dinner with His own body… about to be sacrificed in the place of the bread, in the place of the lamb, in the place of their sins.

And as He speaks, He makes one more replacement.  That bread is not only Him, but it is His people.  In I Corinthians 12:27, we learn that we are now the Lord’s body.

I admit I do not fully understand, and probably will not until my brain grows in heaven, how this works.  But I do know that it is a continuation of that series of replacements.  And it is a full circle.

Because it is our unshed blood and unbroken body that takes the place our that wine and bread.

Our broken selves were replaced by the perfect Christ Jesus… and the replacement is then made complete when we are in turn made into His body.

We are peculiar, we are replaced.

Accusation

In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. (Matthew 21:18,19 ESV)

Accusation

I hate it when one of my guitar strings slips out of tune.  I hate it to the degree that I enjoy passionately playing the guitar.  If I did not love my music, I would not try to fix it when it needs tuning.

The same concept holds true when it comes to training a dog, finishing a painting, writing a story, mowing the lawn, or teaching a skill.

Ignoring faults, failings, errors, problems, mistakes, or blemishes does not help anything.

That is why Jesus pauses outside of Jerusalem, in front of a fig tree.  He notices that the fig tree is not bearing fruit, and He accuses it.  He does not ignore it.  He does not look the other way.

That fig tree is a symbol, of course, of God’s people.

We, like the fig tree, do not bear Christian fruit.  We do not act like we are His people.  We do not yearn for righteousness.  We do not love.  And if Jesus did not love us so deeply, He would let us go along our merry way.

But instead, He points out our sins.  He teaches us through His Word, His Spirit, and the gentle nudging of His people.

For one reason:  So that He can show us the way to hope.   He killed that tree to show us that we should die.  But instead, Jesus dies for us!

It starts with Him teaching us about our Sins.  It starts with accusations.  But those accusations are the first step of salvation.

We are peculiar, we get to be accused!

Understanding

His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. (John 12:16 ESV)

Understanding

I have been playing chess for decades.  Sometimes I think I understand the game, but then something happens to remind me that I have a long way to go. 

I once was on my way to a regional championship, but a pre-teen beat me, and taught me what I had done wrong.

I was giving chess lessons to some students, when one of them showed me that I was missing something and repaired my error.

I recently bought a new book and found already in chapter one a couple of treasures.

Everyone wants to understand everything.  But just like chess, life is more complicated than we think.  There is always another thing to learn.

But the disciples discovered that they will understand.

They had years sitting at Jesus’ feet, and thought they understood… but the deeper understanding came later.

And that happens for all of God’s children.

As well as we understand things today, Paul reminds us that we see things as if we were looking through dark glass (I Corinthians 13:12).  But we WILL see Him fully, completely, absolutely. 

The disciples learned they had more to learn, but also learned that they WILL understand.

No one else will, in fact.

We are peculiar, we will understand.

Preparation

…saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. (Matthew 21:2 ESV)

Preparation

Our calm and peaceful home becomes a flurry of activity when we have houseguest.  We vacuum, we un-dust, we catch-up odd jobs, we clean the kitchen, we clean the bathrooms, we unclutter the counters and tabletops… in other words, we get ready.

If we did not care about the visitors, we would not work so hard.

As Christ Jesus nears the end of His earthly life, He continues to prepare.  Of course, He has been getting ready since Christmas morning.  Because He surely cares.  The depth and cost and complexity of the preparation show how much He cares.

His preparations now seem to increase in intensity.  It’s not just about asking for a donkey, it is about getting ready for betrayal; getting ready to feast in celebration of the salvation He is about to provide; getting ready to be able to say, “It is finished.”

He cares about His people, so He is getting ready.

We are peculiar, Jesus gets ready for us.

God's Work

I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant. (Joshua 24:13 ESV)

God’s Work

I have been assured, by experts in such things, that I cook the best Macaroni and Cheese in the universe.  Sometimes, when it turns out particularly phenomenal, I feel pretty good about it.

But other times, standing in the church kitchen, I notice that really all I do is mix ingredients.  A cow and some ranchers made the raw ingredients of the cheeses, and cheese-type substances.  Those cheeses were manufactured in some cheese factory.  The noodles were formed by a company in Mexico, using ingredients grown in California and Colorado.  The bacon was offered by a pig, a butcher, and a renderer.   The oven was sold to us by a supply company, after being built in a noisy production facility…

I stand on the shoulders of hundreds, if not thousands of producers, laborers, manufacturers, deliverers, architects, investors, developers… and God.

I can imagine Joshua’s audience listening with gaping jaws.  They had fought, bled, suffered, and sacrificed for that land.  They had gotten up early and planted, skipped a few lunches, and went to bed late, particularly during planting and harvesting.  They had wandered forty years.  They had overcome hardship and trial.

But God is the source of their success, the provider for their resources, and the force behind their labor.

And He did it (and does it) because of His love. 

God could sit back and whistle hymns.  But instead, He works on our behalf.  God could treat us as we deserve.  But instead, He saves us.  God could let the universe wind down to a shuddering end.  But instead, He makes all things new.

Because He loves His people.

We are peculiar, God works on our behalf.