Rejection

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, (I Peter 2:4,5 ESV)

Rejection

I liked my first truck.  It was an ugly green, sported a rusty bumper, smelled like old plumbing parts, and was not a popular model.  When other folk saw my truck, they laughed, frowned, or ignored it.  It was rejected by nearly everyone.

But I knew what was under the hood, and more importantly, in the transmission.  Not that I raced, but I was rarely beaten when the light turned green.  I had umph and kapow when I needed to pass on a highway.  It never failed to start on a cold morning or hot afternoon.

It was also, simply, mine.

Rejected by men, but to me it was precious.

If that can taste true with a mess of metal, rubber, and plastic, how much more true is it when it comes to the Christ, and we His people.

The world looks at Christ and laughs, frowns, or ignores Him.  But to God Christ is chosen and precious. 

And we become precious when we latch on to Him. 

When we sense that the world’s rejection of Him affects us, rejoice!  Because perhaps we are, too, rejected.  But we are also chosen and precious, because of Jesus.

We are peculiar, though rejected, we are also chosen.

Safety

You shall not plant any tree as an Asherah beside the altar of the Lord your God that you shall make. And you shall not set up a pillar, which the Lord your God hates. (Deuteronomy 16:21,22 ESV)

Safety

We do not generally let our children play on busy streets, even if the pavement makes a good kickball infield.  Warning labels stop us from consuming rat poison, even if it looks delicious. Speed limits prohibit me from pushing my engine beyond it’s limit, and my vehicle beyond safe operating limitations.

We do not like rules, laws, or the Law.

But God knows what He is doing.

These rules keeping Asherah trees and poles far from God’s altar are a good example.  Asherah was a popular false religion.  The worship was fun, the ceremonies were attractive, and the peer pressure was intense.  Some might have considered Asherah-worship a harmless diversion.

But it was devastatingly dangerous.  The Asherah religion destroyed families, eventually and inevitably took lives, and pulled individuals, communities, and even nations away from the only true way to salvation, Jahweh God.

His rules, law, and Law were given to protect us.  He proclaimed them for His people’s safety.  He loves them because He loves us.

We are peculiar, God and God’s way keeps us safe.

Individuals

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.  (Romans 12:4,5 ESV)

Individuals

WARNING:  STAR TREK REFERENCE

We are supposed to hate the Borg, and we do.  Not only do they wield terrible weapons, but they threaten what seems to many of us to be our greatest possession:  our individuality.

If the Borg defeat you, they absorb you into their ‘collective,’ and you are an individual no more.

It might seem to some that Christianity is like the Borg.  We emphasize unity, community, Oneness, and following along behind One Man.

But Paul points out that we are no Borg.

Our unity in Christ does not diminish our individual gifts, abilities, and personalities.  God created us individually, trains us individually, guides us individually, and loves us individually.

Christians, unlike the Borg, retain every bit of our individuality even while having Unity in Christ.

It is unique in the universe.

We are peculiar, we are both the one and the many.

Praying

But neither (King Zedekiah) nor his servants nor the people of the land listened to the words of the Lord that He spoke through Jeremiah the prophet. King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “Please pray for us to the Lord our God.” (Jeremiah 37:2,3 ESV)

Praying

No matter how bad our situation is, there is prayer.  Even King Zedekiah, rebellious against God, stubbornly deaf, falsely hopeful in false hopes, knew enough to pray.

Because God is patient, so very patient.

Because God keeps His promises, in His time.

Because God is the One true living God of the universe.

Zedekiah asked Jeremiah to pray.

We feel pretty hopeless at times.  Pray.

We feel abandoned sometimes.  Pray.

We feel lost.  Pray.

We are peculiar, we can pray.

Eventually

According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, (I Peter 1:3,4 ESV)

Eventually

I am not a good gardener.  When I observe that my tomato plant needs water, I am impatient to see the effect of rain.  When I notice that my apple tree needs pruning, I am impatient to find luscious apples immediately after the excess branches are cut away.  When my calendar informs me that it is time to plant, I am impatient to see sprouts by the end of the day.

Sometimes I treat my inheritance from God in the same way.  I want an end to sin yesterday.  I want absolute proof of God’s mercy right now.  I want faith to be unnecessary, hope to be unnecessary, and love to be overwhelmingly present immediately.

But my inheritance is absolute and secure because it is not primarily here… or now.  It is in heaven. 

We can have faith that even invisible to us, it is real.  We can trust that God’s Word describes it accurately.  We can love and be loved now, as a foretaste of the love we will live with in heaven.

But the inheritance is still coming.  Otherwise, we would not call it an inheritance.

We are peculiar, our inheritance is grand, and is in heaven.

Permanence

According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, (I Peter 1:3,4 ESV)

Permanence

One of the tools I received from my father was a sturdy, comfortable, and reliable screwdriver.  I suspect it was manufactured in the 1940’s, and it was a perfect fit for my hand.  It was my go-to screwdriver when Phillip’s head screws needed to be driven.

And last week the handle broke.

At first, I was devastated.  But then I remembered that all things around here will not last.  In a way, the screwdriver was a part of my inheritance, but it barely lasted twenty years since I received it.

But the new life God has given us will not break, bend, rust, decay, or disappear. 

Peter tells us that the life we received from God is imperishable.  Because it is primarily in that eternal perfect universe we call heaven, it is not subject to this creation’s pesky broken rules that cause screwdrivers to break, weeds to grow, batteries to corrode, and fenders to rust.

Peter tells us that the life we received from God is undefiled.  Because it is primarily in that eternal perfect universe we call heaven, it is not affected by sin.  Everything works as God intended, before Adam (and we) messed it up.  Relationships are harmonious, united by Christ.  Our bodies will be healthful, healed by the Father.  Our emotions will be untainted and appropriate, in tune with the Spirit.

We are peculiar, our inheritance is permanent.

Born Again

According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, (I Peter 1:3,4 ESV)

Born Again

It is time to reclaim the phrase, “born again” from a common misunderstanding.  Being born again has come to mean, even among Christians, as  having a religious experience that results from a decision, involves a lot of tears, and makes saintly aunts rejoice.

But being born again, while perhaps leading to those things, is actually something God does for us.

When my grandfather was teaching me to play chess, he had a strange rule.  At any point in the game, I could ask to start over.  It seems like an odd way to teach anything.  But it helped me overcome the despair that arose when I became hopelessly entangled in the effects of a poorly chosen move.

That is why God causes His people to be born again.

When we reach the point of despair, knowing how our bad decisions and actions have ruined everything, God says we can start over, in His eyes.

It happens through clinging to Christ, it happens through acknowledging and hating our old self, it happens through Christ’s love… but we get to start over.

We are peculiar, we can be born again.

Mercy

According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, (I Peter 1:3,4 ESV)

Mercy

It is time to reclaim another word from the world.  Today, it seems that MERCY simply means being nice. 

But mercy is a rich concept in God’s Word.  God is merciful to us when He does not treat us as our actions, words, and thoughts deserve.  Mercy does not refer to salvation (that would be grace), but rather to the present effects of our disobedience.

God, being merciful, has brought salvation to remove the present effects of our sinfulness.  He is not only offering heaven, but He fixes what is broken here, too.

In a way, God mercifully breaks the laws of cause-and-effect on our behalf.  Our sins, even eternally removed through the cross, still could be expected to have adverse effects.  But God does not treat us as we deserve.  He treats us as if we were Jesus.

So, when bad things happen, we can find hope in the knowledge that God is not troubling us because of justice.  He already punished Jesus.  He might be teaching, or guiding, or helping someone else through our troubles. 

But we are peculiar, God is merciful to us.

Endurance

Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.  (Hebrews 12:3 ESV)

Endurance

A fire can burn in two ways.  When the campfire blazes, the logs burn hotly and brightly.  But later, even though the flames are not visible, the log can continue to burn… slowly and quietly.  But both are burning.

We also have two kinds of tired.  We might be tired from extensive exertion.  The kind of tired we become after hot, sweaty, painful work.  Or we might be tired from a long slow exertion.  The kind of tired we become when we perform a behind-the-scenes work.  Low energy, but still tiring.

But I contend that both kinds of tired are usually felt because we are noticing our own work, our own exertions, our own sacrifice, our own pain. 

And, of course, we notice such things.  If we did not, we might fail to respond to our bodies, minds, and hearts.  We might cause harm to ourselves or others though exhaustion.

But this verse reminds us that we have a neglected solution to tiredness.  When the work must be done, when relief will best be granted through completion, when our self-focus is more distraction than helpful diagnosis, remember these words.

Consider Him.

He endured both kinds of tired.  So that we may not grow weary or fainthearted.

That can be an example for us, yes.  We are His followers, after all. 

But more than that, endurance becomes possible when our eyes are not so focused on ourselves.  And our hard work is not an end to itself, but is given to us to put our eyes on Jesus.  Our exhaustion is given to us to put our eyes on Jesus.  Our struggles are given to us to put our eyes on Jesus.

We are peculiar, we can endure through Jesus.

With Us

And when the hour came, He reclined at table, and the apostles with him.  And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. (Luke 22:14,15 ESV)

With Us

The second person of the Trinity, whom we know best as Jesus, reveals something precious here.  He, who had celebrated every Passover feast in heaven, really yearned for this particular Passover feast on earth.  It seems that Jesus knew His death, resurrection, and ascension… and thus the fulfillment of the Biblical Feasts was imminent.  This is what every feast had been aiming at.

And now it was all about to be made physically real, as well as intellectually, emotionally, and Spiritually.  And it was best done in person, with representatives for all of Christendom. 

And His presence continues now, every time we eat the bread and drink the cup.

In a way, Jesus earnestly desired OUR feasting with Him in that same way.

He eats with us… and earnestly desires it.

We are peculiar, He eats with us.

Promises

Abraham didn’t focus on his own impotence and say, “It’s hopeless. This hundred-year-old body could never father a child.” Nor did he survey Sarah’s decades of infertility and give up. He didn’t tiptoe around God’s promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, sure that God would make good on what He had said. (Romans 4:19-21 The Message)

PROMISES

I like optical illusions.  Like those fun pictures that look like the two squares are different sizes, but actually are the same. 

My senses, while reliable enough to get by on, are actually not reliable enough to live well.

I see circumstances, current events, political upheaval, economic troubles, weather inconsistencies, the effects of age, illnesses, and I might think, “WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?”

But I actually do know what is going on.  God is at work.  And in this world, in the world in which Christians live, His promises are more reliable than our senses.

Abraham learned that the hard way… or the easy way!  Sarah had a baby.

So when God’s promises do not seem present, remember that His Words are more real than your senses.  His promises are true truth.  Promises like: He always does what is good for His people, even when it does not seem like it.  Promises like:  He will never leave you or forsake you, even when it seems He has.  Promises like:  the home He’s prepared, even when we can not see it.

We are peculiar, He has promised.

Paranoid

He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” (Jonah 1:12 ESV)

Paranoid

A joke I laugh at: “Just because I am paranoid does not mean people are NOT out to get me!”

Do you ever feel like all the troubles of the world are aimed at you?  Jonah understood the God he was running away from well enough to know that troubles WERE aimed at him.  He caused the storm.  He was a threat to the sailors.

Because Jonah knew that God disciplines, chastises, and guides His people.

He does not punish us, because He punished Jesus instead.

But He knows where He wants us to go, and sends storms to get us there.

So be sensitive to troubles.  Do not despair in them.  But wonder, consider, ponder, is God lovingly getting me to go to Damascus?

We are peculiar, we understand our bad times.

Children

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.  ( I John 3:1 ESV)

Children

Out of all of my hats and labels, one that is particularly comforting is that God calls me, “child.”  Not because I pout, need help getting things from the top shelf, or have an early bedtime.  But it is a thing of joy to be called a child for at least three reasons.

First, I am dependent on my Father.  That means worrying is not only unnecessary, but it is silly.

Second, I am welcomed by my Father.  Children are usually unconditionally welcomed, embraced, and given gifts.  That is why we think of Christmas as a child’s holiday.

Third, we are graciously forgiven.  In a way, standards are lower for children than for CEOs.  We smile lovingly, shake our heads, and even when disciplining, we do not treat them as they deserve.  And that is why God loves to be merciful to me… to us.

We are His Children.

And that is peculiar.

Peacemakers

The people came to Samuel then and said, “Where are those men who said, ‘Saul is not fit to rule over us’? Hand them over. We’ll kill them!”  But Saul said, “Nobody is going to be executed this day. This is the day God saved Israel! Come, let’s go to Gilgal and there reconsecrate the kingship.” (I Samuel 11:12-14 The Message)

Peacemakers

Revenge does nothing but continue our conflicts.  When Saul was appointed King of Israel, quite a few people saw his faults and questioned Samuel’s choice.  And logic and political savvy would dictate that Saul take the opportunity of his spectacular military victory to win even bigger, to win in other arenas, to ride the wave of victory to the humiliation of all of his enemies.

But surprisingly, especially in the light of Saul’s later decisions, Saul does not seek revenge.

He celebrates his victory, attributes it to God, and goes home to forge unity.

I do not see this attitude these days.  Part of what polarizes our society is our apparent need to carry every victory as far as we can.  We kick our enemies when they are down.  We remember injustice and previous revenges, and we escalate our conflicts rather than seek peace.

Yet Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” (Matthew 5:9)

But don’t hear His words as angry condemning commandments.

Instead, hear Jesus’ words like Saul appears to have heard them.

Rather than continue the cycle of revenge after revenge, we get to have peace.

We can choose unity.

Personally, politically, and in our families.

We are peculiar, we can have peace.

Dependence

 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. (Romans 9:16 ESV)

Dependence

Yes, independence is grand, but it is sometimes an illusion.  Wile we might have great ability and opportunity to build houses, sculpt sculptures, run a business, harvest beetroots, broadcast on radio-waves, or attach band-aids on children’s knees, we are not independent in the most important thing of all.

The state of our eternal souls.

People do not have the ability to undo our sinful acts caused by our sinful hearts.  Only God can.  Only God does.

We are dependent on Him.  And joyfully, gratefully, humbly, we relish the fact that He has had mercy and grace to save, all because of and all through Christ Jesus.

We are peculiar, we are dependent.

Independence

But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. ( I Thessalonians 4:10-12 ESV)

Independence

In the film, The Princess Pride, a character uses the word, “inconceivable” a lot, in situations that are very conceivable.  So finally, someone else tells him, “I don’t think that word means what you think it means.”

Independence is a similar word, today.

It seems these days that ‘independent’ means free to let someone else work on our behalf, pay for our desires, and do the heavy lifting in actions, words, and deeds.  But that is not independent.

Paul reminds us that independence, politically, economically, and socially means being able to do what we believe needs to be done.

And Christians uniquely understand that, because we understand the delegation of authority and opportunity.  We are not self-made people, we are God-made people.  And therefore we can know our capabilities, opportunities, and obligations.  And we can do them, independently, not expecting anyone else to do them for us.

We are peculiar, we are independent.

Wed

 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

Confidence

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16 ESV)

Confidence

My granddaughter swings like a wild animal.  When recently she visited our back yard, she gleefully ran out to our swing, mounted up, and with a “WEEEEEE” defied gravity, centripetal force, and all common sense.  She was swinging in circles, twists, and bumpy change of direction, and I panicked.  I reached out and grabbed the swing and asked her, “Why were you swinging so wildly?”

She smiled at me and said, “I knew you’d catch me.”

Her confidence, although perhaps misplaced, was similar to the confidence that the author of the book of Hebrews displays.

We do not approach God’s ruling throne with self-confidence.

Rather, the very throne is here called the throne of GRACE.

Undeserved favor.

God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense.

And confidence in God’s willingness to be gracious and merciful is confidence indeed.

We are peculiar, we can have confidence.

Life of the Party

Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. (Luke 15:7 ESV)

Life of the Party

I am rarely the life of the party.  I do not know enough jokes, I am not a conversation-master, I am too much of an introvert, and I am just not that fun. 

But we Christians ARE the life of the party going on in heaven.

Because we are sinners who have repented, are repenting, and will repent.  And so heaven is rejoicing.  Because of us.

My sin and sinfulness cause much sorrow in the world, my community, and myself.

But strangely, wonderfully, amazingly, because of Christ’s life and death and life… heaven rejoices because of me.

And because of you, Christian.

We are peculiar, heaven rejoices over us.

God's Hand

I also withheld the rain from you when there were yet three months to the harvest; I would send rain on one city, and send no rain on another city… declares the Lord. (Amos 4:7,8 ESV)

God’s Hand

Some days are pretty bad.  Some weeks are pretty bad.  Some months are pretty bad.  Some years, too.

And if we lived in a universe that was a battleground between good and evil, we might be afraid, discouraged, and despairing.  If God is so powerful, we might ask, why doesn’t He just win the battle?  Why does a good God allow horrible things to take place under His throne?

But we do not live in that kind of universe.

We live in a universe that is absolutely under God’s control.  He alone is sovereign.  He alone is ultimately behind every scene.  He alone is God.

Somehow, in ways that I do not claim to fully comprehend, God is at work both in rain and rain’s lack.  God is at work in both sunshine and storm.  God is at work in both bountiful blessings, and lesser blessings.

And while I do not understand His ways… I trust Him.  I trust His love.  I trust His vision. I trust His plans.  I trust His work.

While the rest of the world fears an unseen imbalance in the cosmos, Christians can know that the good God holds the reins. 

We are peculiar, we know His hand.

The Voice

Have any of these prophets bothered to meet with me, the true God? Bothered to take in what I have to say? Listened to and then lived out my Word? (Jeremiah 23:18 The Message)

The Voice

In the latest reboot of Superman, we observe Clark Kent when his superpowers begin to manifest.  Suddenly, inexplicably, he has too many sounds, voices, and noises filling his super-ears.  He can not make sense of them.  And sometimes, maybe we can relate to young Clark.

We have so many voices clamoring for our attention, telling us ‘truth,’ giving us advice and commands, and demanding compliance.  The information overload is filled with contradicting reports, contradicting advice, and contradicting hopes.

And it is not only enemy voices.  Even preachers, good teachers, and worthy advisors overwhelm our open minds. 

But Jeremiah tells us something powerful.  We have the Word of the One True Living God.  Given to us through, and by, and because of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The things He has said are foundational, absolutely true, reliable, and clear. 

Our cacophony is only the result of our interpretations, not the result of any inadequacy in His Word.

Our confusion is only the result of our adding too many layers as if our layers of interpretation are on the level of His Word.

Our sense of being overwhelmed is only the result of our listening to other voices than His Word.

“Be still and know that I am God,” He says in Psalm 46:10.

We are peculiar, we can hear the right Voice.