Depth

Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? It is higher than heaven—what can you do? Deeper than Sheol—what can you know? Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea. (Job 11:7-9 ESV)

Depth

These words are preached at Job by one of Job’s friends: Zophar.  It is popular to discount the words of Job’s advisors, but we should probably take their advice more seriously. 

Here, for instance, Zophar is ALMOST correct.  God is far beyond our comprehension.  He is more, and better, and in fact, incomprehensible. 

But the story does not end there.

Zophar asks, “Can you find out the deep things of God?”  And we might think the answer is simply and resoundingly, “NO!!!!”

But the answer is actually, “YES!!!”

But only by clinging to the mystery of Christ Jesus.  Only by believing Christ Jesus’ words.  Only by the insertion of God Himself into Humanity, in other words, Immanuel. 

Only by knowing Christ Jesus can we know God Himself.

And actually, EVERY mystery, every bit of incomprehensibility, every unknown part of the infinite, immortal, unchanging, unchangeable God is made known to us in Christ Jesus.

Put Jesus joyfully into every equation that puzzles you.  Put Jesus firmly into every unsure aspect of God.  Put Jesus, through faith, into every fear, every sorrow, every part of life you do not understand.

And He solves all of it.

No, every mystery is not made intellectually clear in this moment.  But we WILL “see Him as He is.”

No, every mystery is not made intellectually clear in this moment.  But more IS knowable than is left unknown.

No, every mystery is not made intellectually clear in this moment.  But the depth of what we can know in Jesus, gives us faith and patience to wait for the rest.

Jesus is the necessary code-breaker for the Mystery of God Himself.

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Mercy

Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.” (Genesis 4:13 ESV)

Mercy

Cain deserved to die.  The punishment for sin is death, and Cain sinned.  He was the first murderer, the first to commit fratricide, the first to physically hate.

But God did not treat Cain as Cain deserved.

That is mercy.

And while it might be encouraging to see that side of God, the mercy of God is not a broad, generic, generous, easy-going mercy.

God’s mercy is because of His Son, our Savior, the Redeemer, the Messiah.

God’s mercy is only through Jesus Christ.

God continues to be merciful.  But not because God is a softie.  It is not because God hates sin less than we thought He did.

God is merciful because He punished Jesus instead of sinners, the sinners who believe in Him.

The only way to mercy is through Jesus.  He is necessary for mercy.

The End

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you.  For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. (I Thessalonians 5:1,2 ESV)

The End

There are more end-time theories than books in a book-lover’s library.

Lots.

And while I, of course, am convinced that my understanding of eschatology is the best, correct, reliable, and FULLY Biblically-based… the rest of you are pretty sure, too.

Tomorrow is not known to the human mind.  Not with absolute confidence.  Not if we are being honest.

But Jesus knows.

That ‘end’ that scares so many, worries so many, confuses so many, and causes so many arguments is confidently known by Jesus.

And if He has not made it absolutely clear to us, it is because He chose to reveal what He has revealed.

I am not saying we should not study God’s Word in this area.  I AM saying we should not worry.  We have nothing to fear.  And that future, for God’s people, is shiny, joyful, peaceful, and bright.

Only He lets us relax.

Exchange

Behold, God will not reject a blameless man, nor take the hand of evildoers. (Job 8:20 ESV)

Exchange

Two things Jesus does for us in this verse.

First, it sounds great that God will not reject blameless folk.  Sometimes we think we are not blameless, in a particular situation.  So this might make us feel safe, at peace, and encouraged.  BUT we are not blameless.  Every thought, word, and deed we have, say, and do are tainted by sin.  Even if only a little tiny bit.  We MIGHT be blame-less (as opposed to blame-more).  But we are not blameless. 

But Jesus is blameless.  And God will not reject Him.  Or forsake Him.  Or abandon Him.  And when we are His redeemed ones, that non-rejection of Jesus is broadcast to us!

Second, when we hear about those evil-doers out there, it sounds great that God will not take their hand.  The problem is, we do evil, too.  Maybe not as bad as THAT liar, thief, blasphemer, or member of the OTHER political party… but we do evil.  Every time we are selfish.  Every time we ignore God.  Every time we forget Him.  Every time we put ourselves over our spouse, children, parents, neighbor, or stranger.

But Jesus never does evil.  And God takes His hand.  And holds it, and lifts it, and nailed it to the cross in the place of God’s children who HAVE done those evil things.  So when we are His redeemed ones, that hand-holding is broadcast to us!

Only in Jesus do those two parts of this verse become good news.

Amazing

For the Lord humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had made Judah act sinfully and had been very unfaithful to the Lord.  (II Chronicles 28:19 ESV)

Amazing

Ahaz was a terrible King.  He took advantage of those he was called to serve as King.  He disobeyed and ignored God’s Word.  He turned to SO many other solutions… including other nations, other powers, and his own cleverness. 

And God not only looked with anger at Ahaz, He also humbled Judah, the remnant of Israel.

For those who were faithful at that time, despair must have been common.

They could see Ahaz and the entire nation slipping further and further into unfaithfulness.  Not merely in actions and deeds… but in words, and thoughts, and beliefs.

They might have thought they had no hope.

But there was One hope.

The Messiah was coming. 

And Jesus had Grace enough to purchase the forgiveness of all who would call on Him.  And Jesus had Mercy enough to help all who would call on Him.

The exile of God’s people into Babylon was the immediate effect of Judah’s fall.  But even there they were not forgotten.

The shadow, or the light, of the cross gave them hope even then.

And Christ brings that same light today, to His people.  We, too, might feel despair, hopelessness, and doubt.

But the cross, and He who died on it, wins.

Jesus is the only hope of God’s people.  Lean on Him, rather than fear.

Winnning

I’m declaring war between you and the Woman, between your offspring and hers. He’ll wound your head, you’ll wound his heel. (Genesis 3:14,15 The Message)

Winning

God says these words to the serpent.  And it was bad news for the snake.

Even if the snake has a mild success, biting the woman’s offspring’s heel, the snake will lose the big fight.

The fight for mankind, for creation, for the universe.

Bad news for the snake, but good news for God’s people.  Because when the snake loses, Christ wins.  And when Christ wins, so do we.

At stake are the eternal souls of God’s beloved children.  But at stake also is creation itself.  At stake also is the past, present, and future.  At stake also is every fight, every battle, every contest between God’s people and God’s enemies.

And Jesus won.  Because only Jesus can win.  Because only Jesus won.

When we think we are losing because we are not seeing the universal or personal results we yearn to see… remember that Jesus won. 

When we think we are losing because we are aware of our failures, our mistakes, and our sins… remember that Jesus won.

When we think we are losing because the newspapers spit venom, fearful hearts seem poisoned, and the heel seems bitten… remember that Jesus won.

As only He could: with His life, His death, and His life, again.

Work

Is not this the carpenter?  (Mark 6:3 ESV)

Work

Jesus was a carpenter.  He was also God’s Son, the second person of the Trinity, the Messiah, the Salvation of the Universe, and completely divine as well as completely human.

But note, He was a carpenter.

It seems that we modern Christians have this idea that there is holy work, and mundane work; Godly work, and human work; regular work, and sanctified work.

Jesus, though, was a carpenter as well as the Savior.

And that makes our work sanctified, too.

Jesus sanctifies (makes holy)  enables us to do our mundane, apparently un-Spiritual, earthly work, transforming it into Holy work.  Spiritual work.  True work. Sanctified work.

He does this by sanctifying US.  He does this by changing us to be like HIM.  He does this because He created work, works in the Trinity, and is the cause for our adoption into His family.

He will fix whatever is wrong with our work… first of all by bringing us into His work.

The Choir

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,       “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain!”  (Revelation 5:11, 12 ESV)

The Choir

I reckon that heaven is a pretty noisy place. 

That choir of singers… including people who before heaven couldn’t carry a tune… including people who lived on faith mountains, and people who lived in faith valleys… including people who did not get along before heaven… including people from antagonistic political and economic views… including people who died ancient… including people who died unborn… including people who laughed a lot… including people who wept a lot… including people who are mechanically minded… including people who are poets… including people of every shape and size… including people who love the old hymns… including people who enjoy rap music… including people who have multiple college degrees… including people who never read a book… including people who thought they knew everything… including people who knew they knew nothing… including people who hurt others… including people who were hurt by others…

But Jesus brings them all into that choir.

He is the only way to join.

And He is the only reason to sing like that.

Learning

About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching.  The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?” So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. “ (John 7:14-16 ESV)

Knowledge

Learning is complicated.

Lately I have been memorizing things.  My brain fights me.

I recently had the opportunity to pick up the mandolin, the banjo, and the bagpipe.  My fingers fight me.

Last week I installed a kitchen cabinet for the first time. Even with internet directions, it was tedious, intricate, and clunky.  My physical limitations fought me.

But Jesus knew everything.

And more than that, Jesus is intertwined with our learning.

He is Truth, so learning is always, on some level, about Him.

He is the Teacher, so He enables our learning.

He is (and is the source of) our strength, our endurance, our perseverance, and empowers our learning.

I am learning that learning is impossible for me without Him.

The Good New Days

In those days there was no king in Israel. (Judges 18:1 ESV)

The Good New Days

Four times in the book of Judges, the author reminds us that ‘in those days there was no king in Israel.”  He was not reminding readers of a better time.  He was declaring, sorrowfully, that chaos ruled in the land.

The good old days did not happen during the book of Judges.

But by the time the book of Judges was being regularly read by God’s people, there WAS a king.  And when we read it now, we know that there IS a King.

A King of kings, in fact.

And because of our Good King, we are in the Good New Days.

Yes, our eyes focus on the remaining chaos, the faltering ethics of modernity, and the decline of culture.

But we have a King!  And He is at work every day.  His reign is not some future calendric event.  His rule is now.  His rule is absolute.  His rule is amazing.  His rule is good.

I could point out the good things about society that we often ignore.  I could point out scientific improvements.  I could point out the historic trend towards peace, overall, since Christ’s anointing.

But instead I remind us that our King is sovereign, and always at work, doing what is best for us as HE defines it.

If it does not seem like He is sovereign, prayerfully look again.  Let the Spirit guide your understanding. 

We have a King!

Nicknames

Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Jehoram his son reigned in his place. (II Chronicles 21:1 ESV)

Nicknames

I can’t hear the name “Jehosophat” without inserting the expression, “JUMPING Jehosophat.”  I do not really know what the phrase means.  I suppose it is simply alliteration added to an unusual Biblical name.

But Jehosophat is always Jumping Jehosophat to me.  It is his nickname.  I wonder if people call him that in heaven.

Nicknames are like that.  They get assigned.  And they sometimes stick.

And they are often not pleasant.

I have had a few nicknames in my life.  In middle school, because of a play I was in, my nickname was Preacher.  While that might not sound to bad, for me it was awful.  It was the last thing I wanted to be.

But I do have another nickname.

Jesus has given me a nickname that connects me to Him.  He calls me Christian.  And unlike most nicknames that are temporary, insulting, mocking, or silly, THIS nickname is grand.

And it is necessary.

Without Him giving me that name, I would be doomed.

He is the only One who can assign that kind of name. 

He necessarily has given me that necessary name.

Batteries

We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers,  remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.  (I Thessalonians 1:2-4 ESV)

Batteries

I have some pretty fun toys, still.  I have a tiny tape recorder.  I have a small drone and a mini-drone.  I have a fake Star Trek communicator.  I have a brand new stud detector.

But they are nothing without batteries.

Christians have works of faith, labors of love, and steadfastnesses of hope.

But they are only ANYTHING because of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus instructs us in these things, inspires us in these things, gives focus for these things, and enables these things.

Without Jesus, they are just words.

With Jesus, they are worth writing to the Thessalonians about!

Gather

He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd keeps His flock.’ (Jeremiah 31:10 ESV)

Gathered

Between Elon Musk’s satellites, traffic radar, ChatGPT conversations, Facebook algorithms, and shopping crowds, it would appear we are never alone.

But it sure seems like it sometimes.

We are alone when it feel like no one understands us.  We are alone when our life’s circumstances are painfully unique.  We are alone when we lose friends or companions due to conflict.  We are alone when we lose loved ones through death.  We are alone when sin separates.  We are alone when sin separates us from God.  We are alone when sin separates us from each other.

But God has always worked to reunite, commune, and gather.

We see it in His very (confusing) nature of Trinity.

But we see it God’s actions in Scripture and our lives.  Babel separates, but Pentecost unites.  War tears apart, but peace reunites.  Israel and Judah divided, but the Messiah, the True King, reunites.  The diaspora divided, but Paul’s missionary journeys reunite. 

And that “reunion”ing is accomplished only through Jesus.

Jesus’ life and death and life  reunites sinful humans to the loving God.  Jesus’ life and death and life reunites those separated by gender, race, or age.  Jesus’ life and death and life reunites us with whatever and whoever we have lost.  Jesus’ life and death and life gathers, where chaos, and fear, and sin divides.

The answer to our separations, divisions, and loneliness is only Jesus.

Atonement

For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually. (Job 1:5 ESV)

Atonement

Recently I heard a clerk in a store complaining about some shoplifters.  He did not really know who had stolen.  He did not know why anyone had stolen.  He did not know how to get his money back.

But he repeatedly said, “Someone needs to pay!”

He was not wrong.

God is the epitome of Justice.  And rebellion against Him (better termed, “sin”) is so antithetical to God that He cannot abide Sin.  He abhors it.  He despises it.

And He says, “Someone needs to pay!”

What God has offered to the universe is two options.  Either we pay… or Someone else, namely Jesus, pays.

Our forgiven sins are not forgiven because God chooses to look the other way.  They are forgiven US, because Jesus paid instead of us.

Job prays for his children because he clearly understood this concept.  Atonement comes on the back of Someone else.  It is not our suffering that purchases atonement.   It is not our faint good works that purchase atonement.  It is not our intentions or desires that purchase atonement.  It is not our proper words of repentance that purchase atonement.

It is only the Messiah.  It is only Jesus.

For Job, the Jesus to come.  For us, the Jesus who came.

Job depended on the Messiah for the atonement of his children, who probably were not fully aware of their sins.  Neither was Job, we find out.  Neither are we..

Atonement happens ONLY through Jesus.

Strength

And she (Delilah) said to him (Samson), “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and you have not told me where your great strength lies.”  And when she pressed him hard with her words day after day, and urged him, his soul was vexed to death.  And he told her all his heart, and said to her, “A razor has never come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If my head is shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man.” (Judges 16:15-17 ESV)

Strength

Samson’s hair was NOT magic.  Samson’s Nazirite vows were NOT ritualistic.  Samson was NOT strong because he was devoutly obedient to the Lord.

Samson was a Nazarite.  God blessed Samson’s Nazarite-ness by giving Samson supernatural strength.  But the profession of Faith that undergirded Samson’s vows is the real aim, goal, and foundation of Samson’s situation.

Samson’s revelation to Delilah of the Strength behind his strength displayed Samson’s last falling away from that faith.  More than the cutting of his hair, his choice of Delilah over God showed God Samson’s unfaithfulness.

He gets his strength back at the end, not because his hair regrew… but because his growing hair matched his returning true faith.

Faith is not a vague faith. The focal point of faith is not in a vague divine being.  Faith, to be faith, is found in, through, by, because of, and all about Jesus Christ, the Messiah.  Nothing else is faith.

Samson received the blessing of strength because he believed in the Messiah to come.

For Samson, Jesus was necessary for Samson’s strength.

And it is for us, too.  We might not carry off gates or kill hordes of foxes… but whatever strength God grants us is because of Christ.  Strength to endure temptation.  Strength to overcome sorrow.  Strength to keep on keeping on.  Strength to hope.  Strength to believe.  Strength to love.

We need Jesus to have strength.

The Wall

And many evils and troubles will come upon them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?’ (Deuteronomy 31:17 ESV)

A Wall Against Evil

I ignored public opinion for a long time, and did not install any firewalls or protection on our computers.  But then, precisely because I did not have defenses, identity theft occurred.  There is ‘evil’ in the internet, and it struck me hard.

At the end of Moses’ life, God reminded Moses and the Israelites that His enemies are in the world.  And God explained that THE defense against evil and evils is God’s presence.

When God’s people use other defenses, the evils get in.

God’s presence is the only defense against evil. 

And God’s presence, Immanuel, is only found in Christ Jesus.

Jesus is the necessary wall against evil.

Conduit

The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.  Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.  (John 3:35,36 ESV)

Conduit

One afternoon many years ago, my old car broke down.  The car suddenly lost all movement and momentum, and coasted to the side of the road. 

But it did not take long to figure out what was wrong.  The engine hummed (or rattled) with its usual power and strength.  The tires and axles were able to turn, as shown by the smooth drifting.

But between the power source and the wheels, something had gone wrong.

The mechanism between the motor and road had broken.

Cars need a way to get the power of the engine to the grip of the wheels.

I fixed it (with a tin can) and continued on my way.

In a similar way, between God’s immense and intense love, and our finite hearts, minds, and souls, mankind needs a conduit.

And Christ Jesus is that conduit.

God’s love comes to humans only through the Messiah, the God/man, the infinite who took on the finite.

God’s power comes through Him, too.

God’s salvation comes through Him, too.

My tin can worked for a few miles… and then I need to fix it again.

Whatever other methods we choose to connect with God will fail, too.  Whether it is good habits, a spiritual mindset, efforts, hopes, or traditions.  As good as those things might be, they will not connect you to God.

Only Jesus does that.

Jesus is our necessary conduit.

Knowing

And Jeremiah the prophet said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie. (Jeremiah 28:15 ESV)

Knowing

The people living during the time of Jeremiah and Hananiah were probably confused and concerned.  BOTH prophets presented messages, and these messages contradicted each other.  Hananiah encouraged the people that God would never forsake them, even in the face of the mighty Babylonian Empire.

Jeremiah challenged to people to repent of their pride, and trust that the One True Living God would do what the people truly needed. 

How could they decide?

It must have been hard… we know the answer, because we have the Word of God declaring what was true, and what happened.  But they did not have that, yet.  They had to discern on their own.  And for the most part, they chose poorly.

But what about us?

We, too, hear conflicting messages. 

But we have the Words of Jesus Himself to discern other messages.

If the message does not point to Christ Jesus, that message is questionable.  If any message directs us to trust in other things (the state, our abilities, our knowledge) than Christ alone, those messages are questionable.  If messages give us hope in ourselves, our history, our own understanding, leave those messages behind.

Christ is necessary because HE is the way, the truth, and the life. Truth is find only in Christ, and Him crucified.  HE is the litmus test of truth.

We need Him for that.

The Chase

And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God.  Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field.  Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. (Deuteronomy 28:2-6 ESV)

The Chase

Once, I saw a woman drop a roll of money.  Unaware, she kept going, but I grabbed the money and pursued her.  She saw me running towards her with an outstretched arm, and she panicked and fled.

I wanted her to have her money back.  And she did not know my kind intentions, so she ran.  I pursued her because I knew how heartbroken she would be when she realized her money was lost.  I pursued her because I was doing good.  I pursued her with the best intentions.

But she fled.

I do not know how long I would have run after her.  Thankfully, I was more fleet of foot.  But I do expect that my persistence had a limit.

But Jesus does not have such limits.

Not only does He desire to bless us in the broad ways described here, but He also will overtake us to give them to us.  We may try to avoid Him.  We may mistrust His efforts.  We may misunderstand His desires for us.

But He will overtake us.

And we need that.  We need Jesus to bless us.  And we need Jesus to overtake us.

Love

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13 ESV)

 Valentine’s Day

Some people call it the only holiday invented by a greeting card company.

It’s Valentine’s Day.

Of course, the day itself was around long before we started buying cards.  It was a day celebrating the life of Valentine.  Stories vary regarding exactly what he did that makes him worthy of a “day.”  Some tell of his commitment to marriage in the face of the Roman Empire’s attempt to suppress it.  Some tell the loss of Valentine’s one true love, and his unending devotion to her.  Some tell of his gifts to the lonely, the unloved, the desperate.

But no matter the origin, today it has become a day to say, “I love you.”  Sometimes we blush to say that.  Sometimes we blush to hear it.  But “I love you” is not really embarrassing.  It is not merely a marriage proposal.  It is not merely expressing a crush.  It doesn’t really have much to do with romance.

“I love you” means that the beloved is important to you.  More important than yourself.  “I love you” means that you will ACT in a way that shows the beloved matters.  “I love you” means that you are willing to do without, so the beloved can do with.

The best example of love is Jesus Christ.  In fact, we do not really KNOW love other than through the lens of Him.  He is necessary, because He is love.

He said, “I love you” on the cross.  He was saying that in His opinion, you (if you are His beloved) are more important than Him.  That is why He died for you.  He was ACTING in a way that shows you matter.  He was saying that He was willing to do without life, so that His beloved can HAVE life.

Love is much more than pink hearts.  Love is much more than batting eyelashes.  Love is much more than giving mass produced cards to classmates.  Love is more than warm feelings and puppies.

Love is Christ.