Week of 4/30/00

But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

(2 Corinthians 11:3)

Last week I received a very thoughtful and challenging email from a regular reader. I answered promptly, as I always try to do, but his question has remained on my mind throughout the week and I feel that my answer may not have been complete. Here is, in part, what he wrote:

The brother makes a profound point and asks a hard question. Are there any churches that are just plain Christian? I think the answer is probably no. And I believe that this is one thing Paul warns us about in today's verse: losing the simplicity of faith which is Christ and going off into manmade doctrines.

Jesus brought us a freedom from religion and the artificial and arbitrary rules of men. In His day there were so many rules people couldn't even keep track of them. Jesus distilled the whole Law down to two very basic tenets: Love God, love your neighbor as yourself. But from the moment He ascended back into heaven, man started fooling around with His simple message. New doctrines and groups immediately sprang up. This is not a modern phenomenon. In fact, we can see this already starting in 1 Corinthians 1:10-12 where Paul lashes out at the growing sectarianism, Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you all be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement. For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, "I am of Paul," or "I am of Apollos," or "I am of Cephas," or "I am of Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

Good try, Paul, but I don't think anyone was listening.

While there are popular sects and cults flourishing today that have definitely strayed form the Word of God and teach a message extra-Biblical or downright perverted, and in fact are Christian in name only, most denominations are fundamentally the same. The differences are minor, though the members are likely to make a big deal out of them. For instance, there's the denomination created on the issue of which day is actually the Sabbath and the proper day to worship. I'm sorry, God really cares about this? Even Jesus couldn't be bothered with this one. Or the one that makes water baptism the be-all end-all of salvation. Really? Please explain then how the thief on the cross went to heaven unbaptized. I could go on and on but it makes me queasy. It reminds of the priest who told my grandfather during the Depression that my then 12 year old mother would surely go to hell if she did not attend the parochial school (which they could not afford), an incident that forever kept my grandfather from ever darkening the door of a church again.

The really irritating thing is, all these denominations, regardless of their silly little dogmas, believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The ones that don't, simply put, are NOT Christian. Baptists, Lutherans, Pentecostals, Methodists, Presbyterians, and all the rest, from rigid, frozen-chosen conservatives to wild-eyed, radical, dancing in the aisles, tongue-talking Charismatics believe Christ died for our sins and you aren't going nowhere but down without Him.

What needs to happen is for all Christians who believe in the Word of God, the bodily resurrection of Christ, salvation as a gift, the redeeming Blood of Jesus, the reality and personage of the Holy Spirit, the forgiveness of sins, etc., to stop worrying whether someone else speaks in tongues or doesn't, whether guitars belong in church, whether laying on of hands works or not, whether you should clap or be silent, and just get on with it. Does it matter if I believe in healing and you don't? Of course not. That's between me my God and you and your doctor. It makes neither of us more or less Christian.

Are there any churches that are just Christian? That don't have any add-ons? Any subtractions? I have never found one. But I have never found two people that were exactly alike either, a fact I rather enjoy. Hopefully someday we will see through our differences and recognize the common ground we all stand on. It's vital to this dangerously spinning planet we inhabit that we do so. Quickly.

Last night I was reading a new edition of J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings (my second favorite book) my lovely wife bought me, and one passage stood out. As the Fellowship, two Men, four Hobbits, an Elf and a Dwarf, all bent on putting an end to Sauron, the Dark Lord, enter the elven land of Lothlorien, the dwarf Gimli is singled out as potentially untrustworthy. A centuries old feud exists between dwarves and elves and he cannot go through the land unless he is blindfolded, though he has done no wrong. This causes quite an argument and almost undoes this unusual, but crucial, confederation. One of the elves of Lorien makes this comment relevant to our discussion: Indeed in nothing is the power of the Dark Lord more clearly shown than in the estrangement that divides all who still oppose him.

To that, Mr. Tolkien, I'm afraid I have to say "amen".

The Bottom Line
(or get to the point, Kona!)

As far as I know there are only two sides.

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Week of 4/23/00

"Tell them, 'His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.' "

(Matthew 28:13)

Blessed Easter, readers old and new! This day more than any other is what we are all about. It is the reason for the existence of our faith. Without the Resurrection we may as well be Buddhists.

Those that sought Christ's death 2,000 years ago were well aware that this could happen. They desperately tried to prevent us from knowing that He did indeed rise bodily from the dead. They failed.

Matthew tells us that shortly after Jesus was interred in the borrowed tomb (Matthew 27:62), the chief priests and Pharisees came to Pilate and expressed their concern that things could very quickly get out of hand. Jesus had promised to rise in three days, and to continue this deception, His disciples were likely to come by night and steal the body. This could start nothing short of a revolution, and a decrease in their personal power and prestige, if the masses believed He had actually risen, so they requested a guard be placed at the tomb until the 3 day countdown had expired. Pilate, weary of the whole ordeal, and their incessant whining, acquiesced and said, "You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how." So they did just that. They sealed the tomb and posted the Roman guards loaned to them.

Of course we know that this plan proved embarrassingly ineffective. As the two Marys came to the tomb the next morning there was an earthquake and an angel descended, rolling away the stone (This was not, by the way, to let Jesus out. He was already gone. It was to let the women in). The Roman guards cowered at the sight of the angel and then promptly keeled over unconscious. Taking the women to see the place where Jesus had lain, the angel explained that He was gone, and if they hurried they could meet up with the risen Lord in Galilee. The two women ran with this news as fast as they could, running right into Jesus who said, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me."

But as the women were taking news of this marvelous and forever life-changing event to the disciples, the now revived guards were taking news of their failure to the chief priests. The priests, never at a loss for stupid ideas, came up with an unbelievable cover-up. Liberally bribing the guards, they instructed them to, "Tell them (the people), "His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept' "(how would they know this if they were sleeping?). Further, they assured the flustered guards that if their superiors got wind of this mess, they had more money to hush it up and make everybody happy. The guards left with their pockets full and did as told. And Matthew tells us that, "this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day." The lie worked. Sort of.

Unfortunately for the priests, Jesus kept popping up all over the place. In Jerusalem alone He appeared 6 times. He appeared to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, and again in Galilee. Shortly after He was seen by an assembled group of 500. Again He visited James and the apostles. The final straw was His world-changing appearance to Paul on the road to Damascus. By the thousands people began to leave their dead religion behind and walk in this new faith.

It's not as if we need more proof than what we have in our hearts, but it is important to remember that the reports of Jesus' resurrection were not founded on rumors and hearsay. They were written by eyewitnesses to this event. Attempts to refute these reports persist today, and from much the same sources. Many pitifully biased, illogical and ineptly researched books have been written attempting to disprove the resurrection, as well as other miraculous occurrences in the life of Christ and the new church. These theories range from the disciples' drug-induced fantasies to outright hoaxing and lies. But consider this. We've all seen hoaxes in our own lifetime. But none of the hoaxers were ever willing to die to perpetuate their deception (spoils the hoax if you can't be there to say, "Fooled ya!", though we have seen insane leaders drag their deluded followers along with them, a very different situation altogether). And as most of the eyewitnesses paid for their honesty with their lives, never recanting their testimony, one must assume they were sincere. I believe they were accurately reporting what they personally witnessed. Christ rose.

Today as we celebrate Easter, Resurrection Sunday, here in the US and all over the world, the lie birthed by the Pharisees 2,000 years ago is still believed in Jerusalem and elsewhere. While Christians worldwide are celebrating freedom from death, the Jews are celebrating freedom from Egypt, an empire reduced to third world status, and waiting for someone else to come:the Real Messiah. The money the Pharisees paid those shaken guards 2,000 years ago sure went a long way.

The Bottom Line
(or get to the point, Kona!)

There's an eternity of difference between risen and stolen.

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Week of 4/16/00

"Sun stand still over Gibeon; and Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon." So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the people had revenge upon their enemies.

(Joshua 10:12b-13a)

Joshua had begun to take possession of the land with the defeat of Jericho and Ai. The people of Gibeon, realizing they didn't stand a chance against the obviously anointed Joshua, surrendered and made peace instead of fighting a hopeless and costly battle. This infuriated the king of Jerusalem, Adoni-Zedek, and he immediately called upon the four neighboring kings to form a confederacy to attack and utterly destroy Gibeon.

The men of Gibeon got wind of this plan and sent to Joshua pleading for his aid. This was at a time when treaties were honored to the death, and Joshua, hearing that his new subjects were surrounded by the armies of the Amorites, mustered his mightiest warriors and left for Gibeon. He would have done this regardless, but he also had the assurance of the Lord that the five armies would be delivered into his hand. Not a man of them would be left standing.

Joshua marched his men without rest through the night and in the morning surprised the besiegers and routed them, chasing them down and slaughtering them by the thousands. Still, many of the Amorites were on the verge of escaping, so great were their numbers. At this point the Lord began to rain down on them huge hailstones, killing more of them than Joshua's army was able to. Joshua, realizing the day was fading fast and the Amorites not yet completely destroyed, makes a bold prayer, and speaking directly to the sun and moon, commands them to stop their motion in the sky, which they do. The Lord honors his words, grants his request, allowing Joshua to mop up the remaining enemies and return in triumph to Gilgal.

Now here's my question to you: Do you believe this actually happened?

Ask any scientist and they will tell you it is absolutely impossible. The planets cannot stop moving. It isn't even worth considering. Many theologians will tell you that this is a well-intentioned fable, a mere story concocted to illustrate a point. Still others will try to find a natural explanation to cover the facts. Even more will tell you that, yes, these things did happen long ago but miracles like this don't occur anymore (though I've never heard that God retired). The important thing though is what you believe. Here's why.

You are going to encounter situations in your life that will be just as overwhelming, odds-wise, as Joshua faced. You will be in a position where nothing short of the complete suspension of natural law, physics, science as we know it, and everything you've ever learned from a textbook, is going to save you. You better be able to believe God can do the impossible. More, you need to be able to believe that not only can He do it, but that He will. For you.

If you scoff at these miraculous events recorded in the Word of God (there are hundreds) and presented to us as Truth, seeing them only as allegories, fables and exaggerations, how are you going to have the faith to fight life-threatening disease or disaster? When you face a need that can only be dealt with supernaturally, when no earthly remedy is available, are you going to face it with a mind conditioned to automatically disbelieve the miraculous? I hope not. Your very salvation depends on your belief in something just as impossible as the sun standing motionless at the command of a mere man. It depends on your ability to believe that a man can rise from the dead and live forever; that one Man already did, defying physics, science and the constraints of time and space. Science will tell you that this is impossible, not even worth considering. Miraculously, I'm finding it harder and harder to believe in Science and easier and easier to believe God. Maybe it's that word "impossible". You'd think that really bright men would cease to use it. They have to redefine it every few years anyway.

Week of 4/9/00

"But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil."

(Luke 6:35)

Today's verse comes from a lengthy sermon by Jesus in which he confutes virtually everything His audience has ever been taught. We can only imagine what was going through these "eye for an eye" conditioned minds as this Man from nowhere attempted to unteach centuries of religious tradition. Of course it helped His case that he had just previously healed "a multitude", every blessed one of them, without first determining whether their theology was correct or even existent.

That brings me to the part of today's verse that I find most interesting. We all know that we are supposed to do good, love our enemies (somehow), and generally behave philanthropically. I said we know this; I didn't say we do it. But generally this is an accepted Christian ideal. The interesting part is the last line: For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.

This is precisely what Jesus demonstrated with His previous healing of the multitude. He healed everybody. Now there might have been a lot of wonderful folks following Him around, but the odds that everyone in that huge group was an enemy-blessing, free-handed lender unconcerned about repayment (with interest) is beyond the realm of probability. Yet He set no preconditions, administered no test and required no catechism. He just healed them. All of them. They weren't Christians. They didn't even know who He is.

God's generosity continues today in this and other ways. God gives, to good and bad alike. Take the economy, which for the most part is excellent. Good people and horrid are benefiting from this condition. There are people who would not think twice about setting their enemies on fire who are presently making billions of dollars. There are people who wouldn't dream of loaning a starving family a bag of groceries (without proper collateral) that will retire wealthier than you or I ever will.

All enjoy God's blessings. He sends the rain for the good and bad alike. And there's no point getting one's undergarments misarranged because of it. That's just what He does, always has. There is, however, a catch. Eventually He is going to judge what we, all of us, good and bad alike, have done with the blessings He has given. The rich man that has crushed his competitors mercilessly (and enjoyed it), been tight-fisted with what he has been given and never said so much as a "thank You" to God, his provider, will have some explaining to do. He will find that the party is definitely over. The man who had less, yet thanked God for every good thing that came his way, shared these blessings with others joyously and without concern for reward, will get even more.

The most obvious proof, however, of God's kindness to good and evil alike is Christ Himself. He was given for everybody. His salvation does not discriminate. It's available to all people, just as His healing was to the entire multitude. It's what we do with this opportunity that will impact us, our lives here on earth, and our future eternity.

It's not easy to emulate God, though we are required to try. And if God can be kind to those totally undeserving of His kindness, we can do likewise. Yes, we will do it imperfectly. We will fail outright at times. But we shouldn't give up. We can't have entirely forgotten that we were once unthankful ourselves and in our own ignorant ways, evil.

The Bottom Line
(or get to the point, Kona!)

Love your enemies. It will embarrass the hell out of them

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Week of 4/2/00

But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.

(Proverbs 4:18)

Nowhere in the Word of God are we promised a life devoid of difficulties or problems. In fact, we are told to expect these passages. We are promised, however, a Guide through them, the strength to deal with them and the insight to realize they are, after all, just passages. We will make it through.

Today's verse on first reading paints a very encouraging picture of life for the just (justified, righteous). And what it states is true: life gets better and better for those justified, culminating in eternal life that is wonderful beyond our power to dream or imagine it. But it does not say we won't face challenges.

All of us have an intrinsic, probably even genetic, dislike for trouble. We aren't thrilled about facing difficulties, large or small, though we can often see the value of having survived them. We realize that they build us up and strengthen our faith and our will when we overcome them. But we don't look forward to them. There is an encouraging thought about this in today's verse.

We are told that we have a path that we are on. If you have been justified by the Blood of Christ, this path is illuminated. The longer you stay on it, the brighter the light shining on that path becomes. This is important because it allows you to see what's in front of you. Not that it reveals the end of the path, the destination, because the path may wind or turn from time to time, but at least what is immediately in front of you is well lit.

This can be, to say the least, useful, because nowhere are we told that this path we are on is free of obstacles or even pits. We don't know. But the light helps us to see them before we fall head first into them. This is a real timesaver because we aren't spending most of our lives trying to climb back out.

The next verse of Proverbs, verse 19, demonstrates the alternative to this lighted course: The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. You see, the obstacles in front of the unjustified may be identical to those in the way of the justified. The difference is that the wicked don't see them until they stumble over them. Even then they may not know what hit them. And it will just keep happening, over and over again.

Have you ever stayed the night in an unfamiliar house and tried to find the bathroom in the dark? It's amazing what you can discover with your shins. I have actually walked straight into a wall nose first. Now imagine living an entire life in this haphazard fashion. This is what Proverbs 18 is admonishing us to avoid.

And it can be avoided. You choose whether you're going to see what's in front of you or if you're going to stumble over the furniture the rest of your life. You choose whether this life is going to get better and brighter day by day or if it's going to be one long bitter night. It's up to you. Personally, I like surprises. I just don't like the ones that break my nose.

The Bottom Line
(or get to the point, Kona!)

Special night-vision goggles included.

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Week of 3/26/00

He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

(Luke 9:2)

Today's verse is nothing less than the job description of the Christian minister, and to a very real extent, the Christian in general. Because of this, my greatest disappointment in modern Christianity (I have several) is its failure to do 50% of the job it was created to do. This is especially frustrating and tragic because the failure is not due to lack of authority or ability, or even the power to believe, but a simple and stubborn unwillingness to follow instructions.

I have heard all the arguments the mainstream church has put forward for years defending their stance on not healing the sick. I have read learned theological treatises on why divine healing is passe, how it is no longer a function of the church or the responsibility of its leaders, and none of them impress me. I have seen people that believe in divine healing and its practical application shunned, mocked and consigned to the fringes of Christianity by the church itself. It did not start out this way.

It's hard to imagine Jesus without His healing. It was the major focus of His ministry. He was famous for this one thing before anyone had a clue as to who He actually was. It was what drew multitudes to Him. It's why they followed Him everywhere He went, sleeping on hillsides by the thousands, with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Without this He would have been just another nice teacher conveying nice principles to live by, certainly not to multitudes, but to small groups of bored intellectuals. But His healing defined who He is and established the words He spoke as more than just good ideas. They proved that what He spoke was true and showed where His authority to speak those words came from. It proved He was the Christ. He said it did Himself, again and again.

Jesus did not reserve this healing ministry for Himself. He quickly passed it on to His twelve disciples. He did not instruct them to go out and tell everybody to stop being sinners, join a church and sing in the choir, show up for the youth car wash and bake sale, and dress more conservatively. He told them to preach the kingdom and heal the sick. He gave them the authority to do this. Interestingly, I don't recall them ever questioning whether they should obey this directive (though they questioned just about everything else). They just did it. Of course Jesus did not limit this authority or mandate to His twelve original disciples. A bit later, in Luke chapter 10, we see Him send out the seventy with the very same admonition: heal the sick, preach the kingdom, which they did with great success. Apparently Jesus labored under the assumption that the two concepts, the kingdom of God and healing, went hand in hand. I guess He thought folks might just like it or something.

Today most modern churchgoers would be a bit alarmed, maybe even offended, if their pastor informed them that he had been given the authority, even the responsibility, to heal them. They would be even more startled if he informed them that they had this authority and power within themselves and were to use it as well to spread the gospel and bring others to Christ. But that's how the church started. You can read all about it in the Bible. It starts right after Malachi in a book called The Gospel According to Matthew and continues on with disciples and followers of Christ healing the sick and spreading the Good News, even after Jesus has returned to heaven. At no point do they abandon this mandate and as far as I've been able to ascertain it has never been revoked.

I don't profess to know precisely when all of this changed, when the church decided it just couldn't do what Jesus instructed her to do and began to change into the thing we have today. But I suspect it began long ago in a period of history that was marked by religion without faith, ritual without substance and leadership devoid of the Spirit of God. Historians call it The Dark Ages.

The Bottom Line
(or get to the point, Kona!)

It's like a doctor who only tells you how sick you are and refuses to treat you.

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Week of 3/19/00

My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;
in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up.

(Psalm 5:3)

Every year people spend millions of dollars on time management seminars. Dozens of books have been written on how to squeeze 25 hours into a 24 hour day so that (eventually) you can relax and enjoy the stuff you've almost killed yourself to get. Let me save you some time and money. Start your day with God.

Sounds simple, right? Yet how many of us do it? We try to fit God into our busy schedules when we have a little down time. We read our Bibles as we fall asleep at night. We pray when the day is over. David had the right idea: start the day with God and look up, expecting results.

To me, the principle involved here is very much the same as that of the tithe. When we tithe, we bring God a percentage of our increase (10% off the top), our "firstfruits", which He then multiplies back to us. God doesn't need my money. The purpose is to show obedience, to honor Him with my best and to demonstrate faith in His Word. It shows the world that He is my source. He even goes so far as to dare us to put Him to the test in this matter (Malachi 3:10-11) and see if He doesn't keep His part of the agreement. Why should tithing our time to God be regarded any differently?

This is what I believe David hit on here in this verse of Psalm 5 and why I see something very special about morning prayer and study. When I designate time to God first in the morning, I am showing Him how important He is to me. I am saying He is more important than my job. He is more necessary to my life than Good Morning America. I am giving Him the first, the best part of my day. I am offering Him something precious to me, my time.

This is not a religious exercise. There are definite benefits to doing this.

The first thing you can expect is more time. Remember that whatever you give is multiplied back to you. That goes for time, too. Hey, God knows this isn't easy for some of us! The morning can be a frantic time. We may have to get up earlier to spend time with Him. We may have to rearrange our lives a little bit to accommodate Him. It may require some (gasp) sacrifice on our part. But He will honor your commitment and you will get more done than ever before because He will make time work for you.

Secondly, you will be armed to the teeth to take on anything you encounter during the day. You will have already read faith filled words and set the angels of God in motion. Your spiritual muscles will already be warmed up before you encounter traffic, the boss or your banker. Think about it. Which would have done you more good this morning: reading all of Psalm 5 or watching CNN?

The best thing though is "looking up." David spent the rest of his day expecting to see the prayers he had "directed" that morning to the Father to be answered. We should do the same. Because you put God first, expect to succeed in whatever you do (Psalm 1:1-3). Expect Him to lead the way, to open doors and show you where to go (Proverbs 3:6). Expect the verses you read that morning to take on special significance throughout the day (write down the ones that jump out at you and it can get really exciting). Expect Him to be there because you sought Him first.

Even though this may be difficult to do, try it for a week, especially if you are already fighting the clock. God always multiplies what we give Him. Remember that Jesus multiplied a few loaves and fishes that a little boy gave Him into lunch for thousands. They even had leftovers.

God has all the time in the world.

Week of 3/12/00

"Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men."

(Matthew 12:31)

One of the greatest attractions of Christianity is the fact that no matter how rotten one has been and no matter how long one has been so rotten, forgiveness is available for the mere asking. I remain convinced to this day that we will meet many people in heaven that we would not have chosen to let in, though we would have gladly helped them leave this earth. That is because forgiveness is the focus of God's plan for us and the sole reason for Christ's existence. God never intended for reconciliation to be a difficult matter, a series of steps and plateaus that we labor up, but an uncomplicated, heartfelt request simply voiced. I personally believe that God never refuses forgiveness to those sincerely seeking it, no matter what they have done. With the one exception: Blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

This is one reason so many people struggle with today's verse. They cannot understand how Jesus can say that no forgiveness is possible for this one act. But He did. In fact He restates it in the following verse so there is no mistake, "Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come."

Let's put this situation in context. Jesus had just been brought a real doozy, a demon-possessed man who was also blind and mute. Of course He healed him, much to the crowd's amazement. As a result of this and other miraculous healings, they began to think this man might be The Man. The Pharisees responded to this adulation by accusing the Lord Jesus Christ of working hand in hand with Satan, His miracles being gaudy manifestations of demonic power. This brought the "house divided" response from Christ as well as His explanation of the one unpardonable sin.

But why was it unpardonable? Because the Pharisees knew better. They were not acting out of ignorance. They knew the Scriptures and they knew who Jesus was, they just didn't like it. Thus they called a beautiful act of the Holy Spirit the work of Satan, denying His salvation in their lives as they hoped to prevent it in others. You will not meet them in heaven because they have utterly rejected the only One whose forgiveness could give them entrance. They had turned completely against the revelation of God, not just rejecting their long-awaited Messiah, but the Holy Spirit as well. Good had become evil, evil good. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Many of us have committed what we would call blasphemy in our ignorance. We see others do it all around us, also usually born of this same ignorance. But there is a major difference between that and what the Pharisees did. Yet even today in many churches, some preachers walk a very fine line when they denigrate gifts of the Spirit such as tongues, prophesy, healing, etc. I have actually heard some ministers teach that these displays of Spirit power were demonic. While I believe (most of) these statements were (and are) the result of ignorance, lack of Biblical knowledge and often simple cowardice and not a complete rejection of Christ as such, I must say these folks are dangerously close to falling into the same hole the Pharisees dug for themselves. I would caution extreme reluctance to ever mock or disparage any manifestation of the supernatural by a Christ-centered believer, no matter how odd, because one never knows what the Holy Spirit might do next. He's infinite, limitless in imagination and not likely to ask for our approval of His methods. I would rather err on the side of safety on this one, considering I need all the forgiveness I can get.

Actually, I don't think we need be in a panic about this unpardonable sin. Quoting from The Spirit-Filled Life Bible, "If you want to obey God but are concerned that you may have committed the unpardonable sin, you have not committed it. If anyone today has committed this sin, it would be one who is hard-hearted, who has turned against Jesus, reviled Him, and become so depraved that he would claim that God's Spirit is Satan." I am truly happy and thankful that I, for once, cannot say, "Been there, done that" to that one. I'm sure you are, too.

The Bottom Line
(or get to the point, Kona!)

Did one have to be stupid and suicidal to be a Pharisee?

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Week of 3/5/00

"But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him"

(Mark 9:13)

A few weeks ago someone informed me that the Bible confirmed the truth of reincarnation. It was not the first time I had heard this and fortunately knew how to respond. The verse for today is usually the one uninformed people like this use to make their point. Again, you will see the importance of really knowing what the Bible says, and not simply believing what you've heard it says.

Today's verse is pulled from the end of Mark's account of the Transfiguration, when Jesus went up on the mountain and was revealed to be the Son of God. Peter, James and John were witness to this sight as well as that of Jesus conversing with Moses and Elijah. If this were the only information we had, it might be possible to see Jesus statement as confirmation of the reincarnation fantasy, but it is not.

Flipping back to Matthew chapter 17, we see the same event described. However in this account, we see that the disciples actually understood that Christ was speaking figuratively about John the Baptist (okay, it took them a while to get it, but they got it), not the reincarnation of Elijah. But there are some other very obvious facts that shoot holes in the reincarnation lie.

Let's look at this logically for a moment (yes, Christians are allowed this device once in a while). Jesus is seen talking with Moses and Elijah. They are dead, have been for years. Yet they are still recognizable as Moses and Elijah. Moses has not become Jesus or anybody else.

Jesus confirms that Elijah has already come (again) yet there he is. He is not John the Baptist, who by now has already been beheaded. He is still Elijah. Obviously even devotees of the reincarnation concept do not believe that one is reincarnated as another person and then when that person dies he reverts to who he used to be. Huh? That would be too weird, even for proponents of this theory. No, it is clear that Jesus is aware of what the scripture that closes the Old Testament means, "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord, and he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse" (Malachi 3:5-6). He knows and confirms that this was referring to John the Baptist preparing the way for the Christ, but the term Elijah is being used symbolically.

Jesus obviously believed in life continuing after death, but nowhere does He endorse reincarnation. Another scripture to note would be that of Luke chapter 16, wherein Jesus describes the rich man and Lazarus (no, a different Lazarus) both being in the presence of Abraham after their respective deaths. Abraham is still Abraham. He has not become anyone else. Neither has the rich man nor Lazarus the beggar. Everybody recognizes everybody else. They are all individuals, not interchangeable souls, fully cognizant of their pasts and their present situation, still relating to it with very real personalities. You are who you are, here or there. Incidentally, you should be aware as you read this somewhat uncomfortable account of "the other side" that Jesus is not speaking in parables or figuratively, but relating an actual event.

Reincarnation was conceived to deal with the fact that we all know, deep inside, that there is a measure of eternity within us. We have known this since the dawn of life on this earth, because we are truly spirits. However, reincarnation was manufactured to alleviate responsibility for our own actions and choices. If you don't get it right the first time, try again. And again. And again. It just doesn't work this way, and the Word of God clearly denies it, over and over. But the worst thing is, reincarnation is a poor and dismal substitute for what God really has waiting for us. This we can only guess at and feebly imagine. But one thing is certain. Nobody ever wants to leave and come back here.

The Bottom Line
(or get to the point, Kona!)

God doesn't recycle.

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Week of 2/27/00

And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

(John 21:25)

This, the final line that closes the four gospels, is one of my favorite verses to ponder in the entire New Testament, indeed in the whole Bible. It allows our imaginations to run absolutely wild and yet it leaves me, at least, wishing we knew more.

The thing that is most frustrating about this verse is that John teases us with firsthand knowledge he certainly possesses. He was with the Lord throughout His ministry and saw many more marvelous events than were transcribed in his gospel. In fact, John, as well as Matthew, Mark and Luke, though presenting four unique versions of the earthly ministry of Jesus, recount many of the same miraculous events, situations, parables and even sermons. Yet we know there had to be more.

Think about it. If you take all the known miracles, starting with the first at the wedding in Cana, all the speeches and teachings and all the known events through the Resurrection, they could be compressed into a matter of days. Yet Jesus moved among men in His anointing for three years! What was He doing? We know He had retired from the carpentry business, something His competitors were probably delighted with (Imagine the ads He could have run. Wonder if He would've put a little fish next to his name?). But He was certainly doing something, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't fishing, sailing or lounging on the beach working on His tan. Yet John said we would run out of shelf space if they were to record all He said and did. Irritating, huh?

As you know if you read these weekly ramblings on a regular basis, I'm a big fan of David. I like Paul a lot, too, even though he makes me crazy sometimes. But don't you find it odd that the words we possess of the Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior of the world, wouldn't make up more than a few of Dave's psalms or a couple of Paul's (short) epistles? It's as if Jesus only opened His mouth once a year and then disappeared. Yet we know this was not the case.

How many amazing miracles, affecting thousands upon thousands of people, have not been recorded for us to marvel at? How many illuminating messages and insightful comments were not passed down to us? Even his daily activities would have been of interest. How many lives must He have touched just by being there? But we know more about the lives of Moses and David than we do Jesus. Very frustrating.

There is of course a good reason for all of this. It would be wonderful to read about all the thousands of powerful things Christ did, all the lives He changed and all the words He spoke. But that was not why He came. We can read in depth about Moses and David and all the other great men of faith. We can even read more than we want to know about lesser men, some even downright worthless ones throughout Scripture. Their lives, their accomplishments and failures, victories and all too human lapses, are there to instruct us, to encourage us and to warn us. But we were never intended to have a relationship with them. They're gone. They can be of no further assistance to us.

I said in the first paragraph of this article that today's verse always leaves me wanting to know more. That is precisely the reason we have been given so little. Jesus came to be known, not through Scripture, not through retold stories and historical data, but through our hearts. It doesn't matter so much what He did as what He does. The gospels are only an introduction to Christ, a sort of Jesus 101. The real story begins in you when you make Him your Lord and Savior. This is what He wanted, to be known, not remembered; to be experienced, not studied; to be loved, not read about. He has never stopped working. His ministry has grown a million fold and spread around the world. To paraphrase John, I suppose that if we were to write down all that Jesus is doing today, all the books in the world would not have enough pages.

The Bottom Line
(or get to the point, Kona!)

All the books in the world cannot contain Him. One heart can.

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Week of 2/20/00

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

(II Timothy 2:15)

The letters of instruction and encouragement Paul penned to the young Timothy 1,940 years ago are so applicable today that, except for some of the antiquated phrasing, they could have been written yesterday. The same problems exist today as then, and the same needs.

Throughout the two epistles Paul cautions against the misinterpretation of scripture, as well as its intentional misuse, and urges Timothy to be on guard against deception. He firmly places the onus of separating truth from fiction, doctrine from cultism and faith from fables on the untested shoulders of Timothy himself. Today's verse exemplifies this responsibility with unflinching clarity. But it is crucial for us to realize, if we ever realize anything at all, that this duty extends beyond Timothy to us.

When Paul tells Timothy to be a worker, he is not referring to do-gooding, but intensive and unending study. He urges him to learn the scriptures inside out, to understand them intimately. More importantly, he emphasizes the need for clear  and unselfish application, not suiting them to one's own needs or personal beliefs, but "rightly dividing" (cutting straight) this word, however uncomfortable that may be.

The reason for this is that Paul knew what was coming. Indeed it had already arrived. His very next sentence: "But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some." The church, though still in its infancy, had already begun to be corrupted, a process unfortunately still ongoing. This was, and is, only possible because of one thing: Massive ignorance of scripture.

Bear in mind I do not consider myself to be anything but a very freshman student of this Book. There are many things I don't understand. Some scripture I simply don't like, and wish it did not exist at all, but it's does and there's not a thing I can do about it. But there is one lesson I've learned: Don't take verses out of context.

The result of this process, coupled with astounding, almost willful ignorance, has given birth to many of the denominations and sects that have flourished throughout the years and some that survive today. One that comes to mind insists that salvation is not possible without the physical act of water baptism. Another bases everything on which is the proper day to worship God (I thought they all were). While these dogmas are easily refuted with even a cursory reading of scripture, its members remain convinced and mired in single lines of scripture that have left them stuck immovably in legalism. Even these letters to Timothy, meant to prevent this very thing, have given rise to squabbles and divisions and birthed whole movements in the church, based on attire and outward appearance, and the forced diminution of the woman's role in the church. Again, a complete understanding of the whole Bible easily puts this chauvinistic misinterpretation to rest. But there will always be those who choose to perpetuate the misunderstanding of these verses because they enjoy the domination and power they think it affords them. They are of course spectacularly wrong.

This of course doesn't even touch on those who have caused tremendous horror with their misunderstanding and sometimes complete perversion of the word of God. Millions have died since Christ ascended and left us with a mission to spread the Gospel of Peace. From the bloody and benighted Crusades, to the annihilation of the Native Americans unfortunate enough to be in the path of our so-called Manifest Destiny, to the monsters of the twentieth century like Adolph Hitler who saw the Bible as not just a license but a mandate for destruction and conquest, the Bible has been like an A-bomb in the hands of a third grader. More recently we have seen it wielded with equally nauseating aplomb by the likes of Jim Jones, David Koresh and the impish little darling Marshall Applewhite of Heaven's Gate (whoops, that was a misnomer) fame, all of whom are not, as the Coroner of Munchkin Land so aptly put it, merely dead, but really most sincerely dead. If you think knowledge of the Bible is something you can take or leave, you haven't been paying attention.

The  best way to demonstrate the importance and danger of this is with a little test. Since you're such a good sport, try this. Is this statement in the Bible or not? Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up. How about this one? Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

You get the point. I have never (intentionally) manipulated scripture to suit my purposes, but there are those who do to great effect. You have to be prepared. They stand in pulpits all over this country. They start churches and cults. They appear on talk shows in shiny, cheerful, New Age guise. They are attractive, forceful and charismatic. They appear holy. They tell us what we want to hear. They know our weaknesses, our prejudices and our desires. They are banking on our ignorance. Paul foresaw this and warns Timothy yet again, "But evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." Surprise them by being ready for them.

The Bottom Line
(or get to the point, Kona!)

There is nothing more dangerous than a little Bible knowledge.

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Week of 2/13/00

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

(Hebrews 4:16)

More than likely you are very familiar with today's verse. I'm sure I've written on it before (though I can't remember when; someday I will work on organizing these messages according to themes, etc.) but there are still a few points we may have missed. Let's do a little dissecting.

The first, and I think most important, word in this exhortation is the frequently unnoticed and seemingly insignificant word us. Paul is telling his readers, including those reading it today, that we are, all of us, equal in God's sight. Paul includes us with him. He is not "Saint" Paul, standing alone, a demigod, having attained a goal unreachable by us mere mortals, but a brother, no more, no less. In fact, this phrase "let us" predominates in Hebrews. You will see it everywhere in this epistle. But there is something even more important that this tiny word reveals.

Now don't misunderstand what I am about to say, but the most important fact this word reveals is your inherent ability as a Christian, actually your covenant right, to walk unaided directly up to the throne of God to have your needs met. This requires the help of no other person. You do not need a priest to unlock the door. You need no minister to put in a good word for you. You have access. If you are sick, you do not need to race around the country trying to get the healing evangelist to lay hands on you. You can be healed where you stand. You have as much access to God as he does. You should never forget that. You have a VIP pass, too.

This of course does not diminish the roles of pastors or evangelists, put here by God for the sake of the church, nor does it deny the super-power of corporate prayer. It is also completely Biblical to have hands laid on for healing and other needs and to seek counsel from godly men. But you need none of these to talk to God any time, any place about anything and feel absolutely confident that you will be heard and answered.

The second word to take note of is the word boldly. This does not imply any brashness or presumption, but an attitude of confidence, founded on a knowledge of who we are in God's eyes, that we may, "without reservation, with frankness, with full and open speech" (Spirit Filled Life Bible) approach the God we so familiarly call "Father" without fear that we will be turned away like some spiritual gatecrasher. Of course if you don't know how you stand with God and are ignorant of His feelings toward you and your place in His family, you may still be daunted. Read His Word and get over it.

Finally there is one more word to take note of today: Need. Without a doubt, times of need will come, and probably more often than we would like (If you are unfamiliar with this situation please let us all in on your secret). How you react will reveal how well you understand this verse and how well you understand who you are. Go straight to God. You don't need permission or absolution. Jesus took care of that for you. Don't hang around outside the door, worrying about what you'll say or how to say it. You'll be heard. You don't need to bring in the big guns. You're welcome in your Father's house anytime. It's your house, too.

The Bottom Line
(or get to the point, Kona!)

Do you knock on your own door or just go in?

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Week of 1/30/00

"So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth"

(Revelation 3:16)

It is always a good idea, every once in a while, to acknowledge our weaknesses and admit that we are human. While I have fought (and still fight) my share of vices and addictions, there is one I avoided for years, knowing I would become hopelessly addicted to it if I allowed it into my life. Eventually I broke down and what I shunned for so long has now become a weekly ritual. Now I must admit before you all the embarrassing truth: I am an X Files fan. I love watching Mulder and Scully chase worm creatures and investigate UFOs and aliens without faces. I like the dark, deadpan humor (surprise) and the farout ideas and stories, as well as the weird characters. And every once in a while there is some surprising insight into faith that is found in no other primetime series.

Such was the case last week in an episode that I will never forget. It concerned a church, The Church of Christ with Signs and Wonders, stuck somewhere in the lonely hills of Tennessee, and their practice of charisma, notably snake handling (something I consider a really bad idea, by the way).

As the show began, we saw a young man, scared out of his wits, attempting to leave his house and escape from some unknown fear. Then we see it: a rattlesnake. Praying through sheer terror he runs for his car, pistol in hand, and fumbles with the ignition. We hear another snake and soon realize the car is full of them. When his body is found the next day he is an unrecognizable mass of hundreds of snakebites. Yet no snakes are to be found.

Of course Mulder and Scully are called in to investigate the strange death. They discover that the young man and his pregnant girlfriend have recently left the hardcore charismatic church and joined a more modern and free- thinking one in town. It is revealed that the girl's father is the feisty preacher of the snake handlers, an uneducated and unbending man of, let's just say, extreme faith.

More mysterious deaths ensue and quite naturally suspicion falls on the crazy preacher. Meanwhile, the kindly new preacher is doing his best to help the young and frightened girl. An interesting scene then takes place, the reading of our verse for today. We see the Church of Christ with Signs and Wonders bunch in their little backwoods church with the fiery preacher giving his interpretation. His view is serious, unbending and to the point. God wants you hot. The scene then shifts to the modern church and their Sunday night Bible study where the kindly minister is giving his take on the same verse. In gentle tones he explains (using the word spew instead of vomit) the many meanings of this verse and how we shouldn't take it too seriously.

Eventually the crazy charismatic preacher is locked up and as he sleeps in his cell he is awakened by a sudden noise. Surrounding him everywhere are snakes. Bitten hundreds of times, he is hospitalized on the very brink of death, yet his daughter, wanting to abide by her father's wishes, refuses to allow medical treatment. Fortunately the kindly minister steps in and convinces her to allow it. As soon as he leaves the room, the crazed, snakebitten Bible thumper leaps from the bed and carries his daughter off. Amazingly, he seems to have shaken off the effects of 200 rattlesnake bites.

We then see an exorcism taking place in which the girl is delivered of not a baby, but hundreds of snakes. Hot on the heals of all this action, Mulder shows up at the new church to save the kindly minister from the loony preacher who must certainly be bent on destruction. Not a moment too soon either as Mulder interrupts the knife-wielding evangelist before he can slit the good minister's collared throat. As Fox wings the maniac, he crumples to the ground and informs Mulder (once again) that he doesn't realize whose side he's on. He tells him to think from his heart. It is here our grim FBI agent has a revelation. The kindly, gentle minister is behind all the terror. He is the one that impregnated the young girl. He is the one that is evil, a point he immediately proves by materializing hundreds of snakes to incapacitate Mulder. Fortunately, Scully shows up just in time and saves our hero but the minister has disappeared.

Then Mulder says something I never thought I would hear on primetime TV, "People think that the devil has a pointy tail and horns, but sometimes he's just the guy who tells you what you want to hear." As the show ends, we see our friendly, modern and free-thinking minister being welcomed by a member of his new congregation. She is delighted to have a man with an open mind about the Bible leading their church. When she leaves the room he takes a cardboard box from his desk, pulls out a white mouse and dangles it over his face, whereupon a snake promptly comes out of his open mouth and takes the tender morsel.

The Bottom Line
(or get to the point, Kona!)

The truth is out there.

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Week of 1/23/00

Then the king said to me, "What do you request?" So I prayed to the God of heaven.

(Nehemiah 2:4

Most of us find that prayer comes quite easily when we are in serious trouble or in desperate need. This is indeed the only time some of us pray. For still others, these trying times are when they rack their brains to remember how to pray (Let's see, how did that one go, uh, "Our Father Huart in heaven, hollow wood be..., no that's not it)  Still less of us are even grateful enough for God's responses to spend a bit of time in prayer just being thankful. But like I said, most of our prayer time is usually spent asking for this or that. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but today's verse gives us another factor to consider before we begin asking.

First a little quick background. Nehemiah, living in captivity in Persia, has at least been fortunate enough to be named cupbearer for King Artaxerxes, a better position than most of the Hebrews find themselves in. Yet he yearns for the city of his birth, the city of his fathers, Jerusalem, now partly in ruins. Even though Nehemiah has a fairly comfy life, he is ready to forego all the luxury of the palace and return home. This one thought eats at him day and night.

Then some men come from Judah and tell the homesick Nehemiah about the destruction that has taken place in his beloved city. It is here that Nehemiah does another wise thing: he prays and fasts, seeking repentance and also praying for forgiveness for his people, who have in no small way brought this entire situation upon themselves (an outmoded and politically dangerous allegation these days). He reminds the Lord of His promises and asks for the Lord to honor His word. Such is his prayer.

Four months later, as Nehemiah was bringing wine to the king, Artaxerxes noticed that his cupbearer wasn't looking too frisky and asked him why he was so down. It is here that my excellent Bible informs me of the reason for Nehemiah's strange reaction of fear to this simple and apparently compassionate question. Cupbearers were not allowed to show their emotions, in deference to the king's presence. The punishment for this faux pas was the typical regional answer to things of that nature. You guessed it: Death.

But Artaxerxes was fond of his cupbearer. Nehemiah gathered his courage and told the king of his pain over the destruction of Jerusalem.

Then the king said to me, "What do you request?" So I prayed to the God of heaven (Nehemiah 2:4).

Do you see what Nehemiah did? He prayed before asking. What a concept!

See Nehemiah is being given a very large opportunity here. The king, who can do virtually whatever he pleases, is granting the captive, not unlike the Genie with Aladdin, a wish. There is no question as to whether he is capable of fulfilling the wish. He can. So Nehemiah quickly prays for guidance as to what to ask for. Immediately he asks leave to return home. The king agrees to this, but Nehemiah doesn't stop there. He asks for letters of passage to get him through the region unmolested as well as letters of instruction that timbers must be cut from the king's forests to replace Jerusalem's damaged gates and walls. Oh yes, and to build a house for Nehemiah to live in. To all of which the king acquiesces.

This is why you pray before you ask. Had Nehemiah just asked to be allowed to leave, he wouldn't even have made it across the river, let alone had the insight to ask for building supplies. God told him what to ask for, and this same principle applies whether we're asking of man or God Himself. He knows what we need better than we do and it puts us in direct agreement with His will, a surefire guarantee of success.

So the next time you start to pray for what you want, why not take a few extra seconds and ask God to tell you what you need? It will get you a lot further and won't cost you any wishes.

The Bottom Line
(or get to the point, Kona!)

Unanswered prayers are sometimes the best answer.

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Week of 1/16/00

You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.

(Exodus 22:28)

While we don't really live by the hundreds of laws recorded in the Old Testament, many conservative Christians are fond of quoting them, especially when it suits their needs or reinforces an opinion. In studying these long lists in Exodus, we find many laws we are probably all pretty relieved we no longer live under or are required to enforce. There was not much wiggle room in these ordinances (then again crime was certainly less of an option for people in those days, considering the consequences).

However, the one that I chose for our verse for today still holds up as a good idea and even more importantly goes to the heart of what Christianity is all about, or should be anyway. Jesus, as well as the apostles, echo this mandate throughout the New Testament in more places than I can enumerate here, but one stands out. Romans 13:1 clearly directs us to, "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God."

Like all scripture taken out of context, this one for today, "You shall not revile your God, nor curse a ruler of your people", needs to be read through that filter known as common sense.

Of course you never want to revile (denounce with abusive language, rail against) God at any time or in any way. That, simply put, is just stupid. Don't do it. But the second part, about not cursing our rulers, needs more examination.

Let's first look at what it does not mean. First of all, it doesn't mean we have to like what our rulers do, nor must we agree with everything they say or even command. We cannot be commanded to sin, for example. It does not mean we can't work diligently and with all (honorable and scripturally sound) means at our disposal to find new careers for them. It does not mean, as a last resort, that civil disobedience, even to the point of imprisonment (or death) is forbidden. There can be times when this is the only choice left.

What it does mean is this: You have absolutely no right, in fact it is expressly forbidden by God, to curse (revile, execrate, denounce in a nasty, spiteful way using scatological terminology, wish horrible forms of slow death upon, etc.) any ruler God has seen fit to put in charge of your family, your job, your city, your church, your country.

Think about Paul for a moment. He went through more misery at the hands of government than we can even imagine. Yet his number one concern throughout his many ordeals was these very rulers' salvation. He prayed for them. They abused him, he prayed for them. And don't fool yourself. This is one of the main reasons he lasted as long as he did.

Some of you will probably say to yourselves, "But Jesus really stuck it to the rulers. He called them vipers, sons of the devil, whitewashed tombs, murderers and all sorts of things. Why can't I do the same?" One good reason: Jesus is God incarnate. You are not. He can do whatever He wants. He never said, "I won't curse any ruler." He just told us not to. It's a responsibility that falls solely within His own job description.

We Christians need to remember that the world is watching. How we deal with leaders, not just political but in all areas of our lives, says more about us than we realize. It is a prime opportunity to prove in a highly effective manner that we actually believe what we preach. Sadly, we don't have a great record in this area.

Finally, this mandate does not mean that God approves of corrupt leaders or governments. He is not behind unjust laws or legislation that openly opposes His Word. But sometimes individuals, or even entire countries, need a wakeup call. As a result, downright evil governments may abide for a time.

As the election hype heats up throughout the year, keep what we've learned today in mind. Your guy might not make it. How are you going to react? Will you spend the next four years mocking, hating and name-calling? Will you make jokes about his or her family and cheer at every failing and misstep? Or will you be praying for God to guide this person and help them do not only their best, but what's best for us all? Your response will effect you more than it will them.

The Bottom Line
(or get to the point, Kona!)

Pray we don't get the government we deserve.

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Week of 1/9/00

"Surely I will send a spirit upon him, and he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land."

(Isaiah 37:7)

We all have a tendency when facing impossibly difficult situations to try to imagine all the ends. We replay the scenarios in our heads over and over and eventually come to the conclusion that there is no way out. Nothing can be done.

We are of course right in our assumption that there is nothing we can do. But don't leave God out of the equation.

Seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, King Hezekiah of Judah found himself facing an impossible situation. Sennacherib, King of Assyria invaded Judah and captured all 48 cities in the region, carried off 200,000 people, and laid siege to Jerusalem. Hezekiah was reduced to a virtual prisoner in his palace.

Unlike many of his predecessors, Hezekiah was a good king and a godly man. He had initiated reforms and done away with the idolatry that had overtaken the populace. Yet here he was on the verge of total annihilation. The Assyrians were no light-weights. Their succession of conquests had spanned two centuries. No one was able to withstand them. Their army was the best in the world. It was also the most ruthless.

Prior to this invasion, Hezekiah, along with several other leaders of other countries, hoping to guard themselves against the Assyrian threat, made a shaky alliance with Egypt. Not only did this prove useless, it in fact caused the very invasion it was supposed to avert. So much for planning. Now the king, completely outmanned, faced a merciless horde camped all around him. The emissary of Sennacherib began to taunt him, "Now therefore, I urge you, give pledge to my master the king of Assyria and I will give you two thousand horses -- if you are able on your part to put riders on them! How then will you repel one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put your trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen?"

It got a lot nastier, with the emissary explaining in nauseating detail what their diet would eventually be reduced to. And all of this was within hearing of the captive people. Undaunted, he continued to berate Hezekiah and his leadership, warning the people that he was stupidly leading them to their own deaths. Further, their impotent God would be no protection, for, "Has any one of the gods of the nations delivered its land from the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Indeed, have they delivered Samaria from my hand? Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their countries from my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?"

Good point. But Hezekiah said nothing and commanded the others to remain silent also in the face of this intimidation. Tearing his clothes (something they did a lot of back then) and putting on sackcloth, he went into the temple and began to pray as his servants went to seek out Isaiah, the prophet.

Immediately Isaiah told them not to be afraid of the words of the emissary. God heard them, too, and He wasn't impressed. He had a plan, said Isaiah, "Surely I will send a spirit upon him, and he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land."

Now you or I might be a little less than credulous about this. It sounds like a real long shot. Sennacherib, after capturing 48 cities and totally surrounding Jerusalem is just going to pack up and go home, where he will conveniently die? Please.

Yet the history of this event is certain. I'll let Isaiah complete the account in his own words:

Then the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians 185,000; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses -- all dead. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Ninevah. Now it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword; and they escaped to the land of Ararat. Then Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place."

There are a few thoughts we should take away from this story. One, don't challenge God, even on your best day. Two, nothing is ever truly hopeless, no matter how grim the situation appears. Three, forget trying to figure out how God's going to do it. And four, God has a unique (to say the least) sense of humor.

The Bottom Line
(or get to the point, Kona!)

God is not limited by your imagination.

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Week of 1/2/00

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

(Jeremiah 29:11)

I was somewhat perplexed today as to what would be a suitable message to begin a new century, as well as a new millenium ( okay, I know that really begins in 2,001). Hard as I tried to think of something else, one thought kept coming through to the exclusion of others: God, as always, is in control. God, as always, cares about us.

Not very profound. That's why I chose as today's scripture my favorite verse from Jeremiah. For one thing, he makes it sound better than I can: For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. This is what we should carry into the new year, the new century and the new millenium. God is not mad at us. He is not sitting on His heavenly throne dreaming up new ways to clobber us. In fact, it's just the opposite. He wants us to see the future as unlimited, exciting, something to look forward to with expectation. He even wants to give us that very expectation, if indeed it is lacking in ourselves.

This is a verse that we should all tattoo in some prominent place in our minds. It needs to be an indelible part of our thinking. It will change how we see everything from here on out. At least, it should. In fact, it should have completely eliminated our over-concern towards what amounted to a very insignificant calendar change: the much hyped and over-dreaded Y2K.

I am not trying to sound spiritually superior in any way, but I must admit to you that I was one of those people who thought the Y2K scare was going to be incredibly anti-climactic. I held this belief since day one. I refused to buy one of the dozens of books clogging the stores prophesying doom and cataclysm. I believed this to be fear mongering at it's slimiest, i.e., scaring people half out of their wits in order to make piles and piles of money. Nor did I hoard goods, guns and ammo for the coming apocalypse. I simply didn't believe there would be one. It's not the plan.

As I watched the celebrations from around the world last night, it seemed that events went very smoothly. I saw no planes fall out of the sky. No missiles inadvertently took flight. The lights stayed on, the water continued to flow and amazingly, millions upon millions of strangers celebrated together with a minimum of mayhem. Actually, in many places, this New Year's Eve was less problematic than many previous ones. Even on our tiny, low-tech island 3,500 miles out in the middle of the Pacific, there wasn't even a noticeable hiccup, except those resulting from too much champagne. The doomsayers must be really bummed out. Oh well, there's still the end of the world to write about. And let's not forget the money to be made predicting the date of Christ's return (in hardback and paperback), while pointing at every current event, trend, technological advancement and natural disaster as a sign of the end personally revealed from heaven.

Let them write. Who cares? You know better. God has a plan for your life. His thoughts toward you are kind. He wants you to have a future, a good, prosperous and happy future. If disasters strike, as they will from time to time, don't run for the hills. Don't lock yourself in a bunker. Just look up and say, "I know what Your plan for me is. This isn't it." Wait, pray and hope (expectation based on faith in God's Word). Don't let the fear on sale everywhere become a part of your consciousness. God has already revealed His plan and His thoughts about you.

This new year is going to be as good as you expect it to be. Raise your expectations. Expect more, from yourself and from God. Be daring, fearless. Laugh at adversity (it can't hurt). Use your faith. Pray more. Be more thankful and you'll have even more to be thankful for. And when those around you try to bring you down, remember just whose thoughts are streaming toward you, faster than the speed of light. Continually. Remember what those thoughts are: Peace and a hopeful future. And stop worrying already. Your future is in good hands.

The Bottom Line
(or get to the point, Kona!)

The Dark Ages were caused by Y1K fears.

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