He Who Goes First

 

Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one. Isaiah 44:8 (NIV)

Indiana Jones hates snakes. One of the most memorable scenes in the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark was his discovery of the Ark of the Covenant hidden in the Well of Souls. Peering into the room from above he beheld the ark below with snakes writhing on the floor around it. A lot of snakes. Rolling back in shock Indy says, “Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?” His archeological associate, Sallah, looks and says, “Yes, asps. Very dangerous. You go first!”

In life who goes first, the LORD or you? As the sure Logos of God, we can know with certainty Christ always goes before us. When we face things that can make us tremble, we can remember what the LORD our Rock says of Himself, “Is there any God besides me?” There is not one who even comes close to His majesty, power, and wisdom, let alone match Him. He is a Rock on which we can firmly stand and in whom we can fully trust.

He is more than willing to meet and overcome our worries and fears. His light leads and shines into any pit of darkness, even crawling with things we dread. The God of Israel will go before you and will be your rear guard (Is. 51:12). He will crush the head of any serpent as He says, “Do not fear for I am with you. Follow Me. I will go first.”

Maranatha,

Ken

Through Cloud and Rain

 

Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10 (NIV)

I recently flew into Billings, Montana. It was raining on our final approach, and with just about 30 seconds left to touchdown the plane descended into a cloud that completely blocked all outside view. Light faded as rain streaked the window. My tension remained until light increased and we came out of the bottom of the cloud with a view of the city below and our airplane descending to the runway. During the flight both pilots and individuals working ground control were not in sight, nor were their communications heard, but their unseen skills brought us to a safe landing.

It is hard for many to trust in a God who is invisible and inaudible as we might be descending into a personal storm.  Somehow it seems more frightening as darkness and cloud totally obscure our sight and rain steaks the window. Is the invisible God with us in this storm? What is He like? Paul tells the Colossian believers that God’s Son, Christ Jesus, is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. He goes on to say of Him: He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together (1^st Timothy 6:15,17).

Jesus taught that He has all authority in heaven and earth (Matt. 28:18). A great part of our trust in Him is remembering that the clouds and the rain are in His hand and even wind and the sea obey Him (Matt. 8:27).

Our faith and hope in God are never misplaced. The Father is invisible yet ever present (Psalm 139:7-12). While He remains invisible, His Son is incarnate, in bodily form and the essence and His exact likeness in human flesh has been made known. Through clouds and rain, we can always know what God is like for to have seen the Son is to have seen the Father (John 14:9).

The rain streaking your window and that thick cloud obscuring your sight has a bottom and will pass. We can be assured we will drop out of that cloud and rain into daylight with our runway in sight and Christ as our Pilot in Command.

Maranatha,

Ken

Love Your Nabor

 

Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:18 (NIV)

Once while cleaning up a Sunday School room at my church, I came across a child’s lesson. In their innocent child-like way they had written in crayon, “Love Your Nabor.”

I smiled as I read it but was struck by something deeper in those simple words. While the spelling might not have been perfect, it was pristine of heart revealing the simple and trusting faith of a child.

As I considered it, if my choice were to live next to a nabor who got a D in spelling but graduated with a circumcised heart for God, I would choose them over any neighbor with a degree that came with a heart of flint. I have lived with both kinds of people, and I have always preferred the nabor.

Jesus taught that unless we are converted and become as little children, we will not enter the kingdom of God (Matt. 18:3). We must put off continued anger, resentments, grudges, or getting even. These things will eat at us and destroy our peace. If trust is an issue, remember trust is also a choice. Yes, it is possible to be hurt again, but it is also possible to find healing and reconciliation through its embrace. These good returns cannot be achieved without it. This was a mainstay in the teaching of Jesus Christ in trust and forgiveness (Luke 17:4).  

If we are to love like a child, we must approach the Lord in the innocence of child-like faith. He wants us to approach Him in a spirit of humility, and loving trust. He is much less interested that we know how to spell ‘neighbor,’ as that we practice being one.

Maranatha,

Ken

 

           

The Eloquence of Silence

 

The chief priests accused him of many things. So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.” But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed. Mark 15:3-5 (NIV)

You know it is going to be a bad day when you are waiting behind some Hells Angels at a red light and the guy behind you lays on the horn as soon as the light changes. Your first words after waking up in the hospital are, “Hey, it wasn’t my fault!”

OK, so maybe that is a bit of hyperbole. Many of us have been the brunt of another person’s unwarranted wrath. Peter teaches a spiritual principle that applies to any such circumstances, and that is to patiently bear up under unjust accusation and suffering. He writes, But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God (1^st Peter 2:20). The fleshly side of my nature is not fond of this notion.

There is no credit in bearing a deserved punishment. It is gracious compliance to underserved suffering that finds favor in God’s eyes. Jesus Christ was the perfect example of gracious compliance to unjust accusation and suffering (Is. 53:7). The Roman prefect, Pilate, was amazed by this (Mark 15:5).

It is not easy to keep quiet when we are the focal point of someone’s negative judgments or wrath, especially when unjustified, however there is a trade-off that is right in God’s estimation. Taking it patiently is praiseworthy to Him. It creates blessing in very unfair circumstances for it demonstrates a heart that is right and commendable before God. When we do we exemplify our Lord Jesus Christ in a way that touches hearts and can leave them amazed.

Maranatha,

Ken

From That to This

 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old is gone, the new is here! 2^nd Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

The coastal redwoods of the western United States are the largest coniferous trees in the world, some reaching heights of a 35-story building (365 feet or 110 meters). Their seeds are small enough to fit in the palm of the hand but fully grown can produce a tree that weighs as much as 200 tons (200,000 kilograms). As mammoth as these trees are, they are anchored by a shallow but strong root system that can withstand storms, wind, and even earthquakes. While most redwoods live between 500 and 1000 years, some Giant Sequoias of the Sierra Nevada mountains are between 2000-3000 years old.

Trees in Scripture denote sustenance, strength, and health. In Eden God gave Adam and Eve every fruit bearing tree, pleasing to the eye and good for food (Gen. 2:9). David speaks of those who trust in the LORD as strong and fruitful trees that prosper (Psalm 1:3), and in the time of complete reconciliation and redemption to come, the tree of life will again be available to bring health and wellbeing to the nations (Rev. 22:2).

What is meant by new creations in Christ? The Greek en Christos, denotes a relation of rest. To be a new creation in Christ means not only to rest in Him but allow Him to renew an individual to a new and better way of life. Christ will take all who believe from a new beginning, to a towering faith, that stands the test of time.

This kind of growth is not immediate but happens over time as we patiently persevere in our walk with Christ. Getting in a hurry with worry will not add one hour to our lives (Matt. 6:27), or a single centimeter to our height. Walking means one step at a time, and maturity in growth our daily occupation.   

The seeds that fall from your branches can plant themselves in hearts that will bear a harvest at the appropriate time. It helps to remember we are not the Holy Spirit; He does the work (Eph. 2:8). He only asks us to be faithful to plant His good seed in hearts that might one day reap a hundred-fold harvest (Mark 4:8).

You may not be aware of your growth but be assured others are taking note. Be encouraged. If a small seed can fall from a tree, bury itself, and grow from a sprout into a massive and unshakable tree, then you are on your way. In Christ it will happen and is happening for you even now. You are among the king of trees, rooted in the King of Kings. When the old is gone the new comes. You are a tree that cannot be shaken nor moved!

Maranatha,

Ken

And Everybody Laughed

And Abraham fell facedown, he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” Genesis 17:17 (NIV)

God can do anything.

He had just finished giving Abram and Sarai new names to reflect His promise of an heir in their old age. Abram meant Exalted Father. It is probable Sarai meant Princely. Abraham was now Father of nations and Sarah was Princess. She would be the mother of future princes and kings. Changing her name demonstrated God’s favor and acceptance of her into the Abrahamic Covenant.

What greater thing could God do for the one He had chosen to be the progenitor of the people to represent Him to all the earth? He had promised Abram that he would father a great nation and be a blessing (Gen. 12:2). At that time, Abram was around 75 years old, and Sarai 65.

In His promise God stopped their play clock for another 25 years, but both judged Him faithful who had promised (Heb. 11:11-12). Could God do that for a man and woman who were far beyond their abilities for childbearing? Abram thought so. When he received the good news, he fell facedown before the LORD and laughed in joy.

To commemorate God’s power and fidelity, Abraham named his son and heir Issac which means He Laughs. Each time he called Isaac by name, he would be reminded of the great God who had given him this dear son and how His promise had made him laugh with delight.

Later, Sarah would overhear this same word from the LORD and laugh too, but it would be a laugh of skepticism. When He called her on it, she denied it (Gen. 18:12-14). He graciously overlooked her momentary lapse of faith and prophesied that the following year she would deliver a baby boy when Abraham would be 100 years old, and she would be 90. It was so, according to the sure promise of God—who gives life to the dead—and calls those things which do not exist as though they did. (Rom. 4:17).

They were grateful to God who gave them this precious gift and how he brought laughter and joy into their household. This son of promise would in turn bless the nations with the laughter and joy of salvation that would come through his offspring (John 4:22). It would find its finished work in God’s Son Yeshua whose name means Salvation (Matt. 1:21, Jn. 19:28-30).

Yes, God can do anything. He promised a virgin would conceive a Son of Promise without a human father and call Him Immanuel (Is. 7:14), meaning God with us. This was seven hundred years before it happened! The angel Gabriel proclaimed it at the appointed time, and we have history’s witness to its fulfillment.

The Father has given us the greatest reason to laugh by giving us His own Son of Promise, a promise He first declared at the fall in Eden (Gen 3:15). He is a God in whom all power and authority exists, who can do abundantly above all we ask or think (Eph. 3:20). As the God of all flesh He asks, “Is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jer. 32:27).

His loving kindness and personal relationship with us can easily cause us to bow in amazement before Him laughing with joy and thanksgiving as He fulfills His word to us. And as we look up, we can even find He is laughing with us for He is for us. He is that kind of loving Father, faithful and true. That is good enough to bring laughter to any heart.

Maranatha,

Ken

The LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. So the LORD brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon. 2^nd Chronicles 33:10-11 (NIV)

King Hezikiah had been a good king during his rule over Judah, a righteous man who insisted the Jews follow the Law of the LORD. God blessed and prospered his righteous reign. His son and kingly heir, Manasseh, came to the throne at 12 years old at the death of his father.

Manasseh was given to a defiant nature and rebelled against God and his father’s spiritual leadership and values. His rebellious streak lasted years and he did great evil in the eyes of the LORD, undoing everything good his father had done. He led the nation into the most egregious apostasies from witchcraft, sorcery, and setting up an idol in the temple, to sacrificing by fire his children to a heathen god (2^nd Kings 21:7, 2^nd Chronicles 33:6). He brought unmatched defilement to the kingdom of Judah.

Even though God in His grace allowed Manasseh’s rebellion to go on for a time even when His warnings were ignored, the floodwaters of his choices finally closed over his head. The LORD allowed the king of Assyria to conquer him, and the once grand king was taken prisoner and led into captivity like an ox, with a nose-chain, and bound by bronze shackles (2^nd Chron. 33:11).

While a story like this can usually end in justification, accusations, and bitterness toward God and others, this story has a positive ending. Solomon’s wisdom of raising up a young child in the way they should go in the Lord is spot on (Prov. 22:6). It is altogether possible the memory and teaching of Manasseh’s godly father was the major catalyst to his later repentance.

For parents who have children who have moved away from what they were first taught in Christ, may this be an encouragement. If God could touch the heart of a Manasseh, He certainly can touch the heart of any wayward child. God says of His power and will, “so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Is. 55:11).

Manasseh cried out to the LORD in true repentance, not just because he wanted to be brought out of his bondage but because he got honest with God in wanting to serve and honor Him. It was a jailhouse conversion to be sure, but there have been many men and women who recognized and embraced the light they had been running from when it broke upon them in a prison cell. God not only forgave Manasseh but restored his throne and rule of Judah’s kingdom to him.

I am not teaching that God restores every penitent soul back to their former lifestyles and privileges. While that can happen, it is not always the case. We are dependent on God’s grace and plan for our lives. Whatever prison and brokenness He brings anyone out of, He will craft their life to His own purposes, designs, and glory. That is where the greatest blessing for anyone ultimately lies.

I once had a little maple tree that had been broken off close to the ground in a thunderstorm. I at first thought it was broken beyond saving and I was going to dig it up, but decided to wait and see what would happen. I pruned it and within three weeks it had amazingly sprouted new growth!

That was over twelve years ago, and at this writing that tree is around 20’ tall, healthy, and verdant. One would never know that at one time it had been so utterly broken and looked beyond saving. That life is not what it once was, but it is beautiful in its recovery now. So will we be in Christ’s care, no matter the pasts prison we have done time in.

Manasseh certainly did make a mess of things, but in His brokenness and contrite heart God in His grace picked up the pieces (Psalm 51:17). Manasseh did not need to clean himself up, before God would have him back, he just needed to come to Him as he was. When the Master Arborist finished pruning his life, He cleaned up the mess. A broken tree began to grow and budded into a life of beauty and strength that blessed a nation through which the Messiah would come. When life lets us down, that same Messiah, Jesus Christ, will lift us up, every time.

Maranatha,

Ken