Beyond Worship

Then he sent out young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed bulls as fellowship offerings to the LORD. Moses took half the blood and set it in basins; the other half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. He then took the covenant scroll and read it aloud to the people. They responded, "We will do and obey everything that the LORD has commanded." - Exodus 24:5-7 HCSB

An elderly man who was hard of hearing went to get a medical checkup. After the usual tests, the doctor carefully explained his recommendations to the aged man, who nodded his head in agreement.

A few days later, the doctor was surprised to see the old man walking down the street with a drop-dead gorgeous woman on his arm. The doctor approached his patient and asked to speak with him. “What are you doing?” he asked.

“Why doctor, I’m just doing what you told me to do. I found me a hot mamma and got cheerful.”

The doctor threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. “No!” he cried, “I said you have a heart murmur and to be careful!”

We laugh at this but many of us have selective spiritual hearing. We approach church with preconceived notions of what is to come of the experience. Many approach their worship merely as a time to get pumped up or to get reacquainted with friends. They look forward to the beautiful music, the drama or the images up on the screen. Many (myself included) look forward to the potlucks.

However, we must never forget that the principal point of worship is change. We are there to get to know God better and to change our ways to suit Him.[1] We are there to worship Him and lift Him up which involves humbling ourselves beneath His mighty hand.[2] Worship is about recognizing the worldly influences in our ways of thinking and rooting them out.[3]

Ideas are dangerous things. True belief leads inevitably to consequences. The people of Israel had witnessed God’s tremendous power to deliver; had seen their enemies destroyed before their very eyes; had trembled at the foot of Mt. Sinai as the earth shook beneath their feet and they believed. Their belief led immediately to a vow of obedience.

Though theirs was an unusual time and the circumstances extreme, the principle is actually pretty basic. We believe a police officer is waiting around the curve so we slow down. We believe that our weight is bad for our health so we begin dieting. We believe there is an intruder in our house so we do not go in but instead lift our cell phones to our ears as we dial 911.

We need to approach worship hoping that we will come out the other side changed creatures. We should come out of the service whispering, “We will do and obey everything that the Lord has commanded.”

[1] 1 Peter 1:16; Philippians 2:5
[2] 1 Peter 5:6
[3] Romans 12:1-2

Bonsai Marriages

Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. A good man produces good things from his storeroom of good, and an evil man produces evil things from his storeroom of evil. - Matthew 12:33-35 HCSB

One man was griping to another about how he hated to go home after a late card game. “I have to go through all this rigmarole just to get to bed without an argument. I turn off the engine and coast into the driveway; I take off my shoes and tiptoe into the house; I make my way through the darkness and I undress outside the bedroom door. But every time I try to slip unnoticed into bed, she wakes up and gives me the dickens!”

The second guy laughed and said, “I don’t do anything like that. I roll into the driveway with my headlights on. I punch the horn a couple times; slam the front door open and turn on all the lights. I stomp up the stairs, stride into the bedroom, jump onto the bed and plant a big kiss on her cheek. Then I say ‘Hi honey! I’m home! How about a little smoochin’ for your old man?”

“What does she do?” the other man asked, aghast.

“What she always does! She pretends she’s asleep!”

We may laugh at this silly story but unfortunately, it resembles many of our homes a little too closely. Some of our marriages are characterized by recrimination, selfishness and quarreling. Others are marked by indifference and apathy.

Jesus stated that we speak out of the overflow of our heart. When we use harsh, bitter, impatient words with our spouse, what does that reveal about the condition of our hearts? When we choose to give them “the silent treatment”, in what way does this demonstrate that the love of Christ dwells in us?[1]

The Master commanded us to “make the tree and its fruit good.” We are to behave like Christians – even with our spouse. If we were to continue using Christ’s metaphor of a tree to illustrate our marital love, what kind of tree would it be? Would it be a tall stately oak tree, weathered by time and majestic in its demeanor? Or would it be a stunted little bonsai tree, with all the outward appearance of a fully mature and functioning relationship but seriously dwarfish and pinched?

Don’t know? Then mentally review your last five conversations. Try to remember the last time you went out on a date. Better yet, sit your spouse down and ask. If you can’t, then yours is probably a bonsai marriage.

[1] 1 John 3:17

The Importance of People

What should we say then? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may multiply? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in a new way of life. For if we have been joined with Him in the likeness of His death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of His resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that sin's dominion over the body may be abolished, so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, since a person who has died is freed from sin's claims. - Romans 6:1-7 HCSB

An elder once asked his wife to prepare his meal early so that he would have more time for the performance of a mitzvah. Unfortunately, Murphy’s Law prevailed and the meal was ready even later than it usually was.

The wise man was patient with his wife, helped her get everything back on track and called to reschedule his good deed. When others asked him how he managed to stay so calm when his wife’s mishap had been so singularly unhelpful, the elder replied, “It would be natural for me to become angry at my wife but I wished to eat early in order to gain time to do the Almighty’s will. Shall I now go against His will by becoming angry?”[1]

We often get so focused on doing what we deem to be the will of God that we forget what His will truly is! We get so mission focused that we forget the people. It’s like getting so focused on getting the harvest in that we trample the corn with our machines in our attempt to get out into the field on time.

We must remember that God summarized His will by saying…"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments."[2]

When we are rude or impatient with each other, we often excuse ourselves by thinking, “Oh well, I’m trying to do a great work here and they are in the way. God will understand. I may be wrong, but God’s work is being done and His grace will abound.” Remember, child of God, that person is far more important than any work you do. That person is more important than any charity you may perform.[3]

Your old way of thinking has been crucified. Do not allow sin to dominate your thinking – even when trying to do God’s will.


[1] Niflaot Hachozeh Mailublin, p.21
[2] Matthew 22:37-40 HCSB
[3] 1 Corinthians 13:3

Intuitive Identification

For as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so our comfort overflows through Christ. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is experienced in the endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, so you will share in the comfort. - 2 Corinthians 1:5-7 HCSB

A wise old elder was practicing the mitzvah of hospitality when one of his guests accidentally spilled wine on the tablecloth. Noticing his guest's embarrassment, he discreetly shook the table so that his cup of wine also tumbled over.

He laughed pleasantly and said, "Something must be wrong with the table. It doesn’t seem to be standing properly." He identified with his guest’s discomfiture and did what he could to alleviate it. He was willing even to look foolish or clumsy so that his guest would feel more comfortable.

True charity involves passion, emotional intuition and identification. Anything less is mere egotistically-driven philanthropy. God not only hears, but listens to the unjust treatment of the poor because He is compassionate.[1] Job, a man against whom God had no condemnation and of whom He had nothing but good to say, described himself claiming, “Have I not wept for those who have fallen on hard times? Has my soul not grieved for the needy?”[2] Paul taught, “If I donate all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but do not have love, I gain nothing.”[3]

Jesus Himself taught that true charity gives from the heart and thus purifies the heart.[4] He was rebuking the Pharisees for their mechanical and legalistic view of charity. They were trying to determine where the loopholes were, what the minimum they could get away with was. The Master taught that charity is a matter of the heart. We first and foremost give of our hearts to the poor. If we do, then giving of our finances will not be difficult.

We must allow the comfort that comes from Christ’s sufferings on our behalf to overflow our hearts and spill over onto our fellow humans. We must identify with them, whether it be their suffering or their joy.[5]

We tend to simply send money overseas to the poor, but Jesus came and lived among us.[6] We tend to place our homes and comforts as a priority, but Jesus did not have a place to lay His head.[7] We tend to avoid embarrassment at all cost, but Jesus hung naked on a cross for us.[8]
This identification with those whom we serve is true self-sacrifice. In this practice lies the secret to becoming truly like the Master. He identified with us so strongly that He took our sins upon Himself and died in our place. Surely we can put up with some stains, a little stink and rudeness.

[1] Exodus 22:26-27
[2] Job 30:25
[3] 1 Corinthians 13:3
[4] Luke 11:41
[5] Romans 12:15
[6] John 1:10-11
[7] Matthew 8:20; Luke 9:58
[8] Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:23-25

True Leaders Serve

Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon when he was alive, asking, "How do you advise me to respond to these people?" They replied, "Today if you will be a servant to these people and serve them, and if you respond to them by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever." - 1 Kings 12:6-7 HCSB

Studying the Scriptures late one night, a wise elder overheard the conversation of two paupers who were lodging in a side room. One asked the other, “Please accompany me to the well. I’m thirsty but I’m afraid to go out alone so late at night.” The other drowsily mumbled a refusal. The elder immediately interrupted his own studies and went to the well to fetch water for the pauper.[1]

Let me ask you a question. Would that pauper be more or less likely to listen when the elder invited him to worship? Would that pauper be more or less likely to listen as the elder explained how God and the Scriptures have changed his life?

Many pastors work in air-conditioned offices, study hard, get degrees, expound the Scriptures to audiences every week and sometimes even get complimentary remarks for their work. They are told how wise they are or what good points they made. This is all fine and good but any good elder will tell you that the favor of the people is a fleeting, ephemeral thing.

If a pastor begins basing his attitude on the attitudes of his people, he will quickly become bi-polar if not suicidal. If he begins to think that the church is about serving his needs; that he is the “star of the show” and that the work of the Lord would not proceed without him – that pastor is in deep trouble.

King Rehoboam was approached by the people of Israel who told him, "Your father made our yoke harsh. You, therefore, lighten your father's harsh service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you."[2] After they left, he turned to his nation’s elders and asked their advice which we can see above. He heard the same thing from his subjects and his wise counselors. He chose to listen to a bunch of young courtiers with whom he’d grown up. He answered the people harshly, chose to not serve them and as a result they all walked away. He lost his kingdom.

Leadership is essentially about service. We live to care for our people. Sometimes that means we give hard answers as compassionately as possible. Sometimes it means that we speak gently and comfortingly to them. Sometimes serving our people means spending time with them in their moment of need and sometimes it means serving the needs of the many by excommunicating the one.

Regardless of the approach each moment demands, the ultimate virtue of a servant of God is service.


[1] Chayai hamussar vol.2, p.218
[2] 1 Kings 12:4 HCSB

One Gift Above All

Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, and above all that you may prophesy. For the person who speaks in another language is not speaking to men but to God, since no one understands him; however, he speaks mysteries in the Spirit. But the person who prophesies speaks to people for edification, encouragement, and consolation. The person who speaks in another language builds himself up, but he who prophesies builds up the church. I wish all of you spoke in other languages, but even more that you prophesied. The person who prophesies is greater than the person who speaks in languages, unless he interprets so that the church may be built up. - 1 Corinthians 14:1-5 HCSB

What if the President requested some time on all the major TV networks? What if he interrupted our regularly scheduled programs, sat before an American flag with his hands folded on a mahogany desk and said, “My fellow Americans, I believe that it is vital to our national interests that everyone in the nation become bankers. Thank you and God bless America.”

What would we think? That our President had lost his mind? If we didn’t, then maybe some men in white coats should come visiting us! Yet that is precisely what some denominations will tell you. They teach that although God gave us a plurality of gifts, there is one gift that must be practiced universally – the gift of tongues.

I find it interesting that of all the gifts these groups chose ecstatic tongues to be the universal gift. Especially in light of the fact that Paul said that tongues get in the way of communication (which is slightly important to the spread of the Gospel), builds up the individual rather than the church, that a person who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, and that he “would rather speak five words with his understanding, in order to teach others also, than 10,000 words in another language.”[1] He frankly called those who elevate the gift of tongues to such an extreme point childish in their thinking.[2]

The purpose of worship is to encourage each other to do good works by which we can glorify the Father.[3] Good works, not self-gratifying, self-elevating, self-promoting glory hounding, is the purpose of salvation. “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift-- not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are His creation--created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.”[4] Our obedience in service and good works will enable us to more effectively spread the Gospel.[5]

We do not discount the gift of tongues. We do not forbid speaking in other languages.[6] However, if there is one gift that is to be elevated above all it is the gift of love[7] and love is always demonstrated by obedience to God’s commands.[8]

[1] 1 Corinthians 14:18-19
[2] 1 Corinthians 14:20
[3] Titus 3:8, 14; Hebrews 10:24; Matthew 5:16
[4] Ephesians 2:8-10
[5] 1 Peter 2:12
[6] 1 Corinthians 14:39-40
[7] 1 Corinthians 13:13
[8] John 14:15

Unknowable God

For now we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known. Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. - 1 Corinthians 13:12-13 HCSB

Many Christians will make bold statements about what God would or would not do on any given occasion. They confidently state that a certain hurricane was God’s judgment on a sinful city, or that certain towers fell because of our nation’s sin.

Others muse, “I think a God of love would not condemn anyone to hell.” “I think that a creative God would not have stopped at one human civilization.” Or, “I think that a patient and forgiving God will understand my sin and accept my apology.”

The Master dealt with this when some people came and reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. He responded to them, "Do you think that these Galileans were more sinful than all Galileans because they suffered these things? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well! Or those 18 that the tower in Siloam fell on and killed--do you think they were more sinful than all the people who live in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well!"[1]

Another time, as He was passing by, Jesus saw a man blind from birth. His disciples questioned Him: "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?"

"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," Jesus answered. "This came about so that God's works might be displayed in him.[2]

We find it hard to believe that God would allow 18 people to die in a tower for no good reason. How can a loving God allow a man to be born blind when there is no sin to be judged? We must humbly realize that we see things indistinctly.

True knowledge is not complete knowledge. I truly know my wife, but I do not understand her completely. I truly know that electricity works, but not completely how. I truly know that Jesus loves me, but I do not completely know why. We can truly know God but yet not completely. If we know something of God, it is because He chooses to reveal it to us. If He chooses not to, we need to patiently wait until we see “face to face.”

“Let the wicked one abandon his way, and the sinful one his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, so He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will freely forgive. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways." This is the Lord's declaration. "For as heaven is higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”[3]


[1] Luke 13:1-5 HCSB
[2] John 9:1-3 HCSB
[3] Isaiah 55:8-9

The Man of War

The LORD is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise Him, my father's God, and I will exalt Him. The LORD is a warrior; Yahweh is His name. He threw Pharaoh's chariots and his army into the sea; the elite of his officers were drowned in the Red Sea. The floods covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone. LORD, Your right hand is glorious in power. LORD, Your right hand shattered the enemy. You overthrew Your adversaries by Your great majesty. You unleashed Your burning wrath; it consumed them like stubble. - Exodus 15:2-7 HCSB

Twenty five years practicing Jiu-jitsu; four years in the Marines; teaching hand-to-hand combat at a multi-branch base; six years fighting professionally in mixed martial arts; teaching hand-to-hand combat to the Canadian military and to the RCMP. Years of teaching, studying and practicing how to bring harm to my fellow man.

Many Christians cringe when they read my history. Many churches would turn away from my credentials. I’m not sure why…

Abraham lived in Ur of the Chaldees, where he apparently received training in the military arts. He had had 318 trained military men in his household who were able to take on five kings and beat them.[1] He used his combat skills to defend his family. Wasn’t Abraham called the friend of God?[2]

Joshua was a spy[3] and a talented general[4] and was placed in charge at God’s command after Moses died.[5]

David was a man of war. He killed thousands in hand to hand combat. His combat techniques were so effective that he was able to completely route his enemies.[6] His skill and ferocity were legendary.[7] He was called a man after God’s own heart.[8]

His best friend, Jonathan, was able to defend himself while climbing up a cliff that required the use of both his hands and feet and then kill 20 men in a half-acre field at the top of the cliff.[9]

Some may say “That’s all fine and good, but that all Old Testament fire and brimstone stuff. Jesus introduced the age of grace.” Really? You mean the Jesus that said that if a king was to go to war he’d better count the cost so that he can be sure to win?[10] The Jesus whose prophet (John the Baptist) advised Roman soldiers to simply not abuse their power?[11]

Or, do you mean the King of kings and Lord of Lords[12] who will return in power and glory leading legions of angels and saints to conquer the world[13] and sit on the throne in Jerusalem where he will reign with a rod of iron?[14]

My God is love[15] and His love drives Him to be a Man of War. His love compels Him to defend His own. I will not apologize for my past. I am both a warrior and a priest – just like my Master.[16]

[1] Genesis 14:14
[2] 2 Chronicles 20:7, Isaiah 41:8
[3] Numbers 13:8
[4] Joshua 10:28-43
[5] Numbers 27:18-23; Deuteronomy 1:38; 3:28; 31:3,7,23; 34:9
[6] 1 Samuel 19:8
[7] 2 Samuel 17:10
[8] Acts 13:22
[9] 1 Samuel 14:13-14
[10] Luke 14:31
[11] Luke 3:14
[12] 1 Timothy 6:15
[13] Revelation 17:14
[14] Revelation 19:14-16
[15] 1 John 4:7
[16] Psalm 24:10; Isaiah 9:7 cp Hebrews 7:26-27

Nathan N’Qamah – Avenger

The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is fierce in wrath. The LORD takes vengeance against His foes; He is furious with His enemies. The LORD is slow to anger but great in power; the LORD will never leave the guilty unpunished. His path is in the whirlwind and storm, and clouds are the dust beneath His feet. - Nahum 1:2-3 HCSB

A jealous and avenging God does not sell well today. Go down to the local Christian bookstore, Barnes and Noble or Borders and check out the books. How many describe God as easy going, loving, sweet, empowering and forgiving? How many describe Him as being jealous of our affections, vengeful toward His enemies or fierce in wrath? I find this disparity amazing considering God’s long history of vengeance and wrath with humans.

Did He or did He not cast us out of paradise, inflict us with mortality and curse the ground on which we tread when we disobeyed?[1] Wasn’t He the one who marked Cain, cursed him with an inability to gain anything from the soil at all and sent him into exile for his crime?[2] Wasn’t it Nathan N’Qamah who wiped all existing humans off the earth through drowning?[3] Didn’t Yahweh spread confusing languages among the people of Babel beginning the long slide of human warfare through miscommunication, misunderstanding and plain greed?[4] Go visit Sodom and Gomorrah – oh wait! We can’t because He overthrew them with fire and brimstone.[5]

Is this solely a description of the Old Testament God? Did God change? Can God change? His immutability is a fundamental tenet of Christian doctrine.[6] He said, "Because I, Yahweh, have not changed, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed.”[7] Do you think that during the 400 year silence God rethought His approach? Did He mumble to Himself, “You know, this whole God of wrath thing isn’t working for me. I need to change my image“?

Ask that of Annanias and Saphira who were killed for lying to the Holy Spirit.[8] Tell that to the sick and dying Corinthians who were partaking of Communion wrongly.[9] Tell that to the people of Israel who vowed "His blood be on us and on our children!"[10] Haven’t they suffered generation after generation of pogroms, exile and the Holocaust? Read the book of Revelation and tell me that God has changed.

God is love and He is forgiving. He demonstrates tremendous self-control and mercy every day He allows a sinning nation that kills millions of babies to exist. Nahum says that the Lord is slow to anger – not that He is spineless. We need to have a proper and healthy fear of Nathan N’Qamah because those who don’t have a nasty habit of turning up dead. Worse – they end up in hell for this God can not only reach out and touch our bodies but our very souls.[11] We need to obey Him.


[1] Genesis 3:16-24
[2] Genesis 4:11-12
[3] Genesis 6:7
[4] Genesis 11:7-9
[5] Genesis 19:24-25
[6] 1 Samuel 15:29; Psalm 89:34
[7] Malachi 3:6 HCSB
[8] Acts 5:5
[9] 1 Corinthians 11:29-30
[10] Matthew 27:25
[11] Matthew 10:28; Luke 12:4

Yahweh Yeshah, God our Deliverer

Look to the mountains--the feet of one bringing good news and proclaiming peace! Celebrate your festivals, Judah; fulfill your vows. For the wicked one will never again march through you; he will be entirely wiped out. - Nahum 1:15 HCSB

God’s people were threatened by the Assyrians, a shockingly cruel and vindictive people. A generation before, Jonah had warned the Assyrians at Nineveh of God’s displeasure and they mended their ways for a time.[1] However, they failed to pass the message on to their children who restarted the old wicked ways.

They began conquering the nations around them, and once they had taken a city, they granted no clemency. They would ruthlessly destroy, loot, rape and enslave the conquered populace. Those that survived would be uprooted, displaced and exiled in some distant part of the Assyrian empire.

On an ancient monument, one Assyrian king had the following inscribed: "Their men, young and old, I took as prisoners. Of some I cut off the feet and hands; of others I cut off the noses, ears, and lips; of the young men's ears I made a heap; of the old men's heads I built a minaret."[2]

No wonder the people of Israel trembled! No wonder they feared for their lives and the lives of their children. God looked at their fear and He called out to them, “Look to the mountains--the feet of one bringing good news and proclaiming peace! Celebrate your festivals, Judah; fulfill your vows. For the wicked one will never again march through you; he will be entirely wiped out.” Soon (around 612 BC) the Babylonians, the Medes and the Scythians swarmed over the Assyrian empire, wiping them out. They have never been a major empire since.

This same language of deliverance was used by Isaiah concerning the Babylonians saying, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the herald, who proclaims peace, who brings news of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns!"[3] In 331 BC, the Babylonians were conquered by the Greeks under the command of Alexander the Great.

There is one other place where this same promise is made. Paul stated, “And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How welcome are the feet of those who announce the gospel of good things!”[4]

We have a great enemy who seeks our destruction; his name is Satan. He has worked toward our demise for millennia. He is as cunning as he is powerful and he knows all our weaknesses. He uses our own desires against us. He deceives and ensnares us from our youth.

However, God is crying out again, “Soon! Very soon you will see the destruction of your enemy. Trust in me and I will see you through this.” Those who listened to and followed Yahweh before survived the Assyrians and the Babylonians. Dare we trust Yahweh Yeshah (God our Deliverer) one more time?


[1] Jonah 3:4
[2] Asshurizirpal Inscription
[3] Isaiah 52:7 HCSB
[4] Romans 10:15 HCSB

The Small Stuff

Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch, since you are unleavened. For Christ our Passover has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us observe the feast, not with old yeast, or with the yeast of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. - 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 HCSB

In Africa, there are many strange and splendid creatures. I used to have a pet chimpanzee named Julius who would go to church, sit on the pew (a log with the top shaved flat) and sing with the rest of us. I owned a miniature antelope, called a Dik Dik, that would knock on the door if it wanted in or out.

Many African creatures were not nearly so cuddly. There are spiders large enough to hunt birds. A scorpion stung my mother on the foot and she nearly died. I remember her foot being the size of a football. Army ants will march across the jungle in columns 10 to 15 feet across and an eighth of a mile long. Do you have any idea how many ants it takes to create such a sight? Neither do I. All I know is when they come through, you don’t try to stop them. You simply move yourself and anything you want to save out of the way and let them pass. It actually is a benefit to have them come. They go through the mud huts and eat all the spiders, lice, roaches, and scorpions, leaving you a clean house to move back into.

However, do you know what the scariest thing of all was? Little bugs you can barely see like mosquitoes and tsetse flies. I remember seeing swarms of flies so thick they cast a shadow on the ground. They all carry terrible, deadly diseases. Something that small is difficult to fight and they are all over the place. They swarm over you until you get this feeling of panic.

It’s not usually the big sins that get you because you see them coming and either prepare for them or you step out of their way. People will usually rise to the occasion when the big stuff happens. What really gets us, what makes our marriages fail and our children lose faith, is the small stuff. A little yeast goes a long way. The rolled eyes when your wife says she’s sorry for something; the little snide remarks and slams that start accumulating. The “not now honey, Daddy’s busy” that’s said all too often.

Life’s little issues keep coming and coming, swarming over us until we do something stupid. Imitate the Africans. Put up screens in your life to keep the pests out. Don’t take your job home so much. Don’t let your church or volunteer organization keep you from your kids. Take care of the little things and the big ones are no sweat.

The Five Rules of Transmogrification

Jesus replied, "I assure you: Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." - John 3:3 HCSB

Mbuzi was a very beautiful goat who was as vain as she was beautiful. Out of vanity, she decided to ask the wily Kachi, a chimpanzee who lived in a huge Baobab tree, how to become a lion. After much thought and great scratching of fleas, Kachi gave her the “Five Rules of Transmogrification”: (1) do what lions do; (2) say what lions say; (3) eat what lions eat; (4) wear what lions wear; and finally (5) go where lions go.

Mbuzi was very excited and began her practice immediately. She tried to make her little stubby goat tail swish and slink like a lion’s tail. She taught herself to roar (though it actually sounded like a goat with laryngitis). After steeling herself against the flies, she finally was able to stomach an old bone from a cadaver a pride of lions had left behind. She got Kachi to get a piece of bark and a burnt stick from a hunter’s fire. He wrote “Lion” on the bark and stuck it on her stubby little horns so that all would know who she was but everyone just kept laughing. So she decided that it was time for some new friends.

She headed toward a small hill, covered in great boulders and small caves that the lions used as a meeting place. Mbuzi walked most of the day. When she arrived, she was experiencing decidedly un-lionlike feelings of nervousness. “Posh!” she thought to herself. “It is only because I’m about to meet my new family.” She came to the main cave and peered into its blackness. “Hello? It’s Mbuzi!” she called out with a quavering voice. “I’m a fellow lion and I’m here to meet you!”

Behind her a large shadow suddenly raised from behind a boulder. It had a long sinuous tail and rippling muscles. It kept razor sharp claws carefully retracted as it padded silently toward Mbuzi who was so intent on the cave entrance that she did not hear a thing. Wham! In one great leap, a flurry of motion and a few frantic bleats Mbuzi was indeed transmogrified. Not into a lion but into a lion’s dinner.

We often make Mbuzi’s mistake. We try to please God by following the rules of transmogrification. We go to church, we shout “AMEN! HALLELUJAH!” We follow dietary laws or feast and holy days. We wear our little crosses and WWJD bracelets so that everyone will know that we are one of the Ransomed. All the while we are unaware that our enemy “is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.”[1]

There was only one way that Mbuzi could have been a lion just as there is only one way to become a child of God. In the words of the Master, “You must be born again.”


[1] 1 Peter 5:8

How God Weeds

Don't be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look, the Devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will have tribulation for 10 days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. - Revelation 2:10 HCSB

My parents were missionaries in a country called Chad on the continent of Africa. They served there several years, establishing churches, starting a seminary, founding several elementary and high schools, and building dispensaries. They did nothing to harm the people and everything they could to help them. They tried to teach them about crop rotation and erosion prevention. They showed them the benefits of separating the source for drinking water from the area where the village bathed and defecated. However, the Chadian church as a whole was weak. Hypocrisy was rampant and my parents were at a loss as to what to do about it.

About that time, the Libyans were threatening invasion. With the possibility of a northern invasion by Muslims, president Tombolbay decided that the best course of action was to unite the country under a single religion, but he didn’t choose Christianity - the religion that had benefited his country the most. He didn’t choose the religion that had almost single-handedly raised his country from the Stone Age to Modernism. No, he chose Yondo: devil worship that had been practiced in his country for centuries without any positive influence or results. In fact, thousands died each year from the practice of Yondo’s arcane ceremonies.

The missionaries were placed under house arrest and Mr. Tombolbay planned to execute us. Though we were miraculously freed eventually, thirteen national pastors were lined up and asked one at a time if they would deny Christ and teach the tenets of Yondo from their pulpits. They were promised wealth and influence if they agreed, and horrible deaths if they refused. One by one they refused. These men, were tortured for three days and all thirteen were buried alive in one big hole to die a slow, suffocating death. The churches, the hospitals, the dispensaries, the schools - all were burned in the ensuing war and riots. The missionaries were all evicted and the Christians scattered to the surrounding countries. Thousands of them died.

Years later, Mr. Tombolbay was killed during a military coup and the new government allowed the return of Christians. Today Christianity is strong in Chad. Oh, the Christians are still persecuted, but that just got rid of all the hypocrites.

I believe there are two lessons to be learned here. First, don’t mess with God’s people. You may feel you’re in control right now, but God has a nasty way of coming out on top.

Second, maybe the best antidote for the hypocrisy and shallowness that is prevalent in the American church would be persecution. Don’t put it past God. He used this technique on Israel many times. Apparently it works.

Retribution

May he (the king) vindicate the afflicted among the people, help the poor, and crush the oppressor. - Psalms 72:4 HCSB

At some point in their lives, nearly every Christian wonders how to reconcile the innermost feeling that justice demands retribution and the biblical passages that teach we should leave vengeance to God and turn the other cheek. What is the Scriptural view the Ransomed should take on retribution, self-defense and war?

First, you have to realize that much of the Old Testament still applies to us. Jesus came to fulfill the Sinaitic Law, not abrogate it.[1] So Jesus expects obedience to all of the Law that was not “fulfilled.” What was fulfilled? All laws dealing with atonement, ritual worship in the Temple and the separation of the Jews from the Gentiles.[2]

That means that the relevant passages on capital punishment and war are applicable. Now, God does say that vengeance belongs to Him[3] and John told us that God will punish the future government that will persecute us.[4] However, Paul informed us that God’s vengeance as often as not comes through the duly elected official.[5] The government (at whatever level, city, county, state or federal) is God’s sword, if you will.

What about “turning the other cheek”?[6] People often quote this verse but fail to understand the context in which it is found. Jesus was referring to those who are persecuted for being Christians.[7]

So what are we to hold? First, it is right for a nation to prosecute a righteous war.[8] Second, it is right for the duly elected officials to put a person to death for crimes that society has deemed worthy of death.[9] Third, we cannot, as unauthorized individuals, take the law into our own hands and take a life. Fourth, we are allowed to take a life if society has granted that right (i.e. life threatening events leading to self-defense). Fifth, if we are being persecuted for our faith in Christ, we may not retaliate. Is that difficult? Yes, incredibly so. It’s so hard that we cannot say for sure if we will be able to follow that tenet until we are actually faced with the situation. However, it is what our Master demands. Being one of His disciples is not easy; there is a cost.

Has Osama bin Ladin been practicing religious persecution? He declared his actions to be a “holy war” but his organization’s actions belie his declared intent. If he had attacked a church, or the Southern Baptist Convention, or even a Mormon tabernacle, we could probably admit religious persecution. But he didn’t, did he? He hit a financial target and a military institution. He is not a religious martyr. He is a thug trying to dress up his crimes and ambitions in the threadbare cloak of Islamic religiosity, much as Hitler did with Christianity.[10] We are not only allowed to bring him to justice – God expects us to.

[1] Matthew 5:17
[2] Hebrews 10:12; Colossians 3:11
[3] Deuteronomy 32:35
[4] Revelation 18:20
[5] Romans 13:3
[6] Matthew 5:39
[7] Matthew 5:10, 43-44
[8] Genesis 14:14-16; Exodus 17:16; Numbers 31:3
[9] Numbers 35:31
[10] In Hitler’s March 23, 1933 Reichstag address he referred to “both the Christian confessions” as “the most important factors for the maintenance of our folkdom.” Apparently Eugenio Pacelli (later known as Pope Pius XII) believed Hitler because Pacelli was instrumental in making Hitler Germany’s dictator.

The Old Man’s Luck

Therefore don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. - Matthew 6:34 HCSB

There once was an old man who lived in a small village. He was very poor and had one son that he loved very much. All they owned (besides the house they lived in) was a horse. It wasn’t much of a horse, but it was theirs and it helped them by carrying the firewood they would gather and sell.

One day there was a great storm and in its panic over the lightning, the horse kicked down part of the fence and ran away. The next day the villagers gathered around the old man and said, “What terrible luck you have! You only had the one horse and it ran away. What a tragedy!”

The old man merely shook his head and replied, “Don’t say it is bad luck. We don’t know what it is. Say only that I had a horse and now it is gone.” The villagers all walked away shaking their heads at his foolishness.

However, a few days later, the horse returned accompanied by a herd of wild horses. Now the villagers were amazed and said to the old man, “You were right! You’re luck is incredible! Now you have all these horses and are a wealthy man. What good fortune!”

The old man argued with them saying, “You cannot say whether or not this is good fortune. Say only that I had a horse, it left and then came back with more.”

A week later while his son was breaking one of the horses in, the boy fell off and broke his leg. Now the villagers, commiserating with the old man, said once again how bad his luck was. “You son was young, strong and able to take care of you. What will you do now without him?”

The old man kept insisting that they stop saying that, “Say only that my son has broken his leg and nothing more. Who knows what God is doing? Who are we to say?”

A few days later the king (who was at war with another king) sent emissaries to draft young men into his army. The old man’s son, whose leg was broken, was exempted from the draft and thus left with his father. Now the villagers all cried and bemoaned the loss of their sons and told the old man, “How right you were and how wrong we were! Now all our sons are gone to fight in this war and will probably die! At least you still have the company of your son in your old age!”

The old man now grew angry with them. “Will you never learn? Why do you insist on saying ‘This is good fortune, that is bad fortune’ when you do not know what God is doing? State merely the facts and wait to see what God will do!”

The Way Out

Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." - John 14:6 HCSB

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Hell? Early Egyptians referred to it as Tuat, situated under the earth. The ancient Greeks considered this lower world to be the realm of spirits. The Jews said that Hell originated just south of Jerusalem, where the filth and the wicked dead were cast out and burned. Italian poet Dante fancied this nether world to be a temporary Inferno several steps beneath Paradise. The Nation of Islam, led by Louis Farrakhan, teaches that Hell is whatever you make it. Christians believe that Hell is the future torture of the Devil and his angels;[1] the great garbage pit of the universe in which even death itself will eventually find its end.[2]

Regardless of how humans describe Hell, one thing is certain: the Bible teaches that Hell is very real. It is a place of suffering,[3] punishment,[4] misery,[5] terror,[6] anguish and agony.[7] No one in his or her right mind wants to go there.

To escape, Ancient Egyptians looked to Herhaf to transport them to the desired land of Osirus. The Greeks put a coin in the mouth of their loved ones in hope that Charon the boatman would ferry their souls across the river Styx. Dante relied on the Latin poet Virgil’s guidance out of the dark forest of terror into the empyrean realm of Heaven where his beloved Beatrice waited.

These pictures may be biblically incorrect, but they do represent the underlying drive of every human soul. We all realize that we are lost in dark, hellish places and that we need a guide. Too many people erroneously believe that God is not interested in meeting their desires; that somehow He has abandoned them to the outer darkness of unmet needs, unfulfilled dreams and unrequited love.

On whom can those experiencing a “living hell” depend? Who will mentor the bright management trainee, whose career is going nowhere simply because of his dark complexion? Who will lead the battered wife away from the cruel blows of her drunken husband? Who will offer poor, downtrodden, so-called social misfits a career change that promises more than perfunctory chores and minimum wages? What is their route to a happy ending? Which road should we follow? Which direction will lead us away from the insidious cancer of racism, the hell of sexual abuse, and the suffocating pressure of repression?

To steer clear of the fire and brimstone of this life and the next, the superior belief system must provide the following escape components: a map that is precise (the Qu’ran or the Bible); a role model that is pure (Farrakhan or Jesus); a method that is practical (works or grace); and a motivation that is powerful (hate or love).

Jesus is the Good Shepherd.[8] He is your way out.

[1] Matthew 25:41; 2 Peter 2:4
[2] Revelation 20:13-14
[3] Matthew 18:34-35
[4] Matthew 13:41-42
[5] Matthew 8:11-12
[6] Isaiah 33:14
[7] Luke 16:23-24
[8] John 10:1-16

Butch, the Beta

"This is why I tell you: Don't worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn't life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky: they don't sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you worth more than they? Can any of you add a single cubit to his height by worrying? And why do you worry about clothes? Learn how the wildflowers of the field grow: they don't labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these! If that's how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won't He do much more for you--you of little faith? - Matthew 6:25-30 HCSB

I like fish. I like dogs better, but I like fish. This can be demonstrated by the three goldfish at home who are named Spot, Fido and Rex. I have a new Beta in my office whose name is Butch.
My old Beta (whose name was Kali, Hindu god of death, destruction and chaos) died and metaphorically speaking, left big shoes for Butch to fill. I do a lot of counseling and have found that setting the Beta bowl down close to the kids helps to keep them quiet.

Betas are great pets because they eat so little and require so little care. In the wild, they live in individual puddles for months on end, waiting for food to drop into their tiny territory. They live most of their lives on pause, and when food or rain arrives, they have to suddenly spring to life and get everything done in a few moments or days.

Because Betas have this lifestyle wired into their puny brains, Butch exhibits behavior that demonstrates a level of rudeness that is simply uncalled for. I have provided him with a beautiful bowl with glass beads in the bottom and I feed him on a regular basis. Regardless, every time I drop his food into his bowl, he leaps for it as though it’s the last food he’ll ever have. As he snatches the food, I swear I can hear him snarl. He gulps the food down so fast I guarantee he doesn’t even taste it! He doesn’t trust me to feed him again tomorrow.

This is understandable in a tiny fish with the brain the size of a pea. It’s ridiculous when humans portray the same lack of faith. We snatch and grab, worry, connive and manipulate. We gulp life down so fast we don’t have time to truly enjoy it. We need to believe that God will take care of us. He will give us our daily bread.[1] Sufficient to the day is the evil thereof.[2] As they say in Yiddish, “Deigeh nisht! “- Don't worry!

[1] Matthew 6:11
[2] Matthew 6:34

Transformed!

"Fill the jars with water," Jesus told them. So they filled them to the brim. Then He said to them, "Now draw some out and take it to the chief servant." And they did. When the chief servant tasted the water (after it had become wine), he did not know where it came from--though the servants who had drawn the water knew. He called the groom and told him, "Everybody sets out the fine wine first, then, after people have drunk freely, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now." - John 2:7-10 HCSB

Transforming the water into wine was Jesus’ first miracle and it set the tone for His entire ministry. Jesus was always taking the ordinary and turning it into the extraordinary. He took a rough fisherman and transformed him into a great orator. He took a hardened tax collector and turned him into a humble, compassionate servant. He took a mass murderer and turned him into the author of most of the New Testament. That He turned water into wine is, on the surface, no more wonderful than that His making saints out of sinners.

We shouldn’t wonder at Jesus’ participation and help in such a mundane thing as a local wedding. Jesus came to make our whole lives holy. He is deeply interested in every ordinary issue of our lives. We often think that God is calling us to holy martyrdom, or to a life characterized by ephemeral holiness. We forget that He called us to live a quiet life, minding our own business and working with our hands.[1] He wants us to pay our taxes[2] and to gather with other Christians.[3] He wants spouses to seek mutual submission; the husbands loving their wives sacrificially and their wives letting the husband take the lead.[4] He commands that we stop gossiping.[5] Jesus offers help with our day-to-day lives – not some pie in the sky esoteric dream of future goodness.

Our text also offers an indication of His motivation. Somehow we get the idea that God is up there in Heaven, coming up with rules and regulations to turn our lives into bland, meaningless and joyless existences. That could not be more wrong. He wants us to have more and better sex! However, He knows that that is only possible within the confines of marriage. He wants us to find joy. However, He knows that that is only possible when we serve others.

We can only truly achieve our dreams when we do His will. Why? Because His will for us is good! “For I know the plans I have for you"--this is the LORD's declaration--"plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”[6]

The world offers its stale waters. Jesus offers the glowing, gladdening wine of faith – keeping the very best for us.


[1] 1 Thessalonians 4:11
[2] Luke 20:25-26
[3] Hebrews 10:25
[4] Ephesians 5:22-33
[5] 2 Thessalonians 3:11-12
[6] Jeremiah 29:11

Christian Doormats

For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment. So don't be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, or of me His prisoner. Instead, share in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God - 2 Timothy 1:7-8 HCSB

Upton Diskson founded a society called the “Dependent Order of Really Meek and Timid Souls.” When you make an acrostic of its first letters, you have “Doormats.” The Doormats’ insignia is a yellow caution light. Their official motto is: “The meek shall inherit the earth, if that’s OK with everybody!” Mr. Diskson outlined their goals and purpose in a pamphlet titled “Cower Power.”

We laugh at this craziness, but unfortunately, many have bought into the idea that to be a Christian is to be a member of the “Doormats.” Christians, after all, are to turn the other cheek, aren’t they? They are disciples of Jesus “meek and mild.”

However, our Master often took the bull by the horns. On one Sabbath day, a man with a deformed right hand was in the synagogue while Jesus was teaching. The religious leaders watched closely to see whether Jesus would heal the man on the Sabbath, because they were eager to find some legal charge to bring against Him.

Jesus knew their thoughts so He said to the crippled man, “Get up and stand here." So he got up and stood there.

Then Jesus said to the religious leaders, "I ask you: is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?"

After looking around at them all, He told the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did so, and his hand was restored. The leaders, however, were filled with rage and started discussing with one another what they might do to Jesus.[1]

He could have dealt with the healing in a less confrontational style, couldn’t He? Jesus could have simply waited until the next day to heal the man or even later that evening (the end of the Sabbath). But the Master was not just upset at the man’s suffering; He was angry at the wickedness of these so-called religious leader’s hearts. They did not care about the poor man’s deformity. They had no compassion for his years of embarrassment, for the difficulty he had in working or getting a girlfriend. They were simply waiting for an opportunity to trip Jesus up.

So Jesus confronted them right then and there – publicly. What was their response? They went wild with rage. They had been exposed fro the hard hearted calloused hypocrites that they were but rather than repent, they decided to kill the one who exposed the futility of their religious lives. In the process, Jesus made our salvation possible. He was willing to be the recipient of their rage, knowing that it would lead to the cross and to our salvation.

Learn boldness, courage and fearlessness from the Master. Don’t be a “doormat.”

[1] Matthew 12:9-14; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:6-11

The Ultimate Virtue

What should I bring before the LORD when I come to bow before God on high? Should I come before Him with burnt offerings, with year-old calves? Would the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousand streams of oil? Should I give my firstborn for my transgression, the child of my body for my own sin? He has told you men what is good and what it is the LORD requires of you: Only to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God. – Micah 6:6-8 HCSB

Moses was certainly a virtuous man. There is much in him to admire and imitate. For one thing, he hated injustice. He defended a Jewish slave who was being beaten by an Egyptian overseer.[1] Shortly thereafter, he defended a group of Midianite shepherdesses from some bullies.[2]

Moses was diligent; he worked hard for his people from dawn until dusk and was not deterred by his exhaustion.[3]

Moses was courageous; he went up on the mountain when everyone else was afraid[4] and he actually stood up to an angry God at times![5]

Moses was forgiving. His sister, Miriam, was struck with leprosy for murmuring against him.[6] She had allowed her jealous pride to goad her into using a racist argument against his new Ethiopian wife as a pretext to speak against his prophetic gift and intimacy with God. When God punished her, Moses prayed for her healing anyway.

Interestingly, none of these virtues are mentioned specifically. They are all seen by example but none are explicitly stated except for one. “Moses was a very humble man, more so than any man on the face of the earth.”[7]

Isn’t it odd that with all his attributes, this is the only one that God chose to recommend to us? That is because humility is the source of all virtue, just as pride is the source of all sin. They are like magnetic poles. Pride repels the Lord and humility draws Him nearer.[8]

God is not interested in our rituals, pomp or circumstance. He doesn’t give a fig if we sing classic hymns or black gospel. There is nothing that we could ever offer that would be truly worthy of His glory anyway.

What He asks for is justice, faithfulness and humility. He finds these traits irresistible. A person who is interested in justice will find a ready ear when they come to Elohim in prayer. A person who is faithful will be given all the strength and grace they need at His hand. A person who humbly realizes their need not only for salvation, but for daily teaching, empowerment and guidance from the Lord will become like Moses[9] or Abraham[10] – a friend of God.

[1] Exodus 2:11-12
[2] Exodus 2:16-17
[3] Exodus 18:13
[4] Exodus 20:18-21
[5] Numbers 14:11-20
[6] Numbers 12:1-13
[7] Numbers 12:3
[8] James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5-6
[9] Exodus 33:11; Numbers 12:8; Deuteronomy 34:10
[10] 2 Chronicles 20:7

True Beauty

The king's personal attendants suggested, "Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king. Let the king appoint commissioners in each province of his kingdom, so that they may assemble all the beautiful young virgins to the harem at the fortress of Susa. Put them under the care of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women, and give them the required beauty treatments. Then the young woman who pleases the king will reign in place of Vashti." This suggestion pleased the king, and he did accordingly. – Esther 2:2-4 HCSB

Many believe that biblical King Ahasuerus was known by another name, Xerxes the Great. If so, then Ahasuerus was an important king indeed. Herodotus records that in 480 BC Ahasuerus had a huge fleet and an army of 2,000,000 men - a massive army in any age!

When such a man wants a beautiful queen, he has his pick of the litter. His empire ranged from Greece to Egypt, from the northern half of the Arabian peninsula to the western edge of India. He could pick from hundreds of thousands of women in dozens of countries. Of all the women, he chose a Jewess named Hadassah. Hadassah[1] was probably renamed Esther[2], as many the Hebrew children were renamed after Babylonian gods.

It’s interesting to note that although the Scriptures record that Esther “had a beautiful figure and was extremely good-looking”[3], it was her humility that won her approval in the sight of everyone who saw her.[4] Her beauty drew Ahasuerus’ favor; her attitude brought his approval.[5] Most of the other women spent one night with the king and then never saw him again. Ahasuerus could have done the same with Esther. Or, he could have kept bringing her back without confirming her as his wife. Instead, he publicly declared her to be his queen.

His choice proved to be fortuitous because it saved him from an assassination attempt, the political machinations of Haman and the loss of a substantial minority in his kingdom.

What are the elements of true beauty? How do we draw others to ourselves? How can we transcend mere sexual reflex to achieve real relationship? The following virtues found in the book of Proverbs are not merely designed to help us draw or search for a mate. A person who practices these virtues will draw humans, male and female, to themselves. This is a blueprint for friendship. It is a plan for the development of leadership.

Aptitude for teaching (31:25-27)
Business Sense (31:13-16, 24)
Capability (31:10-12, 28-29)
Compassion 31:20)
Craftsmanship (31:13-19, 21-22, 24)
Dignity (31:25-27)
Diligence (31:13-19, 25-27)
Discretion (11:22)
Empathy (25:20)
Energy (31:17-19)
Experience ( 20:29)
Faith (31:25-27)
Foresight (31:13-16, 21-22, 25-27)
Frankness (28:23)
Fear of God (31:30-31)
Gratitude (21:19)
Helpfulness (31:10-12)
Homebuilding Skills (31:13-16)
Honesty (19:22; 28:23)
Kindness (31:25-27)
Loyalty (19:22; 31:10-12)
Majesty (31:21-22, 25-27)
Passion (20:29)
Peacefulness / a yielding spirit (21:9)
Provision (31:21-22)
Prudence (31:13-16, 25-27)
Servant Spirit (31:20)
Strength (20:29)
Skill (31:13-16)
Sweetness (21:19)
Thriftiness (31:13-19, 24)
Trustworthiness (31:10-12)
Virtue (31:10-12, 28-29)
Watchfulness (31:25-27)
Wisdom / Wise speech (20:15; 31:25-27)

[1] Hebrew for “myrtle”
[2] A Persian name derived from the word “star”
[3] Esther 2:7
[4] Esther 2:15
[5] Esther 2:17

A Well-Informed God

When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers found him and severely wounded him. Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised men will come and torture me!" But his armor-bearer wouldn't do it because he was terrified. Then Saul took his sword and fell on it. When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his own sword and died. So Saul and his three sons died--his whole house died together. When all the men of Israel in the valley saw that the army had run away and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. So the Philistines came and settled in them. The next day when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons dead on Mount Gilboa. They stripped Saul, cut off his head, took his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to spread the good news to their idols and their people. Then they put his armor in the temple of their gods and hung his skull in the temple of Dagon. – 1 Chronicles 10:3-10 HCSB

As gruesome as this particular story is, a strange note of humor can be found in the midst of it. The Philistines found it necessary to inform their idols that King Saul and his sons were dead! How hilarious! No wonder Isaiah derisively castigates those who worship idols. Idols are something a smelter casts; something a metal worker plates with gold and makes silver welds for it. One shapes a pedestal for it, choosing wood that won’t rot, and a skilled craftsman so the idol won’t fall over.[1] The tree chosen for the idol’s wood is partially used for fuel. It’s used to bake bread while another section of the same branch is used to build a “god.”[2]

These man-made “gods” are blind, deaf and mute.[3] They have mouths, but cannot speak; eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear; noses, but cannot smell. They have hands, but cannot feel; feet, but cannot walk. They cannot make a sound with their throats. Those who make them are just like them.[4]

Not so with Yahweh. Who will you compare God with? What likeness will you compare Him to? God is enthroned above the circle of the earth and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers to Him. He stretches out the heavens like thin cloth and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He fills the heavens. He knows all things.[5]

When we come to Him in prayer, we are not informing Him of anything He does not already know. We should come humbly seeking His face, His mind, His will. Prayer is about conforming, not informing.

The world’s idols are mute. God is in His Holy Temple – let all the earth remain silent before Him.[6]


[1] Isaiah 40:18-20
[2] Isaiah 44:9-15
[3] I Kings 18:25-29; Habakkuk 2:18-19
[4] Psalm 115:4-8
[5] 1 Samuel 2:3; Job 12:13, 22; 21:22; 22:13; 28:24
[6] Habakkuk 2:20

Compassionate Resistance

And if anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take note of that person; don't associate with him, so that he may be ashamed. Yet don't treat him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother. - 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 HCSB

Many of us have learned from our days in preschool that we are to be nice to everyone. “Don’t say mean things!” we are repeatedly warned. “Don’t you want to be his friend?”

But if being nice means empowering a wicked person to continue hurting others, then I choose to be antisocial. If friendliness comes to mean that I become a milque-toast, mamby-pamby, weak-kneed, spineless jelly fish when it comes to justice, then I refuse to play. If “not saying anything mean” is defined as remaining silent before the atrocities and injustices that plague our world, then I choose to shout.

Solomon warned, “Rescue those being taken off to death, and save those stumbling toward slaughter. If you say, ‘But we didn't know about this,’ won't He who weighs hearts consider it? Won't He who protects your life know? Won't He repay a person according to his work?”[1]

It is easy to apply those verses to the people who fell victim to the tsunami; to evil dictators; to the various plagues that have so recently befallen us; or to the millions of unborn children who have been murdered in our “Christian” country. What about resisting evil in our own back yards? What about the wickedness that is found in our own families or churches? Should we not equally resist sin there too?

Perhaps you fear the consequences. Ezekiel was a prophet. He was the pastor, the religious leader of his people. God warned him, "Son of man, I have made you a watchman over the house of Israel. When you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me. If I say to the wicked person: You will surely die, but you do not warn him--you don't speak out to warn him about his wicked way in order to save his life--that wicked person will die for his iniquity. Yet I will hold you responsible for his blood. But if you warn a wicked person and he does not turn from his wickedness or his wicked way, he will die for his iniquity, but you will have saved your life.”[2]

You see, by choosing to do nothing, you are still choosing. Consequences will arise whether you do something or nothing. The difference is, by resisting evil you may get to choose the consequence. You may make a positive impact upon those you are trying to help.

Should you be kind? Certainly. Should you be compassionate? Absolutely. However, Paul defined true love by saying, “Love must be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good.”[3] Encourage what is good in your friends and loved ones. Discourage what is evil. Are you ready to practice compassionate resistance?


[1] Proverbs 24:11-12 HCSB
[2] Ezekiel 3:17-19 HCSB
[3] Romans 12:9 HCSB