Thoughts from this Sunday.
During one of the worship songs in church Sunday I closed my eyes and imagined myself standing in a very large field with a road running a little lower through the middle. Each side of the road was packed with thousands of people as far back as I could see. Jesus was in front of us walking on the road and all the people were joyfully singing about the wonder and power of God. There was such a depth and deep vibration to the sound.
Reflecting on this later I thought how the Church rightly talks about the glorious grace that God gives each of us through Jesus, even as we so often fall short. But I also thought that He is still God of the universe, perfect and holy beyond my comprehension. If I was really there could I actually stand, singing with my arms up, or would I instead fall down trembling in awe at His majesty?
Checking Face Book today I saw a share from a friend of mine of an article which gave some statistics suggesting that there may be some data tampering by scientists in an effort to make climate statistics more alarming. His only comment was that he found that article interesting.
My friend is outspoken in his Christian beliefs and perhaps because so his share elicited several other comments which stated things like (1) He should concentrate on his business instead of using the Bible to make scientific conclusions, and (2) DO THESE PEOPLE ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE EARTH IS FLAT!
Sadly very rude negative responses when sharing Christian and conservative views (or in this case scientific views) on line has been commonplace these last two years. It seems there are many with a certain view of religion and politics who not only do not want to have a civil and rational discussion of our differences but actually seem personally offended when hearing any and feel compelled to lash out with name calling.
I posted a supporting comment and received a personal message back from my friend saying that because of this type of reaction he normally does not share such articles. He also said that the reaction really doesn't bother him because he knows who he is in Christ Jesus.
I fell the same way. All of this after all is really part of a spiritual battle for the souls and hearts of man. I am caught between the tension of presenting truth in the darkness and not wanting to offend because we are called to be all things to all men for the purpose of winning them over to the good news that Jesus is the Christ, the perfect and only way to salvation.
The mother of the husband of one of my cousins recently died at 89 and Sunday afternoon Jackie and I went over to the funeral home to pay our respects. The lady had eleven children, her husband previously passed away at 40 and my cousin told us that afternoon that when mom breathed her last, even though she had been sick and feeble for a long time, it was very difficult for some of the kids.
I have seen that a lot over the years. When someone, even if they are church going, doesn't have a personal relationship with Jesus, death of a loved one seems not like a wonderful graduation to the glory fields above, but rather like an awful separation. Once again I was reminded that in knowing who I am in Jesus there has for me been joy, peace and hope, even in the midst of the grief of losing a family member.
Finally I had a reflection on what I have been reading in the Book of Numbers. The Jewish nation had been brought out of bondage and slavery from the nation of Egypt. Caught at the shore of the Red Sea the waters parted, walled up on both sides, and all the people walked through, after which the seas crashed in on the Egyptian army, The people had seen the fire and the glory cloud of God, experienced the miracle of the daily manna, and many other things, and despite those awesome miracles the people grumbled, and many of the grumblers died because of God's anger.
They get to the promised land and send in 12 spies who give a report that indeed it is a land flowing with milk and honey but the cities are fortified and there are giants in the land. 10 of the spies convince the people that they will not be able to take possession of the land. For not trusting that God would be with them to overcome those obstacles, despite seeing first hand miracle after miracle, God kills the 10 and promises that none of the other over 600,000 military aged men except for Caleb and Joshua would live to enter the land.
Even after that the people keep grumbling a very large group from the tribe of Levi (who are in charge of setting up and tearing down the tabernacle and receive in turn a tithe from the rest of the nation) grow jealous of the position and authority of Moses, Aaron and Aaron's two surviving sons who will preform the priestly functions. Here you have Moses, daily hearing directly from God, and everything he says or judgment he pronounces from God happens just as he says, and these people are jealous, desiring the status of the priesthood for themselves so they can then lord it over the others. A whole group of them won't even come to a meeting Moses calls. In response God causes the ground to open up which swallows every man, woman and child of that group.
What surprises me in all of this was not the severity of God's judgment of His own people. The world was created by Him and for Him and rebellion from His will leads to all the woes and ills of the world.
His purpose and calling for the Jewish nation was part and parcel to what His ultimate intention still is for today.
One of the reasons we are created is to declare from our lips and by our lives the glory, the greatness and the wonder of God. The chosen people should have been a reflection of that and thus lead to the eventual redemption of mankind. I think God was looking for much more than just a righteous line from which the Savior would eventually appear.
But here were a people whose ancestors had received both a promise from and a covenant with God. Yet they were born and raised in a pagan land surrounded by the pagan gods of Egypt. They had their beliefs and traditions but most did not have a relationship with Almighty God. The promises of God, if not sunk deep in the heart, could easily be shaken by harsh conditions, multiple fears and carnal urges. The desires for the onions and leeks of Egypt and the false comfort of Egyptian deities were still strong.
We find ourselves today living in a land which is progressively becoming more secular and hostile to both Christian and socially conservative views. For many there is a comfort that comes from religious traditions that can only take one so far when a great shaking comes. I believe we are in the beginning of a great shaking that will take all of us out of our comfort zones and will require us to trust in the true Lord of all.
As the darkness grows more dark may His brightness shine brighter. May each heart that does not actually know Jesus surrender to Him as Lord and Savior. May we experience both the grace of God and the fear of the Lord which leads to wisdom. And may we all truly know who we are in Christ.
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