Bubbles

I knew that I could help God out. I just needed to take some control.
Or at least that is what I tried to do. I know God is awesome, and of His power there can be no doubt. So when I asked God to let me help Him with His job (you know, running the universe and all), I figured he might put me in the Kingdom equivalent of the mail room. I thought he would have me sort out the Dear Jesus letters from the Dear Resident letters. I guess I would have been fine with that, but there was something in me that wanted to do more. That’s how I came up with my brilliant idea to help God.
I asked God for a moment of His time, and when He came I laid out my plan.
“Lord,” I started, “I know your job as God must be very difficult. You have so much to care for, so much Grace to hand out over and over, and so very many people that are constantly coming to you for this and that.” Then I stood up a little straighter and proudly pronounced my intention. “I would like to be your personal secretary!”
God just stood there, looking at me quizzically. As the seconds passed with no response, I began to get nervous. “I mean, it would be at your pleasure of course,” I murmured reluctantly. “I would do whatever you needed done.”God continued to look at me, and just as I thought I was going to pass out from the tension rising in the back of my skull, He spoke.
“You wish to help me out, do you?” God said. “That sounds like an outstanding idea!”
I was very surprised that He was so given to the idea, but I went with it. “Thank you so much, I will….” But before I could finish with my lavish thanks, He interrupted me.
“You will start immediately. I have just the place for you.”
God took me to His side and in the blink of an eye we were standing in a large, beige room with no doors or windows. It was very bright inside, yet there was no obvious reason for the light. I saw no lamps or other lighting, prompting me wonder aloud how is was so bright.
God did not answer, but instead began to instruct me on my job. “This is where you will be working.” I looked around, and as there was absolutely nothing in the room, I queried again, this time asking what exactly it was I was going to do in this place. Before God answered, the room suddenly and without warning started filling with bubbles floating through the air. These were very similar to the kind one might blow from a child’s bubble bottle. How they got there was unclear, yet there must have been hundreds of them. I reached out my finger to touch one, expecting it to explode into nothingness. To my surprise, instead of popping upon contact with my finger it fell to the floor with a thud, seemingly taking on weight. God bent down to pick it up, and handed it to me.
It was much heavier than I would have imagined when it was floating, much like the ball of a snow globe.
“This is your job,” He said, picking up the bubble and handing it to me. “Inside each of these are the prayers of my people. Look inside.” I held up the ball and could see words scrolled across the inside. I read them aloud, surprised to find that this one contained the prayer of a man for his wife. I looked back up at God, and before I could speak He continued.
“It is your job to sort these prayers. I want you to decide which prayers are most important, second most important and so on, so that I may get to them in the appropriate time. Stack them accordingly, and when I return I will collect the piles.”
I was stunned at the request. I felt that God had given me a job of much greater importance than I could have even dreamed. I had about a hundred more questions, but God left before I had the chance to utter a one.
I was thrilled to be given such an assignment. I was going to make sure that prayers got to God in the order of their importance. I thought excitedly about how great it was going to be for those that had the greatest prayers to get theirs answered in such a quick manner, and to know that I had a part to play in that timeliness! It was going to be smooth and precise if I had anything to say about it, and thanks to God I finally did.
But I had to get to work quickly. It seemed that even in the minute that I was congratulating myself the number of bubbles had doubled. So I started with the one in my hand. I decided that a man praying for his wife had to be important, so I put it on one side of the room. I then reached up to grab another bubble. I brought it to my eyes and read about a mother praying for her sick son in a remote region that had little medical aid. I instantly knew that this was important, and placed it in that first pile.
Grabbing another, I read about a little boy who lost his dog, and was praying for its safe return. It brought a tear to my eye to think of that boy and the sadness he felt. Yet I knew that it did not measure up to the previous prayers, so I created a second pile.
I read another from a single lady that felt she was very blessed in life, but was praying for a husband. She seemed otherwise happy and content with life, so I figured she wouldn’t mind waiting a little longer. God would surely want to read this, but it needed to go in the second pile with the lost puppy.
A bubble floated past my nose and I picked it out of the air right before it hit me. It was the prayer of a high school student asking God for help on his big test. I remembered praying such a prayer when I was in a similar situation. I also remembered that if I had studied more the night prior to the test, then perhaps I wouldn’t have had to pray as hard as I did! I figured that this kid would just have to deal with it on his own, and learn the importance of studying. I started a third pile with his prayer.
By this time the room was teeming with so many bubbles floating through the air that it was getting hard for me to avoid hitting them with my head. I started to accidentally brush up against some, causing them to fall to the ground with a thud. I started scrambling to get those read and sorted before I went back to the ones in the air. I raced around from end to end, and the piles were growing.
As I raced, the air grew thick with bubbles. I was not clearing any space, and if anything I was falling behind. I was reminded of the I Love Lucy episode involving the chocolate candy conveyor belt, with me in the role of Lucy. But God had given me a job, and I was going to make Him proud.
Time kept going, and I worked myself ragged. The piles were growing exponentially with each passing hour. However, I soon realized, to my amazement, that I was actually making progress. The room was starting to clear of bubbles, but the floor was getting crammed.
Throughout, I was making difficult determinations on where prayers should go. What I thought was going to be only three major piles for prayers turned into twelve piles. Admittedly, I wasn’t giving each prayer a thorough read. I had to start glancing and looking for certain words to make my determination. I started to regret that I might have accidentally put something with a sickness or a death in a lower importance pile. But I put that out of my mind, knowing that I was doing my hardest and that God was counting on me.
I don’t know exactly how much time passed as I did the job. If you asked my feet, it felt like years, and if you asked my mind there was such a blur of requests that it felt like only minutes. But I did eventually wind down, and looked around at the piles I had created. On the one side of the room stood a stack that towered over me, and I remembered having to throw some of the requests to the top when it got too high. That was the pile that I had started with that kid’s test prayer. On the other side of the room was a pile half the size, which I had started with that very first prayer of the husband for his wife. In between were piles of varying degrees, and I finally felt a sense of pride and accomplishment in what I had done. I dropped down, sitting in the middle of the room with my victories all around me.
That’s when God appeared. “Almost done, I see,” He stated, looking at me.
“I am done, Lord,” I said. “Look around, all sorted and ready for you!” I knew He was going to be pleased with the work I had done.
God looked up towards the ceiling of the room, and pointed. “Just one left,” he said, plucking it from the air.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t see that one,” I exclaimed. “I’ll take it!” God looked inside the bubble and took it to himself. “That’s ok,” He said. “I will keep this. It looks like you have been very busy today.”
“Yes, Lord!” I was so excited, that through my weariness I jumped up and started explaining all that I had done. I pointed to the first pile. “This pile is the most important, you’ll want to get to this first, then over here there is….” And that is when it happened. Just as I was going to run through the list of piles, God raised His right hand and in an instant all the bubbles in all the piles raised into the air. They floated there, not in the perfect piles I had made, but jumbled, mixed as much as when I had first seen them. They hovered over us for a moment, and then shot into the body of the Lord. The room was instantly empty, and silence abounded.
That was a silence that I wasn’t going to let live. “What just happened?!?!” I screamed, indignant that my days worked had been wiped out in an instance. “I worked all day to put them in order, and you just wasted it!”
The Lord ignored my fury, and spoke. “Is the prayer of one of my people any less or more important than that of another? Have I not already heard the prayers, even before you began today?”
I was dumbfounded. Why would He then make me go through this process? Why would He waste my time? Why did He want me to choose which prayers are more important?
But it wasn’t Him. I was the one who wanted to decide. I was the one who wanted to help God, and to make decisions of what was more important and what was less. I was the one who insisted that God needed help. I was the one who would do better than God.
I fell down and started to clench my fists, angry that God didn’t stop me and furious at myself for being such a fool. But God didn’t let me languish.
“Son,” He said, pointing into the far corner of the room. “There is something you need to see.” I looked up and saw a pile of thousands of bubbles that had not gone with God. I thought I had remembered all the piles I had made, but this one was so large and stacked so neatly and perfectly in the corner. I didn’t ever remember making it nor did I remember it being there when I first showed up, and I surely would not have missed it.
I ran over to it, and took the highest bubble I could reach. Bringing it to my face, I read the prayer. Immediately, I dropped the bubble to the ground. I started reaching at others in the pile, and one after one, consumed the prayers inside. Suddenly, I was filled with fear at what I had seen.
“How is this possible?” I cried to God. “What is the meaning of this?”
“These are yours,” He said. “These are the prayers that you have offered up to me over the years that you never really thought were worthy of my attention. You started this pile as a young boy, when you believed the lie that there were just some requests that even though you pray them, really don’t meet my standards. They wait here because you haven’t given them to me yet. I would love to have them.”
I knew exactly what He was saying. All those prayers over the years that I might have thought or even spoken, but never really gave over to God. I was holding on so tight to those things that I thought God wouldn’t care about that I never realized just how much I was holding back from Him. He wanted all of my prayers, and He valued them alongside the prayers of the most desperate and brokenhearted. For by holding back from God, I was denying who He is.
“Take them,” I begged. “I want you to have them. I need you to have them.”
I knew that I could help God out. I just needed to let go.

What You Need To Know About Me

What if you were going to be remembered for all time because of one thing you did in your life? What if that one thing could be something good or bad by which historians for centuries to come would define you? For many biblical characters, that is exactly what happened. Their lives were recorded for all eternity in the pages of scripture on the basis of one event or one truth about their lives. No matter how long they lived, for good or for ill, all the world knows is one event in their lives.
Take the Samaritan woman at the well mentioned in John 4. In an encounter, Jesus simply asks for a drink from this Samaritan woman. In the ensuing conversation, we learn that this woman is less than pure, having had many husbands and a current relationship with a man that is not her husband. In Acts 8, we learn about the Ethiopian man in that Phillip meets during his travels. This Ethiopian is unable to understand Isaiah’s prophecy and – gasp – he is a eunuch. In Acts 5 we discover that Ananias and Sapphira in made poor real estate deals decisions. Even the two thieves that hung on the cross next to Jesus in Luke 23 are eternally remembered. No matter what else they did in life, they were remembered for all of history as thieves.
My favorite one-hit wonder in the bible is none other than Methuselah. Here is a man that lived longer than any other in recorded history, and that is what he is known for. In Genesis 5, we learn all that we will ever know about Methuselah. He was the son of Mehujael, great-grandson of Enoch, the father of Lamech at the young age of 187, and had a bunch of other sons and daughters until his death at the age of 969
Now one could reasonable assume that if you lived 969 years, you are going to have a few children, so that revelation in Genesis 5 is less than eye-opening. The knowledge that Methuselah is the father of Lamech tells us that Noah was a direct descendant of Methuselah, but not much more. What we are left with is that Methuselah lived long enough to have a cliché coined for him – “being old as Methuselah.”
But delving deeper into Methuselah’s claim to fame shows us more than a man that required the world’s largest supply of hearing aid batteries and tiger balm. Here was a man that could sit at the foot of Adam and hear stories about Eden while later giving carpentry and sailing tips to Noah. He spanned the history of mankind at the time. Imagine what that must have been like for this one man.
Have you ever heard an older gentleman or lady lavish you with tales of the good ol’ days, when almost everything was perfect and nothing was terrible, unlike now when everything is terrible and nothing is right. Perhaps they relished parts of their youth where they could engage in activities that are no longer accessible to them. And you have been blessed to hear these stories on more than one glorious occasion. Now consider Methuselah. As a young man, Methuselah probably heard Adam rattle on about the good ol’ days, which were in fact a lot better than the times in which they were living. Adam could have retold the story of the Garden of Eden, and the wonders and beauties that abounded therein. He could have told of the pleasures of walking each day with the Lord, and the peace that was in Him. By the 100th telling, young Methuselah might have been fed up and blurted out “then you probably shouldn’t have thrown it all away over a snake and a piece of fruit!”
Or consider that Methuselah had to go around with the knowledge that his great, great grandfather committed the first murder, and everyone knew it. For most of us this would probably be considered a black mark in the family and something of which to be ashamed. But considering that at the time most people were somehow related to Cain, it wasn’t exactly something someone could make fun of without inherently making fun of themselves.
A lot of people feel that over time, birthday celebrations, holidays and yearly rituals begin to run together. This was especially true for Methuselah. How many birthday parties can be held for you before they are all the same? Maybe Methuselah suggested skipping a couple of decades of birthdays because by the time they got all the candles lit on the birthday cake for one birthday, an entire year would pass! Perhaps Methuselah even got tired of New Years celebrations and decided to only celebrate each New Century.
There is also the matter of pets. Most people in their lives might have 5 or 6 dogs, tops. Methuselah must have felt like he was running through dogs like Pez. After a while, he probably just used the same name for each subsequent dog, as there weren’t enough names in the world to have a unique one for each new dog. It definitely saved on nametags.
But one of his joys must have been the opportunity to teach and spend time with Noah, his grandson. It is possible that everything that Noah learned about carpentry and shipbuilding he learned from Methuselah. Playing with Noah as a boy and young man might even be what Methuselah credited for “keeping him young”. Some might even go so far as to say that Noah’s ark didn’t have an Aloha, Lido or Fiesta Deck, but instead had a Methuselah, Lamech and Enoch deck. Rumor has it that the Methuselah deck went on forever.
In any case, we know that Methuselah died at the age of 969. Many scholars believe that he died in the same year as the Flood, and that the Lord brought Methuselah to Him before unleashing the Flood. This would mean that not only did Methuselah get to witness the construction of the ark, but that he also witnessed the devolution of man’s morality, and the wickedness that lied therein.
But Methuselah’s story does not end in his death. For what we know as a fact is that this very old man’s life was not confined to a simple matter of numbers. For Methuselah was in the direct lineage of the centrality of Scripture, the person of Jesus Christ. He is mentioned in very important lineages, both in the 1 Chronicles retelling of the lineage of Adam to Abraham, and then in Luke 3, the lineage of Jesus Christ. Yes, he was the oldest man to ever walk the earth, but he was also a vital member of the family of the Savior of the world.
This brings me back to the one-hit wonders from earlier. Those one hit simply known but eternally famous Samaritan woman at the well, Ethiopian Eunuch, Ananias and Sapphira and the two thieves on the cross. Yes, they were known by history for one event or fact. But this one event does not tell their whole story. For their story is not only of fleshly events. Their stories are of encounters. Their stories are of encounters with Jesus Christ.
Yes, the Samaritan woman at the well was loose and immoral. But she also saw Jesus, heard his voice and knew the truth. We do not know what happened to her the rest of her life, but we do know that she was changed. We know that her encounter with Jesus saved her, and that her testimony spread to others.
Yes, the Ethiopian eunuch could not make heads or tales of Isaiah’s prophecy. But his encounter with Jesus came through Phillips explanation. With understanding, the eunuch was compelled to be baptized and went on his way rejoicing for the truth he had learned. We do not know how his life ended, but we are assured that he went to Jesus.
Yes, Ananias and Sapphira made poor choices in real estate. But their encounter with Jesus came in their decision to be disobedient to the truth that they knew, and lie and cheat the Holy Spirit over money. We know what happened to them, as their lives ended that day. We know that they set the example for us to see when we are tempted to ignore God’s truth and try to sidestep His authority.
And yes, the two thieves on the cross are known as just that, and they too died that day on Calvary. But their encounter with Jesus was as personal as any had been during Jesus’ time on earth. As one thief hung there, he mocked Christ, imploring Him to save Himself if He was really God. The other looked upon Jesus and knew in his heart that this was truly the innocent Christ, being crucified unjustly. With this, he begged Jesus to remember him in Paradise. Their deaths, and their futures, are displayed in no uncertain terms.
And so it is for us. Most of us will never have even one story remain for the balance of human existence. But if it should be so, to be known forever as the oldest person, a righteous man, a simple man, a philanthropist, a liar or a thief, it matters little. What matters is what we do with our encounter with Christ. Our encounter with Christ may not keep our human story for the bookshelves of history; but our encounter with Christ will keep our eternal story for the bookshelves of the Kingdom.

Finding the Right Box for God

Did you know that God wanted you to find a very nice box for Him and put Him in it? I was surprised to learn this too, but upon studying what the Israelites did with the Ark of the Covenant I was convinced that in fact God wanted us to find an appropriate box and place Him inside. It seemed only logical that in order for me to get a good grasp on God and what He is all about, I needed to put Him in a box.
It would appear that getting God into a box is a near impossible task, as He really doesn’t have to do what we ask. But I know that God is a reasonable being, and that if I reasoned with Him, He would understand my point of view and acquiesce to my request.
I approached God on the matter of the box in a most respectful manner, and laid out why I had come to this decision. “Lord,” I started “I know that you are an awesome God, but I need to make a small request. It occurs to me that my life would be better off if I could be allowed to put you in a box. I want the box to be appropriate, of course, and I will choose carefully. I know this is a strange request, but it really would be the best thing for both of us.”
I was a little concerned at the Lord’s reaction to my request, but to my surprise he was very amicable to my decision. The Lord looked at me and with calmness in His voice simply said “Let us try it your way.”
I was very excited that he had seen it from my point of view, and with very little persuasion on my part. The problem was I hadn’t really considered exactly what kind of box in which I was going to put God. I was so concerned with whether He would agree or not that I didn’t prepare myself for an answer of yes.
I asked God if he could give me a few minutes to look for some box options, and he was fine with that. I raced around the house and started to scrounge through all of my possessions, looking for just the right box in which to put God. I came across some acceptable vessels and ran back to God. I excitedly raced to Him with my arms full.
“Lord,” I said, panting “I have a few I would like to try, just to see what is best.” I tossed down my boxes and sifted through them to find the smallest one I had. It was a beautiful purple jewelry box, the jewelry long gone from its cushioned home. I lifted the box up to the Lord.
“If you don’t mind, try getting into this box. It would be great to be able to keep you in here and when I need you, I can find you amongst all my precious things.” The Lord got into the box as best he could, but no matter how we tried to reposition him and squeeze the lid on He just wouldn’t fit. I felt it unfortunate that I couldn’t get the Lord into the beautiful box I had chosen. But I knew that it would be ok, for I had many other boxes to choose from.
The Lord stood there in front of me while I picked up another one of my boxes. It was a brown boot box that once housed one of the finest pairs of snow boots I had ever seen. It was sturdy and larger than the earring box, and I just knew the Lord would go perfectly in it.
“This box is a bit bigger, Lord. I just know it is the right box for you. Then I can place you next to the protective clothing I wear, and will certainly have access to you when I need it.” The Lord obliged and stepped into the shoebox. I closed the lid and smiled as I walked the Lord into my closet and sat Him up on the highest shelf. As I turned to close the closet door, I heard and loud crash, and spun around to see that the Lord’s shoebox had fallen to the floor, popping the lid off. I hurriedly picked up the box, apologizing to the Lord for the fall. But as I looked in the box, He was nowhere to be found. I looked around the entire closet and could not find a hint of the Lord anywhere. I was a little concerned as to where he had gone, and as I reached for the lid I jumped as I saw Him standing next to me.
“Oh, Lord, you scared me!” I exclaimed. “I am sorry for the fall, maybe a shoebox isn’t the best place to keep you.” I decided that I wanted to have a box that was a little bit sturdier, so I led the Lord back out to the living room and to the pile of boxes. Digging through the pile I found a nice, large box that was sturdy and reinforced. It had once held a delicate painting that was sent to me, and I just knew that it would be perfect for the Lord. I could sit it against the wall so that it wouldn’t fall over, and anytime I wanted to look at the Lord I would know just where to find Him. I beckoned for the Lord to get in the reinforced box, and he was very kind to do so. When He was safely inside, I sealed up the top and placed it against the far wall.
I was very satisfied with where the Lord was now, and headed into the kitchen to prepare myself a sandwich. But as I got into the kitchen, I realized that I wanted to look at the Lord one more time, because he was just so beautiful to me. I went back over to the painting box, opened the top and peaked down at the Lord. But to my surprise, he was no longer there. I moved the box to allow more light in, thinking I hadn’t missed Him in the darkness of the box. But I could see all the way to the bottom without a sign of the Lord. I stood upright, puzzled. As I looked in front of me, I was shocked to once again see Him standing there.
“Lord, you got out of the box again!” I was beginning to get frustrated. “I understand that maybe this box wasn’t right for you. Perhaps something a little roomier would do.” I thought about the new dryer I had purchased, and the box that was still in my garage that it had come in. “Lord,” I motioned to Him, “follow me. I have just the thing.”
We made it to the garage and I pointed at the dryer box. “That would be much better for you Lord, and I can keep you in here where you can be in my house but not in the way.” I smiled at my genius to find a much roomier box that would be more comfortable for the Lord and less intrusive for me. “If you would be so kind, you can have this box.”
The Lord stepped into the dryer box, and I closed the top and was very content with myself. But after a moment, I got concerned that the garage might get too dark for the Lord. I decided to check with Him to make sure it was ok to be in such a dark room. “Lord, are you going to be ok out here in the dark?” I asked. I heard no response, and bent down closer to the side of the box. “Lord,” I said again, louder. “Are you going to be ok in this dark garage?” I still heard nothing.
I yanked open the lid and said “Lord, are you going…” but stopped in mid sentence as I realized once again He was not inside. By this time I was downright angry, realizing that the Lord had again left the beautiful box I had for Him. I spun around the room, expecting to see Him somewhere. When I didn’t, I scurried back through the house, yelling “Lord, why won’t you just stay where I put you. You can’t be unhappy with all of these boxes! One of them has to be ok!”
I could find the Lord nowhere in my house, and as I raced to the front door, He walked in. “Lord,” I exclaimed. “What’s the problem? I have given you plenty of good boxes, and you seem to want to get out of each one.” That was precisely the moment that I had a revelation. The Lord didn’t want a common box that you could find anywhere. He needed a box that was special. He needed a box that was just for Him. Perhaps, like me, he wanted something that was His own, and not made for whatever would fit in it. It had to be something the size of a house, or maybe even…
“That’s it!” I cried. “I know where you need to be Lord!” I took him by the hand and we jumped in the car. I raced several miles down the road to the church that I had attended ever since I was a young man. “This is where you need to be. I am sorry I forgot about this. It is the perfect box for you! You can stay in this box, and I can visit you here every Sunday! This works out perfectly!” I lead the Lord into the church, and told him that I would be back to see him in a few days.
I drove home more content with myself than ever before. I knew that I had found the perfect box for the Lord, and that this was going to make our relationship better than ever. I pulled into my driveway, and realized that there was somebody standing there. I jumped out of my car and to my dismay saw that it was the Lord, staring at me.
“What are YOU doing here?!?” I bellowed. “I left you at the church, and I told you I would be back in a few days. You were NOT supposed to come back here. That is YOUR box, and you are supposed to stay in YOUR box.” As I stopped talking, he stretched his hand out towards me. In His hand was the Bible, opened to Exodus.
“Oh, I get it!” I screamed. “None of those other boxes were good enough for you. You want the box that you had in this book, don’t you?!?” I then knew what I had to do. He wanted his Ark back, the box the Israelites kept Him in. “FINE. If that’s what you want, I will make you your Ark for you. If that’s the box you need, then I will build it with my own two hands!”
Over the next week I did nothing but focus my entire life and energies on building a replica Ark for the Lord. I poured every waking hour into that Ark, crafting and perfecting it to be as close to the original as I could. Every second of every day I spent on that Ark, eating and sleeping as little as I could. Into that ark I poured everything. Into it I poured my hopes, my fears; my anger and my joys; my dreams and my horrors; I poured my soul, good and ill, all that was in me into building that one final box with which the Lord would be happy. I poured everything into the one and final box that the Lord would remain in, content not to keep escaping from.
On Sunday morning I presented my work before the Lord. I brought to Him a replica of the Ark, and with it the expectation that it would be the last box he would need. “Lord, here it is,” I said. I was exhausted beyond words, and I collapsed on my knees to the ground. With my head slumped down, I waved to the Lord. “Now would you please just get in the box?”
I sat there for what felt like an eternity, waiting for the Lord to get in the Ark. The Lord walked slowly towards me and put His hand on my shoulder. “You have built a beautiful box,” He said. “But you know it’s never been about the box. It’s been about why you wanted to have me in the box.”
The Lord continued. “You presented to me a jewelry box and wanted to keep me there. With that, you hoped to keep me like a fine piece of jewelry, but only bring me out to wear me when it suited you and on the right occasions. You presented to me a boot box, and wanted to keep me there. With that, you hoped to have me ready in emergencies, such as bad weather, but ready to put me away when the emergency was over. You presented to me a box for artwork, and wanted to keep me there. With that, you hoped to have me around in your home to look beautiful like a fine piece of art, but never to take me outside of your home. You presented to me the box of a new appliance and wanted to keep me there. With that, you hoped to keep me around to do only the things you wanted me to do, and not to be involved in any other part of your life. You presented to me a building, and wanted to keep me there. With that, you could come to me only when it was convenient, and leave me there safely out of your life at all other times.”
The Lord paused, and placed his other hand on the Ark. “You presented to me an Ark, like the one my people carried. With that, you hoped to copy a ritual and safely keep me under control.”
I looked at the Lord, and with exasperation, cried out. “If there is no box to keep you in, what am I to do with you?!? I have no place else to put you.”
The Lord calmly looked at me. “Though the Israelites carried the Ark, and in that were obedient, they were still showing you what it is I want. As with them, I want to know you, and be in relationship with you. And the place to keep me is in your heart.”
I began to cry. The Lord was right. I had been so focused on keeping God contained that I never thought to acknowledge the fact that God will not be contained. He wants to be everywhere in my life, and for that I should be grateful. In fact, I needed to be more than grateful. I needed to be humbled. That’s when the Lord truly humbled me.
“You see,” the Lord said, “there will come a time that will be your end of days. At your end of days, they will all gather, and they will put you in a box. It will be at that time, at a time you are most helpless, that I will come. I will come, and I will stand up for you. I will bring you out of that box. And I will bring you to me.”

Fishing with Jesus

Jesus took particular care to call the disciples. He used various different means by which to call them ask them. In Luke 5, Jesus approaches Simon, James and John and over the course of the passage recruits them as disciples.
This story seems to be a simple case of Jesus seeking these men, showing them a powerful miracle and in turn they accept his invitation. As awesome as this story sounds on the surface, I believe there was more to it than what is on the surface.
The focus of this passage is on three fishermen: Simon Peter, James and John. These three men had just returned from a night of fishing. They were epically unsuccessful in their endeavors that evening having caught nothing. They were no doubt a little grouchy and tired after such a bust. Perhaps during the evening Simon Peter even suggested to James that he was making too much noise and chasing all of the fish away. John might have told Simon Peter that he must have done something with the nets to make the fish avoid them. James might have told John and Simon that all the fish were in a different part of the lake, and they would have known that if they had listened to him earlier.
So the three men were done for the day, and decided to pack everything in. They were washing their nets and putting away their fishing tools for the next day, and who should walk up to them but Jesus. Jesus had been preaching to a large group, and noticed the boats by the edge of the water. Feeling crowded in, he decided to march right up to Simon’s boat and enter in an attempt to create some distance between himself and the crowd.
Now Simon Peter knew of Jesus, and was undoubtedly respectful of him. However, When Jesus entered his boat, Simon Peter probably took unfavorable notice. Simon Peter probably thought to himself “Really? I’m tired and trying to pack things up, and dude’s gotta get in my boat? Seriously, what’s the problem, he can’t handle the popularity?” That’s when Jesus breaks out with the request to be pushed a little bit away from the land.
Tired and grumpy, Simon Peter begrudgingly obliges and pushes Jesus out, allowing him space to teach more effectively. Simon Peter was probably happy when Jesus finished, imagining going home and getting some rest after the long day. James and John were still hanging around watching, and were probably just as confused as Simon Peter at Jesus’ next request. Jesus turned to Simon Peter and said “Go out a little ways into the deep water and throw your nets in for the catch.”
At this point I am sure Simon Peter wanted nothing to do with more fishing. First of all, this Jesus guy was a carpenter, and not a fisherman. Maybe if the fish needed something nailed or sawed, then sure, he could help. But really, there was no need to tell experienced fishermen how to do their jobs. Secondly, it was a terrible time of day for them to go fishing. If they hadn’t caught anything during the good time for fishing, they weren’t going to catch anything right now. Thirdly, the nets were clean, things were put away, all the men were tired and they were going to be coming back later to start their next day of work. They could what Jesus asked later.
“Look,” Simon Peter started, “we were fishing all night. We caught nothing, and I know that there are no fish to be had out there.” It was then that Simon looked over at James and John, and even though it felt inconvenient and pointless, they had respect for this Jesus, and acquiesced. ‘But if you say so, we will do it”
So they launched out into the deeper water, threw over their nets and waited. But they didn’t have to wait long before their nets began pulling and tearing at the weight of the multitude of fish that engulfed the nets. There were so many fish that they had to get other fishermen to help them with the haul.
At this point, Simon Peter was probably red with embarrassment. He was so against going back out because he was tired that he almost forgot who this man was that was telling him to cast his nets. That’s when Simon Peter decided that a good rule of thumb was that if Jesus suggests you do something, then it is a good idea to do it.
But it didn’t end there. When they finally got the fish in the boats, the boats began to sink under the weight of the fish. James and John probably looked at each other in disbelief, finding it hard to believe that the entirety of the lake held this many fish!
Oh, the irony that could have been racing through Simon Peter’s mind. Jesus sets them out to catch the largest amount of fish they had ever caught at one time, and there was so much that the boats would sink! All the fish would then be delivered back to their watery home from whence they came! Talk about easy come, easy go. Simon Peter would have gone home not with the typical “big one that got away” fish story, but of the “little ones-that-I-caught-and-got-in-the-boats-but-then-the-boats-sank-and-I-had-to-swim-to-shore-and-they-got-away” fish story.
But that didn’t matter to Simon Peter. All he knew at that moment was that this Jesus had done the impossible, and since that was true than this man must be the Son of God as he claimed. Simon knew that he was too sinful to be in Jesus’ presence, and bowed down out of reverence and fear.
That’s the way we do it today. Often times we will get too caught up in our own desires and timing to recognize what Jesus is saying to us. We are often motivated by ourselves and not motivated by the fact that what Jesus is asking us to do will yield far greater results than we could ever imagine. It is not until we witness the miraculous works of Christ in our own lives that we finally bow down and recognize Him. We bow down and recognize him in awe and fear because we realize just whom it is that we have been brushing aside.
Jesus tells Simon Peter not to fear. But Simon Peter immediately looked back on the sequence of events that had taken place and realized his petulance, grouchiness, disbelief and the all around crummy way he had treated Jesus. In that Simon Peter realized he had even more reason to fear. But Jesus was having none of that, and let Simon Peter, James and John know that there were bigger and better things in their future. Jesus let them know that they were no longer simply going to catch fish. No, they were to become fishers of men.
To which Simon Peter thought “then we are definitely going to need bigger nets.”

Give Jesus a Car

The Christian knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is the Son of God, and part of the trinity. This is a fact, and within this fact is the knowledge that Jesus, as God, was, is and will forever be omniscient.
Scripture proves this truth. Isaiah prophesizes about the coming of Jesus in 45:22-23, declaring that the coming Jesus will be God and be the one who is turned to for salvation. Mathew 1:22 speaks on how the birth of Jesus was prophesied, and how Jesus would be called Immanuel (which means God with us). 1 Timothy 6:13-15 speaks of Jesus as King of king and Lord of lords. Revelation 2:8 speaks of the words of the one who is First and Last, who died and came to life (Jesus). There are many other passages supporting these truths.
Jesus was fully God while he was fully physically existing on earth. But this is not the forum to attempt to parse and dissect this truth. What will be done is to point out something that a lot of people probably never look at. That is, since Jesus is omniscient, wasn't there a time when he just wanted or wished to have some of the creature comforts that we enjoy today?
I am not suggesting that Jesus would have desired a leather armchair that he could rest in after a long day of driving around in his Mazarati. I am suggesting some things that could have made his ministry easier, time-efficient and more streamlined.
For instance, Jesus did a lot of walking during his ministry, as was the custom of the day. It was a few thousand years too soon to consider investing in a van for the church. Yet couldn't you imagine that Jesus thought about whipping up a car or light truck so he could go to and fro? It certainly would have made the trip from Tyre to Jerusalem more bearable. Not that he would want anything fancy, but perhaps a nice little Toyota Corolla or VW Bug. Something small and simple to spread his message faster. Maybe he even thought about a conversion van or heavy duty truck, as he was usually joined by twelve other guys, and I’m sure they complained about the distances they had to walk once or twice. Maybe he would have even thought about having the A/C blasting while he drove around the arid middle east climate.
Perhaps Jesus was used to walking, and thought that a car would be overkill. Maybe Jesus thought about something simpler, like a bag full of legal size yellow pads and a bunch of Bic pens for those that he was teaching. That would have been something simple and useful so that those he taught could take notes and review them later when they got home. For that matter, a nice little briefcase to carry around those pads and pens would have been wonderful. Now that would have been some technology from the future that would not only be useful but also inconspicuous.
But bright yellow papyrus and a plastic pen might have only gotten in the way for Jesus. As many were used to oral learning, Jesus was more than equipped to teaching in this manner. Maybe he would have thought of something for his family. Maybe he thought about breaking out the Black and Decker power tools so that he could have gotten through his carpentry more effectively. The power nailer and circular saw could have made him not only a more efficient carpenter but also make his work more fine tuned. That way he could have gotten through his work faster and to his preaching sooner. But the power tools laying around the workshop in those days would have no doubt brought suspicion, and as I recall electricity came only through lightning. So not only would he have had to make the tools, but also a power plant to generate the needed electricity. Definitely too much work for the payout.
Jesus definitely liked to teach, and he worked with to all styles of learning when he taught. I am sure he would have loved to have the internet around so that not only could he use his words to teach, but also a bunch of videos that would help the visual learners in the group. He could have found funny, reflective, hopeful and even serious videos all around the internet that could have driven his point home. No doubt the people would have been too busy being fascinated by the keys of the keyboard to be interested in what came out of the screen.
Not wanting to forget about the disciples, Jesus might have wanted a nice, modern fishing boat. He might have thought to himself that even though these guys I am with know a lot about fishing, imagine what they could do with a nice Crowline or Sea Ray. They could have torn up those fish in the Sea of Galilee and set record with their catches. Of course, I guess Jesus took care of that later when after a fruitless day of fishing he had them cast their nets and haul in more fish than they could have imagined.
Of course, Jesus did not need anything from today, though he could have had it at his command. But he came at the perfect time, in the perfect way, and met the culture where they were. To conjure up fanciful delights from the future or from faraway places to prove that he was the Son of God would have done nothing. It would have only served to draw people in not by faith, but by only what they saw.
Yet if you doubt that the Bible has no use of today's technology as has been proposed here, I present to you the book of Revelation. The Lord gave John the book of Revelation to write down in the first century, and John faithfully followed. In Revelation 11, we meet the two witnesses. In the span of four days in the future, these two witnesses will preach the Gospel, be murdered, have their bodies lie in the streets of Jerusalem and be resurrected by the Lord. All of this will be seen by the entire world. How in the world was a first century person to understand that the entire world could see an event in Jerusalem?
Because the Lord was well aware of CNN, even before Ted Turner.

Men, Love Your Football....

In America, men love football. I love football, and as is the case today I am speaking from a decidedly male perspective. When football season roles around, I find it a struggle not to take every moment I can to catch the best college action on Saturdays and any and all NFL action on Sundays. But there is something that Scripture calls men to love more than football.
Ephesians 5 talks about a subject that many mean try to avoid – relationships. But the relationship described in Ephesians 5 is not a common relationship, but the relationship between a husband and a wife. This passage illuminates how men and women are to treat, love and respect each other. This passage is a directive from the Lord as to how men and women are to love those that they have joined for life, and how these principles will result in a lasting marriage.
Ephesians 5:25 gives specific instructions to husbands as to how they are to love their wives. This verse tells husbands, whether they have been married 1, 5, 10 or…gasp…50 years that they are to love their wives as Christ loved the church. On the one hand this is awesome in its quality, and beautiful in its simplicity. On the other hand this is all well and good, and of course beneficial because it is the word of the Lord, but a little too ethereal for some modern men.
Many modern men might not know what that exactly what it means to love their wives as Christ loved the church. Sure, we are all pretty confident that Christ really, really, loved the church. Heck, he died for her, so that’s saying a lot. But is that pretty much the extent of how we are to love our wives? Be settled with the necessity of dying for her if necessary, but other than that be confident in the knowledge that there’s not much else to it.
Undoubtedly, there is much more to it than that. When one takes a deeper look at the passage, it can become quite clear as to the specifics of loving your wife as Christ loved the church. But for those that might not have the time at this moment to exegete this passage, I propose a few modern day thumbnail sketches of what Ephesians 5:25 says.
Ephesians 5:25 in the “Bible for Today’s Man Using Today’s Language and Illustrations Because Sometimes I Just Can’t Grasp Being Swallowed By a Whale and Surviving” (not an actual bible translation, but a really neat title), men should love their wives as they love their favorite football team. This is not the love of spending three hours a week watching it, and only when they are doing well. This is the love of watching an entire season of awful, awful play, where your offense looks like it just met each other that morning and the defense does a great impersonation of a sieve. It is then wearing their colors the next spring and summer all the while believing beyond reason in your heart that next year they will be hoisting the Lombardi trophy, even though they have only draft pick (a seventh!) and an owner who has a phobia of opening his wallet.
Men should love their wives as they love their dream car. This doesn’t mean driving it around and at the first sign of engine trouble throwing a cover over it and leaving it to rot and rust in the garage. This means driving it with pride, washing, waxing and tuning it regularly, and at the first sign of engine trouble diagnosing the problem and proceeding immediately to repair the situation before it becomes a major problem.
Men should love their wives as they love food. This doesn’t mean constantly having their favorite bratwurst and beer for three meals and a snack each day. This means having their favorite food, but also keeping variety in their meals so that they can not only enjoy what they love but have a healthy and vibrant diet. Now variety doesn’t mean changing the type of mustard on the bratwurst each day. It means occasionally having to eat the squash and broccoli that you would otherwise consider decoration, but that you know is going to be beneficial in the long run.
Men should love their wives as they love watching things explode. Make no mistake, somewhere in every man is the desire to watch stuff blow up. Why do you think there are so many awful, awful summer blockbusters made that have no coherent story but two hours worth of explosions? Because regardless of the story, if there’s stuff blowing up, men will watch it. This doesn’t mean that we are to love our wives to the point that they blow up at us. On the contrary, we are to love our wives so that we can put out the fires, calm them and comfort them. Then when we are a safe distance away we can watch them explode!
Men are to love their wives as they love electronics. This doesn’t mean that they insist on the high definition television that has the most bells and whistles and is outrageously priced. This means that men are to understand the high definition television they get. They are to read the manual, know what each button does, and understand when the right time is to push certain buttons and when the wrong time is to push certain buttons. Because the last thing you want to do is be watching your wedding video and accidentally hit the record button and tape over it with the newest episode of Bass Masters. At least that reference would make more sense if we were in 1989 and using a VCR.
Finally, men are to love women as women love the church. You ever notice how a woman loves to get dressed up for a church service, insisting that they are made up from head to toe. Ask any man, and he will probably assure you that Jesus is just fine with his wranglers and sleeveless T-shirt. But men should love women so much so that even though Jesus would be fine with the wranglers and sleeveless T, they insist that they wear their finest suit, because nothing less will suffice for his wonderful bride.
Ephesians 5:25 goes on to enumerate on ways men should love their wives as Christ loved the church. It tells men that they are to be constantly in the Word so as to be able to bring the Word to their wives and with it grow together. Men are to present themselves to their wives in a manner that is upright and holy, and in doing so they may exhibit the characteristics of Christ. Most of all, men are to love their wives as themselves. People tend to love themselves more than any other person, and if men can love their wives as much as they love themselves, then half the battle is already won.
There are an innumerable number of ways that men can show little or no love to their wives. The Ephesians challenge for men is to show their wives love in the way that Christ prescribed. It is to show them that there is a love for them that is greater than for anyone else on earth, and greater than even for the husbands own self. If nothing else, it is to show a love as great as for their favorite football team.

Fantasy Bible

I love fantasy football. I have been playing regularly for several years now, and enjoy all aspects of it. Fantasy football drafts are occurring all over the place this time of year, and as a matter of fact I have two live drafts this weekend that I am attending.
Drafting, for those of you that may not know, is the wonderful opportunity one has to build a team from a pool of all available NFL players. From year to year you never know who you might have, and it is always exciting to see which NFL players you will be rooting for and against in the upcoming season. Strategizing with others as to who you might take and who you might avoid adds an extra dimension to the game.
But not all drafts are fun. Some drafts can be difficult, and even downright scary. Such was the case when I entered into a draft with Devil. The Devil had approached me about belonging to a very select league, one in which only he and I were the participants. And this was to be no ordinary draft. This was to be a fantasy biblical draft, with the winner taking….well, let’s just say that the stakes were very high.
As anyone who plays fantasy football knows, the draft can often make or break your season. It is up to you to not only have a solid lineup, but to be able to pick out the diamonds in the rough. One wants to find those players that nobody else expects much of but who are going to have solid seasons. When it came to our biblical draft, the importance of this was heightened.
When the Devil arrived, I was surprised to find that he was not as ugly as I expected. There were no boney fingers, no smoldering skin, no horns and no cloven hooves. As a matter of fact, he was one of the most handsome men I had ever see, dressed in a fine Armani suit, Gucci shoes and wearing what I believed to be a Cartier jewelry (this is not to say that Armani, Gucci and Cartier are evil. This is only to say that the Devil knows how to dress.)
But we weren’t drafting to win Cartier or Armani. We were drafting for much more than that. The rules of this draft were simple. Being the Devil, he insisted that we limit ourselves to six players on each team. The players could be any person, any animal, or just about anything from the Bible, save for one person he considered out of bounds. He didn’t mention the name of that man, but he didn’t need to. I agreed, feeling confident with my biblical knowledge that I could field a superior team to the Devil’s.
We sat down with our draft sheets and prepared ourselves. The Devil insisted that since he was a gentleman, I should go first. I nervously looked over the biblical rosters, both old and new testaments, trying to determine the most solid players. When it was time for my first pick, I choose David. David was a solid player, a righteous king who was led by God and took down the behemoth Goliath as a young man. To this day the name of King David is revered throughout the land.
I made a solid choice and I knew I put the Devil in a corner. He was going to have to find something just as good as his first pick, and that was going to be hard. But the Devil just smiled at me, and took Bathsheba as his first choice.
This was something I didn’t see coming. The Devil wasn’t going for power or might with his pick, but with the perfect answer to David, and the one thing that bedevils all men. Bathsheba was one of David’s great weaknesses, and not only would she be an effective tool against David, but the use of sexual lust was going to weaken any of the men I choose from then on out. This was not an obvious choice, but an effective one.
With my second pick I wanted to go with physical strength, and the best place to find that was in Samson. I knew that he the same weakness for the ladies as did David, but the power he received from the Lord was too much to pass up. I knew the Devil had already used a pick on Bathsheba, and I practically dared him to use another pick on the same type of player in Delilah.
The Devil wasn’t about to fall into my trap. Instead of going for the obvious choice in Delilah, the Devil filled a need in picking King Saul. This was a surprise, but I knew what he was going after. Saul fell away from the Lord, at one time trying to kill David and at another consulting the witch of Endor. Satan knew that Samson too was corruptible, and was hoping to add to fuel Samson’s corruption with an even greater corruption.
I was beginning to be concerned that the devil had an answer for all picks that I thought were locks, so I considered my third pick carefully. I wanted to go for someone that perhaps did not have the strength and political power of my first two picks, but who was supremely righteous. I settled on Elijah. Elijah was the man, bringing down fire, defeating the followers of Baal and being so special that he got to go to heaven in a whirlwind, as opposed to how the rest of us will do it through death. I knew Elijah was the one who would fill the righteousness gap I had and counter anyone the Devil could bring my way.
The Devil then took his turn, and went in a new direction. He decided to take Baal, a false god, and used Baal to represent all false gods. I thought this silly as Elijah had already proven Baal to be false, and that Baal was going to serve little purpose on the Devil’s team but to show their weakness. But the Devil decided to remind me right there that even though he and I knew that Baal was false, the pull of a false god to many was hard to overcome. This is especially true when that false god seems so much easier and pliable than the one true God. That was going to be a powerful weapon on the Devil’s team.
I scanned the biblical roster, knowing that I had only three spots left and a lot of qualified players to fill those spots. I had yet to fill my need for a utility player, one that could fill holes and be a support to the rest of the team. For that reason I choose Noah. He was a typical multidimensional player, being a craftsman, having a strong faith, bringing in the animal strength, being able to sail and having the wisdom to figure out difficult problems (like sending a bird out to determine when the water was receding). Noah was a good fit for my squad, and I was pleased with the choice.
The Devil then made a move that I should have predicted. He went to the New Testament and choose Thomas. At first I had no idea why he would take a disciple, but then it became clear. In choosing Thomas, he wasn’t taking the disciple part of Thomas. He was focusing (and in fact drafting) the doubt that lay inside Thomas before he saw the risen Lord. The devil drafted doubt, and with it gained a very powerful tool that has troubled man from the moment Eve doubted God and believed the serpent.
After that pick, I was admittedly shaken. I wasn’t sure where to go from there, and I fell into a common trap that afflicts many of today’s fantasy football leagues. It’s known as the run, and it occurs when a new, top position player is taken. Suddenly, everybody else in the draft decides that he or she needs to take a player from that position, and thus a run on that position occurs. This is where I was, recognizing that the Devil had taken a New Testament player, which we had both been ignoring up to that point. I decided I needed to go New Testament as well, and scrambled for the best. I settled upon Saul of Tarsus, otherwise known as Paul. He was a solid player, educated and steeped in the ways of Judaism. He was a man of conviction and service, and I knew he would fit well into the team I had been building. I also felt that he would play solid defense, as he had once been in the service of the enemy and knew the enemies playbook well.
The Devil seemed to expect me to go New Testament, and was not surprised by my pick. He immediately countered with Legion, the so named demon because there were many. Legion’s claim to fame was that he had once faced off with the Lord. I knew that was a bold but somewhat strange move, as the last I had heard Legion was thrown into a pig and sent hurtling towards the sea. Nevertheless, I did not underestimate this pick.
I continued my New Testament run with my fifth pick. I took a dark horse in James, brother of the Lord, believing that he could be a breakout pick for me. Truly James does not have the pop of a Peter or a Lazarus. But I had faith that James could hold his own, and make solid plays that would keep me in the game. The Devil threw back at me his pick of Judas. He smiled his gleaming white smile and suggested that Judas was not only picked because he knew my team’s playbook, but also that he was a betrayer. From then on I would always have to keep in mind that at any point a member of my team could become traitorous and rob me of the trust and hope I had. As he said this, I began to feel uneasy, believing that the fact was I could not trust the team I had created. Doubt and fear had already started to creep into my mind earlier, and now a sense of paranoia and mistrust became their companions. My sixth pick was coming, and I had to make the most of it.
By the time I got my head together from the jolt of the Judas pick, I was already shaking and very uneasy. I had to make the right choice, or everything I was hoping for could fall apart. I had to go big, but at the same time I had to pick someone with little chance of faltering. I decided to choose John. John brought to me a strong skill set, and he would team well with Elijah in prophecy. This was the man that had the vision of Revelation and the only one to whom God entrusted that vision. There was no doubt that he would help me.
I was done picking, and felt uneasy about my team. I know that I had chosen some very powerful biblical players, and that on paper I had a solid team. But I was shaken by whom the Devil had chosen, and the doubt and fear that had crept into me earlier was growing stronger. The stakes were too high for me to have made the wrong decision with one of my picks, and the Devil still had a pick left.
That’s when the Devil made his final pick. I sat with a dreadful anticipation, and the Devil did not disappoint. With a smirk that darkened the entire room, the devil countered my pick of John with the tribulations of Revelation. He poured into his pick all the famine, pestilence, war, disease, fear, sorrow, envy, disgust, loathing, hatred, and loss of all hope that will encompass those times. He directed his last pick at me, and insisted I look upon it and recognize that from this pick there was no escape for me and my team. The devil grinned like a champion, before a play had ever been made.
That is when I felt it. There was nothing I could do to beat his team. We hadn’t even begun the games and he was already victorious. I was without hope, without joy, and without a chance. The future I had desired for my team and the chance of reigning victorious seemed impossible, even though nothing had happened. I hung my head, certain that there was nothing I could do.
And there was nothing I could do. Not on my own anyway. I looked at the Devil, defeated, and begged him to consider adding a seventh pick. I asked him if he would consider a flex spot, perhaps one more player for each of our teams. He didn’t have to agree, but it would be greatly appreciated if he did.
He laughed at my ignorance of his dominance and assured me that one more player for each of our teams would be fine, but insisted that he choose first. I agreed, and without hesitation, the Devil choose death. Plain and simple, the Devil chooses the finality and power of death to play for him. He called it the nail in the coffin for my team, and in all cases he was right.
But I don’t ask for something like the flex spot without having a purpose. Though the devil had put the final nail in my coffin, what he didn’t expect was that I had a crowbar to escape that coffin. I slowly lifted my head, and stared the devil straight in the eyes. I told him that most would consider my circumstances dim, and that he should be congratulated on a nearly perfect draft. But with my seventh pick, I wanted a simple player, one that is unassuming but very powerful. I wanted the grace that comes from Jesus, and allows every man to come to Him for salvation. I wanted the same grace that allows the most hideous among us, in any abhorrent circumstances, to be brought up and out of them, and delivered to Him. I wanted the grace that is only given by Him, and is available for all.
The Devil jumped up and shouted that I was a cheater. He said we agreed that He should not be allowed to be drafted, and that I was out of bounds. But I assured the Devil I wasn’t cheating, and that the grace that Jesus offers is fair game. Grace cannot be denied under any circumstances, because it is available freely to all. The Devil just looked at me, and started twisting one of his rings around his finger. He sat back down, looked over his roster and flipped it over to the blank side. He took out his fountain pen and scribbled something quickly on the back. He then stood up, extending his hand for me to shake. I responded in kind, and he simply said to me “Good draft, but I am going to have to concede the season”. He tossed his roster on the table, turned and left.
I sat down, my heart racing. I was excited and very nervous at that moment, to be sure. I buried my head in my hands for a few moments. When I took it out, I looked around to make sure that he had really gone. Satisfied that the Devil was, I reached over for his roster. Lifting it, I read the words the Devil had scribbled in black ink.
You are not worthy of Grace.
The Devil lost that day, but in defeat he was still nipping at my heals. He wanted to keep me reeling with doubt. But this day I was not in doubt. This day, the devil had been bested. Through grace my draft was saved. Through grace, I was saved.

Babbling Endlesly

I have always loved listening to people that speak languages other than my native English. It’s not that I can understand them, or can even pretend to pick out a few words. It’s that I love to listen to them and try to figure out what they are talking about by watching their body language, expressions and inflections. I have spent much time teaching English to those with little or no fluency, and I find that trying to work through even the simplest words can be challenging, enjoyable and very funny.
But this wasn’t always the case. There was a time when there was but one language, and all spoke and understood this common tongue. Genesis 11 tells us about the time when the whole earth spoke in one common tongue, and apparently a majority of these people liked to hang out together. I guess this makes sense, as we as humans rarely make it a point to hang out with people who don’t speak our language. It makes telling jokes very difficult.
These people apparently found a nice piece of real estate in Shinar, and it wasn’t being used for anything else so they decided to settle there. I have to give them a lot of credit, because apparently the first thing they decided to do was build some shelter. Have you ever watched Survivor? Half of the time these people can’t decide whether they should build some rickety lean to, start a fire or look for some food. And that’s among 8 people.
What they cannot be given credit for is their motives. This is an often misunderstood passage, as many believe that they were trying to build a tower to reach God. On the contrary, they were trying to create a city with a large tower. This tower was going to be built as a monument to their awesomeness as opposed to reaching God. Isn’t this something people have continued to do throughout time? The Egyptians built towers to their awesomeness in the form of the pyramids. The Tower of Pisa in Italy was built, and now shows the awesomeness of being slightly askew. Big Ben in London is a tower dedicated to the awesomeness of the clock.
So God decides to let the people finish their little tower, and comes on by to take a look at their handiwork. God wasn’t just passing by on the way to the gym. He made it a point to come and see what had been done. It is not as though He was going to come down and say “Nice work on that tower, people! Can I purchase naming rights?” Instead, He was no doubt furious at them for what they had done.
Why would God have been furious at this architectural mastery? Consider the following. Not too long before, God had to destroy the earth and everything in it because of mankind’s wickedness. He saved Noah and his family, and gave the command that they repopulate the whole earth. It wasn’t that many generations after the flood that these people decided to ignore God, hold up in one place and make this city and tower. To top it off, it is very likely that Noah was still alive, and probably wasn’t thrilled with the idea of the tower. He probably told them something to the effect of “um, guys, remember God and that whole flood thing? That kinda means He’s serious when He says something. And if you think that you’ll be safe from another flood in that tower, trust me, you won’t. That last flood covered the Himalayas! You know, where the Yeti lives….er, lived.”
Yet all of Noah and the godly peoples protest (and at this point the number of godly people had dwindled) fell on deaf ears. This is why God knew He needed to do something. Genesis 11:6 shows God saying that nothing would be restrained from these people now. It was not that God was afraid that He couldn’t stop them, but that the remnant of godly people on earth had no more control of influence over those that decided to go against God’s commands. It never ceases to amaze just how quickly mankind forgets God and his instructions.
I like what happens next. God doesn’t do anything as outwardly dramatic as the flood or an earthquake or major world calamity. He simply (at least simply for Him) tweaks the languages they speak, so that they could not understand one another. You have to imagine that at that moment, all projects among these people stopped. Everyone probably thought everyone else was crazy, save for the few that could understand each other.
Have you ever tried to communicate with someone who doesn’t speak your language? I believe that it is an inherent quality in mankind that when trying to make a simple statement in your language to someone in who speaks in another language and failing, an automatic secondary attempt is made. With that secondary attempt though, nothing will change EXCEPT THE VOLUME OF YOUR VOICE! This is especially true among children, who when failing to get their message across the first time will simply RAISE THEIR VOICE! I have seen on many occasions adults doing the same thing, as if somehow yelling the previously misunderstood spoken statement will make the native Korean speaker magically understand your English sentence.
Imagine this scene at the tower. Everybody is trying to communicate with everyone else, not being understood, then turning the decibels up and yelling at each other. Now not only do you have the inability to understand, but now hurt feelings, because the wacko talking to you in gibberish is yelling at you! Well, that won’t stand, so you yell back, thinking that he or she might be able to understand you at a louder level. Now everybody is yelling, feelings are getting hurt, babies are crying and the dogs are running and hiding under tables and chairs.
I always figured there are pretty much only three words you need to know in any language to get along. The three words needed to get along in any language are food, bathroom and sleep. If you know the word “food”, you should be able to get something to eat (and most likely drink). If you know the word “bathroom” you should be able to find a place to use the restroom and maybe even get a shower. And if you know the word "sleep", you should be able to find a place to lay your head. But in the case of the tower project they couldn’t even communicate those basic needs.
God graciously allows them to disperse into their own tribes and go out into the world to settle it. Interestingly enough, the city project was named Babel which means confusion. It is no coincidence that Babel is used 262 times in the Old Testament, mostly in the form Babylon. Since then Babylon has been pretty much the center of false religion throughout the Bible, all the way to Revelation. But God will eventually put an end to all of the confusion, and all will be right.
Until then, keep in mind what was started in the land of Shinar. Keep in mind what happens when we try to build a monument to our awesomeness and ignore what God has commanded. Keep in mind the ease with which God can thwart even our best laid plans. Keep this in mind the next time you are talking to the stranger who does not understand you, but wants so badly to communicate with you. Keep all this in mind as you raise your voice, knowing that you are oh so close to that magical noise level that will produce understanding.

Hey God - Let's Make A Deal!

I doubt there are many people in this world that have not at one time or another tried to bargain with God. I include atheists and agnostics among these, because whether they admit it or not I am sure they have tried to make a bargain with something they consider greater than themselves.
People bargain over any number of things. A schoolboy could try and bargain with God that should he only pass his spelling test, he will be good and clean his room. A teenager might bargain with God that if only she can go out with that one particular boy she will be sure to help her mother with dinner for a week. The young man might bargain with God that if he is hired for a particular job he will stop spending so much time at the club and focus on more important things. The old lady may bargain with God that if only her husband survives the bypass operation, that she will see to it that all of her grandchildren make it to church every Sunday.
Bargaining with God is nothing new, and will continue for the rest of human history. Genesis 18 shows us one of the earliest examples of bargaining with God, and just how humorous these deals can look.
Genesis 18 shows Abraham content by his tent in Mamre, happy in his place. The Lord and two other angelic beings in human form choose this time to appear to him. Abraham was more than thrilled to humble himself before them, and then provide them with what they needed. He ran to tell his wife Sarah to make some bread and had others prepare a fine feast. I know how this feels. I had once attempted to run and tell my wife to hurriedly bake a cake for friends that were coming over to watch football, citing Genesis 18:6 as proof text that it was her duty. However, she promptly reminded me that I was not Abraham and I was not bringing the Lord to dinner, so it was going to have to wait. Her insight and wisdom can sometimes be too much.
Over the course of Genesis 18, God lets Abraham know that He had to wipe out Sodom and Gomorrah because of their detestability. God is righteous and just, and it would seem difficult to argue with Him on this matter. Yet Abraham knew his son Lot was there, and began bargaining with God not to destroy the cities.
Now Abraham knew God. He had to have known that God was just, and that when He made his mind up on a matter, that was going to be that. Abraham had to know that whatever kind of deal he could conjure up the Lord was going to be at least one step ahead. Yet Abraham insists on pleading, and though the text shows us the conversation between Abraham and God, I believe there could have been more to it than that. I imagine the conversation could have gone something like this:
Abraham: “Are you really going to destroy the righteous with the unrighteous in Sodom and Gomorrah? Far be it from you, the greatest God, to kill righteous with unrighteous. You would never do such an unjust thing! I beg you, if there are 50 righteous people down there, would you spare the cities?
God: “If I find 50 righteous people, Abraham, I will spare the city”
Abraham: (thinking) Awesome! God is going to spare the city and all that need to be there are 50 righteous people! They are good size cities, 50 righteous people shouldn’t be too hard to find. But wait a second. God was a little too quick to accept that deal. Maybe He knows something I don’t. I better make sure this is the best deal I can get.
Abraham: “Look, God, I know that I am not but dust and ashes, and I am humbled to speak to you and be in your presence. But I was thinking about something. Let’s say you get to 45 righteous people, just a little short of 50. Maybe a couple of families left for vacation, and you would otherwise have had well over 50, but now you are just short. Are you really going to destroy the cities because you came just a bit short? How about sparing the cities on account of 45 righteous?”
God: “I will spare the cities if I find 45 righteous people.”
Abraham: Alright! 45 should be doable. 50 seemed like it might be a bit much, but 45 can be found. Then again, God didn’t really argue the point with me. And he did know that secret thing about Sarah laughing to herself earlier, which makes me think I didn’t make the best deal. God is reasonable. I’m sure I can talk him down a little.
Abraham: “God, not to keep changing on you, but I’m thinking that 40 righteous would still be a good amount. 40 is a nice even number, not that I would want to be wandering the desert for that long or anything. Would you consider sparing the cities for 40 righteous people?”
God: “I will spare the cities if I find 40 righteous people.”
Abraham: Cool, cool. Finding 40 takes a little of the pressure off. Surely 40 will be easy. Then again, there was something in His voice that sounded like He didn’t expect that many to be found. There was something a little off about it.
Abraham: “Lord, please, please don’t be angry. Could we possibly knock it down to 30? I mean, 30 are still good, right?”
God: “I will spare the cities if I find 30 righteous people.”
Abraham: Good. 30 are good. I am positive God will find 30 righteous people there. Yet they do have some pretty weird laws in those cities. You do have to be rich to be there, and they don’t exactly like foreigners. The can kind of do whatever they want to a poor person, even killing them if it is in their whim to do so. Righteousness doesn’t flow out of these people at all.
Abraham: “Lord, sorry to interrupt, but did I say 30 before? I meant to go with 20. Is there any way you could see in your infinite wisdom and justice to spare the city on account of 20?
God: “I will spare the cities if I find 20 righteous people.”
Abraham: 20. That’s the number. Their laws might be reprehensible, but I am sure out of all those people, 20 righteous can be found. Of course, I did forget about one thing. They like to punt puppies. They just go ahead and punt puppies all over the place. I heard they even had a puppy punting festival. Now that’s just wrong on every level, I don’t care who you are.
Abraham: “Lord, your anger might be great at me, but I have a last request. Please, please, please, may you spare the cities on account of 10 righteous?”
God: “I will spare the cities if I find 10 righteous people.”
Abraham: I’m pretty confident on the 10. I mean, there is my son Lot, he is righteous, and I’m sure he knows 9 others like him. At least, he should…
Of course, the Lord wouldn’t even find 10 righteous in the entire cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham pleaded and begged God, and God was willing to listen to those pleas even though He knew what was right and just and what the cities deserved. He still allowed Abraham his voice, and God would not forget Abraham when it came time to destroy the cities. The Lord saved Lot, a righteous man, from the terror that befell those cities.
Bargaining with the Lord will not always produce the results that we want. Yet God is a righteous and just God, and what we want is not always best for us. Romans 8:28 tells us that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (NASB). The truth and majesty of this one scripture cannot be downplayed or dismissed. We often can run into trouble and difficult realities, much like Abraham saw in God’s desire to bring justice to Sodom and Gomorrah. But as in saving the righteous Lot, God will make things work together for good. It’s just that sometimes, like Abraham, we are all too human to see that truth in the midst of the trial.

Churches, churches everywhere

I am a huge fan of church names. And when I say fan, I mean that sometimes there is no better form of entertainment that running through a list of some of the more off-the-wall titles.
I am not simply referring to the denominational identification a church takes and puts on the front door. I am also referring to the full, sometimes overly descriptive name that a church has. This name can contain factors ranging from the name of the place in which the church resides to the point of the Gospel that the church is trying to get across.
There are many church names that have done more than just tickle my funny bone over the years. Some have outright ripped down any wall of politeness I thought I had and made me guffaw at their mention. Some I have visited, while others I have only heard about. Yet all have that necessary little something that makes them worthy of a special file in the recesses of my mind.
In Washington sits a church called Puyallup United Methodist Church. This is certainly a place where those of us that are down need to visit. In Missouri stands Half Way Baptist Church. Half way between what points I am not entirely sure, but at least you know you are making progress when you are Half Way. Staying in Missouri, around Gore Springs, is Black Jack Missionary Baptist Church. I hear it may be customary to put $21 in the offering plate every Sunday (or at least an Ace and a face card).
In Louisville, Kentucky is the Original Church of God, with Pastor A. Jones. I thought the original church of God was somewhere in the Middle East, but maybe I was wrong. You might also think that the Original Church of God would be led by someone with a more original name, like Bugaboo Garfinklestein. Heading up to Maryland you will find the Boring United Methodist Church. They probably figured that in setting the bar so low, a congregant would never be disappointed. There is also the First Haitian Free Methodist Church. Depending on how you read it you might think Haitians don’t attend. Or if they do, they are Free Haitians, which is very nice. Also, does the church have some sort of certificate showing that they are the first?
If you can make it out to North Dakota you will find the Devils Lake United Methodist Church. They must really believe in the old adage of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. Pennsylvania is home to the Weedville Church, which I understand is very popular among the younger crowd. Torch United Methodist Church is in Ohio and is never, ever to be read as a directive. Rappers delight in Yoe Christ Church in Pennsylvania, while unrepentant jailbirds may find solace in Crooksville First United Methodist Church of western Ohio. And for those that just can’t decide there is the Flippin Church of God in Arkansas.
If you head out West (and even in some places in the East), you are likely to run into the Cowboy Church. Hat, boots and horses are not required, but encouraged. In Clearwater, Florida is a church that calls itself the Church-By-The-Sea. This is a beautiful name, but technically inaccurate, as if one is in Clearwater they are on the Gulf of Mexico. I guess Church-By-The-Gulf-Of-Mexico doesn’t have the same ring to it.
For those that prefer their church to represent itself specifically, The Church of I Am that I Am stands ready. House of God, Incorporated would be perfect for those with their MBA, and the “Exciting” Singing Hills Baptist Church is ready for those that want to stay upbeat. Granted if the hills are truly singing, it’s bound to be exciting. Finally, my personal favorite is the So Help Me God Church of Christ which provides C.R.A.C.K. House Ministries. C.R.A.C.K. stands for Christ Resurrects After Crack Kills. It doesn’t get much better than that.
While all of these churches listed are real, there are some that I would love to see come into existence. The Church-By-The-Sea should branch out and plant another church, this one called the Church-In-The-Sea, with Pastor Davey Jones. It would be wonderful for passing cruise ships or the occasional man overboard that finds himself just floating there on Sunday morning. For the more analytically minded there would be the Church of Perpetual Motion (Reformed). There would need to be no friction for this church to survive. The Church of the F-450 could easily grow out of the Cowboy Church. Just with a much bigger parking lot.
When it comes to joining a church, denominational differences tend to get in the way for many people. These people need to have a specific denomination attached to a church before they will even consider joining. And when choosing one, there is a list as long as your arm to decide from. There’s Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Anglican, Anabaptist, Pentecostal, Apostolic, AME, Eastern Orthodox and many others. Under each of these denominations are a slew of more specified branches, ranging from the Armenian Catholic Church to the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference to the Wesleyan Reform Union Methodist. Just reading the list qualifies as a full aerobic workout.
The New Testament churches didn’t suffer from the same naming needs which identify 21rst century churches. Those first century churches were very much to the point and probably better off for it. In Acts, we see the church formation. The New Testament Greek word from which the English word “church” is derived is “ekklesia”, which most literally means an assembly of persons who meet together for a common purpose. This group had a most uncommon purpose which was spreading the truth of Jesus Christ.
Like many churches today, this first “ekklesia” was mocked almost immediately. On the Day of Pentecost, when many of the members began to speak other languages thanks to the Holy Spirit, some hearing them mocked them and claimed they were drunk (Acts 2:13). Now I have been in contact with many inebriated people, and have never known someone fluent only in English to suddenly start blurting out German as if they were the Chancellor. I have had some foreign friends whose English mysteriously improves when they have a few drinks, and some friends who for some reason like to talk with a British accent afterwards. But never have I seen outright new language capabilities. As an aside, I also find Peter’s defense against these accusations markedly culturally appropriate - for the time. He basically states in Acts 2:15 that they couldn’t be drunk because it is too early in the day. If one used that defense today, I am certain a smart aleck in the crowd would shout out “Well, it’s 5 o’clock somewhere!”
The New Testament churches had simple names. These names were to the point and unmistakable. First was the Church in Acts, which was basically the Church. Later there was the Church in Ephesus, the Church in Smyrna, the Church in Sardis, the Church in Philadelphia and so on. It was where they were, and that was it. I think of all the church names, I would like mine to be simply called Church. Church may not be as fancy or attention getting as some other names, but it is simple and to the point. Some might question Church and ask it to be defined more specifically so that it could be categorized appropriately. “What exactly do you believe at Church?” they might say. “What are your customs? Your traditions? What do you dress like when you go there? Who gives the message? What does the person giving the message wear? Do you kneel? Do you sing? Do you sing contemporary or just classic hymns? How long are your services? Do you collect offerings? Do you have communion? Is it on the first Sunday or the fourth Sunday after the full moon and before a rooster has laid an egg on a pointed roof?”
All are good questions, I suppose. But at Church, we are simple and to the point. We know that The Bible shows Gods eternal plan, from the beginning of creation to the end of recorded time. It shows that Jesus was fully man and fully God, and that He is eternal. We know that Jesus is the only way for man to be saved in God’s eternal plan, and that in The End Christ is victorious. The Holy Spirit indwells the believer, and we can go directly to Christ with our prayers, petitions and praises. As for the other questions people will throw at Church, well, I just can’t answer those immediately. I’ll just have to wait until I have a catchy name.

Philemon

Driving a great distance to see an ailing family memeber leaves little time for one to find the funny. Such an activity can often lead to anxiety, distress and an overwhelming feeling of helplessness. However, on a recent trip, I was able to see God shine His funny.
Part of our family spent a week caring for a sick and injured family memeber. When it was apparent that the brother we had been visiting would be able to take care of himself again, we prepared to leave. On a lark and as an aside, I suggested to one of our traveling companions that he choose a portion of Philemon to write on our brothers dry erase board as an encouragement. Now Philemon isn't exactly the mighty Mississippi of books, and out of a mere 25 verses I wasn't wholly assurd that he could find anything relevant to our situation.
But like Thomas, my doubts were unfounded.
Verse 22 states "at the same time also prepare me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given to you." Paul didn't write it to us, but it was most surprising to find such an appropriate and encouraging statement.
Such a small book, with such a big verse.
Now THAT'S funny.

Genesis 17

People, particularly Christians, will often say that God has a sense of humor, or that Jesus would often laugh and joke with those whom he spent time. Yet all too regularly those same people will ignore the truth that God does have a sense of humor, and that Jesus expressed it, and focus on the stuffed shirt God who would singe the edges of one’s eyebrows with a lightning bolt should He see a smile cracked or a smirk released from one of His creation’s lips.
I see it much differently. I know full well that God has a sense of humor, and I can prove it. He created me – and let me get married! Should there be any greater proof of this sense of humor of the Almighty, then I surely haven’t seen it!
It is my intent in this blog is to show God’s sense of humor, and how we as His creations can see this sense of humor in biblical text as well as experiencing this sense of humor every day. My experience with the biblical text shows not only wailing, struggling and pain but also rejoicing, singing and yes, laughing.
Note: This is intended to be a family friendly blog. Basically this means that even your newborn can read it. And if your newborn can read it, all I have to say is what are you doing sitting at the computer? You should be out there showing that genius off! Anyway, I wanted to suggest that for this first entry, you scan it before letting anyone under the age of 17 or over the age of 80 with a heart condition read it, as it contains material that may be mature for some audiences.

It is sometimes hard not to look at portions of the Bible without taking into account our 21rst century perspective. It is with this in mind that I have always been fascinated by Genesis. In particular, I find that exploring Genesis 17 has the ability to put a smile on the face of even the most cynical.
For those of you without a bible handy (or who don’t simply want to run over to biblegateway.com and look it up!), Genesis 17 can be summed up as God explaining to the newly minted Abraham about the covenant He plans on setting up. God lays out what to Abraham must have seemed like an overly ambitious plan – for there to be a myriad of descendants from the nearly century old man, and for the land that these descendants would occupy and in which they would be able to worship God. Sarai would become Sarah, and Issac would be born, and that would pretty much be that.
Oh, and Abraham and all the males in his household (including servants) and every male child for generations to come at the age of eight days has to be circumcised.
Now, for Abraham, I’m sure this wasn’t really all that hard to deal with. Here he is, facedown in front of the one true God, who created all things that have ever existed and ever will exist, being given instructions on how his descendants will be vast and dwell in a still alien land and be God’s for all time. I’m sure Abraham had no question about it, and if he did he surely wasn’t going to verbalize it.
Abraham did, however, find time to laugh, though not for the one thing we might consider worth chuckling about. Instead of finding the method of covenant to be somewhat humorous to Abraham (or at least so hard to participate in that he HAD to laugh), Abraham laughs to God about the ludicrous notion of a couple whose ages total nearly two centuries bearing a son that was going to be the tip of the spear of great people.
Maybe it’s just me, but I’m still back at that whole circumcision thing perhaps causing problems with God’s perfect plan.
Nevertheless, God is able to ignore Abraham’s chuckles, finish what he was saying, and leave so the man can take care of business. Oh, and lest Abraham forget, he needs to go back and have that whole circumcision thing done to his entire household.
His ENTIRE household.
The biblical text doesn’t specify it, but I have to believe that on some level Abraham was going back and forth in his mind as to exactly how he was going to break the news to all these people. He had no doubt that he was going to follow through on God’s command, just as to the method by which he would let the others in on the news. Not only are there family members to consider, but also servants and foreigners, those that would have not necessarily been as easy to convince.
Perhaps Abraham though about opening with a joke, or an otherwise disarming statement. There might have been something along the lines of “a goat, a mule and a sheep walk into a stable”, or “talked to God earlier, you’ll NEVER guess what He asked us to do” or even “Hey guys, good news is we’re not going to die…”
Now imagine being on the receiving end of that news. Here comes Abraham back from his time with God, and he gathers all the men together. There were all the servants, family members and even perhaps those that had married into the family, standing around Abraham as he begins talking.
Then he finishes, and all the men look at each other…
Wait. What?
Hit hardest with the news was probably Ishmael. Poor Ishmael. He’s The Son at the moment, and he’s pretty much out of luck when it comes to this request. Not only did his dad ask him to do this, but God commanded it as well! His father and The Father. If you’re Ishmael in this situation, you’re pretty much locked into anything they said at that point.
What about the servants? They probably thought to themselves “maybe I wasn’t doing as good of a job as I had thought out in the fields or with the animals. But isn’t there some sort of three strike policy in this place? A verbal warning, a written warning maybe, then if I don’t shape up you can drop the hammer? Tell me again, which way is it to human resources?”
And if there were men who married into the family, you have got to believe that perhaps they were looking over at their wives and mouthing the words “Did you know anything about this? Is this why he was so eager to let me marry you?” I myself love and respect my father-in-law, and would do just about anything for him. But such a request would undoubtedly take me several days to mentally process, and an affirmative answer would be an unlikely result. Like Abraham, my father-in-law works outside a lot in hot, humid and sunny weather. I would suggest to him that maybe this day was a little too sunny.
But not just the adult men were affected, but so was any male child at least eight days old, and in turn this affected their mothers. Many mothers can be very protective of their young children. It’s hard enough for me to offer the children of my friends a piece of candy or a sweet treat. I’ll often get shooed away with the adminiton that little Johnny or Mikey can’t have the candy or sweet. “He does not need that!” they will say, with a mixture of indignance and shock that should be reserved for a time that I suggest little Johnny or Mikey play with the freshly sharpened bayonet on the end of my working, loaded and cocked rifle. Now imagine suggesting to that same mother that we try this little procedure that up until this moment in history our people haven’t done. Oh, and it’s not my idea, it’s God’s. You might be lucky to escape with you life.
The text does not suggest that there was ever a disagreement or question about this proposal among any in the household of Abraham. In fact, we know that everyone got it done – from 99 year old Abraham to 13 year old Ishmael to the lowliest of servants – within the year, and probably a lot sooner than that. Which puts a whole new spin on Larry the Cable Guy’s catchphrase “Git-R-Done”. But that’s an article for another day.
Abraham and Ishmael even had it done on the same day. Heck of a father-son activity if I do say so myself. Personally, I would take playing catch or working on the car together over that. Maybe even shoeing the camels or a hike into the hills with dear old daddy Abraham would have been preferable. I do not know the specific numbers, but I would think this puts Abraham and Ishmael in an elite group through the annals of time of fathers and sons who did this particular activity on the same day. Here I am thinking that it is amazing when a father and son play on a major league baseball field at the same time, like Ken Griffey and Ken Griffey, Jr, or when a father and son have both been President of the United States like George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush. But this takes the cake. And I do hope there was cake afterwards, because if something deserves cake, this certainly does.
Yet there is something much bigger at play here. Look at the way that Abraham and his household ultimately responded to God. If there was any dissension, it wasn’t worth noting by the author of Genesis. And the lack of dissension points to the greater truth of the power and majesty of God. When God asks something of you, even something that to us would seem so very difficult, delicate and perhaps unnecessary, you can trust that God’s plan is better than any of your fears or worries.
It isn’t written in the text, but I can imagine a separate paragraph preceeding Genesis 17:23 where God says to His people “I know this might be difficult, but it will be right. Throughout time, and up until the end of time, I am going to ask many people to do many difficult things, many of which will be harder than this. I will ask my people to do things that the World will look on as stupid, worthless, ignorant and foolish. But in the face of that all, my people will do it. They will do what the World calls stupid, worthless, ignorant and foolish because it is what I have asked them to do, and it is right. It is what they were created for, and they will praise me and I will bless them. Fear not, house of Abraham, for what you do this day will begin a series of events that will lead to the salvation of all mankind. I ask you to do this not because it is easy, but because it is hard, and because I am Holy. And I will not leave you nor will I forsake you.”
Imagining such a speech brings me chills Honestly, God could read me the phone book and it would bring me chills. But God didn’t need to give that speech for the people to follow. Abraham was a man of God, and his household knew that. When Abraham said that God told them to do this, they had the reverence and fear of the Lord, as well as the respect for Abraham, to know that what he said came from the voice of God. Still, God could have made that speech, and if He did, I can imagine the perfect ending.
“House of Abraham, what you do this day will begin a series of events that will lead to the salvation of all mankind. I ask you to do this not because it is easy, but because it is hard, and because I am Holy. And I will not leave you nor will I forsake you. For I am the Lord Almighty, creator of Heaven and Earth, the Lord of Majesty. If you think this is hard, just wait. Just wait to see what I ask my son to do.”