For a young woman named Hallelujah...

I've always thought that commanding "Get Well!"

Assumed the sick person could just go and do it

All by themselves without God's healing grace –

Like, just get up, get on and get to it!

Actually God doesn't only save souls –

      Heaven's assured, our security's sealed.

God sends His angels to watch over us –

      And Jesus says, "You are forgiven –" 

                     

                    "BE HEALED!"

© 2012 Neal Visser

WORD!

Even though the picture here comes from a series my former pastor, Bruce Young at First Baptist Downtown Boise, taught, this thought-stream began last Sunday with my current pastor Randy Ponder from Rock Harbor Christian Fellowship in Morro Bay.  The first message, on January 8^th, from his series “Words That Changed the World”, was called “Pete, Your Feet Stink”.  This past Sunday it was “Man Needs More Than Carbs”.  Now you may be more comfortable with the KJV’s “… man shall not live by bread alone.”  But for me, putting it into more current language makes the meaning somehow more personal.  If we (I) were as involved in discovering what God said, and what it means, as we are in our (my) fixation on food, we’d (I’d) be a lot more involved getting onboard God’s Salvation Express.  And please don’t claim you aren’t focused on food.  Most of us (I) eat too much.  Some eat too little.  But it does encompass our lives.  We plan for, we schedule for, we budget for, we look forward to, and we enjoy eating.  It may be why God chose this particular metaphor to get His message through.  If you haven’t already, I invite you to do a word study on “bread” as it’s used in the scriptures.  A good resource to begin with is BibleGateway.com. 

The first thing that struck me while Randy was talking on Sunday, other than his “Can I Get an Amen?” t-shirt, was the emphasis on “…every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matthew4:4)  Words as we understand them are first collections of auditory signals which we have been taught to associate with certain meanings.  Then we learned these sounds have visible signals which can be written by hand or machine on paper or electronically encoded as bits in a computer or other device.  I personally have difficulty with the concept of inky squiggles or bits (in bytes) “proceeding” from the mouth of God.  Let me make it very clear here that I absolutely believe in the inerrancy (as in no mistakes) of what God’s Spirit caused men to have committed to writing, that is, it’s inspired.  God’s Spirit, by definition, cannot make mistakes.  But translators can.  So can scribes – in which I include those who repeat words orally, write them on paper or other written medium, print them as books, or enter them into a computer.  So also can humans who decide which writings ought to be included with those considered to be inspired.  For me it comes down to this:  It’s God’s Word when He speaks it.  When Satan was tempting Jesus in Matthew4:1-11, the enemy (mis)quoted scripture.  Jesus responded to each temptation by also quoting from scripture.  It appears to me plain on its face that those words proceeding from the mouth of Satan were not God’s words nor were they God’s Word.

So what difference does all this make?  The writer of the book we call Hebrews in the New Testament said, “…without faith it is impossible to please God…” (Hebrews11:6)  In his letter to the church at Rome, Paul wrote, “…so then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God…” (Romans10:17)  I like the way the Message paraphrase shakes up my complacency with this: “Before you trust, you have to listen. But unless Christ's Word is preached, there's nothing to listen to.”  Why are the words “hearing” and “listen” used, and not “reading” or “study”?  At least partly it’s because people in the first century when these were written didn’t always have their own copy of the holy writings.  In fact they seldom did.  They would get it audibly.

The writer of Hebrews also tells us the word of God is alive and powerful. (Hebrews4:12)  Jesus is the living embodiment of the Word of God. (John1:1,14)  So we know the word (Word) of God is alive and also unchanging. (Hebrews13:8)  Not to beat a dead horse (whatever does that mean?), but paper and ink are dead, as are bits and bytes.  Nonetheless, I can print this out as shapes of ink on paper, and as I type (awkwardly) on my laptop I create links to electronic machines where these words reside as bits and bytes.  Through our mechanical, limited, often-mistaken means of earthly communication we can discern by God’s living Spirit within us His true, eternal, life-giving, and life-changing words about His Word.

We are then left with the choice of what to do about it.  Faith is action.  It is living as if what God said (is saying) is actually true.  If we choose not to listen, we won’t have a clue as to how to act.  If we choose not to act, we miss out on all that God has promised for those who trust Him.  And note that the actions are not based on somebody’s list of right and wrong.  I’ve said it often, and Randy repeated essentially the same this weekend: People who say “Don’t do that” and “Do do this” are just full of doo-doo.  What’s my scripture to back this up?  In Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi, he talked about his efforts to achieve righteousness without faith in Christ.  Again, I like the Message paraphrase, ‘though I learned it originally in the KJV (Philippians3:3-9):

We couldn't carry this off by our own efforts, and we know it—even though we can list what many might think are impressive credentials. You know my pedigree: a legitimate birth, circumcised on the eighth day; an Israelite from the elite tribe of Benjamin; a strict and devout adherent to God's law; a fiery defender of the purity of my religion, even to the point of persecuting the church; a meticulous observer of everything set down in God's law Book.

The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I'm tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn't want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God's righteousness.

If you go to the link for this passage above, you’ll note that only the folks who put together The Message and the guys King James brought together while Shakespeare was alive had the courage to use the word “dung”.  In the early 1600’s this was a word in common usage which everyone understood.  It meant animal refuse, excrement, and was used in derogatory slang much as the “s” word is used today.  And it’s not necessary to use that word here as long as we understand the ultra-low esteem in which Paul held his efforts at being good without faith in Jesus Christ.

You know, in the western world you really have no excuse.  The words God has given to man, so that we may know Him and fully become who He intends for us to be, are everywhere.  They are the basis of pleasing Him, but it takes constant awareness of, and desire to be in, His presence.  Jesus died so that you could enter a chat room with God the Father of all, who longs for your company.  So get with it.

And in closing, I offer you the words of that great theologian Spock son of Sarek from the planet Vulcan who combined Exodus20:12 and Deuteronomy5:29 and said “Live long and prosper!” 

So I've Stopped

I've been thinking a lot about prayer lately.  And praying.  Of course at my age, lately can mean anytime in the last few years.  My closer focus on prayer began a few years ago when the pastor I worked for in Boise, Bruce Young, taught a series on the great pray-ers of the Bible.  That's pray-ers.  I came to realize that prayer is not an event, or an activity - it's a lifestyle.  In his letter to the church at Thessalonica, the apostle Paul exhorted them - and, by extension, us - to pray continually, or, as it was translated by the scholars assigned by King James at the opening of the 17th century, "without ceasing".  How do you do that?  If one were to attempt to pray in the manner of most Christians, which I used to do, the unceasing string of clichés would numb the senses and lull even the most ardent believers into a befuddling torpor.  We rightly cast aspersions on religious adherents who write their requests on slips of paper to twirl in the breeze, while we use words over and over that add no meaning or depth.  Just saying.  Or perhaps that should be: saying "just".  And do we really think that the more times we use one of God's names or titles in our prayers, the greater will be our blessing?  Do we really think at all?  These are questions I've asked myself, and the answers have caused me to seriously evaluate my prayer life. 

So I've stopped.  Not praying, but praying like I used to.  This is in an effort to be more aware of what prayer is, and what it is not.  Some scripture that has begun to illuminate my thinking in addition to I Thessalonians 5:17 quoted above includes Matthew 5:5-8 - (in the Message) "And when you come before God, don't turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat? Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace. The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need."  And Galatians 6:6 - (in the New King James) "And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, 'Abba, Father!'"  The Message courageously translates that as "Papa".  That's equivalent to Dad, or even Daddy, in our vernacular.

Now I originally learned these passages in the old English of King James, so reading them afresh in current lingo helps them to break through the foggy curtain of "I've heard it all before."

What I've learned, or am learning, is that in my life an awful lot of what I considered to be praying was actually performance.  Especially when praying with others.  So I've stopped.  I no longer seek out opportunities to pray so others can hear me.  This may change in God's time, but for now it helps me to focus on trying to grow in my communication with my Father.

I once asked a friend why he prayed before a meal in a restaurant, and, after recovering from apoplexy, he answered that it was so people around him would know he was a Christian.  So I've stopped.  It seems to me the primary purpose of prayer is communication with God, not other people.  If you are thankful to God for your meal, by all means let him know it.  If you are concerned with the eternal destiny of the souls at the next table, find a good way to let them know that - don't make them guess.

I'm beginning to realize that the "quiet, secluded place" ("closet" in the KJV) isn't necessarily geographic.  It can and should be an attitude of the heart.  It's possible to commune with God all the time by including him in every activity, conversation, and occasion of life.  After all, if he is there, as we believe he is, then maybe we ought to act like it.  I'm finding it easier and easier to make him part of all that happens, and to talk to him like he's really there.

And then there's the posture:  Close your eyes, bow your head, kneel down, lift your head, open your eyes, stand up, hold your arms up, rock back and forth, lie flat on the ground, do them all at once.  Is God listening more now?  If it helps your focus, as it can with small children, to close your eyes while praying, then do so.  I found it didn’t help me.  So I’ve stopped.  For me, the awareness of all that's around me where God is and all the circumstances of my life brings into sharper focus my relationship to him, my need of him, and my desire to know him better and communicate with him better.

When I was a kid they said prayin'

Was just close your eyes, bow your head.

But I’ve put away childish things

'Cause that's not what Jesus said.

When you pray, go into your closet,

Shut the door, pray secretly.

And the Father who sees you in secret

Will reward you openly.

(from Rewards © Neal Visser 1987)

This whole "Abba" thing has always seemed a little odd to me, especially since "Momma Mia".  Sorry - couldn't resist.  But actually it sounds rather foreign to my ear, so most of my life I've ignored this verse.  (Which brings up the whole issue of: If you say you believe something, but don't live as if you do, does that make you a liar?  And a sinner?  But we'll save that for a discussion of faith.)  For most fathers it's a truly momentous occasion when their gurgling little baby first says, "Dada", or "Papa", or "Abba".  Those of us in whom God's Spirit resides are considered by him to be that same lovable, adorable offspring.  But we, being grown up and all, want to prove our maturity, so we only refer to him as "Father".  If I had come to my physical Dad and called him Father repeatedly - like every three or four words - he would have wondered what had happened to me, or, more likely, why I had chosen this silly way of addressing him.  To me at least it seems God's reaction may be similar.  So I've stopped.  That verse above says it's his spirit in me that cries out, "Abba", "Papa", "Dad".  So I might as well, too.

We all tend to look for the method or words or style that might enable our prayers to be more effective.  This can be a trap.  I know because it was for me.  Sam over there seems so much more spiritual than I am, so maybe if I copy his phrasing, his words, his repetitions, then my prayers will be more certain to get answered.  But they won't. They can't.  If you are truly talking to God yourself as yourself, he hears you, and he answers.  You may not like the answer, but that's also a subject for another time.  The point is God knows us; we're his kids.  He wants us to be genuine with him - just be ourselves.  Like I would with my Dad.

I remember Rick Warren saying on more than one occasion that the most dangerous prayer a Christian can pray is this, "Use me."  My version of that is, "Hi Dad!  Watcha doin'?  Can I help?"

Sittin' on Top of the World

Earlier today Judy and I rode the Palm Springs Tramway to the top of the mountain (8,516 ft.) and back down again.  I played around with several metaphors that might come from this like the ups and downs of life, getting closer to God, the mountain tops and valleys, holding on by a cable which someone else controls, and like that.  What got me was that if you don't ride back down at the end of the day, you're stuck.  It's gonna get really cold and dark, and not be at all a pleasant night.  But some things fit - life does have its ups and downs.  Right now mine is rather up.  Not by my doing of course.  I'm still the failure-prone ne'er-do-well you've always known.  But God's blessing me anyway.  I'm spending my time in joy with my amazing wife (love, too.)  We live in Morro Bay with a view of the ocean (nice work, Father!) and worship and serve in a wonderful church, which is one in a continuing series of truly inspired gatherings of God's people.
We chose to get on the tram and ride it to the top.  Getting closer to God is also a choice.  He's always there waiting for us.  As Rick Warren said in his Christmas message, "If you feel far from God, guess who moved."  We also rode back down by choice.  Apply that metaphor as it fits you.
God leads us through valleys - the Psalmist talked about the fact that even in the valley of the shadow of death, God is still with us.  He has promised never to leave us, and because of that our lives will be full of "goodness and mercy", and we will "dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
Lastly, God holds the cable, and He provides the power that makes the tramway of our lives go.  Enjoy the ride!

A Pharisee in the Henhouse

I heard a pastor ask the other day: “Did you all bring your Bibles?  Let’s lift them up high.”  A couple of people held up cell phones, and I saw one Kindle.  But I got the feeling that somehow those didn’t count.  So I got to thinking about this object so many of us Christians esteem so highly.  What is it about this bundle of pages (especially the crispy, super-thin kind) with inky squiggles on them that has become such an icon (in the Greek Orthodox sense) that it seems to serve as an indicator of spiritual maturity when carried (in just the proper way of course)?  Jesus, after all, had to go to the synagogue to read from the Holy Writings.  He couldn’t take the family Torah down off the shelf and carry it just so and then preach from it.  And then Paul the apostle – who after all wrote much of what we Christians call the New Testament and consider to be scripture, and who was a Pharisee and therefore knew much of the Torah, the Law and the Prophets – did he carry around his own copy?  Write all that on parchment or even papyrus and you’d need a cart to push it around in.  Of course the Pharisees had devised a method to obey the command in Deuteronomy to “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.”  They created little leather-bound pouches into which they put a small portion of (hand-written) scripture which they then tied around their heads so they hung on their foreheads or around their arms.  But they missed the essential part of the command – the “hearts and minds” part.  Jesus condemned them for wearing large pouches to attract attention to themselves: “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside…”  Of course we go them one better – we use seventeenth-century technology and print the entire scripture on paper which is then leather-bound for ease of carrying – and use, if used.  

I can see the shepherd David sitting out by the sheepfold in the dead of night composing poems as he peruses his copy of the Law and the Prophets which he has conveniently brought along in his sheep-drawn cart.  Just how was he able to say he had “hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you…”?  Could it be he heard it from his father Jesse?  If Gutenberg had lived four centuries before David, would this young lad have treasured his copy of the Bible?  I believe he absolutely would have.  Of course, in the dead of night, on a hill outside of Bethlehem, reeking of sheep, it would have been so much easier to read the words on his Kindle.

Do we – strike that – do I take God’s word to heart?  Do I, as David did, “meditate on it day and night”?  The picture is of a cow chewing the cud, which is food regurgitated, not freshly bitten off grass.  Meditating is then bringing back to mind that which you’ve hidden in your heart.  And you can only hide (memorize?) that which you read, or hear, constantly.  There is nothing in all the scripture that dictates what technology we must use to learn God’s word, only that we must learn it.

So join with me – learn God’s word from your iPad, or smart phone, or Kindle, or laptop.  The Pharisees among us may not consider you to be as “spiritually” endowed as they are, but you’ll certainly appear more technically astute.  (In my own defense, I carry my laptop in a leather-bound case.)