“Sometimes sorry isn’t enough,”. . .

. . . is a phrase I’ve heard people say. As we approach Yom Kippur, or the Day of Attonement, I think more about repentance. If I’ve wronged someone, I say to the person “I’m sorry.” If I said to you that I’m sorry, would you reply, “Sorry isn’t enough”? No, I don’t think so. I think, as we grew up, we learned to say “I’m sorry” from parents and teachers, and to accept “I’m sorry” as enough. Before my kids were in school, they attended a “learning center” that functioned as both a preschool and a day care. It was expected that if one child wronged another, the children would make up with “I’m sorry.” Somehow that was all that was needed. Sorry was enough.

Last week I cited Job’s “repent in dust and ashes.” In this citation, according to my Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible, the Hebrew word used as repent is Nacham. It means to draw the breath forcibly, to pant, to grieve, to feel repentance. The idea of breathing deeply was a physical display of one’s feeling, usually sorrow, but also compassion and comfort. In Job’s case, it seems that he grieved for his flawed understanding, and looking toward G-d, accepting G-d’s supremacy in all things.

My study Bible also states that, usually, when it is man repenting, the word used is a verb, shuwb, that entails “to turn” from sin to G-d. There is an action involved. At BibleStudyTools.com, in a definition of repentance, it states: “Two requisites of repentance included in sub are “to turn from evil, and to turn to the good.” Most critical theologically is the idea of returning to God, or turning away from evil. If one turns away from God, apostasy is indicated.” This turning “goes beyond sorrow and contrition.

So perhaps saying “Sorry” isn’t enough. Billy Graham put it this way, “Repentance begins with admitting your sin and agreeing with God about it. [emphasis added]

Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

Psalm 51:4

Sin against G-d creates a rift. “True sorrow then can cause you to turn from any specific sinful act and to pray for God’s help in resisting temptation,” says Billy Graham. “When you repent, [your] relationship with God is restored.”

True sorrow has an element of compassion, which is mentioned as a meaning in the definition of Nachem. We understand our own misdeeds from the perspective of the person on the receiving end. When we say “I’m sorry,” it must come not only from being sorry for ourselves, but from what we’ve done to others, how our actions affected them. Especially, this is true for the rift we create in shutting out our Creator, our Lord and G-d. For G-d, Who created us, wants to walk with us. In a very real sense, G-d desires with us what He had with Adam in the Garden before “The Fall.” It is to this end:

that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Being Still

Tired I am. It’s been a long couple weeks. After beginning a remodel job, things got hectic.

It’s slower this week, though. In my head I had somethings to say about America’s Labor Day, which was last Monday. I didn’t take the time to sit down and put it onto this electronic paper. So, Labor Day is over and done with and I’ve missed an opportunity to make some timely comments.

Oh, well. , ,

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Psalm 46:10

Even during these hectic times, it is nice to sit for some moments, being very still. It’s not Eastern meditation. It’s not yoga or any mystical exercise. It’s simply being still. Prayer. Sure, thats good and often either proceeds or follow moments of stillness. It’s letting go of every thing and really knowing that the Lord IS G-d.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine . . .

Bad Mood Rising

John Fogerty reportedly wrote “Bad Moon Rising” after watching The Devil and Daniel Webster. Inspired by a scene in the film involving a hurricane, Fogerty claims the song is about “the apocalypse that was going to be visited upon us.” It was performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1969. I was in basic infantry training at Fort Ord, California, at the time. On Saturday nights we would go to Stillwell Hall. A large country club-like building sitting on the beach, it served beer to troops–legally. We couldn’t vote. We couldn’t buy alcoholic beverages off post. But we could go to war. We could defend the hard-won liberties of America. And some of us did. Of those who went, many came home. All who came home were changed, forever changed.

Irritated I am this morning. Well, I am not irritated–it’s just how I feel. There’s a difference. Irritated isn’t the real me.

Funny. That last, short paragraph was rolling around in my head as I headed to J. Christofer’s to grab a bit to eat and write. I’m behind again. I’m sorta over my head in odd jobs that I’ve got going on this week. There’s other things stessin’ me out, too. But I needed to get away to write something this morning. So I sat down to a cup of dark roast coffee and opened my MacBook Air and began a new post with the title, which I most often do not do. I wrote “Bad Mood” then “Rising” seemed to naturally flow from it. It reminded me of a song from the 60s. With internet access at the cafe, I went to Wikipedia. Ah, Credence. . . Memories came like high tide washing over me. I could see myself at Stillwell Hall wearing Army green and newly earned strips, drinking a beer, drinking too many beers. The band played “Bad Moon Rising” and played on and on and the crowd joined in when they sang “We gotta get outta this place, If it’s the last thing we do. . .”

A waitress–sorry, to be politically correct these days I should say “server”–dropped off a nice plate of food and asked how I liked my Mac, saying she was deciding between the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air. It was a short, friendly conversation. Irritation slipped away making room for feelings of usefulness. I enjoy kind conversation. I like friendly people, willing to talk, willing to be. . . real.

Kind conversation isn’t random. Real people, with real problems, are so often kind despite their feelings [even me, I suppose, when I push away the cloud that gathers over me]. But that isn’t what is portrayed on the television, on “reality” shows, on evening television shows. For in the world of the media, people are combative, accusatory, adversarial. People are crazy, they say, they show us. The American Media and Hollywood misses the pulse of the real America. Too many crime shows, making us suspicious and scared, are dictating our view of people. Too many shows teach that casual sexual relations, both heterosexual and homosexual, are appropriate and expected of us. Too many shows press us to believe in murdering the unborn if they are inconvenient. America’s current president believes that, too, and accuses his opponents of being–what? wrong, evil, non-progressive?–for not supporting such measures.

It seems to me we stand upon the edge of an abyss. Like the half glass of water we see as have empty or half full, we sense America as either half gone mad, being evil and heinous, or half just real people doing the best they can, being as kind as they are able. I suppose it’s our choice.

Back to Credence, the refrain in the chorus, “there’s a bad moon on the rise,” is commonly misheard as “there’s a bathroom on the right”. Fogerty has parodied the mishearing in live performances of the song.

It’s all in how we hear it, see it. Perspective.

Lord give us Your perspective of those to whom You send us. AMEN.

A Stone Retaining Wall

Some years ago, while living in Ann Arbor, Michigan, I needed to do something about a rather steep hill alongside the driveway leading to the house. During rain storms, for about twenty feet or so along the drive, water flowed down the bank eroding the soil, which washed into the drive. My solution was to build a small retaining wall out of some small, flat stones that I removed from the back of the house. The irregularly shaped stones, carefully placed adjacent to one another in a row, made the first row. The second row I placed so that it was set back several inches as well as each stone overlapping the gap formed between the stones in the first row. The third row I set likewise. Finally, after ten or so rows, the wall was done.

The most important part of the job, I discovered, was in selecting the precise stone to fit particular place in the wall. In some cases, I would pick up a stone, try it, then set it aside. Occasionally, I did this several times before the “right” stone was found to fit. I tried, once, to break a stone and force fit it. It broke in the wrong place, and both pieces were set aside until their right place became apparent.

The Apostle Peter, in his first letter, wrote about Y’shuaJesus being a living stone.

To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious. . .

1 Peter 2:4

Peter compares Y’shuaJesus to a stone that is “disallowed” by men. While I built my wall, I set aside stones, but eventually found a place for them. In Peter’s letter, we see that Y’shuaJesus is not just shown as set aside, but disallowed. As far as humankind is concerned, Y’shuaJesus has no place in society; people have no need for Him. Yet, as Peter tells us, G-d selected Y’shuaJesus to be the perfect stone for our world.

Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

1 Peter 2:6

The picture Peter wants us to see is a building in which G-d sets Y’shuaJesus as the chief corner stone. According to the Heritage Dictionary, a cornerstone is a stone at the corner of a building uniting two intersecting walls. Such a stone, often inscribed, laid at a ceremony marking the origin of a building. It is also an indispensable and fundamental basis: the cornerstone of an argument.

Some years ago, I recall a sermon in which the pastor said it wasn’t cornerstone at all, but cap stone. He went on to describe the building of a stone arch, and how the masons picked up and tried many stones to get them to fit into place as they built the wall, discarding ones that didn’t fit. In the end, a discarded stone is used to form the cap, the last stone placed, that holds the arch together. While that illustration is interesting, and for some time thought it accurately described the scripture’s intent, it is wrong. As I’m thinking about it now, it really misses the mark, so to speak. It has the masons selecting and discarding, and finally picking up a discarded stone and finding that it fits. That’s a bit arrogant. But then isn’t that what so much preaching is about these days: making Y’shuaJesus fit into our lives?

In the scripture, G-d selects the stone the builders’ discarded. That means if the builders continued, they’d build something false, without a true foundation. Those builders are “confounded.” They are mistaken. The building must begin with the cornerstone and the cornerstone is selected by G-d.

When we come to know Y’shuaJesus as Lord, it is often described as being born again. If we take Peter’s illustration of Y’shuaJesus being the cornerstone selected by G-d, then our lives before Messiah need to be rebuilt with the Lord as our cornerstone. We must build our lives based upon Y’shuaJesus. We must build our lives based upon His Truth.

And from time to time it’s not a bad idea to re-examine the building of our lives to see if it’s coming along according to G-d’s architectural drawings, and not ours.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Micah and a Lasting Peace

Many promise peace. Probably most famous is British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, who promised “peace in our time.” He did this in defense of an appeasement agreement in Munich that allowed Germany to take part of Czechoslovakia. But this didn’t appease Germany. Poland was in its sights. When Poland fell to Germany, England entered what would become WWII. England suffered greatly during the war, with much destruction coming upon it.

For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

1 Thes 5:3

Y’shuaJesus didn’t promise peace on Earth.

Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

Matthew 10:34

He promised peace, though, through HIM.

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

John 16:33

In the Book of Micah, we find a prophet itemizing the failures of his country–its iniquities. He cries out to his people regarding G-d’s requirements: justice and mercy, walking humbly with G-d. To Micah, proper worship of G-d is the prime ingredient for a proper relationship. Consequences follow when a people loses its relationship with G-d. Destruction. But Micah also promises redemption, salvation. He foretold of the Messiah. He also foretold that the Last Days would usher in a lasting peace with the Earthly reign of Messiah, Y’shuaJesus.

And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Micah 4:3

Bad times come. Bad times go. We ride the worldly roller coaster. Peace we have through all this that is brought into our hearts through our faith in Y’shuaJesus. He is the Only Way to Peace.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Micah’s Word and the Iniquity of the Times

The Book of Micah is prophesy of judgement for various wrongs. In Chapter Two, Micah says:

Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds!

Micah 2:1

In one of my Bibles (The Matthew Henry Study Bible, Henderson Publishers), the chapter heading is “Wicked Deeds of the Rich.” Hummmmmm. Reading the chapter through, I don’t necessarily see the iniquities spoken of as devised by the rich. Why has this been added as a chapter heading? This reminds me of Jaro, who told me to only read the King James Version Bible, and only one without chapter headings. Jaro is quite a character. I met him in Dallas, Texas, a few years ago during the time when I “went into the Highways,” working for a long-haul flatbed trucking company out of Tulsa, Oklahoma. I was “stuck” in Dallas awaiting a load. Jaro was living in his car and, at the moment, staying in a truck stop. He said his mission was to bring truth to various people in ministry. He knew to whom he was being sent, and was awaiting the time to approach the current “assignment.” We talked for quite a while on Saturday about various things. I wasn’t quite sure why I had been brought together with him, as it seemed he didn’t exactly have ears to ear, but rather only a mouth to speak. He confessed he didn’t know he was going to meet me, so didn’t exactly know what message I should receive from him. He did say that, at first, he thought perhaps I was a person like himself; as he was the only real Christian he’d encountered. Part of our conversation was him baiting me with questions, refuting my offerings, and telling me his interpretation of the Bible. In the course our talks, I listened and came to understand I’d not really be giving him anything, so the journalist in me simply interviewed him, allowing him to get into his staunch beliefs. Eventually we parted company, cordially, though he gave me some things that I must do in order to achieve salvation. Yeah, well, one does meet a lot of interesting people along the road.

It does seem, however, that Jaro was correct on one point: don’t read the chapter headings. It’s that the chapter headings are misleading. Chapter headings seem to be subjective interpretations of the editor/publisher of a particular Bible. It’s the same way with the various comments that are often included. While the comments in this Bible are based on Matthew Henry Commentary, they are still edited for space. And just because Matthew Henry is from an earlier age, doesn’t mean he had it all correct, either.

In another Bible, the Book of Micah is introduced with a paragraph on the themes found in Micah. It says that Micah had a strong sense of the need for justice in society, courts, in the marketplace, and in political leadership dealing responsibly with power and authority. The bad times that had befallen Israel were a result of iniquities such as forsaking of justice. This seems like a fair viewpoint, too. Later in the introduction the words “social justice” are mentioned. Social Justice. When I hear social justice I think of all the preaching done over the last several years on the “Social Gospel.” Bringing justice to our world, our lives, is the theme of many churches in America these days. It coalesces nicely with “redistribution of wealth” that is being pressed upon us from some in leadership today. When we combine this thought process with the chapter headings that tell us that the rich are wicked, it leads up to a “Robin Hood” mentality. The rich are evil. Let us take from the rich.

What Micah cried against was iniquity PERIOD. He didn’t necessarily have a problem with the rich, it was with those who devise wicked schemes to take property away from people. Yes, some rich do this. Some in government have done this. Russia under Stalin. Germany under Hitler. Some are still doing this today. Some under the banner of social justice and others under the banner of religion. It is not social justice for a poor man to take a rich man’s car; it is theft, iniquity. If we applied social justice to our educational system, we would reduce an “A” earned by one student to a “B” so that a failing student can receive a passing grade that he/she didn’t earn. Is this what we’d call “Just”? No, that is iniquity.

And that’s Micah’s point. Iniquity was so entrenched that G-d allowed judgement to befall Israel.

Lord have mercy upon America.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine upon y’all. . .

Last Days (2)

Continuing on. I’ve been giving more thought to the way we perceive “The Last Days.” I mentioned media in general, both print and movies forging our perceptions of the Apocalypse. I’ll come back to this later, and include some specific movies and other’s views on the subject. Today, I want to mention another area that influences us in our views of Apocalypse. There’s a number of fiction and non-fiction books floating around that talks about the “Last Days” and “The Rapture” that are written by writers professing to be Christian Believers. Additionally, we get writers that say they are prophesying a particular event they think going to occur and some even say it will be on a specific date. This occurred not to long ago when an exact day was mentioned. Obviously there are at least a few of us still around, so the Church hasn’t gone off to meet Y’shuaJesus in the air yet.

Referring to all these “Christian” books, a pastor I once worked with put it this way, “G-d’s read all the books, and He isn’t gonna do it that way, either.” That pretty much sums up the gamut of views on the End Times. And since I mentioned “Rapture” I would include it.

Something to think about: The word Apocalypse comes from the Greek word meaning un-covering. It means revelation. The Book of of Revelation reveals the mystery of Y’shuaJesus, Messiah. Praise the LORD!

Think about it. Lord willin’ I shall be back. Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Psalm 7—A model prayer for us while in distress (part one)

David and Saul (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning the words of Cush, a Benjaminite. O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me, lest like a lion they tear my soul apart, rending it in pieces, with none to deliver. O LORD my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands, if I have repaid my friend with evil or plundered my enemy without cause, let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it, and let him trample my life to the ground and lay my glory in the dust. Selah Arise, O LORD, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies; awake for me; you have appointed a judgment. Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about you; over it return on high. The LORD judges the peoples; judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me. Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous– you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God! My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day. If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow; he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts. Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies. He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made. His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends. I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High.
Psalm 7—ESV

David penned this song as a prayer to our G-d. According to Matthew Henry, David cried out these words in “a devout religious manner unto the Lord, concerning the words or affairs of Cush the Benjamite, that is, of Saul himself, whose barbarous usage of David bespoke him rather a Cushite, or Ethiopian, than a true-born Israelite. Or, more likely, it was some kinsman of Saul named Cush, who was an inveterate enemy to David, misrepresented him to Saul as a traitor, and (which was very needless) exasperated Saul against him, one of those children of men, children of Belial indeed, whom David complains of (1Sa_26:19), that made mischief between him and Saul.”

David makes several points in his prayer:

David declares that he takes refuge in G-d.
He implores G-d to save him and points out from whom he should be saved.
David then declares his innocence from wrongful doing in this particular instance.
He continues with “Okay, IF I did something wrong, then let the enemy take my soul and my life.”
Selah. David takes a breath. We take a breath to let it all soak in.
David then says “Arise, O LORD, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies; awake for me; you have appointed a judgment.”
Without another breath, David declares his knowledge of G-d as judge, jury, and executioner.
David shows us that he knows G-d awaits confession and repentance from the guilty.
He also declares that those who do wrongfully, perish by their own doing, at their own hands.
Finally, David wraps up his psaltry cry, saying: “I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High.”

Selah.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Pastor Jayasen, Orissa, India

Last week I received an email sent through Renewal Ministries Fellowship that contained two emails from India about the death of Pastor Jayasen of Orissa India.

“Our beloved brother Pastor Jayasen served our Lord in an area of Orissa (Odisha) India that has suffered much persecution. He also travelled to many other areas of India as he worked to build and unify the body of Christ and strengthen everyone else’s ministry…”

“i am very sorry to inform you pastor Jeyesen is passed away from world .yesterday .i don,t know reason who killed him but i heard news some anti Christians are kill him in his room.”

I am no better; I am no worse.

“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” (James 2:10 NASB)

Some memories remain vivid despite their age. It’s been nearly twenty years since the day I began to like myself. It began in a terrible way. I’d been on a train from the north of India going to New Delhi. I’d been literally on my knees, bent over my backpack, as there were no seats in the fourth-class car on which I rode. The train arrived at my station, but people were crowding into the car. I was trapped by a mass of bodies preventing me for getting off. I yelled and thrust my 6-foot- 4-inch body out the door. As I stepped upon the platform, I realized I’d nearly trampled an old man. I looked down at his hat, fallen on the steps. I can see steps even now, yet don’t know if I picked up the hat or not.

As I walked toward the exit of the station, it dawned on me all that could have happened in my rage to leave the train. I felt badly. Horrible. If I could do that, of what else was I capable? Was I any better than a murderer? I’d tried all my life to do right, to live the law of holiness. Yet here I was stumbling on one point. How was I treating people? Putting myself before others, thrashing about exiting a train, was this righteous?

James writes that if we are guilty of one offense, we are guilty of all offenses. I am no better than the worst of the worst. And if that is true of me, then it is true of all. Oddly enough I started to like myself. I realized that I’d compared myself to others without thinking about it. I was better than the man in prison, but not as good as the preachers whose works I read or listened. But if I’m no better than the worst, I’m as good as the best because of Y’shuaJesus, who makes us all equal in Him.

I began to understand what James writes to us about not esteeming one person more highly than another. Y’shuaJesus is present equally in all that believe in Him. James calls to us to show mercy for “mercy triumphs over judgment.” (James 2:13) Y’shuaJesus said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” (Matthew 5:7)

Mercy, as defined in my Bible, is “special and immediate regard to the misery which is the consequence of sins.” As believers, we can be merciful to ourselves, for Y’shuaJesus showed us mercy. We can be merciful to others, for Y’shuaJesus showed them mercy, too.

“We exercise this mercy through our compassion for the misery of sin,” or so the lexical aid in my Bible states. I wonder about this statement. Perhaps it means I’ll treat a person mercifully if I understand deeply that person is caught in the misery of sin. After all, how easily I could be caught, trapped, by some sin.

Thank You, LORD, for the grace shown to us, the undeserved mercy we’ve obtained from You. Enable us by Your Spirit to show mercy to others, to love others, to love ourselves. AMEN.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .