Radiance

Look upon him and be radiant . . . 

 - From Psalm 34

There is such a massive industry for facial products. Everybody wants to change the way they look.

I remember being very impressed by a certain 6th grader, years ago, who admired a 9th grade girl with whom she was familiar. We'll call the 9th grader "Emma." The 6th grader said "I like how Emma is pretty, without wearing makeup."

It is years later and I have noticed that the 6th grader, now grown, wears no makeup at all and is beautiful. 

A Muslim friend of mine once commented on a Muslim woman walking by, wearing a hijab, and obviously, no makeup of any sort. He observed: "Look how beautiful she is!" This impressed me greatly - a man that is moved by the beauty of modesty. 

But people buy products to cover their blemishes, to add lines and shadows, and faux depth, to their visage. They add colorings to highlight their hair color, or clothing. They cover freckles. 

Men are no different. They spend a lot of money to look in whatever way may attract whomever it is that they want to attract. Or they overdo the gym visits because, at some level, they actually are not happy with themselves.

And there are other things we spend money on, that change our appearance, because evidently, we have not learned to be happy in our own skin, which is, itself, a very high order of actualization.

But the Psalmist says that if you look upon the Lord, you become radiant. That is, your face will shine. 

I said to my departed close friend and cousin, Larry Johnson, once, that it was hard to explain. But, Christian women (or perhaps any women or men that value modesty and simplicity) were attractive in a distinct way. I struggled for the words. I said something like "They would not necessarily ever be thought of as material for a beauty pageant or magazine cover, yet they are more attractive than Hollywood celebrities, because, I don't know . . . " And Larry finished my statement: "There's something about them."

Yes . . . that's the best way to put it. 

My thoughts today about outward appearance are not intended to make that a topic of great value, or worth. Your outward appearance is not what counts (too bad that it always does). But we have something here that explains a great mystery. How is it that modesty, humility, and purity makes a person so very beautiful?

Perhaps it is because they spend time, just learning about the Lord? They "look upon Him," as it were.

And you know . . . that makes a lot of sense. 

Diversity

...from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages...

 - From Revelation 7

An early articulation of the New World Order occurred during the first Christian generation. In the Apostle John's vision, the entire world is coming together in the Final Day.

I think that, for his time, John has captured an image that means: "everybody."

We're all represented there. It's going to look like the United Nations, without the corruption.

The Real God has to have something for everybody. Or you would think. And while it may be my own musings that wish it were so, it seems only logical to agree with the skeptic, that any Real God would have to be big enough to appeal to everybody. But the skeptic continues on, to thus define the Christian God as not big enough after all. Christians are so judgmental, you know.

What could the Real God possibly have for everybody?

• Shelter
• Comfort
• Food
• Water
• Life
• Joy

The modern Progressive tries to make governments that can do all of the above. But alas . . . as long as there is death, you can't have Life. And therefore, you really can't have joy. The simple message of the Real God is that is what's in store for us. People, and governments can try to feed and water, and clothe and house all of us. And that's a good goal. But they'll never be able to give us eternal life. And even if they do, some two or three millennia from now . . . will they be able to resurrect every human that ever lived, so that they can participate in our human-made paradise?

The is why the Saints gather around the throne in Revelation 7. You may not feel like worshiping God now. But you probably will, then.

And it's what we recall on All Saints' Day. It's an appropriate launch to the season of Thanksgiving, leading on to Advent. 

Law

If my delight had not been in your law . . . 

 - From Psalm 119

Again with The Law. 

With great consistency, the Old Testament repeats the theme of God's Word, and the Law. Yes, Christ overcame the Law. He both ratified it, and made it obsolete, in a classic application of godly incompatibility.

But the emphasis on God's Law is unquestionable throughout the OT. The law set up what was to come. It clarified our problem: we die, because we sin. Sin is that big of a problem. And to become eternal, we must become like God. Thus the Law came, so that we could learn through one historical object lesson after another.

Here, the Psalmist declares the connection of God's law, to our happiness. Far from making us miserable through a set of rules, the Law protects, guides, and enlivens us. That is, if you apply it correctly. 

"Delight," and "law," within the same context. 

When we come across people mocking the Old Testament, pointing out its illogic, its brutality and apparent injustice, we need to remember that, since they are not delighting in it, therefore, they are not getting it. We acknowledge all of those problems with the Law, and the Old Testament narrative. We talk about them all the time, and always have. When skeptics point this out to us, it is not as though we have never noticed it. 

But the eyes of faith see the straight line that connects all of it to Christ and eternity. 

And that's delightful. 

Rain

... like gentle rain on grass...

 - From Deuteronomy 32

A little word of correction to most evangelists. 

Now, I love a fiery sermon. Sometimes, an angry resounding from the pulpit is what we need, to get our attention, to motivate us to action. At the very least, it's what's required when the need is for people to repent, and turn.

Brother Jed Smock has been visiting college campuses throughout the US, for decades. He plants himself on central campus and excoriates college students about their lifestyles and attitudes. For many of them, it will be the first, and maybe only time, in their lives, that they will be so close to a person that will challenge them so mercilessly. 

There's that kind of preaching. 

We used to love hearing it from Brother Donald Rose, at Camp Schockley in Oklahoma, back in the 1980s. He visited Dexter, Michigan, once, for a weekend revival. He had no college education, had a career working in a printing plant, but on the weekends would preach in country churches up in the hills of south Ohio. He was from West Virginia originally. He seemed to have the entire Bible memorized, and could quote and harmonize it like none I have heard, before or since. His pleas were not laced with anger. But there was a thread of desperation and urgency as he pushed the congregation to listen to the Word of God.

Those are a form of communicating the Gospel that we truly need. 

But Moses reflected on God's approach to the Hebrews of his time. "Like gentle rain on the grass." The man that saw God pass by as a violent wind storm, that witnessed Him blazing forth from a bush, that joined Elijah outside of time, and the Son of God, on the mount of Transfiguration. This same Moses, when he thought back about all of it, remembered that it was really mostly a gentle, steady, relentless, soaking, over time.

And that's the way it should be with us. Don't try to knock them over with sudden words of admonition. Let God's word flow through you, steadily, constantly, quietly. But in the end may His word soak you, and those around you; giving life, and giving hope.

In The Same Breath

Therefore I have reached the decision that we should not trouble those Gentiles who are turning to God, but we should write to them to abstain only from things polluted by idols and from fornication and from whatever has been strangled and from blood.

 - From Acts 15

The problem with our politics, is that one side has part of it completely right, and part completely wrong . . . while the other has the opposite.

When, in Scripture, the time comes to lay out the essentials, you almost always find the two parts, completely right, in the same context. Except now, the Apostle James has included it all in the same sentence, or breath. 

It's like in the Old Testament, where it is repeated over, and over, and over again: Take care of widows, orphans, and aliens (Democrat) . . . but be sexually pure (Republican). Now of course, the previous sentence is not a perfect representation; merely an assertion of where they place their priorities.

And also, the OT repeats the directive to love God (applies to everybody . . . practiced by few).

James's take on the concept is particularly 21st Century Progressive. He wants full inclusion of people that heretofore had been left out. And of course Christ already took care of the "98 %" in His ministry.

And James's Progressivism is noteworthy. It's pithy and challenging. But in the same breath James says to teach the Gentiles the other important stuff; you know, the part about living right, and pure lives. 

Oops.

I do not want to go into too much detail here. I just wish people would read Scripture . . . all of it . . . and take it to heart, even if it makes you uncomfortable.

There was a time when Americans could disagree on politics without being at each other's throats. I think that it was because most people still had some regards for both sides of the equation. 

Face

...but my face shall not be seen.

 - From Exodus 33

Moses had spent a lot of time with The Lord. They had gotten quite familiar with one another. I like to think Moses was getting tutelage in Truth, and God's Plan, or Word. Like very few people in history, he was shown secrets that most could not handle. 

And it's obvious that humanity does not do well with too much knowledge. Look how we have responded to the Internet, and Social Media! We're arrogant, and childish, enough, as it is! When we think we actually have knowledge, or facts, or "Science" on our side, it's just simply too much!

But Moses could handle it. It is such a rare quality in humanity - - - being given fundamental truth directly from the the Mouth of God, and not being destroyed by it. 

There was one thing Moses was not able to take: looking God squarely in the face. God showed every perspective of Himself to Moses. But as His face passed by, The Lord hid his beloved friend in a cave, and covered the opening, so that he would not be harmed.

But you may be thinking: "Couldn't God have just shown Moses His face, and then healed him if he were damaged?" Yes, He could have. But the result would no longer be Authentic Moses. The path to spiritual growth, and the evolution to immortality, is a careful process. God first plans, then executes, then looks at the result, then changes things around and re-plans, and then starts all over again. He was the first TQM engineer in history. He improves us, one step at a time.

But it's this aspect of God's face that interests me today. Your face is the most critical part of your appearance to others. Stephen Foster wrote "In the eye abides the heard." We learn so much from each other's faces. We trust, we doubt, we smile, we cry. We even nod the entire head in different ways, to communicate. I'll bet that 90% of what makes us distinct, or more, is in the face. 

And as Archie Woods has pointed out: our face emits light. There is primal energy going forth from our faces. When you look at someone, you're not just gathering information via your eyes - - - you're also transmitting something to that other person that we do not fully understand. Even when someone is looking away from you, or shifting their eyes in another direction, they are sending you energy of one form or another. 

Moses did not see God's face. The visage of the Eternal: the light, the electricity, the full awareness of Everything that it would (probably) convey . . . just because of "one look" ... we just can't take it. 

Doris Troy's song, "Just One Look," had more meaning than we know!

But rather than cover His face from Moses, God moved Moses away from having a view of it. 

In the end, God wants us to see Him, and each other, as He, and we, really are. He wants our faces, and in fact, our full being, to be on full display to others. He designed us! We are "good" and beautiful! I believe that God intends for us to just be who we are . . . as evidenced by the way we look at our most natural state (yes, clothed of course - - - except for certain relationships set aside for full knowledge of each other). And He wants us to see as we are seen, to know as we are known. And to be okay with it. Covering, or altering, our appearance, is not in keeping with trusting God. It is not spiritual. It is not organic. 

God did not cover nor change His face, or appearance, nor basic qualities, for Moses' benefit. 

Neither should we. 

Pure

...whatever is pure ... think about these things.

 - From Philippians 4

I'm entering into a focus on the topic of purity. You may get tired of hearing about it.

You see, that seems to be the only concept left to us, in the "Culture Wars." It's our only weapon, our only offense, our only defense. The idea of it can bring together people that are diametrically opposed in every other wedge issue. There are purity advocates among the environmentalists, the atheists, Hollywood types, Joe Six-Pack, the Left, the Right. It might surprise many people to find this is the case.

A lot of people know it's important. They know that purity is something that any culture should, in some way, lift up. They want to support people that stand for it. But they're afraid to put themselves out there. The anti-purists have done an excellent job isolating the purists. 

A thing is either 100% pure, or not. There is not a "fluidity" to it. 

And this is not to say it's a standard we have to practice. While it's possible to be 100% pure, it is not likely. So that, it's not something we expect all people to practice. But it's a standard we expect as many people as possible, to uphold and honor. 

Paul included "whatever is pure" in his list of things we should think and talk about constantly. 

And so there's our opportunity. Let's bring it back up to the forefront. Let's get it into the debate. 

Purity is sexual veganism. Pure relationships are organic relationships. Purity is sacrificial. You will deny yourself something you really want, something for which you have a hunger, in order to reach some higher plan. 

You cannot attain self-actualization without being pure. The denial of something elemental and primordial to oneself, is a difficult exercise which builds one's self-control. And yet, unlike food, water, and even shelter, of all of our basic physical needs and drives, you will not die if you deny yourself of it. This is what makes it such a splendid aspiration for the path to human excellence. 

Self-actualization is done alone. You must give up selfish needs. 

Purity is ecological. You do not need medications, devices, procedures, and expert advice to be pure. 

It leads itself to humility, which is a good thing. A person desiring purity is not going to seek to draw attention to him or herself. He knows that society will mock him, so he keeps the journey closely hid. Yet people are going to sense there's something different about the purist. 

The purist does not leave a trail of broken hearts and souls in his wake. He does leave a growing crowd of friends and associates who appreciate that he never seemed to want something for him or herself, out of each relationship. 

I know that I am painting a very one-sided picture here. There are holes in my arguments. And I probably have no intention of seeking the lifestyle I have described. But again, it's a standard, an aspiration for us. It's a perfect objective that imperfect humanity will usually miss. But this does not mean we do away with the standard at all.

When I was a teenager, we knew that teens would experiment with a lot of things. We were realistic. But we also knew that the standard of purity was important to establish, even if we knew it was not readily practiced. We knew that it was a good thing . . . . even, a sacred thing.

So let's talk about it. Let's think about it. And let's get it out there, so that at least our conversations may be cleansed by its presence. 

The Valley

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death . . . 

The 23rd Psalm is one of the most beloved in Scripture. It's like the Lord's Prayer of the Old Testament. People can recite it by memory (I can't, but I should).

It is more words of encouragement for people that struggle, predictably, for the simple crime of trusting and acting upon God's Word.

For whatever reason, the world hates love, charity, compassion, healing, clothing, shelter. These are the chief qualities in things that God values. These special protections are wrapped up in on God's plan and word for us.

I love how unbelievers like to present themselves as being supreme, even superior, in their level of charity and compassion.

But the world hates, even more, these features that should go along with the acts of kindness listed above:

Frugality, simplicity, stewardship, service, humility, grace, and (here it comes) . . . purity.

There it is. Those troublesome concepts. But look at them closer and you will see a common thread: selflessness. This is the cord that ties it all together. What puts "love" in the same category as "purity"? The highest form of each - godly love, and godly purity. And in both cases, there is not a hint of self-interest. 

That's why our modern generation has the word "love" itself, so screwed up. It explains how someone can, out of one side of their mouth, with a giddy wide-eyed grin, proclaim "Love wins" (it does), but out of the other side: hurl a plethora of vulgarities and insults at the person that dares disagree in any way.  

Because that is not love. 

We were contemplating what that might be like, in our lives: "Walking through the valley of the shadow of death."

In my youth, it meant being paraded through a horde of soviet communists, just prior to torture and being sent to to a work camp. But it is changing to something much more horrible today: People that we have always known and loved, and that should love us, are turning on us and wishing the most horrible things upon us.

But do not fear. God sets a table for us. The low point of the 23rd Psalm is the Valley of Death part. But the overall arc of the passage, is of God spreading out the red carpet for us, welcoming us into His home, providing ultimate and permanent protection and it's benefits: Peace, love, joy, and justice. Forever.

That Refuge Thing

For you have been a refuge to the poor ...

 - From Isaiah 25

God's Greatest Promise is affirmed in no uncertain terms, in Isaiah 25: The promise to those that keep God's Word, and His Law. The promise is many good things. The best thing is eternal life. It says that God will "Swallow Death."

God doesn't just promise us eternal life. He will also kill death, or swallow it, (the consumption of something causes it to rapidly decay, and to disappear. It becomes something entirely different. 

Imagine death itself being killed!

But then it says that even strong nations will fear God's people. Even ruthless cities will fear them!

But why? What is the chief quality that makes God's people so feared?

Well, I'm afraid the reason given is that Israel made a refuge for the poor and needy, among other things. 

Our assistance to the most vulnerable in society, makes us invincible.

Now, I do not believe that in modern times this means that it's up to government to take care of the needy. It is far better if individuals, families, and churches do this. And they could do it. People that say they care, could take care of everybody on earth, without it ever becoming a point of political debate. But they don't. And the churches do not do enough. Wealthy Christians do not do enough.

None of us do enough.

But if we want to be untouchable, we have to start caring for the poor, more than we do. 

Perfect Word

The law of the Lord is perfect and revives the soul ...

 - From Psalm 19

Psalm 19 contains some of the most familiar words in all of Scripture (let the reader go review for him or herself), and is an anthem of praise for the Word of God. God's Word will not be stopped. It is essential to keeping the universe in order. It maintains peace. It sustains life.

The Word of God is the Law of God. All the crazy requirements; the commandments. These dictums from on high that have God's people in check for centuries . . . . They are blamed for everything from unhappiness, to war itself.

But of the law of the Lord is perfect, and if humans are imperfect (who would argue against that?) then it would make sense that human would find God's law uncomfortable, awkward. We would push back. It's too hard. 

M

It's true . . . a person that is in God's Word has opened himself up to attack from God's enemies . . . and God's greatest enemy always seems to be me. Because, I know what I think, and it couldn't get much worse.

But that is because God's Word is perfect. We have set ourselves up against an impossible standard. We push up against it and get knocked down over and over. Yet the standard remains. It is a target worth hitting, an aspiration that must be reached, if we are to go to the next level in eternity. 

It's worth it. 

When my spirit has been challenged and hammered . . . I emerge from the other side with a revived spirit. No pain, no gain.

Think of a "law" which actually does you good. Good laws are good for us. 

God's law keeps us alive. 

Not Sin

...so that you do not sin.

 - From Exodus 20

It's the week that The Ten Commandments appear in the Lectionary, probably a momentous date. God explains why He spoke to Moses, why He acted as He did, and why He gave them these commandments:

"So that you do not sin."

The world loves to mock the idea of "sin." But our Designer explained that we can have peace, and love, and happiness and wealth, if we don't sin. The Ten Commandments are the basic tenets. 

They are linked together. You do one, and the others will be easier to do. If you don't covet, you are less likely to kill.

Let me rephrase that. 

If you don't covet, you will not kill. 

If you don't lie about your neighbor, and they don't lie about you, you won't kill. A culture that does not lie, will not kill either, since murder starts with a lie. 

If you don't steal, no one gets killed. A person that has been burglarized wants revenge and "justice."

"Justice." That's a good word, and a problematic one. If just is a high goal for your society, it's easy to imagine murder and killing as accepted practices. We want to be fair, you know.

If you honor your father and mother, you will not murder. You want to see them again, don't you? Why would you throw a snare in the way of eternal life for yourself and others?

Very simple. The Ten Commandments are just a starting to point to removing all of the ills in society. But if society thinks they're a joke, it's gonna be hard to do.