While Peter

While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word.  

 - From Acts 10

I'm going to break this sentence up a little bit, for it has individual words that are packed with importance. 

The subject of the sentence, or main noun, is "the Holy Spirit." The Holy Spirit is the main player in this sentence. The Holy Spirit does something, or acts . . . it is the agent of the main point of the sentence. 

The main verb, or the predicate, is "fell." The Holy Spirit fell. The word "fall" involves a sense of losing control. Something trips you up. Something causes you to lose balance, and then gravity takes over. Gravity is an overwhelming force that keeps us planted, keeps us earthward. Gravity stabilizes us . . . but first it reduces us to some point of fixed reference: the ground. But "to fall" is referring to a thing thart acts suddenly, naturally, and conclusively. In this case, the Holy Spirit did not just rest, or descend gently. The Holy Spirit fell. 

This alone is a fascinating image. God's power, His breath, His Word . . . came crashing down from out of nowhere, unexpectedly. And in so doing, became the dominant player in the moment. 

Upon all: But the Holy Spirit did not fall on the ground and then dissipate as a wave. It fell upon all that were standing in the vicinity. As it came crashing down, the Holy Spirit fell, not on the floor, but upon people. A force that strikes down from above, can knock you to the ground. A penny dropped from a skyscraper could do some damage if it lands solidly on your cranium. 

But not just all of the all. Some of the people standing there were unaffected by the falling Holy Spirit. Only those that heard Peter speak were affected. But not just Peter speaking . . . only the word that Peter spoke. The people in the vicinity, that heard the word of God, spoken by Peter . . . all of them . . . every one of them . . . experienced the Holy Spirit falling upon them. And it was like being knocked down. People nearby, that were distracted, even if they were standing right next to Peter, were not impacted.

All people, though. Rich, poor, young, old, from all nationalities, all races. If you heard the word that Peter spoke, in that moment, the Holy Spirit fell upon you with great force. It changed you, your heart was filled with godly love. You began to communicate with others, in perfect understanding. You were, in that moment, as Adam and Eve might have been, as they could have been forever, and we all could have been, had we not chosen sin over God. It was a moment of eternity, total knowledge, but total understanding. 

When did this happen? While Peter was still speaking. The thing that kicked it off, was Peter opening his mouth and beginning to talk. He shared his witness, his story, his account. But God took over and transitioned Peter's language into the Word of God . . . at which point it all started happening. A miracle occurred. 

People in perfect accord is miraculous. People in perfect accord do not hurt each other. They do not force others. They do not judge others. They don't break off into political opposing camps. 

All it took was for Peter to begin speaking. 

Genesis and Matthew XXVIII: Rest

 First published Friday, April 29, 2011

. . . and all (Abraham's) household people, whether house-born or money-bought from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

"Put my yoke on and learn from me: I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls, because my yoke is kindly and my load is light."

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We cannot enjoy the restful life that Christ offers, while we carry around our sack of burdens. The person with worries, or troubles, or stress, is too focused on those things to enjoy Christ. A troubled person is not a restful person. Yet we are called to rest.

Is that not what we want? We want a stress-free life! We wish we could be as care-free as we were in the days of our youth. The burdens of life, which grow heavier by the year, get in the way! But what is the source of these worries? How can we root it out?

Symbolically, a practice was in place, instituted by Abraham, under God's direction. It begins with a cutting away of the flesh, And there is no part of humanity more "fleshly" and harmful than our obsession with sex. We can live without it, yet we are prone to treat it as beasts do, as an urge that must be satisfied. A reading of all of my other posts would indicate that I consider the human male to be particularly at fault. He tends to be the aggressor, the tempter, the seducer. He does not use his mind to plan out his paths. He does not do what is right!

Circumcision cuts away at the most troublesome part of the male physique. It involves the shedding of blood. The removal of the flesh, or of sin, from our lives is not pleasant. Neither is it necessarily a clean process. It is painful, but must be done.

Our worries, our temptations, our fears, our burdens, are all the same as the sin that keeps us back.

Remove the sin in your life - a task that is not easy - and then you are free to enjoy rest,  in Christ.

Show Us

 . . . show us the Father . . . . 

 - From John 14

Thomas made the famous statement "If I see the holes in his hands, and put my hand into the wound on His side, I will believe," and throughout history he has been isolated for his "doubting" nature. As if any one of us were more purely faithful than he. 

But Philip had had an equivalent conversation with the Lord, that merits equal treatment as Thomas's dialogue with Christ.

Jesus was having a deep interaction with the Twelve, in which He was laying out the deeper things to come: the Cross, the Way to eternal life, etc. Jesus had just told Thomas "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life."

And then Philip, either from pure naivete, or more likely a desire to impress the Lord with his depth of inquisitiveness, says "Show us the Father."

Now, the first thing I notice is where Philip presumes to speak on behalf of the entire group. What he really means is "Show me the Father." But to give his statement credibility, he includes the entire group into his statement. (This is a minor pet peeve of mine - - - the person that speaks for everybody, without knowing what everybody really thinks. "We missed you so much." or "We really love that German chocolate cake you made.")

Jesus goes on to explain that, if you have seen Him, you have seen the Father. That we should just trust Him at His word. But if that's not good enough, consider the works that He has done, that only someone in touch with the Creator could do. 

We all desperately want to see the Father. We want to see Jesus. George Harrison had a number one hit making that same sentiment: I really want to see you, but it takes so long!

There's a linkage between the Person of Christ, and His works. If we really want to see Jesus, we can bring Him into our midst, by simply following Him. Do what He would do. 

It has been hard to see Jesus, to see the Father, in the world that began in March, 2020 and continues to this day (April, 2021). We have been told there is a lot of pain and grief in the world, (that a lot of people have not actually seen for themselves). We have been told that if we follow certain dictums (like religious rites), that we will be "safe." But the dictums are the same old religious routines from antiquity: Cover your face. Go off in isolation. Be quiet.

But unlike these practices when they're combined with real faith, we're supposed to do all of these things today, because it is what a man-made government wants us to do. The requirements in 2021 don't even make any mention of caring for each other. We're supposed to shut up and shut down. 

The world needs to see the Father, and fast. We know how to answer that question, how to satisfy that prayer. Do the works of the Lord. And He never asked us to stay inside. He says "let your light shine."

Indeed. 

Genesis and Matthew XXVII: Hard Lessons

 First Published Wednesday, April 27, 2011

"Walk in my presence! And be wholehearted!"

"I assure you, among all those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist - but the lowest person in the kingdom of the skies is greater than him."

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Abraham was known for his unquestioning obedience to God. To trust God, and to do what God expects, is the very essence of faith.

John the Baptist lived a simple life marked by an almost fanatical devotion to serving God. He had no regular job, no home, no things. Yet Jesus called John the greatest in God's kingdom.

In the Easter sermon at Dexter United Methodist Church, less than a week ago, the pastor made this point - that everything we do: all our strivings, schedulings, activities, stressings, etc., really count for nothing. The only thing that matters is serving Christ. It was part of a sermon series entitled The Hard Sayings of Jesus.

How about these three things:

* Walk with God.
* Be wholehearted (sincere, pure, righteous).
* Give up everything to serve the Lord.

Abraham believed God, and followed Him. John the Baptist gave it all up. These are two very hard lessons.

Are we ready to rejoice at the wealthy guy that gives it all up to preach to the poor? How about encouraging our friends and family to drop their hobbies and busy schedules, so that they can spend reflective time in God's word and prayer? How about taking a bold stand for virtues such as honesty, sincerity, loyalty, purity, charity?

These pretty much say it all. But on the other side of obedience, trust, purity, and simplicity, are land as far as we can see, a family too numerous to count, and a seat of honor in God's Kingdom.

Do we believe this? What may we conclude by our behavior?

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NOTE to the Reader: You are invited to follow my blog entitled "My Prelude to 2020", in which I share reflections of my life over the course of sixty years, and the parallels in place with world events, that seemed to make the events of 2020 inevitable. 

Genesis and Matthew XXVI: Return

 First Published Saturday, April 23, 2011

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He (Ishmael) shall be a wild-ass of a man, his hand against all, hand of all against him, yet in the presence of all his brothers shall he dwell.

What did you go out to the desert to see? . . . A prophet? Yes, I tell you, a prophet and more . . . 

There is a wild man at the beginning of each testament. In the old, it is Ishmael, first son of Abraham, father of the Arab nation. In the New Testament, it is John the Immerser, Jesus' cousin. John was a child sent from God's promise, born to a woman too old to have children, as was Ishmael's half-brother, Isaac.

Promises abound, and so often it has to do with miraculous births.

Ishmael was not a child of promise. But he grew to be a great nation. He represents the Old Testament. Clans, nations, tribes are everything in the Old Testament. Warfare was the primary mode of building kingdoms. It was, basically, the way the world did things. Yet God operated and worked His will in this context. Today, the descendants of Ishmael are still known for their adherence to this Old Testament way of doing things: rigid laws, heavily male-dominated, use of warfare and its ancient rules (you are to wipe out every trace of life of your enemies).

John comes along, in the days of Christ. Both he and Jesus were born according to a promise. John is the wild man of the New Covenant. He has cast off all worldliness. He does not seek, or need, a "job." He just proclaims the word of God. This is the most important thing. He is not worried about having a son to carry on his name. In the New Testament, to be "wild" means to have nothing to do with the world and its trappings.

Sons in the Old Testament (including Ishmael) were made holy via circumcision. But in the New, all people are made holy by way of belief, demonstrated in the act of immersion first made essential to the church, by John the Immerser.

We become part of a New Family.

Ishmael's nation was blessed, and continues to be so, today, in terms of the multiplying of its population. The messenger of God told Ishmael's mother, to return back to the tent of Abraham, to her family, regardless of how she had been treated.

He calls all of us today, to return back to our families, through Christ.

Refuses Help: Systemic Evil

How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? 

 - From 1 John 3

The classic film, Steel Magnolias, portrays the ever-present strength of Southern women, in the midst of men whose courage is mostly superficial. While the men lift heavy objects and go around "solving problems" with decisiveness, we see the women showing up at life's most poignant moment of need. Where the presence of people is mandatory, the women are there. 

At the Cross of Golgotha, at history's most dire, distressed, and dangerous chapter, we see the military present, in overwhelming numbers. The political leaders are there. There's a mob nearby, that at the drop of a hat can turn violent . . . and it most recently had been stirred up in manic animus toward the Man on the center cross. 

The smart people, the courageous people, the leaders . . . the men . . . in Christ's inner circle, did the "right" thing. They used their heads. They responded with intellect and not emotion. They consulted with experts: military friends. Roman business contacts. Personal connections. Respected local celebrities. The advice of all of these highly-regarded experts was the same: stay away.

The situation is too bleak. This Jesus had been a pock on society. He was toxic. In becoming so threatening to peace and order, you might even say that He and His followers were now a public health problem. If you Apostles get involved, people will get hurt. Good people will die. So stay away. Go home. Protect yourselves and your loved ones. Go lock yourselves into that upper room. 

But the women . . . 

The women . . . plus John the Revelator - the only man present at the Cross, the Apostle that wrote John 3:16, the Apostle that focused so much on love, service, caring, and putting yourself out there for others . . . they were present. They defied the practical advice of friends. They put themselves, and others, in danger by showing up at the foot of the Cross. 

The hurting person, the ailing person, the hungry person, the needy person, the dying person . . . needs one thing above all others. 

They need the presence, and the touch, of other people. 

There are no qualifiers, no exceptions. It is cruel and inhumane to refuse to be present, in person, with your touch, when someone is dying. 

Like the men in Steel Magnolias - - - we find it far too awkward to show up in hospitals, to sit with the dying. It makes us uncomfortable. We'll just stay away. Yes, that's prudent.

When your culture makes it a systemic thing, to avoid caring for the sick and dying, it goes beyond cruelty and borders on pure evil itself. 

How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? 

You . . . and Your

Surely your goodness and mercy . . .  

    From the Twenty-Third Psalm

The 23rd Psalm begins, and ends, by speaking of The LORD in the third Person. The LORD gives me life. He guides me. He protects me. He takes care of me. He makes me live forever, in peace. 

But the middle third of the Psalm, speaks of The LORD in the second Person. 

YOU are with me. 

YOUR rod and YOUR staff comfort me. 

YOU spread a table. 

YOU anoint my head with oil.

YOUR goodness and mercy follows me.

In the middle of the passage, God is present. He is right here. He touches me. He feeds me. He serves me. 

Notice the imagery of a table covered in your favorite foods. Thanksgiving on steroids. Everybody's talking and laughing. The LORD sits at the head of the table. 

No . . . that's not where He sits. He gestures for me to go to the head of the table. He is focused on me. 

The valley of the shadow of death evokes an image of walking down the cavernous streets of a city, surrounded by people that may, in an instant, become violent. If you say the wrong thing, if you're dressed the wrong way . . . if you look like the wrong type of person, or the wrong race, you could suddenly find yourself in unexpected danger. Shadows are intimidating enough, when you're already in a potentially dangerous place. Shadows of death, even more so. 

The LORD's answer to injustice, fear, danger, violence, is to go find people living in fear. He does not exact revenge upon the oppressors. He doesn't pass laws. He doesn't remove the few barriers in society, separating His people from danger. 

No. He invites His children - His flock - in, and serves them a meal. He makes them safe - not safe, via aggressive measures; but safe, via sincere love for them, and acts of service and care. 

The answer to injustice, danger, violence and systemic anything, is to take care of those around you. 

Systems are comprised of people. We always have been the answer to the problems in the world.