Holiness

“Thou shalt be holy, for I am holy.”* Does that sentence strike fear and apprehension into our hearts or anticipation? Often this is taught and portrayed as an impossible, draconian command from an indignant Deity. We have to live up to His standards or suffer the consequences. This is also accompanied by the imposition of ten, sometimes obtuse and usually unattainable, levels of behavior. And when these are coupled with Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount** which condemned the very attitudes that led to the acts, we are overwhelmed by this statement and, more often than not, inclined to ignore or forsake it.

Was this God’s intent in giving this instruction to Moses? The answer is an unequivocal, “No!” The Ten Commandments*** are not a set of capricious decrees that God generated to deprive mankind of all the fun in life. That statement is ludicrous on its face. What “fun” can there be in lying to our companions, realizing all the time that they can, and probably are, lying to us? And this applies in spades with regard to stealing, murder, and adultery, and their included reverberations back to us.

No, Our Father in Heaven gave, gifted, these things to us out of the effulgence of His nature. Using our examples, He is truth, He does not lie; He is generous, the does not take what is not His own; He is life, He does not murder; and He is love and fidelity, He is faithful and true. None of the offenses are found anywhere in His character. But, they are not only “found” in our character, they are inherent in our nature. When we act in a certain way, we are merely exposing our natural drives and inclinations. Just watch two small children playing with one desirable toy. No parent would teach the toddler this behavior. It is natural.

When Moses recorded the “be ye holy” statement, it was to convey Our Father’s invitation for us to be like Him: To be holy. We cannot ever attain to that achievement alone. Thus, implicit in the “command,” is the enablement that will produce such behavior and character in us. 

That enablement was previewed in the Old Testament by sacrifices and ordinances. It was personified and effectuated in the Person of Jesus Christ. He was the ultimate sacrifice and He died on the cross to pay for our sins. (Incidentally, He was also, the only sacrifice that would work.) 

But, unlike the OT sacrifices, He did not stay dead! He rose again after three days to declare that we were now able to join Him in His family. We are invited to be children of God. And with that standing, we are given the privilege of “being holy.” 

In specifics, we are given freedom from the compulsion to lie, steal, murder, be unfaithful, and all the rest. We can worship Him in holiness. (1 Chronicles 16:29) He is holy, and we are too! Let’s summarize this with Hebrews 11:6.

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him.

Logic prevails in the first phrase. It is nonsense to “come to some one, or some thing” of which we deny the existence. If I write a check on a bank in which I have no funds, it is not only a dumb thing to do, it is fraud. I do not worship Buddha, Allah, or any other false and fake god. They simply do not exist as a “god.” The “Stratton Dragons” will never win the World Cup. First because there never was, nor ever will be a team from there named the “Dragons.” And second because, even if they did exist, they do not play soccer. Or to make it even more unlikely, insert “cricket” for the game. I doubt is anyone in Stratton even knows how to play cricket, let alone produce a winning team. (If that is what you do in cricket. I don’t know.)

False gods, to quote the Scripture over 100 times, are “worthless.” And, in fact, less than worthless. They drag the worshiper down to a lower level than originally occupied if that is possible. But most damning is that they distract or divert a “believer” from seeking the True God. 

Conversely, belief in and worship for God, our Father in Heaven, elevates us to the level of holiness and purity that He possesses and expresses. “Be holy,” is His invitation for us to emulate Him in His character. And, concomitantly, that elevates our relationships and interactions with our fellow men. We do not lie, murder, steal, or otherwise violate their rights, characters, and possessions.

Our Father did not give us a “roadmap” of how to make it to holiness. He gave us a yardstick to measure our progress. “Check; didn’t lie today.” And we can go down the list. If, and when we find a box that we cannot check, we turn to 1 John 1:9.

If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Then we follow that up with a confession to the one we offended. And if they offended us, we forgive them. “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” 

And be holy.

Two additional thoughts contributed from my rich store of advisors. One, is a friend from here in town. He added:

Notice that the words “Thou shalt be holy" could be read as a promise. Understand that the only two of the Ten Commandments that do not have the word "shall" are two that will be irrelevant in heaven: the one on the Sabbath and the one about honoring parents.

Great thought, Gary. “You shall...” can be thought of as a demand, like “You shall be on time every day to work.” Or, as Gary pointed out, it is a also promise, “You shall be paid for the work you do.”  

God doesn’t command us to do impossible things. He may command us to do uncomfortable things or things that we do not WANT to do. But it is always possible. The second addition to our thoughts is from David Jeremiah preaching on the radio one day after I originally wrote this.

He said that he had a plaque in one of the houses that he had early in his ministry that said, “God’s command is God’s enablement.” When we get an order from the Lord, it is accompanied by the ability to complete it. He does not ask us to jump up and touch the moon. But He does ask and expect us to reach into heaven with our prayers and touch the Throne. That we can do.

Just think of the Great Commission. It does not say, “Thou shalt go throughout all the world and preach the Gospel.” It says, “As you go throughout the world, preach the Gospel.” We do not all have to go everywhere, but everywhere we go, we have to preach. This is getting gooder and gooder.

You shall, will, be holy. Amen.

* Holy Leviticus 11:14 

**Sermon Matthew 6

***Commandments Exodus 20

In the Year that King Uzziah Died

This idea came from Michael Youssef. I trust that it will bless you as much as it did me. 

“In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.” This is from Isaiah 6. This message is timely for us, just as it was for Isaiah. First, a little background. Uzziah had been the King of Judea for 52 years. He was a godly king and did some outstanding things. Isaiah had ministered during this reign and it the country was stable, at peace, and pleasing to the Lord.

Disclaimer: Uzziah did become proud and that led to a “hiccup” in his reign, but, by and large, he was a good and godly king. Compare this to some of the kings that had the epitaph when they died that went: “Died and was buried, to no one’s regret.” When Uzziah died, Isaiah was grieving and concerned. The nation had enjoyed a long reign of peace and safety. God was glorified and was blessing the land. 

Here in chapter 6 Isaiah writes, without saying that he was concerned, but we surely can understand his concern. “Who and what comes next?” “How will they rule?” “Will the country continue to follow the Lord or will they drift away?” (Or in some cases, it was not a drift, but a precipitous leap away from God.)

It does not seem to be a problem to see Isaiah having gone to the Temple to hear from the Lord. The “Temple” in the verse may have been a vision of the “worship center” in heaven, or it was the Temple in Jerusalem. I like the latter idea. Let’s join him.

He trudges into the Temple, wondering what is next. And then the Lord appeared. “I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.” Judah’s throne was empty, but Isaiah was shown that the Lord was still on His throne. God’s throne is never empty. What a comforting thought. 

And this is enough to get us through the day. But he didn’t stop there. The train of His robe filled the temple. (I found a reference to that on this web site. https://nancyaruegg.com/tag/the-train-of-gods-robe/)

“The train of his robe: In ancient times, the flowing train on a monarch’s robe was a symbol of glory and splendor. To understand the importance of a train, we have to remember that in those days, all clothing had to be constructed “from scratch”—fibers of cotton, linen, or wool had to be spun into thread, threads had to be woven into cloth, cloth had to be cut and sewn into garments by hand. It was a time-consuming process.

“Only the rich and powerful could afford to add extra length to their robes. The longer the train, the more glorious and splendid the king. And as he paraded past his subjects, the length of his robe was meant to impress.

“Filled the temple: Isaiah’s statement conveys the magnitude of God’s glory compared to any earthly king or queen. Symbolically, the robe represents God’s infinite splendor and majesty—his glory. As one preacher explained, “air is the atmosphere of earth, God’s glory is the atmosphere of heaven.”  One day we will breathe God’s glory!” End quote.

Not much explanation needed there. When the King is gone, the Lord remains. He is eternal, unchanging, and supernal. Glory! Seraphim hovered above Him and cried out:

“Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of armies. The whole earth is full of His glory.”

Notice that the glory of the Lord, represented in the Temple, was not limited to that spot where Isaiah saw it. The whole earth is resplendent with His glory. Even when things look bleak, we can be assured that it is all for His glory. Isaiah may have been in sorrow, fear, or despair. But that did not last long. Notice that the foundations of the whole place were shaken. (I am assuming that you will look up the passage and read along. Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+6&version=NASB)

And how did Isaiah respond? Listen to his cry.

“Woe to me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of armies.”

King James says, “I am undone.” That is just not going out with your zipper down. It is like parading down town in a hospital gown. Everything is hanging out. And his confession is a model for us, you and me, to repeat. “Undone, unclean lips, part of a crowd with unclean lips.” We can only turn our eyes to the King, the Lord of Hosts.

And the remedy? Read on:

Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. 7 He touched my mouth with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your guilt is taken away and atonement is made for your sin.”

The cleansing is spiritual. The Lord will purge the contagion from our “mouths” and thus our lives. We have confessed our sin. And now the guilt is removed. The only thing left for us to do is to make sure that we do not allow that filth back into our system. As Jesus told the Pharisees that what comes out of a man defiles him. (Matthew 15:11) And what comes out is the effluvia of what is inside.

(I last saw that used to describe how the virus spreads from infected people to others. The virus effluviates its spores or what ever. And those virus particles hitch a ride on any moisture droplets that are available and spread wherever they are not contained.)

Isaiah symbolically had an internal purging and that is why we need to confess with him, “Woe is me! I am undone. My lips are unclean and my “crowd” is unclean.” Begin with me. Cleanse myself, my circle and family, my church, my nation, and my world.

We, like Isaiah, have lost a leader. Another one is coming. “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, High and lifted up.” Then we will see no one else or anything else. We can also see our own condition and how bad off we are.  We can, like Isaiah, take the clear message to all who hear. 

“Be of good courage. Do not be afraid. The Lord is with you.”  Amen.

Christmas Thoughts 2020

Several things have recently occurred to me or been suggested by others. I just have to share them. The first was a story by Paul Harvey, repeated by David Jeremiah. A guy was at home on a stormy Christmas Eve and noticed some birds trying to get into his living room window. They could see the light and recognized that it meant heat and safety. So he went outside and opened the door to his barn and even scattered some bread crumbs and birdseed to “lead” them into the shelter.

But, as soon as he emerged from the house, they were frightened and scattered. And nothing he could do would entice them into the safety of the barn. He realized that they were afraid of him and did not know that this immense, imposing figure could possibly be the source of their safety and security.

After many futile attempts to woo them or shoo them into safety, he thought to himself, “If only I could be a bird and tell them that there is safety and no danger in the barn.” Then it struck him that he had stumbled onto the meaning of Christmas. (Sounds like a good lesson there. See you on Jan 3. Smiley face) God knew that the only way that He could communicate with man was to become a man, Himself. And there you have the Reason for the Season. Amen.

Second thought: As we contemplate the disruption of our schedules, we might think back about 2000 years. A young, first-time pregnant girl was required to make an 85-90 mile trek from Nazareth to Bethlehem in her ninth month. All of the Ubers were out of service, so she either walked or took the “donkey express.” (Not related to the “Polar Express.”)

Talk about a “holiday disruption.” And, to her, it was not even a holiday. She and her husband had to make the arduous trip in order to be assessed for their share of taxes to support the Roman emperor. “Sigh,” as my sister likes to say. 

So when we do not get to enjoy the normal seasonal activities, we might think back to this, at best, mid-teen girl who made an extreme sacrifice to play a part of the first story in our meditation. What were her words? Oh yes, “...may it be done to me according to your word.” 

Let our approach and attitude toward the inconvenience of the upset schedule match that of this young lady. And, we might as well throw in her likewise obedient and dedicated husband. Amen.

And to top off our thoughts, we turn to Chuck Swindoll. His Christmas comments included the comparison of Covid with sin. Both started with one person and infected the whole world. 

Adam sinned in the Garden and his sin has since infected and infested the entire human population. Romans 5:19 spells it out for us.

For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

We all contracted the disease that will result in certain death unless we have the “antidote” administered. Sounds slightly familiar, doesn’t it? And check out the final phrase of Romans 5:19.

...through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

The “being made righteous” means that the death penalty is not commuted, or pardoned, or even removed by acquittal. We are guilty and bound for death–eternal death, separated from God. But He became a man, like our bird-loving friend above. And He didn’t just show us the way to “safety,” but removed the threat of death from our lives. What a God! What a Savior! What a Deliverer! Amen!

Christmas is not just a time of gift giving, as great as even the gift of salvation is. It is a time of total transformation. He changed our sin-cursed existence. It was one that, just as surely as an untreated, severe case of Covid, would lead to death. Only Covid is a physical death. Sin-death is spiritual, eternal, and complete. We are condemned to be separated from Our Father in Heaven, forever. There is no escape, no relief. 

“But God,” don’t you just love that phrase? But God, literally stepped into humanity, paid the price for our transgression, and made it possible for us to be “sheltered,” with Him forever. That is where the story above breaks down. The bird-lover did not “invite” the birds into his own house. He sent, or tried to send them, to the barn. God invites us to join Him in His house, forever. Glory. Amen.

Have a Blessed and Merry Christmas.

Addendum to Christmas Thoughts:

Thanks to Colin Smith and Adrian Rogers we get the final, for now, anyway, thoughts for Christmas. One character or set of characters that was involved in Jesus’ birth also showed up later in His life. Recall that both Mary and Joseph had the birth announced to them ahead of time. And angel informed them both that they would be the parents of a virgin-born Boy. What a shock and privilege. Never been done before–or after.

Incidentally, a Joseph has been instrumental in God’s plans from almost the beginning of His interactions with Abraham and his seed. First, a Joseph went to Egypt to prepare the way to save the lives of the entire nation. (Genesis 37, 45, and 50) Then, after Jesus was born, another Joseph took the Baby to Egypt to save His life, only not from starvation this time, but from the homicidal plans of an insane ruler. Finally, a third Joseph provided the tomb in which He was laid after the “Passover offering” on Calvary. (Mark 15, Luke 22, John 19)

But no “Joseph” will be needed for the “rest of the story,” as Paul Harvey likes to say. But, as we will see in a minute, an angel will be involved. Meanwhile, back to our meditation.

An angel announced the coming birth to Joseph and Mary. Then, in Luke 2 a multitude of angels announced the birth of the Savior to the shepherds. More angels were involved here, and we would be wise to “hearken to what they said.”

Then after Jesus had been crucified and raised from the dead, an angel of two announced to another Mary, and Peter and John that, “He is not here, for He is risen!” This is the third angel announcement about His life. But that is not all.

When Jesus went back to heaven in Acts 1, another angel “announced” what they had seen with their own eyes. Jesus had ascended to heaven and the angel prophesied that Jesus would come back in the same way that they had seen Him go. 

Just a thought. This cannot be the Glorious Return in Revelation 19, because He will come on a white horse with a sword to slay His enemies. The return prophesied by the angel is a peaceful one, to take His own with Him back to heaven as Paul spelled out for us in 1 Corinthians 15 and I Thessalonians 4:16. 

And our final announcement is when another angel will proclaim the time of this return, the Rapture. I’m starting to get excited. Note that He is returning with a shout this time, not a sword, as noted above. The “sword-return” will have to wait for a while. But, just as the other prophecies were specifically and completely fulfilled, so this one will be exactly as predicted. Get ready. I’m going in the first “call up.”

Jesus’ time on earth was bracketed by angel announcements. Nothing else in history received so much attention from the angelic realm. And their fascination with this event is more than warranted. He came to save the whole world, as we saw in our Hebrews 2 study. Not everyone will accept Him, but, to those who received Him, believed on Him, He gave the right to become the children of God. (Thanks for the explanation, John. (1:12) )

I received. I believed. And I am waiting for the call home. Our Father in heaven is awaiting our arrival. Glory! And so are the angels. (Remember, they “longed to look into these things.” 1 Peter 1:12) Merry Christmas. He is coming again.

Sins of Manasseh

A contemplation on the fate of our country on the eve of the 2020 election. This has been called the most momentous election in our history. At least, to this point in our history, it is. While the choice between individual men is not overly attractive, the divide between world views, as exposed by the respective party platforms, could not be more stark. And, regardless of the side that, one chooses, the question arises, “Is America too far gone? Can its downward course be halted and even reversed?”

I have been reading both Jeremiah and Lamentations recently. That haunting question occurred to the prophet, Jeremiah, in the 15th chapter of his prophecy. Had Judah gone too far? (V. 1-4) Indeed it had. He spent an entire book lamenting the fate of his beloved country. (Pun intended. Lamentations) 

Jeremiah 15 Then the Lord said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me, My heart would not be with this people. Send them away from My presence and have them go! 2 And it shall be that when they say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ then you are to tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Those destined for death, to death; And those destined for the sword, to the sword; And those destined for famine, to famine; And those destined for captivity, to captivity.”’ 3 And I will appoint over them four kinds of doom,” declares the Lord: “the sword to kill, the dogs to drag away, and the birds of the sky and the animals of the earth to devour and destroy. 

And why did God seemingly turn His back on His chosen people? We find the answer in verse 4.

I will make them an object of terror among all the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem.

And who was Manasseh, other than the son of Hezekiah? 2 Chronicles 32:33

So Hezekiah lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in the upper section of the tombs of the sons of David; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honored him at his death. And his son Manasseh became king in his place.

What follows is a summary of Manasseh’s activities for 55 years. (And we thought one term of a poor President was trying! But I digress.) We will not hit this, point by point, but we can get an overview of the wickedness of Manasseh. 2 Kings 21 (also 2 Chronicles 33:1)

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Hephzibah. 2 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, in accordance with the abominations of the nations whom the Lord dispossessed before the sons of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the high places which his father Hezekiah had destroyed; and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, just as Ahab king of Israel had done, and he worshiped all the heavenly lights and served them. 4 And he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put My name.” 5 He built altars for all the heavenly lights in the two courtyards of the house of the Lord. 6 And he made his son pass through the fire, interpreted signs, practiced divination, and used mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger. 7 Then he put the carved image of Asherah that he had made in the house of which the Lord had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever.” (Ed Note: This is a precursor to the defiling of the Lord’s sanctuary by Antiochus IV in 168 or 167 BC, and later in the Tribulation by the anti-Christ.)   ...9 But they did not listen, and Manasseh encouraged them to do evil, more than the nations whom the Lord eliminated from the presence of the sons of Israel.

First we find a catalog of Manasseh’s sins, just about hitting every button to provoke the Lord that was possible. And that included the Asherah pole in the Temple itself. “Fortunately” for him, the Glory of the Lord had left the Temple (Ezekiel 10:18) years before, or he might have been incinerated on the spot like Nabab and Abhiu were. (Leviticus 10:1-2)

And look at verse 9. Manasseh not only did all of these vile things, he encouraged the people to do the same. (Also 2 Chronicles 33:9) And, to our chagrin as we observe, they not only “reluctantly” acquiesced, but they seemed to join in exuberantly. “Finally that old ‘spoil sport’ Hezekiah is out of the way. Now we can have some real fun! Whoopee!”

It was not as if the Lord abandoned them to do evil, as He did, and does. (Romans 1:24 “Therefore God gave them up to vile impurity in the lusts of their hearts...26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions...28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a depraved mind, to do those things that are not proper....” Three specific times He “gave them up.”) He did not abandon them, but here in 2 Kings, the Lord continued to plead with them.

10 Now the Lord spoke through His servants the prophets, saying, 11 “Since Manasseh king of Judah has committed these abominations, having done more evil than all that the Amorites did who were before him, and has also misled Judah into sin with his idols...”

And here we find an implicit plea for reconciliation. Turn back to God to avoid...

12 “therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘Behold, I am bringing such a disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that whoever hears about it, both of his ears will ring. 14 And I will abandon the remnant of My inheritance and hand them over to their enemies, and they will become as plunder and spoils to all their enemies, 15 because they have done evil in My sight, and have been provoking Me to anger since the day their fathers came from Egypt, even to this day.’”

Was I imagining the plea? 2 Chronicles 33:10 “So the Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention.” This was not a unilateral plunge into idolatry and abominations. It was a whole-hearted, multi-lateral, rush into depravity by the whole nation. They all, or at least most of them, were part and parcel to the events. And that led to the irreversible descent into destruction that we read about in Jeremiah 15. Can, or did that happen to other nations? We can turn to a more contemporary prophet in our own country. Benjamin Franklin said, “The longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: 'that God governs in the affairs of men.' And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?”

America most assuredly rose with the aid of Almighty God. And we, like Judah, have strayed from our foundation. The chances are very good that we can insert “USA” for the people in the above passages. And the following seems to apply to us a much as to ancient Judah.

And then, just to top things off, it seemed like Manasseh began to emulate Cain and spill innocent blood. So much, in fact, that...well, read it.

16 Furthermore, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides his sin into which he misled Judah, in doing evil in the sight of the Lord. 

That chilling scenario is just as apropos to now, as it was to Judah. Since 1973 the estimated total of abortions is 61.6 million and about 250 million more have been chemically aborted. As Jeremiah pointed out, it difficult to see anything more “innocent” than an unborn baby. 

And what is our conclusion? Zechariah 8:14 

“For this is what the Lord of armies says: ‘Just as I determined to do harm to you when your fathers provoked Me to anger,’ says the Lord of armies, ‘and I have not relented...”

God made good on His threat. He did not relent. But after that was complete, He spoke again. We love to quote Jeremiah 29:11 where God declares that He has planned good, and not evil–for Israel, and hopefully, by extension, to any God-fearing nation. But in light of their history and ours, we are in the way of harm. Unless we repent, that is. Read on in Zechariah 8:15

...so I have again determined in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear! 16 These are the things which you shall do: speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace at your gates.

Repentance and restoration was available to Judah, and then the whole nation of Israel. We can petition for that same relief to be provided to our country, and hopefully without a season of “captivity.”. We do not “placate” God by doing the things He listed. We repent and then our behavior will be such that it pleases the Lord.

It may not be too late. It was for Judah, and they went into 70 years of captivity. But the Lord brought them out. Let’s hope and pray that we will repent before we are brought under judgment. 

Parable of the Pine

Disclaimer: It is normally not a good idea to begin an essay with a disclaimer. But in this case it seems appropriate. The item in view here is probably a miniature Alberta Spruce, but that does not alliterate well with “parable.”  Since they both are evergreens the illustration will work with either species. Now to the story.

We have been cultivating a row of special shrubs between our front porch and the sidewalk for quite a while now. We are just about to add the black, weed-blocking fabric and finish up the landscaping with some decorative stones. ...until about a week ago. We spilled some dishwashing detergent on one of the green, cone-shaped shrubs and it turned brown where the liquid had “washed” it. (Photos included) Within a few days the entire shrub had dried up and the needles fell from it when it was gently brushed. All that remains is the “skeleton” of our Alberta spruce, or for our story, pine.

I was looking at it while ruminating on current events, and the term “systemic” came to mind. We hear of systemic racism pervading our society. Well, the “soap” that spilled on our parable pine was systemic. Nothing remains of the original. That made me think of an essay that I read elsewhere that defined “systemic.” Most “dictionary” definitions are essentially identical:

“relating to a system, especially as opposed to a particular part.”

That means that the entire body is completely suffused with the poison or malady. Ironically, the “systemic racism,” leading to suppression and oppression of certain sectors of society, supposedly suffusing police departments and even society, has been decried by members of that segment who are typically far more privileged and possessing benefits far beyond the average citizen of the country.

If the system is “systemically corrupt,” then how do some members of the class escape the effects? “Systemically racist” police forces are headed by Black leaders and often boast significant members of the “oppressed” class. Professional sports quite possibly have more Black  multimillionaires than those of other ethnic origins. 

Actually, “races,” is a misleading and misapplied term. We are all one race–the human race. We do not categorize horses by the color of their hair. We do call some, palominos, but they are still the same horse as a bay or a black or a roan. A horse is a horse is a horse. Human beings are all the same, just with some different levels of pigmentation, just like the horses. Genetically, we are all homo sapiens.

Now, like our parable pine, there are instances of mistreatment and discrimination, but those are localized, rather than systemic. A wide population may be infected or affected by “overspray” from some bad apples, but the entire system has not been compromised like our shrub was. The definition of systemic includes the whole shebang. All members of the oppressed class would have to suffer varying degrees of discrimination and oppression in order to classify the situation as systemic.

Is there a solution to the “localized” injuries that we have witnessed? Localities that have attempted to “Defund police” have experienced greater numbers of homicides and increases in crime in general. Sending a social worker to deal with an armed felon is not an effective countermeasure, in the estimation of most citizens.  If the whole of society is infected, then this systemic flaw does require complete replacement, like our shrub. We must analyze the current situation, or “status quo,” from my debate days.

To illustrate, consider another recent scenario. The multiple hurricanes and severe weather have eroded many seaside cliffs, and as the hillside erodes, a previously luxurious home that was built there begins to be in danger of collapsing into the ocean. We all recognize that doing an interior remodeling of the structure at this point would be both pointless and a complete waste of time.

The initial thrust in the project to preserve and protect the home would be to shore up the hillside and prevent further erosion. Working on the superstructure or roof would not solve the problem. Some solutions require a complete overhaul of the foundation structure and environment, but not a demolition of the whole edifice. Our society has for too long abandoned the logical, moral, legal, spiritual, and societal underpinnings provided by our history. We cannot just repaint the walls, or even demolish the structure and rebuild on the same plot of land. Even the radical elimination of systems will only produce similarly flawed replacements.

Legitimate grievances must be addressed. But to blow them out of all proportion and perspective is just as counterproductive as re-roofing our beach bungalow. Psalm 11:3 tells us, “If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?” Restoring righteousness and respect for the Creator who put all of these foundations here, are the first steps in correcting the course of our errant ship. (Excuse the shift of metaphors.)

The current situation not systemic. In other words, the “detergent” has not reached the roots and then wilted the whole plant. There is no total “falling off of needles.” Some precincts have Black chiefs or leaders, as previously mentioned. Untold black athletes lead their teams in action and even in remuneration. The undeniable problem that are protested are localized, not systemic.

The foundation of society has eroded. But all is not lost. There is still time to turn back, or in Biblical terms, repent, and return to our first, founding principles. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

First, all men are created equal. That was the fundamental understanding of the founders of the country. Irrespective of the three-fifths clause, all people were considered equal. The three-fifths clause was not a statement of worth or value, but was for the apportionment of representation in the House of Representatives. 

Some parties at the Constitutional Convention wanted to count slaves in the population for determining representation, despite the fact that slaves could not vote. The goal was to inflate and enhance the power of slave-holding states in Congress. The compromise was to reduce the impact of those states in the battle to eliminate slavery.

Second, rights are endowed by the Creator. Since that is true, we should turn back to Him, the One Who gave us rights in the first place.

And finally, racism is not ingrained. We are not born with it. Check two children playing together. They literally are color-blind. Color-blind, that is, until they are taught differently. But, children are not hard to teach to hate. We can rejoice in the fact that the love of the Lord can overcome both our ingrained and learned tendencies to evil. Turn back to God.

Just as we have to replant our parable palm, we need to replant our understanding and obedience to the Lord.

More on the Deity Of Jesus

The Bible is filled with references to the deity of Jesus. I ran across another one in my daily reading. Read Psalm 89:9 with me.

You rule the swelling of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them.

Does that sound familiar? Oh yes, it is in the New Testament, but, it seems that the Holy Spirit, in inspiring the Old Testament, wanted to lay a firm foundation (no pun intended) for this additional testimony as to Jesus being God. He used sea waves. Let’s explore the OT first.

Job 9 finds him lamenting his situation and responding to the Bildad’s “comforting words” that God rewards the good, so, by inference, Job must not be “good.” Job begins a long defense of, not himself, but God. Job 9 records it, but we will excerpt portions.

5 “It is God...8 And tramples down the waves of the sea....”

Psalm 107:29 continues our thought. That is even more explicitly mirrored in the NT.

He caused the storm to be still, So that the waves of the sea were hushed. 

Now let’s follow this thought into the Gospels.  Matthew 8:26, 27

He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. 27 The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

Matthew 14 gives us a second instance. This is the well-known time that Peter walked on the water. V. 32, 33

When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!”

Mark 4:39, 40 repeats this.

And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. 40 And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

This is notable, because Peter, who was probably the source of Mark’s account, did not include the water-walking episode. I am convinced that it was omitted, not to save Peter the embarrassment of admitting his lack of faith, but to downplay his valor in the incident. He was the only one who stepped out of the boat. But I digress.

Luke 8:23-25 is the final version.

But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger. 24 They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm. 25 And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?”

The answer to their query, “Who is this?” is very simple. Just glance back to the Old Testament. Clearly, the Holy Spirit was preparing the path for these guys to “get it.” Jesus, in their presence, performed acts that only God, Himself, could do.

The answer, is, that He is God. A casual reading of the Old Testament, Psalms in this instance, just leaps out of the page calling out, “Who did this?” Or, “Who could do this?” Our quick search removes all doubt as to the identity of the One Who literally did this.

The Old Testament writers were speaking theoretically. They had not seen this happen. It reminds me of chemistry class. I would give the students the concept, then we would conduct an experiment to observe it in action. God, in principle, can do these things. But the disciples literally went into the lab and did the “experiment.”

The Lord graciously opened the book of proofs, the answer book for educators in our group, for us to know beyond doubt that Jesus Christ is Lord–God. Glory, what a Savior.

Plea

As I was thinking about a lesson on the Lord’s prayer, I was in the process of preparing our newly planted landscaping patch in front of our porch. I even lay awake at night “dreaming” or something, about hoeing all of the pesky little green intruders that pop up after every rain. We are going to put down the black fabric that supposedly blocks weeks, but I am taking no chances. I am going to excise as many of those pesky interlopers as possible before we make the final installation. Then we will lay a smooth bed of stones on top of that to finish the look of our shrub line. We do not want any unplanted or unplanned vegetation protruding from our rocky plot.

Previously, I had cut out the rotted bases of the six “decorative” posts that seem to hold up the roof over the porch. I replaced those with solid, treated lumber so the whole affair is stronger, sturdier, and longer lasting than the original was when the house was new. We are fixing this place up with new shingles on the roof and new BLACK gutters. They look sharp.

As I was contemplating what I have left to do, a thought flashed into my mind. “Are you fastidious in preparing for eternity and warning others as in preparing a landscaping plot or avoiding COVID-19?” We know people who do not meet anyone and very rarely venture out of their own house and yard. We hopefully, all wear masks when out and assiduously wash our hands or disinfect them at every station in the stores that we enter and leave. And we wash for 20 seconds, just long enough to pray the Lord’s prayer, when we get home.

What about it? Are your preparations for what comes next as choreographed and determined as what you use for “daily chores” or other activities? The consequences of poor preparation will be some nuisance weeds interspersed with the shrubs. Careless or negligent hygiene may expose us to this virus, which, in some instances may even be fatal.

But failing to properly prepare for what comes after death has eternal, everlasting consequences. We join Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:20

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Paul is begging you, on behalf of Jesus Himself, to turn to God. Turn before it is too late. We beg you as well. There is nothing on earth that will compensate for missing this invitation. Nothing.

And, just for good measure, turn this around and pass it on to any and everyone you know. This is not just weeds in a garden. It is not just life and death. It is eternal separation from the Lord Who loved you and gave His life for you on the cross.

Romans 5 says that death came to all men (and women) because of Adam’s sin, which we all have copied. Adam died, physically, but he accepted the sacrifice that was made to cover his nakedness. That was a literal picture of the spiritual transaction that took place and culminated on Calvary. Jesus died as a substitute for Adam, and Eve. And He died for you and me. The sin debt was satisfied by the death of the Perfect Substitute, not an innocent lamb as in the Garden, but of the Innocent Lamb on Calvary.

Beg is not a strong enough word. When people came to Jesus to ask Him to heal their children they often sprawled on the ground in front of Him, grasping his feet. They did not need to portray such anguished pleading. His heart was ready to answer even before they asked.

Just as we ask for “bread” for the day, we need the living bread that Jesus talked about in John 6. We have to ask for it to have life. To have eternal life. Please ask today. We beg you. If I could grab your feet and hold on until you asked, I would. But that is not how Jesus works.

You have a free will, to choose. Choose Jesus. Choose Him today. There is nothing more important and no other option. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.