New Blog...

For my few followers, I wanted to let you know I've started a new blog.  My Bible in 90 Days Challenge kind of took over this blog and I decided that wasn't really what this blog was about.  So, this will go back to being more about me and my life/rantings as a pastor in process.  My new blog (Words of Reason) will focus on devotional thoughts from the 90 Day Challenge, and whatever else comes my way.  It can be found here: http://wordsofreason.wordpress.com/

Bible in 90, Day 5: ... and other towns in Rhode Island

Exodus 1-15

*image courtesy of Czarest at www.sxc.hu

Did anybody else notice the change in pace today?  In four days we covered several hundred years of storyline, but today when we read 15 chapters we only covered about 40 years, and most of it took place over a few weeks!  And now we're beginning to deal with the nation of Israel.  We also saw two big themes in our passage today.

Miracles, and providence.

Providence is God's normal working in the universe, but particularly is used to describe those peculiar instances in life.  Some call it coincidence or fate.  The Bible calls it the hand of God.  Moses' very existence is an example of providence.

Bible in 90, Day 4: Large and In Charge

Day 3: Genesis 40-50

*Image courtesy of hisks at www.sxc.hu

What a story huh?  My wife commented yesterday that it's interesting reading such large chunks of the Bible in one sitting because for the first time you see it as one story.  You make connections you might not have made before.  Yesterday, we left Joseph in prison, forgotten by the chief cupbearer of Pharaoh.  By the end of the our passage today, he rose to be essentially Prime Minister of Egypt, reunited and reconciled with his family, and dies a hero to his family and all Egypt!

It's amazing what God can and will do through the various events in the world and in our lives.  Isn't it amazing to know that God is on His heavenly throne?  He is Large and In Charge!  Even the evil schemings of men cannot escape His sovereign control.  

When I was 15, I got a phone call one day when I was getting ready for school that would change my life forever.  

Bible in 90, Day 3: Be sure

Day 3: Genesis 28-40

*image courtesy of carlohh at www.sxc.hu

While I was in my first year at Liberty University, the campus pastor shared a story at convocation right after spring break.  Apparently, a couple of LU students were on spring break in another state, staying at a hotel on a beach.  While away from the rules and regulations of Liberty, they decided they'd have some "fun."  For these two, "fun" came in the form of mooning old ladies as they passed their hotel window.  They decided at one point to "press the ham" (these are the exact words our campus pastor used).  Apparently they over-estimated the structural integrity of their windows, and actually broke through the glass!

Ouch.

As if this weren't bad enough, a Liberty alumnus who still kept up with the campus pastor was staying at the same hotel.  He not only got all the details, but swiftly relayed them to the campus pastor.  The pastor graciously did not point out the two mooners, but noted that they might be the ones shifting painfully in their seats at the moment.  He closed with this statement: 

"Be sure, your sins will find you out!"

There was a subtle statement amongst all the dozens of verses we read today.  Did you catch it? 

Bible in 90, Day 2: They're very good!

Day 2: Genesis 17-28

*image courtesy of duchesssa at www.sxc.hu 

Women.

I noticed in our passage for today (specifically chapters 20-21) that God has a keen interest in protecting women.  If you remember yesterday, and I hope you do, we saw that after each part of creation God declared everything good.  It wasn't until He had created Eve that He declared everything very good.

And I concur.

Men are supposed to watch over the women in their lives.  It is part of our duty as men to protect, provide for, and lead women, especially those in our own households.  And no, I'm not a chauvinist...

I'm biblical.

In part of our story today, our hero, Abraham, fails miserably at this task... twice.

Bible in 90, Day 1: A Love Story Begins

*image courtesy of Protect at www.sxc.hu

Today was Genesis 1-16.  I'm always captivated by the story of Adam and Eve.  When I think about my beautiful wife and the love and life we share, I think about what it must have been like for Adam and Eve during that brief time before sin crept in and drove a wedge between the sexes.  My relationship with my wife is amazing, but it is still infected by sin.  Jesus tells us that in heaven there will not be marriage like there is here on earth.  That being so, I believe that we will still know each other and remember our lives here on earth.  I tell my wife all the time that when we get to heaven, we will know each other better than anyone else in heaven.  We will eternally be best friends, and there will no longer be the enemy of sin present in our relationship. 

However, this is not the kind of love story I'm talking about today.  That beautiful love story comes to all too abrupt an end when the serpent shows up.  No, I'm talking about

Let it begin!!! Let it begin!!!

 

 *image courtesy of my buddy Billy at www.sxc.hu

Tomorrow begins my 90-day journey through the Bible.  I decided to challenge my youth tonight to take the journey with me.  Seven of them accepted, along with three adults.  I'm incredibly pumped now that I know I have others going on the journey with me.  Now the pressure's on to do what I'm setting out to do, and to keep this blog current!  Prayerfully, we'll be able to say by December that we've read the entire Bible, many for the first time in their lives.  Praise God!

Ready...

Steady...

Here we go!

... and other four letter words

 

*image courtesy of ugaldew at www.sxc.hu

1 Peter 2:13-17 tells us "Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king."

Today, I went through the books of Esther and Habakkuk (Yeah, that's a book of the Bible, look it up.).  "But," you say, "you just quoted 1 Peter!"  

Yes, yes I did.

The Bible is an integrated, consistent, whole.  In 1 Peter we are told that submission to authority is a must forbelievers.  In Esther and Habakkuk, we see shining examples of this.  If you never have, I'd recommend going and reading these two short books for yourself before you read further.  I'll be discussing them both as though the general outline of both is already understood.

Reflection... 8 Years Later

*Image courtesy of Fox-NL at www.sxc.hu

What follows is a paper I wrote for a creative writing class at Tidewater Community College.  It is dated 9-22-01.

Equality.  Men have died for it.  Women have strived for it.  Minorities have fought for it.  Still, it has not been achieved. Can it be achieved?  For that matter, what is it?  Without a standard for equality, it is impossible for a society to know when it has reached it.  Equality is the Golden Rule.  It is treating each and every person you encounter with the same respect, dignity, and unconditional love with which you would want to be treated if you were in their shoes.

In terms of life on earth, equality in this true form only exists in rare, fragile bubbles of space and time.  One such bubble took form over the course of a few hours one September morning in 2001.  It started out as just Tuesday.  It went on to become the beginning of "the first war of the 21st century."  To the horror and disbelief of an entire world, four American planes were strategically hijacked and kamikazed into two of the United States' symbolic structures: the Twin Towers in New York, and the Pentagon.  In a matter of two hours, America's twin symbols of capitalism's might lay in ruin.  Its symbol of impenetrable defense was wounded. 

As the depth of this attack sunk into the American psyche, the bubble solidified.  All debts were forgiven for the moment, and life slowed.  In New York City, life had halted.  Only the rescue work remained.  Even Wall Street held its breath, closing down the stock market for three days.  New Yorkers achieved a level of equality and cooperation unmatched in their recent history.  City residents flooded, even overwhelmed, Red Cross stations to help their fellow citizens by donating blood.  Hundreds of volunteers were turned away at the rubble site.  Mayor Giulianni said in a news briefing that there were too many volunteers already.  All across the U.S., rescue teams loaded up to deploy in New York; donations were gathered for disaster relief, and memorial services were conducted.  Where businesses were open, customers were more patient and understanding, and businesses went the extra mile to help patrons.  American flags began waving like never before.  U.S. citizens nationwide were sympathizing with each other and showing common courtesies often neglected during less trying times.  Domestic peace and patriotism flourished, as they often do in times of crisis.

Unimaginable pictures began streaming across the airwaves.  Scenes of smoke and dust billowing out of lower Manhattan and armed soldiers in a normally crowded U.S. city played throughout the day.  One striking image sticks out above the rest.  During the collapse of the Twin Towers, concrete dust flew like volcanic ash through the skyscraper valleys of New York City.  Anything and anyone within several blocks was coated in  a layer of the gray powder.  As the cloud settled, a new race emerged; not black, not white, not Hispanic, not Asian, nor any other race seen before.  This new gray race of humanity emerged, bonded together by their circumstance, united against an enemy.

The American race stepped out, stepped up, and headed back into the fray.  News reporters, fire and rescue workers, police officers, and onlookers all became part of one team.  One nation under God.  One nation under attack.  No attention was paid to ancestry, sex, or age.  No mention was made of income, or political party  Each member of the gray race gave his or her all to the others.  Mutual respect was a necessity; dignity, a given; love, a standard.  For the next few hours, no minority rights were infringed upon.  Not one quibble was made about which agenda to follow.  No argument was made about the task at hand.  In the midst of the terrorist-created rubble pile; peace, unity, and equality reigned.

As is true in all American crises, the walls of the bubble of equality began to crumble with time.  The first signs of decay came after a few days as reports trickled in of attacks on Afghan-Americans by citizens seeking an outlet for their frustration.  Lack of faith in the U.S. was seen when the stock market re-opened and quickly plummeted.  Commuters resumed their road rage and most Americans commenced Operation: Normal.  Wisps of patriotism and equality lingered, but shrapnel for the bubble continued to fall.  As the pieces hit, people blamed their neighbors, and equality once again took a back seat to personal interest.

It is hard to tell now what will become of the U.S.  Only time will reveal how true Americans are to their standards of patriotism and equality.  Will the stars and stripes continue to fly from car antennas?  Will courtesy and equality survive?  No one knows. One thing is for sure: another day will come when an enemy will rear its head, Americans will be startled, and a bubble of equality will begin to form again.

I don't really have much to add to this except to thank all those who stepped up that fateful day 8 years ago and helped someone who needed it.  I also want to acknowledge and thank those who serve or have served in our military to keep our country safe.  This includes specifically, three of my brothers-in-law, teens I've had the privilege of youth pastoring, and several members of my church.  Thank you all!

True Love Doesn't Wait

Did I really say that?

I'm going through some random books until I kick off the Bible in 90 Days Challenge on Sunday.  I don't want to get out of my habit, so I'm upping my listening time for the next few days and going through some shorter epistles and minor prophets.  Today was 1-2 Peter, Jude, and Haggai.  Try those in one shot sometime!

God grabbed me right away this morning in 1 Peter 1:22-25.  I'm reading The Peace Making Pastor by Alfred Poirier, and in chapter 1 he makes a great connection between truth and love.  He says on p. 22 "First, the Christian faith unites truth and love.  Second, it is love of the truth that supports true love."

Dizzy yet?

Deviant Pottery

*image courtesy of neadeau at www.sxc.hu

Isaiah 56-66 this morning.  Chapter 64, verse 8 caught my particular attention today.  This is a small reference to a larger truth that is explored by Jeremiah in chapter 18 of his book.  What struck me today was the thought of myself being the clay on God's spinning wheel.  For some reason, I combined this with the image of  Romans 12 where we are told to be living sacrifices.  Someone once said (Ken Davis?) that the problem with  living sacrifices is that they keep climbing down off the altar!  

Guilty!

By the thought occurred that sometimes we do this as the clay, too.

Grass, Flowers, Rain, Snow

*Image courtesy of DesertRat1 at www.sxc.hu

So I slacked off ran out of time last night and didn't do my entry on Isaiah 34-44.  However, the passage that stuck with me from yesterday tied neatly into today's passage.  Of course, I covered Isaiah 45-55 (one more day of consistency and the dream will be complete!) on my walk this morning.  Ironically, my walk was cut short by rain (the irony will soon become apparent), so I finished listening under my carport.

The key passage yesterday was Isaiah 40:7-8, and today was Isaiah 55, especially verses 10-11.  In chapter 40, we see that people may come and go, much like the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of God stands forever.  And in chapter 55 we see that this same eternal Word will not be found to be useless or powerless, but will accomplish the purpose God had for it, just as the rain and snow never fall without watering their intended ground.  

Where is my hope?  Where am I putting my confidence?  I say that the Bible is all we need.  I use words like inerrant, inspired, and sufficient*.  Do I really mean this?

I surely didn't use to.

Refuge for the Thorns

*image courtesy of www.sxc.hu
Listened to Isaiah 22-33 this morning. There was an interesting couple of verses in Chapter 27.

Ok, so this is one of Isaiah's vineyard songs, another being in chapter 5. In the whole book, the briers and thorns represent destruction of some kind. In 5:5-6, they come up after God removes his care and protection. In 7:23-25, they come up in the literal farmland when the area becomes desolate. In 9:18 they are consumed by fire as a metaphor of the consuming power of wickedness. It seems consistent to me with the parable/song in chapter 5 and the general tenor of the book that these briers and thorns represent the invading armies that will come as God's judgment. At the least, they represent the destruction these armies will bring. Ok, so briers and thorns = bad.

But then, the last time briars and thorns come up in Isaiah is in our passage today.

27:2-5 says:

Paul planted, Apollos watered...

Today was Isaiah 12-22. It's been a long day, and I'm tired, but I remember God speaking through Isaiah at one point and saying that the people had made great preparations for some plant (i'm ashamed at my fuzziness right now), but that it would not grow because He had not allowed it to be so. Ugh, that was horribly recalled. I'll have to look it up later and correct this entry.

The point was (and this is what I remember for sure) that we can lay all the plans we want, we can plant all we want, we can say all we want, but if God does not bless it will not succeed. After my chapters in Isaiah, I listened to Mac Brunson's sermon "Growing Deeper in the Things of God" and he echoed this point.

God provides.

Ashes for beauty

This morning I listened to Isaiah 1-11 on my NIV Audio Bible. I have begun to read through Isaiah at least 3 times in the last few years and get bogged down in the 30's nearly everytime. So, I've decided that I'll listen to 11 chapters a day on my morning walk for the next 6 days and be done in less than a week (assuming I drag myself out of bed everyday for my walk!). I decided this evening that perhaps I should write a bit each day on the passage I've heard.

I can't recall which chapter it was, but Isaiah prophesied against the "cows of Bashan" at some point this morning.