A Bad Place Isn't Always Bad

Add caption

Egypt.  When I hear the name I think of pyramids, pharaohs, King Tut and slavery.  I think of 10 plagues, the Nile, the Islamic Brotherhood, and the Sinai Peninsula.  From the Biblical narrative it was a place not to go.  The freed slaves wanted to return to their leeks and melons.  A few Israeli kings wanted to go there to get horses or help in times of war.  But God said not to go there.  It was a bad place.

But then I remember that God sent Joseph ahead of his brothers into Egypt, taught him tremendous lessons about trust, and used him to spare the lives of his family.  Egypt was a place of isolation for him, but a place that God used for good. And today we read in the Christmas story that God used this foreboding place once again.  Here is the account in Matthew 2:

   When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”  (Matthew 2:13-14)

The "they" were the Magi.  Baby Jesus needed a hide out, a place of escape.  So the bad place became a good place, for Herod would never look for Him there.  And the words of the prophet Hosea were applied not only to God calling His son, Israel, out of Egypt, but also His Son, Jesus, out of Egypt.

The good news for us today, especially for those of us in a bad place, is that bad places can be good places.  What makes a bad place a good place?  When God is there and His purposes are being fulfilled.  When we go to the bad places with our own goals and ideas in mind, they are BAD places for us.  But when we get to a bad place and cry out to the Lord or trust Him in it, He uses it for good.  Joseph learned that.  Both Joseph the son of Jacob, the one who became a Prime Minister and was used to spare his family; and Joseph, the step-father of Jesus, the Son of God, who watched the Heavenly Father protect His Son from harm.

So if you are in a bad place today, call to Him.  You may find yourself discovering its not so bad after all.  He makes all the difference.

An Important Doctrine

What and Why We Believe Matters

Doctrine is a fancy word we use to describe what we believe or a set of beliefs.  There are some people who think doctrine is not so important.  They would say that the experience of faith is the key, not necessarily what one believes.  Now while I very willingly agree that what one says they believe must be proven by the accompanying actions (James 2:26), I must disagree with the idea that doctrine is not important.  So does God.  Let me explain.

Let's use the story of Christmas as an illustration.  Is it vital for us to believe that Jesus was born as a baby in Bethlehem?  Does it really matter?  God says it is one of the key doctrines of our faith.  In fact, John writing to Christians in his first letter is talking about "testing the spirits" to see if they are from God or from a false source.  Here is what he says is the litmus test:

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. (1 John 4:1-3)

Now there were some folks who were suggesting in John's day that Jesus was a spirit and never really became "flesh."  So there was a specific reason why this was a key doctrine in his day.  There are other key doctrines that are necessary to refute the spirit of Antichrist today.  That is why we stress over and over again that each believer should know both what and why they believe what they do.

How about you?  What do you base your faith on?  Your experiences?  Or the historic facts about Jesus and the truth of His Word, the Word that never changes?  Our experiences will fail us, especially when challenged by the falsehoods masquerading as truth today.  The Bible even warns us not to be lured away by fine sounding teachers and leaders who may be false.  Here is the warning:

13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
                                                                                             (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)

In order to test the spirits, we have to have a solid standard to use for the test.  That is why doctrine, what we believe and why we believe it, is vital.  So the good news for us this Christmas is that we can know these things and be prepared by studying the Scriptures to test every spirit.  As you celebrate Christmas and the birth of Jesus, know that you are celebrating one of the greatest doctrines ever given by God as a gift to us.  And be sure to thank Him for it.  And if anyone ever denies it to be true, know that they are not speaking for the Lord.  They are a false prophet and should be avoided at all costs.

What's in a name? Everything

In Romeo and Juliet, it appears that in the famous line "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" that Shakespeare is arguing that names don't matter.  It is the thing itself, not its name that is important.

Yet in the Christmas story I find it fascinating that names seem to matter to God quite a bit.  When Gabriel announces to Zechariah that he and his aged wife are going to have a son, he gives Zechariah a very specific name for the boy.  His name is to be John.  It was and is Jewish tradition to name a son after his father or a close family member.  That is why the Scripture let's us know in light of Zechariah's inability to talk that the family and friends are confused when Elizabeth wants to give their son the name John.  Here is what is said:
   On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”  They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.” (Luke 1:59-61)

John means Jehovah has been gracious or has shown favor.  That name was true for Zechariah and Elizabeth but it was also true for us all as a whole.  John was going to be a herald out in front for the Lord and announce how God was being gracious in sending the Messiah.  His name was a part of God's story.

Mary and Joseph both were told to name the son she would bear Jesus.  In Hebrew, it was Yeshua, or Joshua.  It means the Lord saves.  To quote Gabriel, "you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)  His name mattered.  It was part of God's story.

Do you know what your name means?  You see there were other boys with the name John.  There were other Joshuas.  But for these two boys, their names described perfectly the role God had for them.  It was part of the story.

So how does your name fit God's role for you?  My name, Patrick, means noble. I desire (and ask the Lord daily to help me) to live a noble life before Him.  Some of us may not be living up to our names at this point or may be oblivious to its meaning.  I encourage us all to know what our name means because I believe God even directs such little things as the name we are given.  It is part of our story.

And the good news is this:  No matter our name now, there is one day when every one of us who knows Jesus will be given a new name that only He know.  (Revelation 2:17; 3:12)

Lineage

Christmas is usually a family time.  That can be good and that can be, well, challenging.  I will confess I have shed a tear or two at the commercials or videos showing a returning soldier surprising their spouse and children here near Christmas.  Can't think of a nicer present.  That's good.

The challenging comes in various forms.  The aging forgotten parent, aunt or uncle who sits in a nursing home or with curtains drawn at home, or in the jail house of dementia.  The returned wayward child who seemingly has to ruin the time for everyone once again by their addictive behavior or self-absorption.  The cousins or siblings who have carried the the spirit of unforgiveness and bitterness over a forgotten incident yet another year.  Their arguments hurt the souls of all present.

The reality is that each of us carries within our lineage examples of both.  There are some gems and there are pieces of coal.  The question is to which part do we trace our line?

I've always wondered about the simple few words in the Christmas story when it is speaking of the census being taken.  And it says this about Joseph:

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.   Luke 2:4

He went to Bethlehem.  He traced his line to David, a king.  No, THE king.  Joseph did not stop his line at Rehoboam, the foolish king; or at Manasseh, the evil king; or any of the other kings, some good, most not.  He traced his line to David.  As we know, even the Shepherd boy king David was not lily white in his character.  But he was "a man after God's own heart."  And the promises of God rested on him and his line.  It was promised that he would always have a ruler on the throne.  And the angel had told Mary about Jesus:

32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” Luke 1:32-33

Some of us are products of a family line that seems to have little good associated with it.  Some of us can't see any good.  Some of us are leaving little good for those who follow.  Some have received good and are leaving bad.  Some have received bad and are determined to not poison those who follow with the same.  We all have a lineage and we all stand in a long line.

The good news today is that in Christ, we don't have to trace our line to the alcoholic, the mean-spirited, the weak-willed or the unwise.  In Christ, we have a heritage in the line of Him who reigns forever.  In fact the writer to the Hebrews says this:

Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.  Hebrews 2:11

No matter our earthly line, we can trace our heritage to Jesus.  And living in light of that line causes us to leave an amazing heritage for those who follow us in our human line.  We pass on a godly heritage, not a sinful one.

What line are you claiming today?  What line are you living out?  No matter what our human line we can be transformed by the One who died for us, was buried, was raised three days later, is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters, and now reigns forever.  Praise God today that you have been adopted into His line!  And if you haven't, today could be your day if you are willing.

A Life of Anticipation

I love old people.  I have learned so much by sitting and listening to stories of days past and experiences that speak of the glory of God.  I also love young people.  I am inspired and encouraged by their energy and idealism.  They are not so far removed from their childhood as to have lost their sense of wonder.

Sometimes we are blessed to be around old people who have the heart of a young person.  That describes what I read about Simeon and Anna.  The Scripture says of Simeon:

He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.

He was expecting, looking to receive to himself, the Messiah, the consolation of Israel.  The Spirit moved him into the Temple courts right at the time Mary and Joseph arrived to follow the requirements of the Law in dedicating Jesus.  Simeon recognized this was the Messiah.  Now God could take him home because His promise to allow him to see the Messiah before he died was fulfilled.  And he spoke to Jesus' parents about Him.  Read more here.  He was living in anticipation and giddy as a little boy when he saw Jesus.  

Anna was next.  She was very old.  Her life was worship, fasting, and prayer.  She came up, thanked God and spoke about the child to anyone who was looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.  Her life was daily anticipation and its fulfillment caused her to talk and talk.  I would have loved to have been on the Temple Mount that day and have seen the interactions.  I can feel my heart skip a beat right now.

That was Jesus' first coming.  The question I had to ask myself as I am growing older is am I living in anticipation with an older body but a young heart?  Ok, I'm not old yet but I'm not young either.  No matter how old I get I don't want to lose a young and vibrant spirit of anticipation.  I want to never quit believing in a God who is redeeming us.  I want to live a life of worship, praise and prayer.  I want to always be looking forward.  The Apostle Peter put it this way:

13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 2 Peter 3:13-14

Simeon and Anna knew the promises of God and no matter what was happening around them they believed God was going to fulfill them.  And they lived in anticipation of that day.  And their lives were righteous, holy, and devout in preparation.  My yearning is to live a spotless, blameless life today in anticipation of that second coming.  As it has been said, I want to live today in light of that day.  How about you??

What About the Cries of the Innocent?

Recently the principal of a public school in New York set policy for the school that Thanksgiving had to be called a Harvest Party; no one could use the word Christmas; Santa Claus is out because he is a religious figure; and no Christmas carols can be sung.  In fact she forbids the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance.  This is just one of the more recent examples of someone trying to kill the expression of faith in the public arena.  At the same time I read an encouraging article that spoke of how the skepticism of the historicity of the New Testament that has been prevalent over the past century is being disproved by secular scholars and archeological finds.  Read about that here.

There have been many attempts through the centuries to "kill Jesus" in the public arena.  In fact we can return to the Christmas story to see a prime example. (Matthew 2:13-18)  When his attempt to use the Magi as informants in finding this one born "king of the Jews" failed, Herod sent his soldiers to the area of Bethlehem to kill all baby boys two years of age and younger.  Here is what the prophet Jeremiah had said about his own day and looking forward to this event:

This is what the Lord says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” Jeremiah 31:15

But Herod was not successful because God sent an angel to have Joseph get the family out of town and remain in hiding in Egypt until after the threat was over. The gifts of the Magi, presented shortly before this took place, provided the funding for the trip.  No man will ever be able to cause God to lose His witness in His world.  He knows how to protect His own.

So when we feel the pain that evil causes and the cries of the innocent are heard, we can rest in the knowledge that God is there.  Not all evil will be ended by God until Jesus returns.  But until then, God will always protect and provide a witness.  He will give us what we need by the time we need it.  He will put us in a place of protection.  He will have us resurface when things are clear.  And His purposes will always be accomplished in the long run no matter what men may do.

I still hear the cries of the innocent today.  I still see the hatred of the anti-Christ spirit in our world.  I see the political and social attempts to remove any vestige of faith.  But I also see the hand of a Sovereign God protecting, providing, and reassuring His people.  And for that I give thanks.

Are you resting in that same knowledge today?

Putting Fear To Flight

Fear.  It is one of our basest emotions.  It causes us to flee, cower or man up.  It comes when we sense that we are faced by a threat, usually one that overwhelms us.  The New Testament journal is filled with the admonition "do not be afraid."  What were the threats?

Jesus told the disciples to not be afraid of those who will stand against them and even threaten their lives.  He said that our greater concern should be fearing and honoring Him above our fear of what men can do to us.  (Matthew 10:26-28)

Jesus also taught that we should not live in anxiety about material needs.  He spoke of being generous by selling what we have in order to provide the needs of others.  The basis of our actions is the fact that our Heavenly Father has been pleased to give us the Kingdom and knows what we need.  He will provide.  (Luke 12:27-34)

The Apostle Paul was told to keep speaking and teaching when he felt alone (Acts 18:9-10) and also told to be courageous in the midst of a ship wreck because God's plan for His life included caring for all the lives on board with him.  (Acts 27:21-26)

There are other examples.  But it is significant to me that all the key players in the Christmas story were told "do not be afraid."  Zechariah was confronted by the angel Gabriel as he did his temple service.  Startled by this sudden presence, Zechariah became afraid.  When Gabriel spoke to Mary it was not his presence that troubled her but his words.  What kind of greeting was this, that says she is "highly favored" and "the Lord is with" her?  Joseph was afraid of the implications of taking Mary home as his wife under the circumstance.  And the angel reassured him that God was in it.  The shepherds were shocked by having their night sky ablaze with the bright light of an angelic presence.  And they were told to "fear not."  This was not a sudden blast of judgment but an announcement of good news.

I've never had an angelic visit (at least not that I know).  Most of us haven't.  But I have had plenty of times when I have been afraid.  Afraid when we didn't know how we were going to pay our bills.  Afraid when I wasn't sure where to go next in leading.  Afraid and hurt when I thought we may lose our grandson at his birth.  Afraid when it felt like I was failing myself and everyone else, including the Lord.  And in each of those times the Lord said to me, "Do not be afraid Pat."  How?  He brought Scriptures to mind that settled my mind.  The Holy Spirit responded to my "Lord help me now" prayer by bringing me a sudden calm in my own spirit or having someone speak something to me that directly addressed my fear.  The person could not have known but He did.  And these actions on the Lord's part brought me peace.

If you are feeling fear at all today, take heart.  Listen to the voice of the Lord.  He is saying to you, "Do not be afraid."  Just seek me.  I know your needs.  I know my plans for your life.  I'm greater than those who are against you.  I have more for you than you can even imagine.  Do you believe this?  If so, let My peace overwhelm you.