Ebony and Ivory

“Don’t give me anything,” Jacob replied. “But if you will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them:  Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my wages.  And my honesty will testify for me in the future, whenever you check on the wages you have paid me. Any goat in my possession that is not speckled or spotted, or any lamb that is not dark-colored, will be considered stolen.”


“Agreed,” said Laban. “Let it be as you have said.”  That same day he removed all the male goats that were streaked or spotted, and all the speckled or spotted female goats (all that had white on them) and all the dark-colored lambs, and he placed them in the care of his sons.  Then he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob continued to tend the rest of Laban’s flocks.


Jacob, however, took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches.  Then he placed the peeled branches in all the watering troughs, so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat and came to drink,  they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted.  Jacob set apart the young of the flock by themselves, but made the rest face the streaked and dark-colored animals that belonged to Laban. Thus he made separate flocks for himself and did not put them with Laban’s animals.  Whenever the stronger females were in heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs in front of the animals so they would mate near the branches,  but if the animals were weak, he would not place them there. So the weak animals went to Laban and the strong ones to Jacob.  In this way the man grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, and female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.
Genesis 30:31-43

Jacob is one of the most intriguing characters of the Bible to me.  Trying to balance the demands of two wives while working for his father-in-law must have been awkward to say the least.  And yet, as we have seen before, Jacob experienced God is an incredible way.

I'm not a geneticist, but I am nearly certain that this trick of using the striped branches to make the livestock turn out striped or streaked would not really work, and that the it was the Lord who was actually blessing Jacob's herds.  It seems that the fact that Jacob was trying to cheat Laban by ensuring that the strong animals would go to him says something about Jacob as a person.  Some might argue that Laban was trying to cheat Jacob, so that made it okay, but even children can understand that "Two wrongs don't make a right."  The fact that is actually highlighted here though, is that there is no one that the Lord cannot use to accomplish His purpose.  Doesn't that give hope to us?  However, there is a challenge inherent in this point.  We are living after the Cross, after Jesus has made a way for us to be reconciled to God.  The fact that we used to be evil people will not hinder the Lord's efforts to reach us or use us.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:17

We are a new creation, and we are called to leave our sinful lives behind us.  When Zacchaeus came to Jesus, he committed to pay back anyone he had cheated four times over.  Even though we have forgiveness for us, we must always strive to live lives that mirror the life of Jesus on Earth as closely as possible.  Even if you are a streaked or spotted sheep, God can use you to accomplish great things.

A Horse with No Name

Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials.  But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.  When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road.

Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides.  When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat the donkey again.

Then the angel of the LORD moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left.  When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff.  Then the LORD opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”

Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.”

The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?”

“No,” he said.

Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.

The angel of the LORD asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.  The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it.”
Numbers 22:21-33

Balaam and his talking donkey is one of my favorite Bible stories.  I first read this story in the King James Bible when I was in junior high.  At that time I found it amusing, mostly due to the archaic language.  In my early 20s, I had a band named after Balaams "Donkey".  I have matured somewhat since then, but I still appreciate this story.  I always imagine how strange it must have seemed to the people with Balaam.  In my mind, he is the only one who can hear the donkey speaking; everyone else sees him arguing with the donkey, who is making only normal donkey noises.  I especially enjoy the fact that Balaam doesn't even lose a beat when his donkey starts to talk; he talks right back to her.

This is another example of God using unlikely characters to accomplish His purposes.  Balaam is a lot like many of us.  We are, in general, well-educated, intelligent people; we certainly think we're capable of making plans and carrying them out, well aware of the dangers we may face.  The donkey on the other hand is dumb.  And yet, if not for the donkey, Balaam would have been dead.

Perhaps this is why Jesus instructs us to receive his kingdom like children (Mark 10:15).  Children have a knack for stating the obvious, even when the truth may be embarrassing or uncomfortable.  Another characteristic of children is trust.  Most small children have not yet learned that the world can be a cruel place, and that people will not always do what they say they will.  Perhaps you know someone who was hurt as a child by an adult who should have been caring for them.  If so, you are certainly aware of how difficult it is for them to trust others now.

Since our perception of God is so often altered by our experiences with people, it may be very difficult for you to trust God.  Maybe you feel like God is standing in your path, ready to strike you down.  Or maybe you feel like God will leave you when you need Him the most.  Let me assure you that this will never happen.  God loves you, and wants you to know Him.  (1 Timothy 2:3-4)

God is capable of using just about anything to get your attention.  A good rule to remember is that God will never say anything that contradicts His word.  Keep this in mind as you go on your way, and watch for talking donkeys.

Weekend Fiction - Peter

This is a story I wrote in 2007; it's based on the last three chapters of the gospel of John.

Cold: That's what I remember most. It was bitter cold that day. It seems that I've been cold all my life. I remember the day I met Him. I was completely incredulous. This guy was the Messiah!? Yeah right. But then, as I was around Him more, I began to notice. No one could do the things He did. Who else but the Messiah could speak like this? As the weeks and months went by, my heart began to soften. It was true! This man from Nazareth was the Son of God! At least, that's what I believed at the time. Now I don't know what to believe. For three long years, I followed Him. What a fool I feel like now. Back here fishing, in this accursed boat!

They killed Him, they killed the supposed Son of God! Judas, He was the only one of us who wised up, there at the end. When the Pharisees decided to kill Jesus, he was the only one smart enough to get in on it. When it happened, I was ready to kill him. In fact, I drew my sword and attacked someone. But then He said, "Put that away! Don't you know that he who lives by the sword will also die by it?" I wish that I had been killed that night. When I look back at it now, I wish that I had taken the generous offer of Caiphas. 50 silver pieces! Do you know what I could have done with that kind of money? I'll say one thing; I sure wouldn't be out here in this stinking boat! I wonder what Judas did? I would have taken the money and got out of this stupid country. Three long years I wasted! It was just last week. Judas led them to the Garden, and then they hauled Him off. There was some stupid fake trial, and then, those 'righteous' camels turned Him over to the Romans. He was crucified. I was so angry, sad and upset all at once, I didn't know what to do. I just wanted to go to sleep and never wake up.

Three days later, we were all hiding out when Mary came and said "The Lord is risen! Come and see!" I don't even know why I went to look. Morbid curiosity, I guess. The body was gone, but I wasn't about to believe anything about rising from the dead, though. I bet they were hauling the corpse off to Rome. In my mind, I could just see some big parade. They'd put the body on a wagon with a sign reading; "The King of the Jews" and marched it through the streets with some centurion proclaiming "This is how we treat the enemies of the Emperor!" Then, I snapped out of it. Some madman had stolen the body; probably Simon or one of his crazies. We dragged ourselves back to the house, and crashed. Suddenly, He was there! "Peace, be still" He said. I wanted to believe; there was a part of me that longed to bow down and worship Him. But no, I wouldn't be pulled in again. It must have been some kind of dream or something. I decided to pack up my stuff and go home. I mumbled some kind of goodbye, and a half-hearted offer to let anyone else that wanted stay with me for a while, until this whole thing blew over. John went with me, and a couple of the other guys from the area left with us. So, here I am again. I swore I would never go back, but here I am fishing.

Slow night. We hadn't caught a thing. As we were heading back in, I saw someone on shore. "Hey! You guys caught anything yet?" He yelled. "Why don't you try putting your nets out on your right side?!" I was going to just ignore it, but then John started struggling with the nets, and put them over the side. I knew he would never be able to get them back in the boat without my help, so I swore and started pulling them back in. It was like a dream, there must have been 150 fish in there. Then, I had a sense of deja-vu. I remembered Jesus saying something a lot like that. Then John said it. "It is the Lord." I snapped. Whoever this joker was, He'd just gone too far. I was going to teach him a lesson he wouldn't ever forget. I jumped over the side of the boat and swam to shore. "Come and have breakfast." He said. Who did this guy think he was? Oh well, I suppose I could let him have a last meal. I could always kill him later. Then, with a shock of realization, I saw it was Jesus. This time, I knew it really was Him. I stood there, speechless, all the events of the past weeks racing through my mind. What would He say? He knew that I had betrayed Him, He had to. We just sat there, in silence.

Then, He spoke. "Peter, do you love me?" I mumbled something and He replied; "Feed my sheep." Then, He said it again, and a third time. I was mad then. I swore and spat. "You know everything. You know that I love You." Again came His calm reply. "Feed my sheep." I sat there and stared at Him. Then, He went on. "When you were young, you dressed yourself, and went where you wanted to go. When you are old, someone else will dress you, and take you where you don't want to go. Follow me." It slowly sank in, He'd taken me back. Then I looked at John. "Lord, what about him?" He smiled. "What about him? If I want him to stay alive 'til I come back, what does it matter to you?" I smiled back, embraced Him and said simply; "Lord." Wiping a sudden tear from my eye, I sat down to eat. 

You Don't Have To Be A Star

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.  For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.  Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.


Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.  And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.  If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?  But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.  If they were all one part, where would the body be?  As it is, there are many parts, but one body.


The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”  On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,  and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty,  while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it,  so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.  If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
1 Corinthians 12:12-26

Every part of the body of Christ is essential.  My own body provides an excellent example.  Because of a tiny error in my genetic code, my body manufacturers an incomplete version of a crucial protein.  In essence, there is a part of my body missing.  My genetic code makes up an infinitesimally small fraction of my body and yet because of this seemingly insignificant missing part, my entire body has severely limited capabilities.

If every Christian on Earth is a part of the body of Christ, a single individual could be considered equivalent to a bit of missing genetic code.  In other words, a single individual could make the difference between a healthy church and one that is as spiritually disabled as my body is physically.

Perhaps you find yourself feeling as if you don't belong.  Perhaps you feel that your place in the church is insignificant and that no one would notice if you participated or not.  Let me assure you, this is absolutely not the case.  God alone has arranged the parts of the body, with their individual functions, so that as a whole, they make a healthy, functioning human.  In the same manner, He has granted each of us different abilities that make each of us essential to His purpose.

No matter how untalented or useless you may believe you are, God has designed and placed you according to His plans.  I pray that each person reading these words will find their purpose in life.  I pray this particularly for myself.

Weird Science

On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”

So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar.

The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day.
Joshua 10:12-13

Isaiah answered, “This is the LORD’s sign to you that the LORD will do what he has promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?”

“It is a simple matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps,” said Hezekiah. “Rather, have it go back ten steps.”

Then the prophet Isaiah called on the LORD, and the LORD made the shadow go back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.
2 Kings 20:9-11

If you've had access to e-mail and the Internet for any length of time, I am certain you have seen the recurring story of the NASA computers that found the missing day in history.  I'm not going to retell the story to you however; unfortunately, it's just not true.

What I'm interested in today is the story of Galileo.  In 1633, Galileo was imprisoned for daring to say that the earth revolves around the sun.  This view was contrary to the commonly held view of the time, the Earth-centered universe.  That got me thinking, does the Bible really contradict Galileo; does the Bible actually say the earth is the center of the universe?

The two Scriptures I have quoted commonly used by skeptics to "prove" that the Bible is not accurate.  After all, we know that for the length of the day to be extended, it would be the Earth that had to stop moving, not the Sun.  What is apparently forgotten is that the book of Joshua is the book of history, written for its contemporary audience.  If the Bible had said that the Earth had stopped rotating on its axis for about a day, it would have sounded like nonsense to them.

As I have stated before, I believe God gave us our brains for a reason.  To the people of the Bible, the idea of the earth moving was nonsense.  It is only through careful observation of the movements of the planets and the moon that the true nature of the solar system has come to be understood.

The universe is so vast and manner in which it operates are so complex that modern science has barely scratched the surface.  It is amazing for me to realize that God could have designed all of it.

Do you have an opinion on the matter?  Feel free to comment.  I'll close with this Scripture from Job.

He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; He suspends the earth over nothing.
Job 26:7

Weekend Fiction - The Stronghold

This is a story I wrote for a 'Flash Fiction' website.  Only 318 words!

A very sweaty, very fat man with a rifle paces back and forth at the top of the wall.  He is guarding the only entrance, but he is more for effect than for any real purpose.  An entire army would be unable to break down these doors.  Made of an unknown metal, the entire fortress, let alone the doors are a relic of a long forgotten time.

The most ancient texts in the archives refer to the construction of the Stronghold as the last hope of the people, but the threat to be avoided was omitted from even those texts.  Most of the collective wisdom of humanity was lost when the 'terms went dark.

Now, those of us who are left gather at the doors of the Stronghold each day.  On the days when the doors open, laborers are brought in to toil in exchange for a brick of SynFood.

I have been coming each day since I was a boy.  Today though is different.  Today, I have come for another reason.  During the last dark season; as I was exploring the caves near the village, I stumbled across a camp of the ancients.  Inside the remains of a vehicle; I found a trunk containing a rifle much like the one carried by the sweaty fat man.  Also, there was a 'term; but this one wasn't dark.  It was portable, and self-powered.

I read about the Stronghold; how it was built to house millions, protecting them from some ancient catastrophe.  What's more; I found the command to remotely open the doors.  Today; I will bring my requests to the door of the Stronghold.  When they refuse to offer shelter for the people of my village; I will open the doors and the men of my clan will storm the Stronghold.  Today; the walls of Jericho will fall.

Pray for Rain

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.  Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.  And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.  Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.  Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
James 5:13-18

This is a verse I'm wrestling with right now.  I have a friend who is lying in a hospital bed.  He has cancer that, without a miraculous healing, will almost certainly take his life soon.  He will leave behind a wife and a long hoped for five-month-old son.

This passage of scripture clearly directs me to pray for him to be healed.  If you have never had people pray for your healing, it is a strange sensation.  If you have a long-term condition, as I do; you may even feel uncomfortable with people praying for you.  Perhaps you have even felt guilty when your healing did not materialize; as if you were disappointing someone.

Miraculous physical healing is an incredible gift from God, but keep in mind that salvation is a much greater gift.  If you have ever prayed for someone's healing to no avail, I pray that you have not been disappointed in yourself.  I sincerely hope you had never encountered someone who said that healing did not occur because of your lack of faith or that the illness is the result of someone's sin.  Though God certainly is capable of using a physical ailment as a form of discipline, this is not the cause of all disease.

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.  His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
John 9:1-3

In this passage, the "works of God" refers to the blind man's physical healing.  To think that physical healing is the only way that the "works of God" can be displayed in the life of a person with an illness or disability is to limit God.  To believe that we can take the God of the universe and fit Him into our limited understanding is foolishness.

Please be in prayer for my friend, but also keep in mind that God operates in a manner we cannot comprehend.  The matter what occurs, we can be confident that God will keep His children in His hands.

I'll Never Be Your Beast of Burden

What do you think of when you hear the word slave?  Is it an attractive picture?  If you were born during the 70s, like me, you probably think of Roots.  In this TV miniseries, a young boy is kidnapped from his native land, sold as a slave, savagely beaten and forced to serve a cruel master.  If you were forced to become a slave, you would not anticipate having an enjoyable time.  A slave has no rights.  A slave must either perform his or her duties or face the (often severe) consequences.  Perhaps you are more comfortable with the idea of a servant.  A servant is someone who serves an employer but is usually free to seek other employment if he or she chooses.

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
John 8:34

But wait a minute, Jesus said that we are all slaves, or at least if we sin we are.  "What do you mean?", you might say; "I'm not a slave; I am free to do whatever I choose."  While this may be true, to a certain extent, you indeed are, in a sense, a slave.  You are a slave to whatever your life's greatest priority is.  You may be a slave to your family.  You may be a slave to your hobbies or your job.  Though I sincerely hope it is not the case, you may even be a slave to an addiction.  You may even be a slave in the literal sense I described earlier.

Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?  But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.  You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
Romans 6:16-18

Fortunately, Paul gives us another option.  You can, if you so choose, give yourself as a slave to God.  According to the Bible, God paid a steep price for you.  "You are not your own; you were bought at a price."  If this is true, it seems perfectly reasonable that God would expect us to exist as His slaves.

This is not a comfortable idea for most modern people.  Certainly, in this age of enlightenment, we should be smart enough to make our own decisions.  We may be okay with being servants, free to come and go as we please, but becoming a slave and giving up all our freedom is another matter entirely.  I would like to suggest that this is not actually an option.  We all have one master that we cannot escape; that master is death.  No matter how uncomfortable we may be with the idea, there is simply no escaping the fact that all of us will eventually face death.

Where does this leave us?  Apparently, like it or not, we are all slaves to something.  It seems to me the best thing we can do is to choose wisely what or who our master will be.  What choice will you make?

It's so Easy

As I have stated before, I call myself a Christian; that is to say, I am a person who seeks to live my life according to the principles laid out by Jesus in the Bible.  It is likely that many of the people reading this blog are also Christians.  There are many reasons that I believe that the Bible is true.  One of these reasons is the consistency in the type of behaviors that are considered acceptable from one culture to another.  Though there may be small differences, every culture I am aware of considers theft to be wrong.  Though there may be disagreement on the number of spouses that is appropriate, I am unaware of any culture that does not encourage marriage.  There are many other similar examples, but I am getting away from my point.

If you are not a Christ follower, I highly recommend that you become one soon.  If you are a Christian, you are surely aware, as I am, that one of the primary duties of Christians is to share our faith with the people around us.  If you are anything like me, you believe that this task is daunting, to say the least.  On Monday night, I encountered a teenager who made this process seem much simpler.  When asked to describe how he would lead someone to Christ, he prepared a flowchart, with a series of if-then-else statements.  Though I am dubious of one-size-fits-all methodologies, I must admit that I admire his boldness.  I am guilty of making the process of sharing my faith painfully difficult.  There is, however a method that has proven successful for many Christians; the A-B-C method.

Step 1:  Admit that you have done immoral things.

...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 3:23

Step 2: Believe that Jesus can and will save you

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
Romans 10:9-10

Step 3: Cry out to Him


..for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans 10:13

This is far from a foolproof method, but if you have never shared your faith with an unbeliever, this is a good place to start.  One other piece of advice, please be discriminating as to where and when you share your faith.  If you elect to share your faith with strangers in a public restroom, you probably will not be successful.  You will likely find yourself to be a much more effective messenger with people you have a relationship with.

...and Please Show Me the Way

This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity.  I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”
Jeremiah 29:10-14

If you have attended an American church for any significant length of time, you have likely heard or seen part of this Scripture quoted.

"...For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future..."

The obvious question, to me at least, is; does this verse apply to me?  In the book of Jeremiah, this Scripture has a clearly intended audience, the people of Israel who had been exiled to Babylon.

Something that I, and I assume many other Christians struggle with is finding purpose.

"What is God's will for my life?"

"God, please show me Your plan."

I know people who take God's plan so seriously that they are unwilling to make even the simplest decisions without God's direction.  Personally, I think that God trusts me to decide what to order at Jack-in-the-Box without a clear sign from Him.  However many Christians go to the opposite extreme.  We live lives that are nearly indistinguishable from our unsaved friends and neighbors.  We might not cuss quite as often as they do.  Maybe we don't drink beer.  Other than that the attitude is something like "I will live my life the best way I know how and God will bless me".

Neither of these seems like the right approach to me.  God gave me a brain; I believe he expects me to use it.  I don't want to be so dependent on a sign from God that I am frozen without one, but I know from experience that if I live my life according to what I think is best, it will not turn out as well as I hope.

I have been trying to end each of my blog entries on a positive note.  I'm afraid that will not be the case today as I do not have the answer.  I do not know how to strike a balance between depending on God's direction and using the brain God has given me.  The best advice I can give is to continue striving to live the most moral lifestyle you know how to while continuing to pray that God will give you direction.  I welcome any comments or suggestions.

I'll close today's entry with Scripture.

Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.  Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commands is what counts. Each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.

Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so. For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings. Brothers and sisters, each person, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.
1 Corinthians 7:17-24

Weekend Fiction - Cain; Immortal.

Each weekend, I'll be posting some fiction or poetry for a change of pace.  This week, I've chosen a poem based I wrote in 2006.  This poem is based on a rather strange verse;

Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.
Genesis 4:15

The Bible certainly doesn't say this, but the premise here is; what if this mark made him immortal?

Cain; Immortal.

What is this mark

You've placed on me

That I may never die

A wanderer I

Am doomed to be

But you will not see me cry

What is this mark

I can't escape

What have I become?

Leave me alone

I cannot bear

To speak with anyone

My anger flared

I had no choice

But I never meant to kill

How can it be

How did I get here

Must I wander still?

Alone I will be

Hidden from view

My life is just a lie

Leave me alone

You cannot know me

For I will never die

04/28/2006

One for You; 19 for Me

Like many people, I have a list of things that I would like to do before I die.  One of those things is to witness a biblical style miracle.  Considering that tax season is now upon us, I'd like to relate one of my favorite miracles; how Jesus pays taxes.

After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”
“Yes, he does,” he replied.

When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?”

From others,” Peter answered.

“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”
Matthew 17:24-27

The most basic definition of the word miracle is, 'an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs'.  However, there is nothing extraordinary about a fish swallowing a shiny coin.  For a man to catch a fish, divine intervention is usually not required.  Though it is certainly possible, I do not believe that God caused the fish to miraculously materialize at just the right place and time.  What I firmly believe happened is, not long before this conversation Peter has with the tax collectors, a coin fell into the water and was snapped up by a passing fish.  Then, for a reason it could not comprehend, the fish swam to the appropriate spot to wait for Peter's fishing line.

One of the central themes I have written on in this blog so far is the fact that God can use anyone to accomplish his purpose.  To accomplish the purpose of this passage, God even uses a fish.  If a fish can be used by God simply by being at a specific place and time, any human certainly can as well.  God did not expect the fish to do some incredibly difficult task.  All of that God required of the fish was to be at a particular place at a given time.

Have you ever felt a strange urge to walk down a particular aisle at Walmart?  Perhaps God had a purpose for your being there.  Maybe you gave up your spot in line at the grocery store or you accidentally ordered five hamburgers instead of just four at the drive-through window.  The point is, we simply cannot know what seemingly insignificant actions of ours could be used by God.  All that God requires of us that we are willing to listen when He prompts us.  If we are willing to do this, we can leave the rest up to Him.

Don't You Want Me, Baby?

I was listening to NPR today and heard this story.  A depressed college student nearing graduation had this to say:

"It’s very disheartening to have worked so hard for four or five years and you're ready for the world and the world just kind of doesn't want you, and you kind of just don't have those options and so it's very disheartening."

Poor grammar aside, this statement sums up the way that I have been feeling recently.  The world doesn't want me.  Even though I have skills to offer, even though I have abilities that could be useful, even though I am (according to the dominant worldview) the end product of millions of years of evolution; the world doesn't want me.  As I thought and prayed about this, I realized that I was in good company; the world didn't want Jesus either.

He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
Isaiah 53:2-3

Perhaps you feel this way too.  Maybe you feel like the world has no use for you.  Fortunately for us, God doesn't feel that way.  The Bible makes it clear that God sees things differently than humans do.  If you aren't very smart, if you aren't attractive, if it seems like you just can't do anything right; God can still use you.

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.
1 Corinthians 1:27-28

If you are foolish, weak and worthless in the eyes of the world, you are just the type of person that God can use.  I'm not saying that it will be easy.  I'm not saying that your purpose will be clearly marked and laid out for you.  I have struggled for 30 years to find a purpose for my life, and I'm still not certain that I have or that I ever will.  But what I am certain of is that, after this life, I will find myself in a place where my purpose is clear and certain.  I hope and pray that you will be there with me.

Was Cain Able?

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
Genesis 4:2-5


The most obvious question from the story of Cain and Abel might seem to be "Who did Cain marry?".  (The answer that question is simple; he married his sister, who else?)  What is of more interest to me is the fact that the Lord looked favorably on Abel's offering but not on Cain's.  I've heard more than one speaker claim that Cain should have offered an animal sacrifice, not produce.  To me, this is an absurd position.  A simple keyword search of the Bible results in over 100 references to grain offerings.  The real issue here is not what was sacrificed, but the attitude of the person giving the offering.  The text says that Cain offered "some of the fruits of the soil" while Abel brought "fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock".  The type of offering made no difference, the quality did; if Cain had offered his best produce, with the right attitude, the Lord would have accepted it.

I am very conscious of the fact that I do not have much to offer God.  Other people have more financial resources, musical talent, amazing ability to share God's word with everyone they meet.  In comparison, I can offer very little.  I can write, I have a good memory and I'm good at solving problems.  As I've found out in my years of job searching, my particular combination of skills and attributes is practically worthless from a secular point of view.  How amazing is it that the God of the universe would choose to accomplish anything through me?  I can only pray that these words I'm writing will find their way to someone who can be encouraged by them.

Let's Get Ready to Rumble!

This to me is one of the strangest stories in the Bible.  Jacob, the Israeli patriarch has a strange encounter with an Angel or perhaps God in the flesh.

So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

The man asked him, “What is your name?”

“Jacob,” he answered.

Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”

Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”

But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.

So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
Genesis 32:24-30

What is happening in this passage?  One thing is certainly not happening; Jacob does not actually overpower God.  If God chose to be physically detained while wrestling with Jacob, it was at God's design.  Perhaps God's purpose could have been to test Jacob's resolve.  In my last entry, I mentioned a passage from Luke 18, the parable of the Unjust Judge.  In that passage, we were advised to come to God repeatedly with our prayers.  How many Christians today can say that we have literally spent the entire night wrestling with God in prayer?  Perhaps this is why the modern church, particularly in America has become so ineffective.

If our prayer lives look more like "Now I lay me down to sleep..." and less like wrestling with God to the point that we are physically injured, we should not expect God to attend to our prayers.  There's a fine line to walk here.  On one hand, God is sovereign and we need to accept that He knows what is best for us.  But on the other hand, we are instructed to bring our prayers to the Lord again and again.  Even if our prayers are never answered in this life, we have the assurance of a better life to come.