Find the Cost of Freedom

In Numbers 28 & 29, the line-up of sacrifices the Israelites were required to offer on a daily, weekly, monthly and annual basis is given.  When everything is totaled, the numbers are shocking.  Here is a table with the numbers of animals sacrificed and today's approximate market value.

Lambs	Bulls	Rams	Goats	Total
1093	113	37	30	1273
$218,600	$565,000	$14,800	$9,000	$807,400

So, all these sacrifices were offered; all these animals were killed, day after day,  year after year.  With all of these sacrifices happening, we could assume that forgiveness for sin was happening, right?  Well, there's a bit of a problem with that.  In Hebrews 10:4, it says this; “It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins”.  In fact, animal sacrifices are simply a reminder of the fact that we all are guilty of breaking God's laws.

So what hope of salvation did these early Israelites have?  If the animal sacrifices were not capable of taking away their sin, then how could they find forgiveness?  The answer to that question is actually simple, though it seems complex.  The death of Jesus bought forgiveness for everyone who has ever sinned, from Adam and Eve, all the way down to those of us ask God's forgiveness today.  As I have mentioned before, one of the attributes of God is the fact that He exists outside of the universe.  Because he exists outside of the universe, He is not bound by time, as we are.

As it reminds us in 1 Peter, 1:18-20, this is the way that we are saved; it is not with perishable things such as silver or gold, with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.  He was chosen before the creation of the world to be the sacrifice for all the sins of humanity.  This is why in Isaiah 53:6, the writer can truthfully say that “the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

What a powerful statement this is; there is no person who has ever lived that was beyond the power of forgiveness, if only he or she asked for it.  How many of us needlessly carry around burdens of guilt, over sin that we can be forgiven for.  Though there was an incredible cost for our freedom, we need pay nothing for it.  For us, the cost of freedom is $0.

Weekend Fiction - Armored, Full Circle

Arianne was unsure what to do.  She was determined to find the answers to her problem.  According to the store manager, Wilton was not an actual employee at the store, but trying to find him seemed like her only option.  She put on a loose sweatshirt, hoping to disguise herself.  She looked at herself in the mirror, but she was still too recognizable.  She knew that she had to change her appearance more.  She thought for a moment, then got a pair of large scissors.  She had always worn her hair long; she pulled her hair into a ponytail, then cut it off, as short as she could.  She continued cutting until she had a fairly uniform one to two inches of hair all over head.  She put her hood up and walked out her door.

Arianne thought that parking behind the drugstore seemed like the best idea; she hoped to sneak in through the freight door and look at the personnel files.  She was certain that Wilton's name would be there.  She stopped the car a few hundred feet from the door and stepped out.

Arianne focused on moving quietly as she attempted to stay away from the lights.  She didn't even notice the figure wearing dark clothing and weilding a crowbar.  The assailant raised his weapon and swung, striking Arianne on the back of the head.  Though it didn't actually hurt, the of the blow still carried enough force to knock her to the ground.

She got back to her feet as quickly as possible and found herself staring at the would-be thief from the drugstore.  He stood frozen in place with the crowbar slowly creeping through the air as he followed through the arc of his swing.  Arianne pried the crowbar from his hands.

Arianne wasn't angry, but she coldly considered the thought of killing the thief.  She knew that he would not hesitate to kill her if their roles were reversed.  She raised the crowbar and steeled herself to swing it at his head.  Then, she thought back to the sound of Connor's heart monitor slowing and stopping.  “I won't kill him,” she whispered to herself.  She threw the crowbar away from her; it seemed to hang in the air, right where she let go of it.

“Why didn't you kill him?”  Arianne turned to see young man, walking toward her.  The figure continued, “You know that he would have killed you; why didn't you kill him?”

Arianne looked back at the thief, still frozen in place.  “I'm not a murderer.”

The young man was beside her now, regarding the thief dispassionately.  “Of course you aren't!  You didn't kill Connor, you know.”

Arianne turned to face the young man.  He wore a nametag that said “My name is Wilton; How May I Help You?”

“You!  You were in the store last night; you have to help me!”  Arianne said.

Wilton responded.  “Help you with what?”

Arianne was dumbfounded.  “I can't feel anything; I don't know why.  Why can't I cry anymore?”

Wilton spoke more softly this time.  “Don't you think you've cried enough?  You deserve to be free.”

“Will I ever feel anything again?”

There seemed to be a gleam in his eye as Wilton answered.  “You might be surprised.”

Arianne closed her eyes and took a breath.  She was startled by the sound of the crowbar hitting the ground with a loud clang.  She opened her eyes to find Wilton and the thief both gone.  She looked around, but they were nowhere to be seen.

“What's going on out there?”  Connor came out of the back door with a flashlight.

Arianne looked around warily, before answering.  “Everything seems to be alright now.”

Connor wasn't quite convinced.  “You seem a bit shaken; can I buy you a cup of coffee or something?”

Arianne smiled, as an unfamiliar feeling seemed to appear in her heart.  “I don't drink coffee;” she replied.  “I'd love a cup of hot tea though.”

Weekend Fiction - Armored, The News

Arianne stayed at home for the rest of the day, half expecting the police to arrive at her door at any moment.  After an uneventful afternoon, she decided to turn on the local news.  She was shocked to see that the events at the drugstore were being featured.  The news station had obtained footage shot by the dash-mounted camera in the police car.

“Stop right there or I will shoot you!” she heard the police officer shouting.  Her response was inaudible, but the video was quite clear.  Arianne watched herself raising the gun, then she disappeared.  The Taser leads fell harmlessly, a few feet beyond where Arianne had stood a split second before as the gun clattered to the ground.

“What you have just witnessed is real; this video has not been altered in any way.” the newscaster reassured the viewers.  “Authorities are baffled by this occurrence.  Anyone with any information is urged to come forward.”

After a few more comments, the station showed video of an eyewitness account.  Arianne was shocked to see the thief from the drugstore.  “Somebody like that ain't natural; they gotta catch her before she kills someone!”  He continued his rant.  “You just let me have a go at her; she won't bother nobody again!”

The newscaster returned; a close up shot of Arianne appeared on the screen beside her.  “This is a photo of the woman the police are searching for.  If you recognize this woman, please contact the police immediately.”

Arianne turned off the TV and sat down.  She had no idea what to think of the days events.

Weekend Fiction - Armored, The Drugstore

At the drugstore, Arianne saw a man standing at the customer service counter.  As she walked toward the counter, he spoke.  “Good morning miss; may I help you?”

“I bought this machine, yesterday; but I don't think it's working right; I know it was on clearance, but I don't want it anymore.  I don't care about the money; I just don't want it.”

The clerk reassured Arianne.  “Don't worry about that; clearance or not, we'll refund your money.  Can I see the box please?  I need to scan it.”  He scanned the box, but the computer buzzed, noncompliant.  He tried again, then tried typing the item number by hand.  The computer still refused to cooperate.

“This item isn't in our system;” he said, “are you sure you bought it here?”

Arianne may have been angry, if she had felt anything.  “I'm certain I bought it here,” she said, producing the receipt, “at 5:15 pm yesterday.”

The clerk looked at the receipt.  “I'm sorry; this receipt says you purchased a hair dryer and a can of ravioli.”

Arianne was confused.  “That can't be correct; you can ask the person who helped me last night.  Is Wilton in today?  He helped me with it.”

The clerk looked at Arianne, and felt sorry for her.  “Miss, I've been a manager here for two years.  No one named Wilton works here.”

Arianne stepped back, looking pale.  “That can't be right; I remember him.”

The clerk was starting to get nervous; he thought Arianne might be sick.  “Is there someone I can call for you?  Are you sure you're OK?  Maybe I should call an ambulance.”

Just then, a man strode to the counter and shoved Arianne out of the way.

“Open that cash register right now!”; he screamed at the clerk.  He was holding a small pistol, and nervously waving it at the clerk.  Squinting at the clerk's nametag, the gunman continued.  “Don't try to be no hero, Connor; I don't want you pressing no silent alarm.”

When she heard the name Connor, time seemed to stop for Arianne.  The criminal's face froze into a sneer, with droplets of spit hanging in midair inches from his mouth.  A loud roar began to build, growing to the point of becoming painful, then ending suddenly.  Arianne looked around, trying to identify the sound; she realized, to her horror that the gun had been fired.  The bullet was slowly creeping through the air towards Connor.  Arianne didn't know what to do.  She looked around, but everyone else in the store just stood, frozen in place.

Tentatively, Arianne reached out and touched the spinning bullet with her finger.  She quickly jerked her finger away; the hot round had burnt her.  The bullet wobbled slightly but continued on its path.  Arianne steeled herself and struck the bullet with her hand; it careened off course, angling toward a display of bottled water.

“What the hell?!”; the thief barked as water showered the counter.  He raised the gun, aimed and fired at Connor's head.

More confidently now, Arianne stepped into the path of the bullet and grabbed it from the air.  The gunman stepped back, startled by Arianne's sudden appearance, seemingly out of thin air.  “You think you're some kinda superhero now?  I seen you here before; you're just some stupid chick that don't even talk!”

Seeming to move faster than a blink of an eye, Arianne grabbed the gun, wrenching it from the thief's greasy hand.  The gunman stumbled back, suddenly afraid of Arianne.

“Wha, What in the hell are you?” he stammered; then he turned and ran from the store.

“You just saved my life!” Connor's voice broke Arianne from her state of shock.  “How did you do that?  I thought I was dead!”

“I...  I don't know!  Everything is so wrong today; I don't know what to do!”

“Just calm down;” Connor said, “everything is going to be all right.  Just tell me what's happening.”

Before she could speak, Arianne heard the sound of sirens from a police car arriving in the parking lot.  She still wasn't frightened, but she knew that the police would have questions that she didn't know the answers to.

She planned to walk out the door, blend into the gathering crowd and slip away quietly, but she didn't realize that she was still holding the gun she had taken from the thief.  As the crowd began to back away from her, an officer stepped out of his car and shouted at her.  “Get on the ground right now!  Drop your weapon and get on the ground!”

Arianne protested, speaking calmly; “You don't understand.  I'm not the thief; he just ran out a few seconds ago.”

The officer was not interested in her explanation.  He repeated his demand.  “I said get on the ground right now!”

Arianne closed her eyes and took a deep breath; then she opened her eyes and addressed the officer; “I'm sorry, but I'm not going to do that.”

With that, she began walking toward the officer, hoping somehow to get away.  The officer moved to cover, behind the door of his car, then raised his Taser and aimed it at Arianne's chest.

Arianne continued walking toward the officer.  “Stop right there or I will shoot you!”  The officer shouted.

Arianne held the gun by the barrel.  “I'm sorry officer; I can't stay here.”  She raised the gun above her head, signaling that she didn't intend to use it, but the officer mistook this for an aggressive move.  He fired his Taser.  For Arianne, time seemed to freeze again.  She let go of the gun, which hung in the air right where she left it, then easily sidestepped the prongs and wires of the Taser.  While everyone else seemed to be frozen in place, Arianne walked away, crossed the parking lot and got into her car.  Only then did the world outside seem to go back to normal.

Weekend Fiction - Armored, Morning

Arianne woke with a start to the sound of singing birds.  Sunlight flooded her living room, the bright light making her head ache.  Arianne got up, exclaiming with pain as the patches ripped from her arms.  Removing the headphones, Arianne stumbled to the kitchen.  Pouring a glass of water, she got two aspirin out of the cabinet.  She noticed the picture of Connor on the refrigerator, and felt nothing.  No sadness, no guilt, no tears.

“That's strange.” she thought to herself.  Going to her desk, she found a letter that Connor had written to her a week before the senior prom.  Re-reading the words of the tear-stained letter, she automatically reached for the tissue dispenser on the desk before she realized that a tissue was unecessary.  She didn't feel any emotion whatsoever.

She looked around warily.  Running to the closet, she took out a box filled with pictures, documents and newspaper clippings.  She read the first few lines of an article headlined “Local Teen Killed, Girlfriend Driver Not Charged”, but the expected flood of emotion never came.

Arianne thought she should be frightened, but she felt no emotion whatsoever, only a dispassionate regard for her strange situation.  She decided it would be best to take the ‘Armor’ back to the drugstore.  She quickly dressed and walked out her door.

Take Me Home Tonight

Here's a passage that's always bothered me.  Before we proceed, I must make a disclaimer.  The conclusions I'm about to discuss here do not appear in the Bible; they are my conjecture.  However, I don't believe that the Bible contradicts my thoughts either. With this settled, we can continue.

When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.

The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.
Genesis 6:1-2, 4

Who are these "sons of God"?  Are they angels, demons?  Who are they and where did they come from.  Have you ever seen the last episode of Battlestar Galactica?  If you didn't, don't bother; it's a depressing mess that asks more questions than it answers.

Let me say one thing first.  These "sons of God" were not demons.  Even if demons could assume human form, which is not documented anywhere in the Bible; there is no reason to believe that they could produce viable sperm and father children.  Search the Bible and you will find that angels only appear in physical form at the direction of God.  So now, the question remains; who were these "sons of God"?  Check out this passage from Luke's genealogy of Jesus; Notice that Adam is referred to as "the son of God."

...Adam, the son of God.
Luke 3:38

An idea that I've been thinking about for a while is the idea that when Adam and Eve were created and placed in the garden of Eden, there may have already been people living on the earth.  This theory began as my attempt to reconcile the Biblical timetable (based on the ages given for the Adam and his descendants) with the existence of Neanderthal, Cro-Magnon and other ancient, proto-humans, known in the anthropology community as Archaic Homo Sapiens.

All of these early humans used tools; they also cooked and hunted.  They formed complex societies and likely even believed in an afterlife, evidenced by the preparations they made for their dead.  These early humans were generally more robust, tougher and stronger than their modern counterparts, AKA us; the descendants of Adam's line.

When animals of two closely related species interbreed, a few strange things occur.  The offspring are usually sterile, but they are quite often larger, stronger or tougher than either parent species.  Consider the mule; which is a hybrid of a horse and a donkey.  Mules inherit traits of both horses and donkeys but are typically able to work longer, walk further and endure harsher conditions than horses or donkeys.  How about another example.  If you have seen the movie Napoleon Dynamite, you might be pleased to find that the Liger is actually a real animal, though they are not bred for luck and/or magic.  This odd hybrid of a lion and a tiger exhibit features and markings reminiscent of both species.  They often grow 10 - 15% larger than tigers, making them the largest cats on earth.  This odd phenomenon is known as hybrid vigor.

Returning to the point, it is possible that the descendants of Adam, who could be thought of as "the Sons of God" could have fathered children with the early humans who lived on earth.  These people could have been larger, stronger and tougher, making them likely candidates to be heroes of old.

Though this scenario is possible, there could be other interpretations of this passage.  I'd like to know what you think; feel free to comment!

Weekend Fiction - Armored, Opening

As she opened the box, a single page of instructions fell out first.  “Begin by finding a quiet place.” the first line read.  “Carefully remove all of the items in the box, ensuring that no items are missing or damaged.”

As Arianne absentmindedly inventoried the box, she found her thoughts drifting back to Connor.  His eyes, his smile.  Then, as always, she saw him in the hospital bed, body mangled, monitoring lines going flat, one by one as he lost his struggle for life.  “I killed him.” she whispered, tears beginning to flow as if it had happened yesterday.

Arianne looked at the contents of the box, blinking back tears.  The box contained a plastic bag that contained 2 self-stick patches connected to wires and a set of headphones.  Also inside the box was a bottle of liquid marked ‘Enhancement Elixir’, a blister pack of pills labeled ‘Emotional Accelerant’ and an electronic box about the size of a Walkman with one jack marked ‘Headphones’ and two jacks marked ‘Pad A’ and ‘Pad B’.  On the face of the electronic display was a button marked ‘Start’, a dial marked ‘Intensity’ and an LED display beneath a label calling the box a ‘Sympathetic Nervous Stimulator’.

The instructions weren't very helpful.  A diagram of how to place the patches on the arms, and a paragraph instructing the user to take one dose daily of the Enhancement Elixir and Emotional Accelerant and to limit the use of the SNS to 30 minutes per day filled the rest of the page.

Still crying, Arianne ignored the warnings and took all of the Emotional Accelerant pills, washing them down with the entire bottle of Enhancement Elixir.  She placed the patches on her arms and put on the headphones.  Turning the Intensity dial to maximum, Arianne punched the Start button.

The sound of static filled her ears.  Her arms and legs began to feel heavy.  As she felt herself beginning to pass out, Arianne glanced down at the instructions, noticing too late the fine print that read ‘Use with extreme caution, serious side effects may result.’

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Recently, someone asked me to “educate them on the Holy Spirit.”  This seemingly simple question is actually a topic that I could spend months or years researching and writing about without explaining it fully.  This is what I wrote to this individual, submitted here for your edification.

The Holy Spirit is one of the beings that make up the trinity of God.  Along with the Father, and Jesus, the Holy Spirit is one of the three distinct personalities of God.  The Holy Spirit has many purposes or functions that are found throughout the Bible.  Here are three functions, with the appropriate Scriptures.

The Holy Spirit Points Out Our Sin (Convicts Us)
“When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.”
John 16:8-11

When we do something wrong, as all of us do, the Holy Spirit points out our error.  Once we know that we have done something wrong, we know that we need to ask God to forgive us.  We know that when we ask Him, He will do it.

The Holy Spirit Helps Us Pray
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”
Romans 8:26-27

Quite often, we truly don't know how to pray.  When we can't find the words, the Holy Spirit expresses our struggles.

The Holy Spirit Cleanses / Purifies Us
“But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.  He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

The Holy Spirit dwells inside of us.  Because of this power, we do not have to be slaves to sin any longer.  It is quite likely that we will still fail and sin from time to time, but this does not have to be our normal state of being anymore.

Just as I said to this other individual, please don't just take my word for what the Holy Spirit is and does.  Rather, I encourage you to be just like the Jews that Paul encountered in Berea who are described in the 17th chapter of Acts.

“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.  As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.”
Acts 17:11-12

Weekend Fiction - Armored, Awake

The screech of the alarm clock woke Arianne from her fitful sleep.  She tried to calm herself, struggling to control her rapid breathing.

“It was just a dream, it was just a dream...,” she repeated to herself.

Arianne hadn't been in love since she was a teenager.  Even though everyone told her it was nothing but a simple High-School romance, Connor was still the love of her life.  The first and only man she gave her heart to.  Since the accident, she had not even been able to look at a man.  She had never been able to convince herself that the accident wasn't her fault.

Arianne dressed and went to work.  She made a living working as a filing clerk in the records department at the local university.  It was not a well-paying job, but it had the advantage of having few coworkers.

On her way home, Arianne decided to stop to pick up a few items at the local drugstore.

The package on the clearance shelf was labeled 'Armor'.  The label said that it was helpful for those trying to recover from emotional trauma.

The label read: “Through a combination of natural medicines and cutting edge subliminal therapy, the contents of this package will allow you to insulate yourself from the negative emotions that are a result of traumatic experiences in your past.”

“Something like this really should require a prescription.”  Arianne thought to herself as she picked up the package.  It was surprisingly heavy for its size.

“Actual results may vary.” said the disclaimer, in fine print.

“For 20 bucks, I'd say it's worth a try,” a young clerk said, startling Arianne.

Arianne turned, noticing a short, thin teenager.  His name tag said “My name is Wilton; How May I Help You?”

“What's your return policy?” Ariane asked.

“Ummm, that's a clearance item.” Wilt replied.  “We don't allow returns.  That's actually the last one in stock.”

“Thank you for your help.”

Arianne carried the package to the register, stopping to pick up a can of miniature ravioli.  She paid her $22.54 and left the store, opting for a paper bag.  At home, she ate her meal from a paper plate, carefully rinsing the can and placing it in the recycle bin.  Ordinarily, she would eat in front of the TV, sharing her evening meal with the same faithful friends she ate with every evening at 5:30, but tonight she was eager to open her recent acquisition.

Weekend Fiction - Armored, The Hospital

This is a story I've been working on, on and off for almost 7 years.  It's finally done though, and ready for your critique.

The Emergency Room doors burst open to admit a young man on a stretcher being pushed by two paramedics.

“We have an accident victim; male, 17 years old with severe crush injuries to the chest.  Heart rate is uneven and tachy at 130, respirations shallow.  Name, Connor Bailey.”

Doctors and nurses quickly surrounded Connor as he was wheeled into the nearest trauma bay.  His shirt and tie were torn off, making way for the patches of an EKG machine.

“This kid doesn't look good.  Have we contacted the family yet?” a doctor barked.

“They're on the way!” a nurse replied.

“I need a central line.”  Consulting the hastily written notes on the chart, he continued.  “Get 4 units of B positive hung up now!”

The rhythmic beeps of the heart monitor began to slow, growing more uneven.

“We're losing him!  Get the paddles in here!”

Arianne stood just outside the trauma bay, wearing a prom dress and crying.  “I killed him.” she whispered.

The Long Run

I heard of a girl, a friend of a friend; at 19 years old, she had a brain aneurysm and died suddenly.  I don't know the specifics of her situation; I never even met her, but I know that her death was unexpected.

“My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and they come to an end without hope.  Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath; my eyes will never see happiness again.  The eye that now sees me will see me no longer; you will look for me, but I will be no more.  As a cloud vanishes and is gone, so one who goes down to the grave does not return.  He will never come to his house again; his place will know him no more.”
Job 7:6-10

Job seems a bit more hopeless than even I am, but I am just as certain of how short life is and how suddenly it can end.  A sudden illness, a car accident, a random crime or any of a thousand other things could end your life in a heartbeat.  Without belaboring the point, even if you live to a good, old age; even if you live over 900 years, as the Bible says Methuselah did, death is coming.  Even if you live to see the return of Christ, and you don't truly experience death, your existence will be dramatically changed in a way every bit as transformational as death.

With this in mind, how can we respond?  Death is certain; if we choose to fix our eyes on this fact, our lives will begin to reflect our focus.  Every action we take will be tinged by this awareness.  We will likely do one of two things: we will live for the short-lived joys this life can offer or work as hard as we can to delay the inevitable as long as possible.  Living a life focused on the joys of this life doesn't necessarily mean we will become hedonists, living simply for our own pleasure, we aren't animals after all; we might choose to live lives focused on helping others and derive pleasure that way.  In the end, though, both paths lead to an ultimately unfulfilling result.

There is however an alternative.

If we choose to accept that this life is a temporary situation and look forward to what comes beyond this life, we can truly make our life on this earth meaningful.  While death may be coming for you and every other human on earth, if you are a Christian, you have hope; you believe that there is a place prepared for you when this life ends.  Your mission on this earth should be to spread the good news of the hope we have in Christ.  If you truly want to live a life of worth, with a result that is as fulfilling as possible, this is the path you must choose.

“If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua 24:15

These Dreams

I just finished reading the book of Daniel.  A recurring theme throughout the book is dreams, visions, and their interpretation.  My head is practically spinning from all the imagery, metaphor and symbolism.  Between all the kings and kingdoms represented by beasts, stars and horns and the visions of the short term mixed with visions of the end times, it's difficult to absorb it, let alone correctly interpret it.  Like most Biblical prophecy, I believe Daniel has multiple layers of meaning.  Some prophecies that were understood and recognized as being fulfilled by the contemporary readers may yet have meaning for readers of today.  When I read passages like this, I remember these words from Isaiah:

“Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.  Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes.  Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
Isaiah 6:9-10

This is what the Lord decreed for His faithless people when the vast majority of them had abandoned Him to pursue other deities.  The words of warning spoken by Isaiah were apparently intended for the few remaining faithful, who would become the stump of God's chosen people, but I'm confident that they have meaning still for us today.  Why?

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17

No Problem, Mon

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:8-9

This is a very simple idea; so simple in fact that it is easy to forget all about it.  I wonder how many people take the time to do an inventory of the past day and confess to and ask forgiveness for their sins?  If God already knows everything, He surely knows what our sins are, far more clearly than we do; why does He want us to confess our sins to Him?

Confessing our sins does not benefit God; it benefits us.  It does not change God, it changes us.  All sin is evil; from simple lies of convenience to murder.  This is the bad news.  The good news is, there is no sin that God cannot and will not forgive when we sincerely seek forgiveness from Him.  God is infinite; His ability to forgive is infinitely greater than our ability to sin.

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord.  “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”
Isaiah 1:18

No matter how badly you think you have failed; no matter how far you think you have strayed from the path that God has set for you, He is willing and ready to take you back if you will just return to Him.  Think of the story of the so-called “Prodigal Son”.  After he had lost all his money, this young man returned home in shame, intending to beg his father to take him back as a hired servant.  As he was nearing home, his father saw him from a distance.  This father, who had every right to be angry and berate the son for his foolish behavior, forgot his pain, forgot his pride, even forgot his dignity, and ran to his son.  God is just like the father in the story.  Just as the father in the story bore the cost of his son's failure, God has paid the cost for us.

This is what God says; “If you confess your sins, I am faithful and just and will forgive all of your sins and purify you from all unrighteousness.”  This is the most incredible invitation that anyone could ever receive.  Take the simple step and that this invitation today.

Ninety

A hundred miles from Omaha

A sunny day, but not quite summer

A child was born; a baby came

Leola had a little girl

Soon she was a woman

Wild at heart and brave

With a soul of independence

And a spirit none could tame

She put her hands to work

Though but a child still

Arcing current, wielding fire

She bent iron to her will

With hands that had formed steel

Now grown a bit more soft

She raised and reared six children

Setting each of them aloft

Those hands, so used to working

Just seem to keep on moving

She sets a proud example

In the deeds that she is doing

In her hands, crocheting needles

Turn threads to works of art

Every stich is filled with love

For the people in her heart

Four generations now

Her children, great and grand

Her touch is felt by dozens now

With many more at hand

So many she has touched

How many she has blessed

Of all the hearts on earth

She ranks among the best

Nobody's Fool

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
James 1:5

For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.
Ecclesiastes 1:18

The foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom
1 Corinthians 1:25

I routinely ask God for wisdom; what if I asked Him for His foolishness?  How foolish could I be for God?  What if I need to look foolish to the world to better serve Him?  What would it look like to be foolish for God?  From Ecclesiastes, I know what wisdom looks like; more wisdom and more knowledge bring more sorrow and grief.  In other words, sometimes ignorance truly is bliss.

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”
Matthew 10:16

What does this seemingly contradictory statement actually mean?  Let's think about what's happening here.  Jesus is sending the disciples out to announce the kingdom of God to the people of Israel.  This is hazardous work; Jesus knew that He was headed to the cross, to die.  This was His whole mission on earth.  His disciples would suffer similarly as they worked to achieve the tasks God had given them.

Now, what about snakes; how are they shrewd?  What does it mean to be shrewd?  To be shrewd is to be crafty and observant, always on the lookout for ways to accomplish your goals.  This is a trait that Christians would do well to strive for.

Finally, we must be as innocent as doves.  Doves live with few cares.  They build sloppy nests in dangerous places.  And yet, they are a symbol of the Holy Spirit.  And why shouldn't they be?  When it comes to pouring out the Holy Spirit, God is reckless.  When God gives good gifts, He gives them like this: “A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, poured into your lap.”

So what does this mean?  I think it comes around it back to where we started.  Let us live shrewdly, filled with the wisdom of God while appearing foolish to the world with our reckless generosity.

Three Lock Box

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:30-31

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:12-13

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Colossians 3:23-24

If there could be just three passages that sum up what our approach to life should be, I think that these three would be a good choice.  In just a few simple sentences, we see laid out for us these seemingly simple principles that no government on earth has ever improved upon.  No system of philosophy, code of conduct or set of regulations ever devised is likely to produce better results than this behavior model set out for us in the Bible.

Serve others.  Be content with what you have.  Work hard at whatever you do.  These statements would not be out of place in a modern self-help book.  It is curious to me that many supposedly secular ideas about morality seem to be based on biblical principles.  This similarity in the moral code between otherwise unrelated worldviews seems to indicate that there is such a thing as objective morality.  In other words, there are certain moral standards that are true for everyone, everywhere.

Abstract concepts such as morality, logic and reason do not have physical reality.  In order for abstract concepts to exist, there must also exist intelligent beings, capable of abstract thought.  To imagine it another way, think of your reflection.  If there were no mirrors or other reflective surfaces, could your reflection actually exist?  In the same manner, the thoughts in our minds could not exist if we did not have minds to think thoughts in.

If anyone is willing to concede that abstract concepts actually do exist, and very few people would claim that they do not, then the door in their thinking is open to the existence of immaterial things.  From there, the idea of a creator, existing outside of the universe is not such an impossibility.

We Belong

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.  If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.  Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.  They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.”
John 15:18-21

Just about a year ago, I wrote of how God can use people the world sees as useless to accomplish His purpose.  “The world doesn't want you”, was the central point of my discourse.

This passage goes a bit further.  Here, we see that the world does not just have a passive disdain towards the followers of Christ; there is an active hatred towards them.

This makes me immediately uncomfortable.  According to these words, straight from the mouth of Jesus, captured in an intimate moment as he was speaking to His closest followers, we should expect to be treated just as badly as Jesus was.  I'm pretty sure you've heard... Jesus was executed, brutally.  These words proved prophetic for the disciples as well, considering that all but one of them were eventually killed for their faith.  When have I faced anything worse than embarrassment or inconvenience for my faith?  If there isn't some evidence of the hatred the world should bear for you in your life, it may be wise for you to sit down and take a serious look at your relationship with God.  As usual, I am writing this as much for myself as for anyone else.  Based on this standard, my relationship with God is severely lacking.

“His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.  The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.”
Acts 5:40-41

This is how the apostles responded after being flogged and ordered not to speak in the name of Jesus.  They rejoiced because of their suffering.  I don't know about you, but I hate suffering.  I hate being uncomfortable or in pain for any reason.  How incredible would be to be so caught up in your relationship with God that the suffering in this life means nothing to you?

If you truly want this kind of relationship with God, you can have it.  There is no turning back once you start down this road, however.  After everything that God has done for us, and in light of His incredible sacrifice on our behalf, we truly owe Him nothing less.  The world may not want you; the world may even hate you, but we belong to God.

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price.”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Should Auld Acquaintance be Forgot...

2012 was quite a year, huh?  For me, it was the year that my God was the central focus of my life.  My life has had it's ups and downs, with both challenges and joys nearly every day.  My family was my other priority and where I spent the vast majority of my time and energy.  Finally, each one of you, my extended family and friends who have been reading the words I have written this year on facebook, in my books or on my blog; I have attempted to give you a glimpse into my mind.  I pray that I have made you think, laugh, cry or maybe even consider your place in relation to God.  As we look forward to the year to come, I pray that we do so in hope, ready to accept the sunny days and weather the dark, stormy clouds that we are certain to face.  In this world, we will have trouble, but there is one who has overcome the world.  Now to you, 2012; I bid you farewell.

In His Love and Peace;

Kenny R Brown