Stranger

I have moved seven times, over four states. That is plenty of times for me to grow a strong dislike for moving boxes and moving companies and moving in general. Each location held challenges, unique opportunities, difficulties, and potential. Some of the places were fairly easy to adjust to and others were much more difficult. But, overall I have had my fair share of days when I felt like a stranger and an outsider in the midst of people who belonged and fit.
“To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia….” (1 Peter 1:1). To the strangers, here we have this addressed to the strangers, those who don’t quite fit in the world around them. But, why are they strangers? I would imagine that many of them grew up and lived their entire lives in that area.
Stranger danger, it’s what we teach children in order to help them recognize the difference between friend and foe. If God’s children, or elect, are strangers in the world, then we must be designed to be at home with each other or within the body of Christ.
As a stranger, as a migrant of sorts in new communities, it can be a lonely thing. Not just getting lost trying to find new grocery stores, but needing the fellowship of the family of friends. But, Peter did not stop with acknowledging the strangers in the world, instead he goes on by saying “…who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood,” (1 Peter 1:2). I don’t want to go into the difficult theology here, but want to point out one thing.
The words through, for, and by. Let me say it this way, “…who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood,” (1 Peter 1:2). Through sanctification or growth in grace through Jesus is provided. This is a promise that the Holy Spirit will work with us through these things for growth. What is the purpose of this growth? To obey and be saved. Obedience to Jesus is to be a Christ follower, listening to and acting in such a way that we are obeying what Jesus tells us to do. Sprinkling by his blood, forget the arguments of sprinkle versus dunk and go to the next word, by. This is not sprinkled by the water sprinkler, garden hose, or shower. This is a sprinkling by the blood of Christ, the blood that saves us from our sins. So, a stranger is acknowledged as such, a stranger to the world. Separated out by the work of the Holy Spirit, obedience to Jesus, and being saved by his blood.
Fellow strangers, don’t forget the next part. “Grace and peace be yours in abundance,” (1 Peter 1:2).

Splinter

About a week ago, I felt the need to pray once again, Lord change me. It’s a prayer that focuses like a laser beam on my own heart and life. Finishing up reading in Isaiah, finishing up a book about God answering prayer, I was hearing repent and restoration over and over. What was it in me, in my life that I needed to address?

Ever seen a child with a splinter in their finger? They will quite often take off across the room, yard, house, to avoid having the splinter removed. It will hurt to have it removed, the pain from it being infected will be worse. I think that admitting sin and then asking for forgiveness can be kind of like that splinter. At least it was for me this week. Mulling this over, wrestling with it, asking and seeking after God, I asked Him to change me and grow me. What I found was that I needed to first ask for forgiveness of God, where I was holding a splinter of sin and trying to just ignore it. The word malice came up. Malice? That has such a Hollywood dark flavor to it. Malice – as in wickedness and spite? Surely not!  Pride? I thought I had addressed this hurt long before. Still, a splinter remained and I needed to let God remove it. Once that was done, then that left a hole.
What now God? Amazingly enough, the book I had already been reading and the verses I had been leading up to led me to this very time. God’s timing is so perfect. The hole that is left when we ask for the sin to be removed, when we repent , can also be filled by God! He will not leave us with an open wound that just anything can go and get stuck in. I was amazed at the peace and relinquishment I have had.

By preparing me for this week, by insisting that I read these things, I have found that splinter removed. Restoration to God by God, starting with God urging me to get better – what an amazing God we serve!

Acts 3: 19-20 "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus."

A Leader or an Authority

If the Pharisees were such a problem, was Jesus about to incite some sort of rebellion against them? Forgot those people over there – they don’t follow through, they don’t help you. No, instead the answer may surprise you….

“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: ‘The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you.’” (Matthew 23:1-2).


These people are in authority over you, obey them. Obey? That really goes against our inertia in the heat of the moment when we are angry or confused. These people were in authority, obey.


“But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them,” (Matthew 23:3-4). Obey what they say, but do not do what they do.


How many leaders do we have out there that we don’t listen to and yet model what they do? Let’s make a choice. As leaders, to model and speak well. As followers, to pray for our leaders so that they will have wisdom in speaking and modeling behavior.

Vineyard Roster

Jesus often told by using parables, stories that contained a lesson in them.  Story telling is a great way to share information, to explain an idea. 

The story goes like this…

“There was a man who had two sons.  He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’

‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing.  He answer, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.”

"Which of the two did what his father wanted?" 

"The first," they answered.

Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.”

I don’t want to work some days either.  I can lay in bed, the alarm clock on snooze, and think – do I really want to get up?  The bed is awfully warm and comfortable.  My pillows are just in the right spot.  The sun could come up a bit higher. 

I have to choose, I have to decide.  There are some times when I don’t want to do the task in front of me.  No, no no no!  I don’t want to!  I want to stay in bed where it is warm and comfy and safe!  I want to go do my own thing.  I don’t want to do that chore. 

What is worse?  Not wanting to and then going or not wanting to and saying that they will be there, only to not show.  Have you ever been on the receiving end of someone who says they will be there only to hear a whole group of excuses when they were not?  It is really hard to trust that that person will be there the next time. 

I love that next part!  Love it!!!  “The tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.”  What an amazing God.  He calls and we say no, I don’t want to go.  He instructs and we say, no – I don’t want to listen.  He says obey, and we say no, we want to do it our way.  He knocks and asks, seeks, and woos.  We break his trust over and over.  But, when we turn and decide to follow – then, we are still invited back in.  When we decide to go work in the vineyard, we are still allowed to come.  Amazing grace indeed!  Are you on the vineyard roster?

Obey in Trust and Respect

In high school, I remember a missionary speaker that came to church.  He spoke about a family on the mission field, in a tropic part of the world with giant poisonous snakes.  The son was playing in the house, the father came to the door and saw a deadly snake above his son’s head in the rafters. “Son, drop to your knees and crawl to me.”  The son did and it saved his life. 

I was struck with the obedience of the son, but also the trust building that the father had done prior to that point.  If the son did not trust or respect the authority of his father, he would not have most likely behaved as asked.  Instead, he may have questioned and in those moments, the snake could have struck and bit, injecting poison.

The disciples followed Jesus and grew in their respect and trust of him.  However, I wonder how hard it was for them to obey when they did not fully understand what was going on.  The instructions were given, go and get the donkey and the colt.  This wasn’t heading to an auction or market where these animals would be bought.  Instead it was to go and get them, they belong to God.  Can’t you just imagine the authority and assurance in the voice of Jesus at that phrase?

Still, these men had to make a decision.  They could question or obey, argue or obey, disregard or obey, ignore or obey.  Boiling down to the distilled version – they could disobey or obey.  What did they do?

“The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them,” (Matthew 21:6). 

Obedience, built from trust and respect for that authority.  Okay – but what about obedience when we don’t understand God?  How well do I obey when I don’t get it, when I don’t understand why or how or when?  Do I go and do as instructed or do I question, argue, disregard, ignore, and disobey? 

While I wish I could say that I am always obedient, it is something that I keep striving for. 

The Christmas Story

Have you ever stopped to think of the story of Christmas?  Movies try to tell it, beautiful books share stories with pictures that are amazing.  Sweet rhymes, carefully crafted cards, and eloquent songs sing of the Christmas story.  But, as with many changes from the original book to the movie – there are many parts left out.  So, I find myself heading back to Luke, my personal favorite of the truth tellers. 

You see, the story doesn’t start with Mary, Joseph, and the manger.  It really starts a long long time before that.  But, Luke starts when King Herod ruled Judea.  The Romans were in control.  A priest went to go serve at the temple, his name was Zechariah.  Elizabeth, his wife, probably packed his bags and sent him on his way.  I wonder if Zechariah lived near the temple or if this was a long journey for him.  Can you imagine approaching the city?  Tension would have filled the air as Roman soldiers were seen on the streets.  Daily tasks still had to be done.  And there was Zechariah, walking to the temple.  Were there people he stopped to greet on his way? 

Elizabeth and Zechariah were “upright in the sight of God.”  They followed the Lord’s commandments and regulations.  These were people who knew what the Lord expected of them and put great effort into this.  These two were also not parents.  Elizabeth couldn’t have children and they were past the age of having children.

As I said, Zechariah was called – it was his turn to go serve as a priest before God.  Preparing himself, his heart he was to go to “into the temple of the Lord and burn incense”.  Now, this was more involved than just walking into a church with an incense burner.  This was a solemn act of worship, one that was taken very seriously.  And Zechariah went into the temple while the worshipers gathered outside prayed.

What does this have to do with the Christmas story?  It tells us that like all true stories, this is not a simple plot line that just starts and stops based on someone’s imagination.  This is also a reminder that our stories are also multi-layered.  The actions that Elizabeth and Zechariah were taking were setting the stage for the ultimate Christmas gift.  They were faithful to obey and allowing the Lord to use them to move.  So, my first question is – how are you faithful to obey and allow the Lord to use you?