From Chaos to Christ! Part IV

     The whole point of Jesus' ministry was God’s final and most profound imposition to replace sin’s disorder with His order.
     Jesus counters destruction with healing:  When Peter cuts off the servant’s ear, Jesus heals it.  When Jesus sees the money-changers in the Temple destroying its purpose and value, He drives them out, reestablishing the nature of the place, which is to be a house of prayer.
     Jesus counters disease and disfigurement with healing and health. 
     Jesus counters the destructive occupancy of demons and their evil with the peace of His Father’s presence.  He drives them out and away from people.
     Jesus counters the decay of death with restoration.  Lazarus was not only dead, but he was starting to decay.  Jesus put a stop to that.
     Jesus counters death's finality and grief with new life.  Sin's ultimate legacy was reversed by His power.
     Jesus own death would be the ultimate reversal of sin's legacy: “But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, ‘DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. ‘O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?’" (1 Cor. 15:54-55)
     Jesus Christ was and still is an invasionary force: taking back the planet, one person at a time. Love and compassion over sin and defeat:  this is our call to battle.  Love and compassion are equally our weapons of warfare under our Leader.
     So, in effect, Jesus is restoring us back to Genesis 1.
     He is newly creating in us the original design of His Father.  Let's review…
     "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters."   
     Christ brings God’s form to earth: “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (Col. 1:15). He hovers over our darkness, our formlessness, our emptiness. 
     "And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness."
     When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12).
      He is the light over our darkness, separating it from our lives.  His light is good.
      "And God said, 'Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.'”
      "Jesus answered and said to her, 'Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life'" (John 4:13-14).
      He is the water that replenishes, satisfies and brings life.
     "And God said, 'Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.'  And it was so. God called the dry ground 'land,' and the gathered waters he called 'seas.'”
     Jesus says, "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it” (Matt. 7:24-27).   
     We stand on Him.   He is our Ground and He stands sovereign over the seas of life that threaten to flood over us. 
     "Then God said, 'Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds'”
     Jesus says, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)
     We draw our growth and regeneration from Him. He asserts growth in the seed He is planting: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24)
     "God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars."
     James 1:17-18 says, "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures."  1 John 1:5 says,  "This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth…"
     His light governs our lives. Why?  Because He is Light and those in Him cannot help but radiate what He places inside them. 
     "And God said, 'Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.'” "Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'” (Matt. 26:16-20)
     We are to share this abundant life He has produced in us so others may share in His kingdom.  
     "And God said, 'Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.”   Jesus says, John 10:9-11: "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep…” (John 10:9-11).
     Our life is a reflection of His work in us.  He produces abundant life in us and consequently works through us to reach a hurting world. 
     "Then God said, 'Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.' So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them."
     We reflect Him and thus His order.  As we move out into His world, reclaiming it in the name of His Son, we see the image of Him in every person we encounter.  They may be in bondage, but they are still His sons and daughters. 
     Jesus reintroduced goodness and order back into this world.  Chaos is banished.  Jesus brought us form, fullness and light, the exact opposites of what God was originally hovering over back in Genesis 1 and now what is currently ruling the planet.
     Jesus’ ministry invaded the chaos, brought on by sin. Remember:  Sin will not win!
     The Book of Revelation details chaos’ last fight to overtake and fully dominate the planet. But, as we read, Christ will not allow that to happen. 
     Why?  He has too much at stake: us. 

From Chaos to Christ, Part III

    Let's review. We are exploring how God imposed order on the cosmos. He hovered over formlessness and darkness. He spoke into existence order and design and saw that it was good. The forces of nature were contained in His hand; they were not out of control or the manifestations of other gods. The universe was subject to law--God's order--and we were to be part of that reign.
     Then, out of the trees, came a hissing voice that said, "Did God really say..." God's very words came into doubt. Doubt led to disbelief.  Disbelief led to sinful action.
     The fall of human beings reintroduce chaos into creation. In fact, Paul says that "the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now" (Rom. 8:21-2).
     Death, disease, decay: These were not part of God's original design.
     Man then, in reversal of God creating man in His image, then creates God in his image. Romans 1 outlines the downward spiral of when man ignores the order and design of creation:
      The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
     Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
    Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
     Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. (Rom. 1:18-32)
     Wow. The spiral into chaos has been played out in every generation, and continues even now. God reveals His divine qualities through His creation; people don't revere Him and become futile in their thinking; they then recreate Him, not as the One but as many; not invisible but as idols. Lust replaces love, and sexual practice violates divine order. This violation leads to an even deeper depravity: man ignores his conscience and does willingly what he knows violates God's order.
      Let's now focus on the ultimate idol-worshiping people to the Hebrews: the Egyptians. Egyptian society was visually epic, with its pyramids, statues and endless hieroglyphic walls extolling the virtues of the gods and the pharoah. A false “order” was achieved, for these gods did not exist. Thus, this impressive foundation was built upon nothing.
     So, through God's mighty power, Moses came to show the superiority of God over the Egyptian concept of order, with its god-king, building projects, and gods for every natural force. The Ten Plagues were a reversal of creation, a reversal of Genesis, proving that Egypt was founded on a false order.  The worst fears of ancient people were realized: Chaos returned. 
     God overturned the Egyptians’ concept of order. Keep Genesis in mind as you read what happened:   The river Nile and all the rivers turn to blood. Water is now dark and will not sustain life.  The waters, once teeming with life, now have a disgusting abundance of frogs.  The skies, once teeming with life, now have a disgusting abundance of gnats and flies.
     (Isn't interesting that Goshen, where the children of Israel reside, is not affected?  It's a little Garden of Eden...)
     God made wild animals and livestock.  The livestock, instead of supporting human life, is now plagued.  What God gave humans as a gift is removed by disease and death.  (Goshen is equally not affected.  There, the wild animals and livestock still run free...)
     Now, the human body, instead of mirroring the beauty and skill of God's creative hand, registers chaos:  boils.  An epidemic sweeps across the human population.  (The children of Israel have a Edenic immunity, as it were.)
     The rain that falls from the skies is now frozen.  Instead of the water imparting life, the hail destroys the crops of flax and barley.  (Goshen remains safe.)  Yet, even amid the chaos, the wheat and the spelt are not destroyed.  God's merciful hand is still evident. 
     The life that crawls on the ground--the locusts--now explodes in horrifying numbers, and “nothing green remained” (Gen. 10:15).
     God spoke light into existence and separated the light from the darkness; now, even the light at night is  swallowed up in a terrible darkness that could be “felt.”  (Israel still resides in the light.)
     For the last plague, the fall of man's most terrible legacy will be visited upon all the first born, Hebrews included.  This plague reverses the "Be fruitful and multiply" directive of Genesis.  Reproduction, continuation and generation will all cease under the wings of the Angel of Death.  The firstborn will bear the brunt of God's judgment.
     But doesn't that echo what God said in the Garden?  He said that order, in effect, will be restored by the crushing of the Serpent’s head by God's Anointed.   His Firstborn will bear the brunt of judgement for all humankind.  
     So, did the gods of Egypt really provide order? No: see how quickly disorder came!  God reasserts His order and says, "that I might show My Power and that My Name might be proclaimed in all the earth” (Gen. 9:16).
     God’s covenants throughout history are reimposing His order onto creation. The Covenant of Noah reestablished control over the destructive force of water.  The Covenant of Moses reasserted control over all natural forces and the supposed gods therein.  The Covenant of David reasserted God's involvement over human affairs, by establishing a monarchy that will set up a royal lineage, leading someday to the Messiah, the “Son of David.”   This Firstborn Son will come for all people, Jew and Gentile alike, and of His kingdom, there will be no end.

Next time:  God's Final Assault on Disorder:  The Ministry of Jesus Christ

From Chaos to Christ! Part II

     Earlier, we examined the wondrous creation of our God.  The Earth is now teeming with life.  

     Now God creates man and woman in His image.  He molds dirt into a beautiful form and breathes His very spirit into the nostrils of His man.  "Adam" means ground, and we are animated dust.  We are royal soil.  

     Man and woman are not only created with God's tender hands, but He equally creates a place in which to place them.   The Garden is our Creator's destination for His children.  Where is it?  It is where four rivers meet together in harmony: "A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters."  

     Remember:  The Bible is of the desert.  Its people, terrain, and customs are all shaped by the expanses of arid wilderness, the occasional oasis, the huge dark skies and the sun that never ceases to shine.  To such people, rivers give life as well as death: the waters, when calm, are a source of refreshment.  When those waters are out of control, they bring disaster.  

     Abraham and Moses were of the desert and the children of Israel were of the desert. Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible. His whole life, just like the patriarch Abraham, is spent in these wide expanses.  

     Harmony and order existed in the Garden, as it is described as “being well watered.”   So, the Garden, with its calm rivers, was an oasis:  a place of provision and peace.

     I never valued water as much as I do since I moved to Idaho.  We live in the high desert.  We have rivulets, streams and a river that flows through our town.  But by midsummer, the streams and rivulets are gone.  The river runs low.  It is very dry here.  In fact, we had to drill 127 feet to find water on our property.      The trees here signal where the ground water is.  They congregate where the water flows, and when it ceases, their deep roots catch the underground water.  We are a free range state, and that means cows are free to wander everywhere.  By the end of summer, they are looking for two things:  shade and water.  They get desperate if they can't find water.  They will trample fences and get into our yard looking for water.  Water is life, and our neighborhood cows remind me of that. 

     The fall of our first parents reintroduced chaos back into creation. God’s creative act was to bring order out of chaos and now disorder, through Adam and Eve’s disobedience, reintroduces it. Destruction, decay and death now plague the planet. 

     They leave the Garden knowing that birth will bring pain (maybe even death); food is now the result of “toil”; and “thorns and thistles” will imitate plant life, but will be hostile to other plants and not a food source.  God sends them out with a promise in addition to His punishments:  The Messiah will come from the woman, and crush the head of the serpent. The Messiah, the Anointed One, will reintroduce order into the world by striking and overcoming its very author: Satan.  

     The consequences of sin’s disorder and its reign on Earth are catastrophic.  The first act committed outside of the Garden is murder.  In his rage and jealousy, Cain murders his brother Abel.  This will set up a never-ending cycle of revenge, which leads to more murder.  So, God seeks to prevent this cycle from starting by marking Cain.  If you think about it, war is murder and revenge writ large. 

     The ultimate symptom of chaos is that God’s image in man is marred:  Life is taken, decay will ensue, and human beings are devalued.  Cain’s descendant, Lamech boasts to his two wives (God's marriage order of one man, one woman is equally marred):  “Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words.  I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times.” 

     Outside the Garden, chaos reigns.

     God's wearies of His creation becoming so opposite of His original intentions.  What element does He choose?  He uses out-of-control water:  a flood. The worst fears of desert-dwelling people come true: water that rages and takes everything with it.  This water will drown the earth and all its inhabitants except for Noah and his family.  But it carries the Promise of the Garden of Eden in it as well: Order will be restored.  The floodwaters do recede.  

     The ark becomes an image of the work of the coming Messiah: It represents  God’s mercy and redemption. Why?  Inside of that ark, His people are saved from the destruction that sin and disobedience brought upon the Earth.  God Himself closes the door of the ark. 

     Even though sin has brought death, decay and destruction into the earth, God is faithful to His creation.   When the flood is over, God promises Noah:  “As long as the earth endures, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”  God places a rainbow in the sky as a reminder of His faithfulness to what He has said and done.  

     Man will impose his own order on the earth by building towns and cities with walls and gates: “They said to each other, ‘Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.’ They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.’ But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The Lord said, ‘If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.’”  

     Why did God impose confusion on His children? 

     Man will place his security in his cities, towers and fortifications. What man loves, he worships, and if he worships anyone/anything that is not the Lord, it is an idol. His cities will become idols—a source of pride and adoration.  Ancient kings boasted of their cities.  Massive building projects were ego-fests of the ruling elite.  Big men, big city.  

     The ultimate idol-worshipping people were the Egyptians.  Their order, manifested by their belief in idols, in their god-king and in their huge cities, was false.  This “order” is based on a lie, for the idols do not exist. Thus, man’s foundation is built upon nothing. So, to show the superiority of God over the Egyptian concept of order, with its god-king, building projects, and gods for every natural force, the Ten Plagues will be a reversal of creation.  It will be a reversal of Genesis.  God will show how false an order it truly is. 

     Moses, with the Lord of all creation working with him, will be a fulfillment of the worst fears of ancient people:  chaos will come again.  

Next time:  The Ten Plagues and God's Mighty Hand

From Chaos to Christ! Part I

Let us begin with Psalm 19's declaration:

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.

What are the stars telling us?  They are telling us, along with all of creation, that our God is the God of order, and is actively involved in reversing what sin brought to the planet.


What is the news telling us? Disorder and chaos are everywhere. It is what it is.


Who is right? The creation or CNN? Do you fear what you see, or do you stand on what is promised?

Let's go back to being an ancient people, staring out into the world around us. Is the order that we see permanent? Subject to change? Will sooner or later disappear?


Last night, we had a harvest moon and lunar eclipse. The night before, the full moon was so bright, it lit up the night with a lovely silver light. Last night, however, it was shrouded in darkness, with a deep russet hue. It was a scary contrast from the night before. (But I am a child of the Enlightenment and science; I know why the moon did what it did.) But, thousands of years ago, I would have trembled under such a moon.

Ancient people feared chaos. To the Greeks, for example, Chaos was the first thing that existed; darkness (“Erebus”) and night (“Nyx”) came from Chaos. One philosopher claimed that chaos was a “shapeless heap” and all the elements were thrown together in a formless mass.


Why this fear of chaos? Ancient people were one harvest, one insect plague, one blight, one flood, one epidemic away from disaster from the natural world. Ancient people were one invasion, one battle, one defeat, one siege, one capture away from disaster from the human world.

In ancient times, chaos led to disorder, which led to death. Pure and simple.  This dark water is a nightmare for ancient people—if things started out that way, they can revert very easily...right?


Let's look at this key element, the water over which God hovers. Genesis was written by a man of the desert, Moses. It was read by a people of the desert: the children of Israel. Water to desert people (Canaan, Mesopotamia and Egypt) was a symbol of chaos as well as order. If it was controlled--irrigation--it provided a life-sustaining force. If it went out of control--flooding--it meant destruction and death.

God hovers above the water: He is above chaos; He is not in it or controlled by it. He is over it. Later on, Jesus walking on the water is no coincidence. He is walking over chaos.


What does God do? He imposes order on the chaos: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light 'day,' and the darkness he called 'night.'" God makes light triumph over the dark.


Next, "And God said, 'Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.' 7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the vault 'sky.'” God separates and thus controls the waters above. The sky will not fall, even in the most violent of rainstorms. Water is given a place under His hand.


Next, "And God said, 'Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.' And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground 'land,' and the gathered waters he called 'seas.' And God saw that it was good." God separates and thus controls the waters below. Ground is assured of not forever disappearing back under the waters.


Next, "Then God said, 'Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.' And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good." If you open an apple, you see an orchard yet to be born. The seeds in all plants means generation in perpetuity. Life is commanded to go on and on.

Next, "And God said, 'Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.' And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good." God designates lights that govern day and night, keeping darkness under control and separate; even night itself has light in it. Darkness is not the norm; light is.


Next, "And God said, Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.' 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, 'Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.'” Reproduction means abundance in perpetuity. Emptiness is not the norm; abundance is.


Next, "And God said, 'Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.' And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good." Again, reproduction means abundance in perpetuity. abundance is God's design.


Next, "Then God said, 'Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'” We govern the animals; we are a partner in God’s order.


Next, "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." We reflect Him and thus His order: we are the very embodiment of His orderly design.


Next, "God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.'” Reproduction provides continuity and order. We are designed to continue on; children represent this aspect of the divine order.


Next, "Then God said, 'I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.'” He assures food is available, because in an orderly system, all are provided for, whether animals or humans. Sustenance is not an accident or at the caprice of a impersonal system; it is in His design.

Next, "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good."


Good is equal to order, and order is equal to good. Chaos is banished. There is now form, fullness and light—the exact opposite of what God was originally hovering over.




Next time, "Where Four Rivers Meet" From Chaos to Christ, Part II

Get Growing!

     Interestingly enough, only Mark (4:26-29) records this parable.  Here it is:
     "He also said, 'This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.'”
     Jesus compared Himself to a grain of wheat: "And Jesus answered them, saying, 'The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal'" (John 12:24)
     Jesus sees the potential that is contained in a seed.  He knows of its amazing hidden power to grow beyond itself.  Jesus' death, like a seed, contained the hidden power of the Resurrection, which would not be made evident until Jesus was put in the earth.  
    The Kingdom of God is no different.  It must be planted and then its amazing power will be released.  
    You open an apple, and in its heart, in its center, is a group of seeds.  Small and black, they look nothing like an apple or an apple tree.  They certainly do not look like an orchard.  So, in effect, it takes faith to take these seeds outside and plant them in the ground.  Why faith?  Because they look nothing like what they contain.  They show no power.  They show no growth.  They are merely a handful of black seeds in the palm of your hand.  For now. 
    That's where this parable tells of Jesus and His Kingdom.  "A man scatters seed on the ground."  The man is the Man.  
     Jesus came to earth with nothing to recommend Him.  He was poor and from the boondocks.  Philip was so excited about this Man, Jesus, but look at Nathanael's reaction:  "Philip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote-- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.' Nathanael said to him, 'Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?' Philip said to him, 'Come and see.'" (John 1:45-6)
     Jesus scatters the message of the Kingdom on the ground:  the soil of His followers.  No matter what Jesus was doing, the seeds--the message of hope that His death and resurrection will inaugurate--took root.  The seeds grew because Jesus was all too aware of the power contained in the message.
     Why?  The message was of His Father, the Almighty God:  "For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me." (John 12:49-50)  The words, the message, the seeds:  the power contained therein is of God Himself.  
     Seeds grow and produce a harvest.  Jesus' ministry grew and produced a harvest.  But even more so, His death and resurrection released a power that now we as believers possess: "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you." (Rom. 8:11)
    Did you catch that?  We have the same power living in us that raised Jesus from the dead!  Whoa!  Now that's good news!  You may see yourself as a wee seed.  God sees you as a field of waving grain, able to feed many.  How so?  The same Power that raised Jesus--the Father in heaven--raises you to new life and His abundance.
   You see a seed.  He sees an orchard.
   You see a seed packet in the garden section of the store.  He sees a beautiful garden.
   You see a pine cone.  He sees a forest.
   You see yourself as one insignificant person. He sees His child, set to work by His power and His message of love.   
   See yourself as He sees you, and in the power of His Son, get growing!

    This is a tiny baby praying mantis.  He (or she...how do you tell?) may be small now, but as it grows, it will be a mighty hunter, able to take down butterflies.  God loves the small things, for He is excited by what will be.  He loves you and is excited by what will be!
 
     

WOO's There

     I have an interesting digression from the parables.  I learned an important lesson the other night.
     The other night, I could not sleep.  The moon was about three-quarters full.  The stars were washed away in such a brightly lit sky.  As I sat at my computer, I heard the lovely sound of an owl.
      I love owls.  One night, many years ago, as I was walking through a park, I heard two owls hooing to each other.  I joined in and much to my delight, they responded back.  The park was dark, and the owls were in the trees, hidden from my view, but our lovely conversation went on for quite awhile.  I have never forgotten this.
    Whenever I hear an owl, I try to locate it.  This is never easy, given its nocturnal habits.  So, I looked intently to find it.  Perhaps it was perched on a fence railing or on the roof of our shed.  I would have settled for a silhouette!  I couldn't see anything from my living room windows.  Despite the brightness of the moon, the shadows were dark and deep.  But I could still hear it...
     So, I went to the back door and crept outside.  The wind was softly blowing, and I hoped the owl did not hear the creak of the back door.  It was out in the front yard somewhere, but I know owls have amazing hearing. I tiptoed around the side of the house, and yes it was still there, quietly hooing.
     I peered around the edge of the house, and could not see it.  I was disappointed.  I tiptoed back, hoping I would not run into a bear, mountain lion or surprised husband.  I went back into the house, and I heard it.
I thought about sneaking around the other side of the house, and then logic took over.  It was time for bed.
     OK, what did I learn?  (I know what you are thinking:  It's an owl.  Why sneak around your own house to see an owl?  You're sounding a bit crazy here...)
     Boom!  That's Point #1:  You are not smitten by owls, thus you will not go sneaking around your house on a late summer night.  No owl, however big or beautiful, will lure you out of your house.
     So...let's run with this.  If the owl is comparable to sin, then I am lured out by what I am tantalized by, and you are not.  You might hear the alluring call of an owl, but you stay put.  But:  What if the alluring call is an elk (OK, hunters, here we go) and you have an elk tag...You will grab your rifle or bow of choice and head out that door.  I, on the other hand, will not step outside to hear/see/confront an elk.  Elks are big (I have seen them mounted on walls, and if their heads are that big...) and I dare not run into one unprepared.  I would stand my ground during an elk call.
     Owls?  Away I go.
     So, we are only enticed by that which we enjoy/delight in/are curious about/have an appetite for.  Owls for me, elks for you.  But, we hear the call.  So, if I am in the house, you can be sure Satan will have an "owl" perched out there.  If you are in the house, he'll post an "elk."  James puts it this way:  "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.  But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.  Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.…" (1:13-15)
     Wow.  That says it all.
     Now:  Point #2:  The owl wasn't going to oblige me and come into my house and perch on my living room couch for a chat.  I couldn't even see it, let alone invite it in.  It wouldn't come in unless I somehow managed to catch it, and even then, the results of one ticked-off owl would be unpleasant.
      So, I went out to find it.
      So, sin is out there.  It calls your name.  It entices you.  It intrigues you.  It piques your curiosity.  What is going on outside?  Ignoring it is easy if you have no interest in it.  But, you have to open the door and go out and find it.
     Look how the Lord warns Cain as he is contemplating killing his brother:
     "Then the LORD said to Cain, 'Why are you angry, and why is your expression downcast?  Is it not true that if you do what is right, you will be fine? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it.'”
     Doors don't just open themselves.  You turn the handle.
     Computers don't just turn on by themselves. You have the mouse.
     The TV won't turn itself on.  You have the remote.
     Sin is always calling, crouching, waiting.  But you have to go out and meet it.  I left my house, walked in the dark, looking for the owl.  I could hear it, but I wanted to see it. 
     I couldn't control its hooing, but I could control my searching for it.
     Here comes Point #3:  Sin is out there.  Period.  There has never been a time when sin wasn't hooing outside mankind's door.  Sin has its territory.  I went out into the night, into the owl's territory.  It can see in the dark; I cannot.
     If you go out into sin's territory, you are going to be in a place where you can't see around every corner and where the dangers lay hidden.  I could have stepped on a rattlesnake, or tripped and fell, even though I know my front porch.  But a porch in the daytime is not the same porch at night.  Shadows hide the places where I could have fallen.
   Jesus has a remarkable comment to make on how we are to deal with sin.  He teaches us to avoid it.  Don't go out into the night:  "If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire..." (Mark 9:43).  
     In other words, do whatever you must to stay out of sin's territory.
     If the computer causes you to sin, put it in the kitchen or in some very public place in your home.  If it still calls your name, throw it out.
     If the TV causes you to sin, limit your cable package, drop your cable or throw it out.
     In other words, be serious about sin.  It's serious about you.
     Finally, Point #4:  Noticed how I sneaked out of my house to find that owl?  I didn't dash in the bedroom, awake my sleeping husband, and shout, "Honey, there's an owl out there.  Wanna help me find it?"
     Nope.  Do we run up to people and shout, "Hey, I'm gonna look at porn.  Wanna join me?"
     If you have to sneak/keep secrets/hide what you do/avoid discussing what you do, then you are sinning.  Period.
     Sin will always hold a fascination for us.  Our nature responds to its call.  My owl experience taught me to not seek out sin's territory.  Stay in the house:  The Father's house, and listen to Him.

This is the only picture I have been able to take of an owl.  It was growing dark, it was foggy and as you can see, I won't be winning any awards for this shot.
      
     
    
     

What to do While Waiting for Him

     Matthew in Chapters 23-25 chronicles an interesting series of parables as we come to the end of Jesus' earthly ministry. 
     Jesus excoriated the Pharisees for their hypocrisy, warning the crowds and His disciples not to be like them in any way.  He mourned for Jerusalem, knowing what will befall it in the future.  His disciples, astonished that anything will come against the mighty City of David (after all, God's house is there!), asked Him to elaborate on the coming destruction and what will precede His return.
     He tells them the signs to look for and how the future will be similar to Noah's time.  People will be focused on their daily lives and will ignore the warnings until this future "flood" will come and sweep them away. 
     Jesus subsequently starts a series of parables, underscoring the preceding discourse.  He talks of the "faithful and wise servant" who serves his master faithfully, even though the master is not around.  He contrasts this with a "wicked" servant, whose self-serving behavior betrays his supposed love for his master. 
     He then talks of the ten virgins.  Five are completely prepared to meet the bridegroom.  He contrasts these with the five who didn't care enough to be ready for him. 
     If Jesus told the crowd and His disciples not to be like the Pharisees (who are the supposed local role models for Godly living) then who should they emulate?  These parables unpack that question beautifully:  Love and serve the Master and Bridegroom out of reverence and love, and act as if each coming day will be that Day!  Don't behave out of fear and duty. 
     Love is the calling card of this new Kingdom.  The older Kingdom with its Temple, sacrifices, and priests will be fulfilled by a new covenant.  This will be the New Covenant of Jesus' blood.  He will enter Jerusalem as the final sacrificial Lamb.  God will be fully satisfied by what His Son will soon do. 
     The Temple will be demolished by the Romans in 70 AD and the Jewish people will be scattered to the four winds.  But this New Covenant will sustain and supply the Kingdom of God will everything it needs:  faithful servants of God, empowered by His very own Spirit. 
     The Temple of God will be these new believers, as they come to be indwelt by His Holy Spirit.  The Sacrifice will be His Son.  And the priests?  Us.

     Next, Jesus talks of three men who were given talents, and were expected by their departing master to use them wisely, multiplying what they have.  The one fellow who buries his talents, because he considers his master harsh and unforgiving, is castigated for acting out of fear and selfishness. 
     Onto the next parable, the one about the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25:31-46:
³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”      The sheep are sheep because of how they acted.  They relieved the suffering of others, especially those whom the old order--the Pharisees--despised:  the hungry, the naked, the foreigner, the sick and the criminal.  While the Pharisees stood about, debating the minute details of the Law, dressed in glorious attire and sought to silence Jesus, those who really knew His Father were out and about, meeting the needs of the people who needed God the most.   
     The goats are goats because of how they acted.  They saw the need.  They weren't ignorant of the hungry or the naked.  What they refused to see was that their Heavenly Father wanted to use their hands and feet to push His Kingdom forward.  They were too busy debating, parading and masquerading as if the Kingdom was on their terms.  They could do what they wanted, when and with whom they deigned to be kind with, and that was good enough.  Right?
     Wrong.   
     All of these parables boil down to one key truth:  while you are waiting for Him to return, serve others.  Love others as you love Jesus.  Prompted by His Spirit, be willing to be His hands and feet in this needy world.  
     Know your Master well by reading His Word and spending time with Him.  Thus, you will serve Him out of reverence and love.  Duty and fear have no place in this Kingdom.
     You'll be so busy doing Kingdom work, His return will happily catch you by surprise.