Random Thoughts

These are the kind of things that get me in trouble. Yet, it seems to be in my nature to inquire about things I don’t understand. Call me stupid, but some times I just want to know, or at least explore.

Take for example the building of the Tabernacle in Exodus 25-27. Based on a rough estimate, the account in the NRSV involves around 2500 words. Because of the economy of the Hebrew language, let us say that in the original it may have involved 1800 words. Maybe more, maybe much less. Either way, it’s a large chunk of information.

Now Moses and his assistant Joshua go up on Mount Sinai together, but Moses alone, enters “the cloud” and spends forty days and forty nights up there with God. During this time one of the items Moses receives are the blueprints for the tabernacle, the sanctuary of God. It is laden with detail. (How’s that for an understatement?)

Here is where my mind starts spinning. Moses, by his own admission is a bit slow of speech and not a real rationale thinker. Hence the need for Aaron’s assistance on numerous occasions. In fact, Moses finds it difficult to get around the desert with much accuracy. Therefore, how, under God’s heaven, does this man retain this blueprint information or who is taking notes for him?

Two tablets of stone…”Written with the finger of God.” Yes, I am aware I do not have to understand it. Yet, those must have been some rather large stones or the writing on them, some very creative short hand. What we usually think of when we picture the tablets of stone are the ten commandments. Not details of the tabernacle, priestly vestments and the like. Nevertheless, there it is, detail after detail.

I know you plenary verbal folks are probably flipping out right now, and the “god-breathed” crowd are rolling their eyes, but seriously. This is pretty heady stuff. This is not some random theological proposition. This is intricate detail down to lamp stands and pole rings; gold leaf and incense.

What’s that you say about “angels dancing on the head of a pin?” Why this is no such thing. It goes straight to the heart of inspiration, infallibility, and inerrancy. Besides, how did the “bread of the Presence” get in here already?

Well, I must say, if for no one else, it’s been a fun little exercise for me. It is such a joy seeing God’s Word come alive and challenge me and prick my mind and stimulate my thoughts. Ink and paper by themselves are such boring items.

God Bless the reading of His Word! 

God bless men like me, who so often don’t comprehend it.

The Law

If you said to people familiar with the OT, “I thought of my mother while reading in Exodus today.” Many might immediately conclude that I hand in mind the commandment to “Honor your father and your mother…” (Ex. 20:12)  And they would be wrong. I actually thought of her regarding two particular sayings she used to always throw out at me…”I hope that put the fear of god in you!” and “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”.

What caused those two wonderful pieces of advice to surface where one particular passage in Exodus and one overall theme. The passage is 20:20, “Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin.” Seems rather paradoxical. On one hand “do not be afraid” on the other, “fear him”.  Of course, it is not a paradox. We have nothing to fear when it comes to our relationship with God if we have the proper fear of Him. Something, I believe, is sorely lacking in the contemporary church. (Large statement, I know)

The other is “good intentions”. On several occasions the wonderful people that Moses has in tow, offer up these words or something similar, “Everything that the LORD has spoken we will do.”  Of course, we all know that was not the case. In fact, it seemed as though they could not wait to do otherwise.  How like me, these pitiful people called God’s chosen people appear to behave at times. Saying one thing and doing another. Whatever were they thinking?

It appears I must confess, my dear mother may have been right. Even though, I don’t think those words were ever spoken in tones of philosophical wisdom, she indeed was speaking the truth. Fear of God is a good thing and good intentions are a bad thing if not followed with proper action.  Way to go mom!

Father Spirit, may I always have proper respect for who you are – the God of the universe, there is none like You. May my intentions be supported by action that is pleasing to you and honorable to my fellow man.  In Jesus Name.

If…Then

If…then
If…then
Like hands on a clock
Tick tock, tick tock

Listen…obey
Listen…obey
Beating out a rhythm
Keeping tune with time

Hear…do
Hear…do
Like the thumping of a heart
Pulsing, pounding, pulsing, pounding

We think there are other options
We hope for an in-between
A maybe
A sometimes –
There is none

Come…follow
Choose…this day
Not tomorrow
Or the next
But this day

Hot…cold
With…against
We think it hard
He thinks it easy

If…then

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Apologetics

“I know when I am gone, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Some even from your own group will come distorting the truth in order to entice the disciples to follow them. Therefore, be alert…” Acts 20:29-31a

Be alert….the world needs more lerts!

Apologetic – one who defends or attempts to justify a doctrine or belief. (Webster’s New World Dictionary & Thesaurus, 2002)

For most of my life I have not seen the necessity for apologetics. It has never seemed reasonable to me that defending the “faith” based on arguing, debating, or philosophizing has ever really gained much. I’m not certain even if winning a debate the agnostic, atheist, or unbeliever, would convert based on their losing the argument. Perhaps I’m missing something, but I’ve never seen the need to defend or justify the gospel.

That does not mean that we should not be able to recognize heresy when we encounter it, or sloppy doctrine, or poor teaching. We should, indeed. That does not mean we should not be able to stand our ground when the Jehovah Witness ring our bell (doorbell that is) or the Mormons stop by our home, or we get accosted by some other loosely defined religious group somewhere in our journey. It just means how much time should we invest in that arena?

I remember as a new Christian, my little band of groupies and I went down to Arrowhead, CA to the Campus Crusade for Christ headquarters. We were there to get prepped for a witnessing campaign during the Rose Bowl parade. We were pumped and psyched!  As luck would have it, my first “target” was a grad student in Philosophy from UC Berkeley. To put it candidly, he ate my lunch!  I did not talk to another person the rest of the day, but I did enjoy the parade!

Since that experience, it seems to me that issues surrounding apologetics always boil down to “my point” against “your point”. Sometime neither person can substantiate their points based on fact, often it’s just “belief” or supposition. If there are facts, usually the other side has similar, but different facts on their side. It’s like Moses causing the Nile to turn to blood only to have Pharaoh’s sorcerers do the same thing. Neither party gained anything that day except a red Nile that stunk up the place.

Paul is warning the elders from the church at Ephesus that there are going to be some power mongers and some folks who are going to be distorting the truth. Some will even be in their own “congregation”. Their intent will be to gain a following for themselves – to “entice the disciples.” Since Paul cannot be there he exhorts them to refresh themselves on the current philosophers of the day; brush up on the latest readings regarding creation vs. evolution; and ingest some archeological journals so that they’ll be prepared for this onslaught.

No……..He commends them to “God and the message of his grace.”

Now it’s not quite that simple, but pretty much. Sound orthodoxy will deflate over extended hypotheses almost every time.  Love wrapped in God’s grace will dissolve most doubters. If not, if the Holy Spirit speaks to their heart and they shut themselves off or out, no amount of defending our faith or anyone else’s will matter at that point.

Having said all that, I think I’ll go ahead and register for the upcoming conference on Apologetics being held here in the Charlotte area in November. It should be fun!  Then again….

1 Peter 3:15-16a

God’s Presence

“Much of our difficulty as seeking Christians stems from our unwillingness to take God as He is and adjust our lives accordingly.” (A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God)

When was the last time your bushes were burning? Or someone said to you, “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

The experience of Moses on Mount Horeb is more than just the beginning of an exodus. It represents a refreshing of a relationship between God and his people. That is a saga in and of itself. What I find fascinating is this….”And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.” (Ex. 3:6) He was in the very presence of the almighty and he knew that he dare not look! What intrigues me about that is the difference between then and now. 

If that were to happen today, I suspect the first thing the person would do is try to get a look at God.  If a voice said “remove your sandals for you are standing on holy ground.” I suspect the first thing out of the person’s mouth would be, “Why? What’s wrong with my flip flops?”

When was the last time you sensed the presence of God in such a way that you felt you dare not look, and that you must remove your “sandals”?  Which leads me to this question…

Are we dumbing-down worship?

As many of you are aware my wife and I continue to seek a local church home. So we have had many opportunities to experience a variety of different churches and “worship services”.  I have also done extensive exploration on the Internet both locally, regional, and across the nation to see what’s going on and I have to ask, “Are we dumbing-down worship?” By that I mean:

1. Has the focus become more on evangelism instead of growing the faith of the present believers?
2. Has the “casual” nature of worship in some churches developed such an attitude of familiarity with God, that we no longer sense the awe and wonder of God’s presence in worship?
3. Have we become so performance oriented that we have lost the power of God and replaced it with the power of man to sway the emotions of other men?
4. Have we become so focused on “mega” when it comes to size that we’ve lost the magnificence when it comes to El Shaddai

My observation is familiarity breeds contempt, or so they say. And I believe it may be true when it comes to some forms of contemporary worship. In many instances it’s no longer a Sunday morning worship. It resembles more of a Sunday afternoon barbeque.

From what I see on the Internet or talking to others, this trend is not unique to this area, in fact it may be more prevalent in other parts of the country than in this area. So, the question must be asked is it our “form” of worship that others resist that leads the church in this direction or is it the content of our faith? Do we think for one minute that if we somehow provide Lazy-Boys and Podcasts that people will believe or grow in their faith? Is it someone’s contention that the un-saved will be swayed by drama, concerts, or coffee in the vestibule?  And since when did the primary worship service become a vehicle for evangelism anyway? 

No, I do not have the answers. I have some suspicions. Nevertheless,  I suspect Tozer is right, we have an “unwillingness to take God as He is and adjust our lives accordingly.”  We would rather God adjust His, to ours! Whether that is in corporate worship or individual worship.