Room For Two.

As is our custom at Bronx Bethany, our combined English- and Spanish-speaking congregations worshiped together yesterday, the fifth Sunday of the month. Pastor Martha's message was taken from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5 through 7).

At the heart of her message was the issue of intimacy with Christ. Our pastor used an example found in the Song of Solomon, an allegory of Christ and His Church, where the Lover and the Beloved express a deep longing for each other and a desire for constant closeness.

Pastor Martha shared with us that the Christian who is pressing towards intimacy with Jesus does not enter His Presence with a list of requests. Rather, he enters in to God's Presence simply to enjoy, praise, and adore Him. We demonstrate the attributes commended by Jesus in His sermon: we come to Him poor in spirit; mourning over our sins and the sins of the world; hungering and thirsting for His righteousness; being a source of peace and peacemaking; demonstrating humility; and enduring persecution. As we embrace these attributes, we look more and more like Him as time goes by.

I encourage us all to read (or re-read) Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7, and The Song of Solomon (Song of Songs), as we take time this week to reflect on the word of God. It's more reading than I usually refer to in this blog, but what harm is there in spending time getting to know the character of the One we love?

"Bon-" Fire!

My dear husband, an accomplished pianist, gave me a wonderful Christmas gift. It is a book containing the sermons of another man who was an accomplished pianist: Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

The world knows Bonhoeffer as a key figure in the Nazi resistance movement, but he was more than that. He, like me, had been a teenager who lost a brother to Death. He, like my husband, loved music and teaching. But he, unlike my spouse and myself (thus far), died as a martyr. Bonhoeffer did not live to see his fortieth birthday.

I would like to call Bonhoeffer a saint in the loftiest sense of the term, but in my reading thus far I have been struck by the ordinariness of his days on earth. He was a regular guy, making a living doing what he loved and boldly speaking out against injustice. Perhaps we can call him an "ordinary saint" who had been touched by our extraordinary God, and he accomplished the will of God while he lived.

I'm about seven years older now than Bonhoeffer was when he died, and I am asking myself the question such men's lives can initiate in the heart: Am I doing what God wants me to do?

As we approach New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, it seems natural and almost de rigueur to reflect on the past and consider the future. It is our custom to dream and make lists of things to do in the new year.

May I ask us all to do something? Instead of the world's method of merging fantasy and ambition, let us engage some saintly activities in our quest to do something significant in 2013.

If we believe God is our Creator and Governor, then we would do well to seek His direction as to what we undertake in 2013. We see that Bonhoeffer was a man who sought God's direction, and who lived with significance as an ordinary saint. We can do the same.

First, we become ordinary saints in the biblical sense of the term: men and women who have chosen to live lives of holiness, modeled on the life of Jesus Christ and sustained by the ministry of the Holy Spirit. We demonstrate simple, joyful obedience to the commands of God.

Second, we become men and women who are deeply in love with Jesus. Our love for Him is expressed through acts of devotion: prayer, giving of time and money, fasting, reading of the Scriptures, assemblies of public worship, acts of compassion, attention to the preached Word of God, and times of silent contemplation.

Third, we constantly ask for God's help. In these human frames it is easy for us to begin a discipline, then drop it (or allow it to be subsumed by other activities deemed more urgent). We need help to love as He loved. We need help to suffer as He suffered. We need help to remain on task and not become distracted from fully doing His will. We even need His help in order to pray aright!

God is Sovereign, and He may choose to give us individual directives for 2013 as He sees fit. But I pray that this post will be a small beginning for us, with greater things yet to come.

Some of us, and I include myself, have unfinished works from 2012. Let us ask for forgiveness and, if we have the opportunity and God's approval, continue working. Some of us have been working against God and He has, so to speak, taken our talent and given it to the man who has ten. Let us earnestly seek God's pardon, if there is opportunity, and appeal to the grace and mercy of God. We can do this: we have the evidence of King Hezekiah, a man whose post-judgement appeal caused God to relent.

Our God is gracious. He has some works to accomplish through us.
What does He want you to do?

Handled. With Care.

"Any thing that God takes charge of, God will take care of."

Pastor Sam has said this to us on more than one occasion, but when he said it near the close of the Christmas morning message it was as if I was hearing it in a new light.

Oh, God, take charge of me! Take care of me!


God is in charge of us, even when our circumstances look bleak.
God cares for us, even when it appears that no one is on our side.


Our God is an awesome God who does things we don't fully understand.

• He is the God who, at the intersection of life where we hold the right-of-way, can tell us to not move.
• He is the God who speaks incredible things in an instant, but gradually manifests them over years.
• He is the God who defies logic and asks us to trust Him as we step outside of the "normal" course of life.
• He is the God who asks us to stand up and speak for Him in a world that warns us to sit down and stay quiet. 

Jesus, fully God and fully man, has done things we don't fully understand.

• He willingly left His glorious kingdom and came to earth.
• He endured rejection even before He came out of the womb, as the inn was deemed too full to accommodate His presence. 
• He began life as a homeless infant, a cattle-feeding trough as His bed. 
• He was a refugee toddler, living in Egypt as Herod killed every other baby boy in His hometown.

Why would a King subject Himself to such degradation at His entry into the earth, and allow it to continue for decades? As the old hymn goes, What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss to bear the dreadful curse for my soul?

I don't understand why He has done this... but I embrace what He has done.

It is an oxymoron, but it is true: there is an incredible freedom that comes into our lives when we choose to enslave ourselves to Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul often spoke of himself as "the bondservant of the Lord". Lord, I had a choice, and I have chosen to be Your slave, and You have in turn set me free.

So here we are. We can be homeless, and yet be His. We can be rejected by man, yet loved by God. We can be deemed illogical by the world's standards, yet be in God's perfect will. There is no better place for us to be than in the hands of God.

The Owner is in charge; the Owner cares.
Yes, Lord. Reign and rule over me.

A Flash Of Glory

Bronx Bethany has a history of adjusting service protocols on certain days: Easter Sunday morning, the church anniversary weekend, the Sunday before Christmas, Christmas morning. Essentially, those services are packed with extras: videos, tons of choral music, special presentations, dance and drama, et cetera... and the time allowed for the sermon is cut in order to net the same length of service time as a "normal" service. I really wonder how God feels about that practice, particularly in light of First Corinthians chapter 1, and whether we will have to give an account for such on the Great Day.

That said, though, a sermon does not have to be long in order to have profound impact. Pastor Sam gave us proof of this. He spoke for just a few minutes on Christmas morning, and those few minutes carried much weight (that is, chabod). At the heart of the message was a simple, but deep, statement: God is activated, and no one can stop Him.

Rage won't stop Him. Our pastor reminded us that Jesus, thanks to the obedience of Joseph, escaped the infanticide ordered by King Herod. Herod, in ordering the murder of all male children aged 2 and under, sought to ensure for himself that no rival king would emerge in the region of his rule. But God sought to ensure that His Son would be a survivor of Herod's rage... so much so that He ordered Joseph to leave not just the region, but to leave Israel entirely and flee to Egypt, a place where Herod had neither authority nor influence.

There are times when we win by running far away from our oppressor.


Ridicule won't stop Him. He came to His own, and His own received Him not (John 1:11). Pastor Sam shared with us that "God has engaged in the world, and has inaugurated His reign in the world." Christ came to earth as a baby for the ultimate purpose of triumphing, as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, through His blood. The misunderstandings, jealousies, and plots against our Christ did not diminish His Lordship, and certainly did not deter His mission and purpose.

There are times when we win by remaining focused on our call and role.


Rebellion won't stop Him. Pastor Sam said, "Christmas is about God breaking in to keep His promise." The thousands of years of sin and rebellion against God was cracked and crushed by the birth of Jesus. We are without excuse. God has rescued us by sending Jesus. The One who walks on water and raises the dead with a word is standing right next to us, ready to save us the moment we ask. He is here to help us. But, He will not force us to come to Himself. We must come to Him of our own free will.

There are times when we win by reaching out, freely, to the Master.


Lord God, we adore You! We adore Your Christ! We adore Your Spirit! And we will cling to You. The rage, ridicule, and rebellion of man will not succeed in tearing us from Your side. We have said yes to You. Our yes means yes, forever. Thank You for giving us Your strength and power to walk away from sin and sinning. We are Yours. Do what You please with us, in us, through us, to the glory of Your great Name. Thank You, Jesus.

Oh, Unrequited Love!

During this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Sam shared with us a point that is central to our faith: our humanity does not mean that we have to sin. The proof for this statement is found in Jesus, our Lord who became man and lived life on earth without sinning. It is a point that is reiterated throughout the book of Hebrews: For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses. Instead, we have one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet he never sinned (Hebrews 4:15).

One of our challenges is that we perceive temptation as sin. The devil will always offer us opportunities to do the wrong thing. Our flesh too, in its depraved state, will (if left unchecked) chase after things and people that are harmful to the state of our souls. However, the temptation in and of itself is not the sin. What does the Scripture say?

Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. (Matthew 4:1)

For inasmuch as Jesus has himself felt the pain of temptation and trial, He is also able instantly to help those who are tempted and tried. (Hebrews 2:18)

The high priest is able to deal gently with ignorant and wayward people because he himself is subject to the same weaknesses. (Hebrews 5:2)

Matthew Henry's Commentary makes a profound connection between temptation and prayer:

"The High Priest must be a man, a partaker of our nature. This shows that man had sinned. For God would not suffer sinful man to come to him alone. But every one is welcome to God, that comes to him by this High Priest; and as we value acceptance with God, and pardon, we must apply by faith to this our great High Priest Christ Jesus, who can intercede for those that are out of the way of truth, duty, and happiness; one who has tenderness to lead them back from the by-paths of error, sin, and misery. Those only can expect assistance from God, and acceptance with him, and his presence and blessing on them and their services, that are called of God. This is applied to Christ. In the days of his flesh, Christ made himself subject to death: he hungered: he was a tempted, suffering, dying Jesus. Christ set an example, not only to pray, but to be fervent in prayer. How many dry prayers, how few wetted with tears, do we offer up to God! He was strengthened to support the immense weight of suffering laid upon him."

Herein lies a compassion that some may find strange. It is the compassion to urge people to live, and it is also a compassion that allows people to die. Jesus, our great High Priest, honors the plan of the Father... and God our Father has given each of us free will.

At the other end of the spectrum, another challenge is that we prefer our strongholds. Do you remember the account of the rich young ruler? He was a man who seemed to be doing quite well. He was gainfully employed, he kept the commandments of God, and he had a track record of being seen in the right place doing the right thing. But, Jesus informed this young man of a deep stronghold and instructed him to let it go.

Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, "One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property. (Mark 10:21-22)

The hymn-writer nailed the theme: Oh, the deep deep love of Jesus! Our Lord comes to us with ever-present compassionate care, and look at what we do to Him. We hoard our resources. We won't pray. We remain tightly yoked to unbelievers. We cling to known sin. Like the rich young ruler, we look in the face of Love, get sentimental about our temporal toys, and walk away from the King of Glory. And guess what? He loves you so much that He will let you make the choice to walk away.

My prayer is that none of us will walk away from our High Priest, Jesus. He knows how we feel, and He asks us to suffer with Him.

Close the joint account with sin. The rich young ruler, a faithful synagogue attender and keeper of external laws, knew that his life was not right. Jesus showed him that he could not be a true disciple unless he dealt with the stronghold of the love of money. What sin-based "joint accounts" are you and I holding, that Jesus is asking us to close?

Cling to Jesus, the only Savior. In Mark 10:23-31, Jesus informs His disciples that the only way to crush strongholds is by the power of God. "With man this is impossible, but not with God." Jesus, Himself fully man, teaches us that our humanity in and of itself will keep us out of the kingdom of God. We need a Savior, and God has graciously provided Jesus! His blood has made the way for our salvation.

This is not easy. The rich young ruler, knowing Jesus's love for him, walked away. While thousands flocked to hear Jesus speak, only a handful embraced Him as Lord (see John chapter 6). I pray that we will not just be entertained spectators, but that we will completely give ourselves over to the Lordship of Christ.

He loves you. Do you love Him?

Manger, Baby.

(Photo of cattle taken by me on December 25, 2012. Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, Rockefeller State Park Preserve)

While hiking with my sister-in-law on Christmas Day, we happened to reach the Stone Barns Center at feeding time. As the feeding troughs were filled with hay and oats, I could not help but think of the Christmas story. How appropriate that Mary laid Jesus in a manger (see Luke 2:7, 2:12, & 2:16). What has He said? I am that bread of life (John 6:48). Yes. Jesus is here to feed us.

Are you hungry for Him?

The cows in the above photo have provided a sort of allegory regarding our approach to the Word of God.

• Some of us are regularly at church, the place of spiritual feeding, but we won't accept a single bite of food.
• Some of us are grazing on the periphery, content with skimming the surface of spiritual truths.
• Some of us are digging deep, studying Scripture, seeking to uncover whatever hidden treasures may lie deep within the word of God.

  

Towards the end of this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Sam exhorted us to be sure that we are in right standing with God.

• Do we love Him intimately?
• Do we long for His Presence?
• Do we relinquish all that stands in opposition to Him?
• Do we readily and eagerly embrace the study of His word?

Our pastor read Hebrews chapter 2, and I would encourage all of us to re-read it today. At the heart of the appeal is an impassioned plea from the writer: Don't drop the truths you have heard.

Bronx Bethany, for nearly fifty years now, has offered a banqueting table where we can experience the love of God, the truth of God, and the power of God, that we might joyfully do the will of God. Will you feed on His word today, forever?

For God's sake, and for your own salvation, Jesus has set forth a luxurious feast. Eat.

Definitely No Vacancy.

(Photo of Devon oxen. Source: randallcattleregistry.org)

There were rooms in the inn, but there was no room for Jesus in the inn.
(See Luke 2:4-16)

There is a room in you specially created to be inhabited by the Spirit of Christ.

God has given you the choice to receive His Spirit into you,
His intended dwelling place,

or to refuse His Spirit
and have that room in you filled with selfishness, demonic presence, and fear.

This Christmas,
I pray that the gift and graces of the Holy Spirit will fill you
and keep filling you.

I pray you will never give that room in you to the enemy of your soul.

I pray you will embrace the One way in which Jesus has chosen to reveal Himself:
His Spirit.


There is a room in you. And, that room is not empty.
Who are you allowing to live there?

Now we have not received the spirit that belongs to the world, but the Holy Spirit Who is from God, given to us that we might realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts of divine favor and blessing so freely and lavishly bestowed on us by God. And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Holy Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language to those who possess the Holy Spirit. (First Corinthians 2:12-13)

Christmas, Spirit: What A Gift.

In yesterday's sermon, Pastor Sam completed his series Human Stories in the Divine Drama. The final person we studied in the Advent narrative is Jesus.

Our pastor spoke of his own challenge, while in school, of accepting the fact that Jesus's story is one of humanity. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). Yes, Jesus was fully God, but He was also fully human.

My blog post is a little later than usual today, because I was very sick throughout the night. But, gladly, my illness is helping me to better understand the profundity of the gospel of John. The Greek word, sarx, is one which refers to our flesh in its weakness and corruption. Pastor Sam gave us a sense of the grossness that sarx is. It is the human body, open to disease, sores, and excruciating pain. It is the human mind, subject to the most shocking temptations. It is the human heart, that Scripture informs us is deceitfully wicked (Jeremiah 17:9), an out-of-control liar resident at the core of our being. Humanity is a gross, sick, twisted, stinking race. We, on our own, have nothing good to offer.

Praise God, we have been rescued! Jesus has come. He came to us in humanity. He chose to dwell among us in the earth: to live, die, be buried, to rise again. He chose to be hungry, thirsty, tired, beaten, mocked, ridiculed. God chose to exalt Him, so that the world might worship and adore Him. He is God. "I and the Father are one": it is the testimony of our Christ, confirmed by His Spirit, that gives us hope.

He is God, and He is man. Jesus has given us a great example. He made His dwelling place among us. He Himself was human, sarx, and in His sarx He chose not to sin. We, too, can choose not to sin. How? By submitting our sick human frames to the Holy Spirit of God. Throughout the book of John, we read of the power of Jesus to heal, teach, and deeply love. But then, in John chapters 14 through 17, Jesus indicates that it is the Holy Spirit who will instruct us in the ways of Christ. The presence of the Spirit is not simply for feeling good or speaking in tongues or running down the church aisles or for crying uncontrollably. He is here to teach us how to say no to sin and say yes to authentic Christian love, a love that dies to self.

So, the question resident in the book of Acts still echoes today, as it has for millennia: Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed? If you have not, then how will you ever become fully freed from sin and sinning? How will you know what Jesus wants you to say and where He wants you to go? Scripture offers no other course of instruction. It is by the Spirit of God that we become conformed to the will and desire of God.

God is ever ready to give. Are you ready to ask?

O Lord Jesus, You have called us to submit and keep submitting to Your Spirit, the Holy Spirit who causes us to live. Give us grace to always say yes to Your directives, for the sake of Your holy name. Give us wisdom to ask for the continuous infilling of Your Spirit, so that we might truly live. Amen.

Advent IV

O LORD, raise up, we pray thee, thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered in running the race that is set before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; through the satisfaction of thy Son our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

(Collect for the Fourth Sunday of Advent. From the U.S. Book of Common Prayer, 1789-1928)

It's A Dead Reckoning, Dude.

Today we wrap up our reflections on the Christian experience of trauma in relation to the kingdom of God.

Here, again, are three statements Pastor Sam made during the message:

• "Sometimes in the process of grace, you go through untold trauma in the soul."
• "If you don't give up, don't bail out, don't resist, you might be around to see the end of God's grace."
• "What a joy it must be to know that God used you to do what He wants to do."

Today, let's think about the third statement.

Pastor Sam's statement on the joy of the just soul is not for everyone. The end of the sentence is the key: "What a joy it must be to know that God used you to do what He wants to do."

In the famed parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), we see that God has a wonderful reward for the just and righteous soul: "Enter into My joy! You have done wonderfully!" But the assessment of the value of one's work is bound in the validity of the work assignment: that is, are you doing what God wants you to do? Or, are you doing what you want to do?

Several years ago, a colleague of mine was in a regrettable situation. The person was a valued trustee and longtime churchgoer, but she insisted that she "had the right" to engage in serial adultery. Her rationale was that she was free to live her life as she pleased, and as long as she gave lots of money to church and diligently served on her board she would not be excluded from heaven. She was fully committed to doing what she wanted to do, whether for good or ill. And, she fully expected that God would commend her.

However, the Old and New Testaments are filled with words that urge us to do what God wants us to do. There are the Ten Commandments; the Great Commandment; the Great Commission. There are the psalms and proverbs which urge us to walk in wisdom and obedience to God's law and will. There are the parables of Jesus. There are the letters dictated by the glorified Christ to the seven churches noted in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. There are the countless exhortations from Old Testament prophets and New Testament apostles. The constant theme? "Do what God says."

Doing what God says, as we see from the life of Mary, is not an easy thing. Obedience costs.

But guess what? Our salvation was a costly acquisition.

When I was a child, one of the hymns I learned was Norman Clayton's Now I Belong To Jesus. Yes! Jesus owns me. He is the Master and I am His slave. He gave His life for me; I gave my life to Him. When the Lord calls, what can the authentic Christian do but obey? After all, what slave dares to tell his master what to do?

But that is what some in the faith have done.

-Yes Lord, I know You said I am to preach, but I'd rather play the guitar for You.
-Well, Lord, I know You said don't associate with him, but I need money and he has lots of it.
-Lord, we're going down to New Orleans to help build houses. We know You didn't ask us to, but could You bless our project anyway?
-Lord, I refuse to forgive.


In the parable of the talents, there was one servant noted for his disobedience. He buried his money into the ground instead of investing it. At the end of the project, he was identified as a man of sloth and wickedness.

-But digging a hole is hard work! And when is it wicked to safeguard someone else's property?

Digging a hole was hard work, but it was not a work wrought in support of the Master.
Safeguarding property is a nice gesture, but not when the Master has called us to take risks.

Lord, we have conducted our dead reckoning... and we now see that we have wandered far from Your desire. Please help us to return to the course You have set for us!

By Faith, Eye, See An Angel Approaching The Door.

 

For the Son of Man is going to come in His Father's glory with His angels, and then He will reward each person according to what he has done. (Matthew 16:27)

 

In today's blog, let's continue our reflections on Mary's prophetic word from Simeon, soul trauma, and the Christian experience of soul trauma in relation to the kingdom of God. Here are three statements Pastor Sam made:

• "Sometimes in the process of grace, you go through untold trauma in the soul."
• "If you don't give up, don't bail out, don't resist, you might be around to see the end of God's grace."
• "What a joy it must be to know that God used you to do what He wants to do."

Today, we consider the second statement.

As we read the Advent narratives in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, we see several instances where Mary could have resisted, bailed out, or given up. She could have resisted Gabriel's announcement and said no to God. Or, she could have accepted the announcement, but left her community and permanently relocated to the remote home of Elizabeth and Zechariah. She could have chosen to give Jesus over to the care of some other person or institution so that she would be spared from the challenges of parenthood, spared the pain of seeing His suffering, and spared from experiencing suffering in her own life.

She said yes. Mary bore and reared the child Jesus in the sight of her community. She recognized His power, and in His adulthood testified of His ability to do the miraculous. She watched Him die. She witnessed His resurrection and ascension. She received the gift of His Spirit. In the pain and crisis of her faith-filled, favored life, Mary experienced God. She saw the victorious life that eclipsed the pain and death of the cross, and she rejoiced.

Pastor Sam, however, placed a very important word in his comment: "might". Not everyone might get the chance to see the end of God's grace. The writer to the Hebrews laid out the truth: Some obtained a good report because of their faith, but they never saw the promise during their physical lifetime (see Hebrews 11:39).

Are we satisfied to be steadfast in our faith, to say yes to God's announcement for us, yet never see His victorious hand at work in the situations we face?

Earlier in Hebrews (chapters 6 and 7), the writer speaks at length about Abraham and about how certain things were accomplished through him. And, though they were not seen by him during his life, his descendants saw the results. Perhaps some of us will be called to end our lives without seeing physical evidence of answers to prayers, but we can nonetheless "see" the answers spiritually by faith. If God has made promises to us, and if we have remained faithful and obedient to His word, then we can be assured that He will ultimately honor and bless the word He has given to us.

Pastor Sam made the observation that ministers are sometimes pressured to sugar-coat the gospel of Christ in order to make it more palatable, more sale-able, more easily embraced. It is a pressure that must be resisted and crushed. I have had the experience of hearing highly educated clergy and congregants insist that God is obligated to work His wonders in the way we would best like to experience them, and that He must allow us to see His work with physical sight. It is a mindset that must be resisted and crushed.

Some months ago, another of our pastors (Pastor Richie) commented on God's prerogative to work His works without regard to space and time. In fact, a big part of the power of prayer is that prayer has the ability to reach backward and forward. This is how deliverance can occur. This is how miracles happen. God has the power to heal wounds that manifest in a man's adulthood today, but that were incurred in his childhood decades ago. God has the power to do a prevenient work, causing future situations to occur that should have not occurred given the "normal" course of life... like Elizabeth's pregnancy in her old age. Physics, physiology, logic, reason... God holds complete right of suspension.

This is the Christmas story. God took Himself from eternity and bound Himself to space and time in the person of Jesus Christ. He did this by suspending biological process, causing a virgin to conceive. He did this knowing that His breaking in to the world would cost some people their reputations, and others their lives.

So, here we are. Some believers might see the end of God's grace with their own eyes. Some believers might only see it through the eyes of faith. But, all believers will rejoice at the Presence and work of their King.

Resist the assumption that if you do not see it, God has not done it. Our Father is working. Have faith.

My Father sees and knows all things;
He sets up rulers, pulls down kings,
Reveals the hearts and thoughts of man.

I cannot see; I know He can.
He moves apart from time and space,
Permitting pains, extending grace.

Dear Mary, given special place,
Not fully seeing, told God yes...
Will you agree to His address?
(G.A.R.)

I Signed Up. I've Bought In. I'm Sold Out.

In this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Sam said several things that have caused me to reflect on Simeon's prophetic blessing of Mary, my own personal bouts of soul trauma, and what the Christian experience of trauma might mean in relation to the kingdom of God.

Here are three of the statements our pastor made:

• "Sometimes in the process of grace, you go through untold trauma in the soul."
• "If you don't give up, don't bail out, don't resist, you might be around to see the end of God's grace."
• "What a joy it must be to know that God used you to do what He wants to do."

Today, let's reflect on the first statement.

Simeon, as recorded in Luke 2:34-35, spoke specifically to Mary and by extension speaks to us: Yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul as well. In other words, it's not just about Jesus's ignominy. We who align ourselves completely and obediently to Jesus will suffer with Him. What has Jesus said? "The time will come that whoever kills you will think that he is doing God a favor. They will do it because they don't know the Father, and they don't know Me." (see John 16:2-3)

Trauma, as a term, carries the notion of being wounded quickly and violently. A sword will pierce your soul. It is not a gentle, anesthetized experience of crisis. Soul trauma is harsh and painful. But, it shows the world whether or not we are people who truly believe and obey God. The apostle Paul, in his letters, calls out his colleagues by name and gives assessment of the state of their souls: Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world (Second Timothy 4:10); Tychicus is a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellowservant in the Lord (Colossians 4:7); I beg Euodias and Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord (Philippians 4:2).

Jesus calls out some colleagues by name as well. Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat, but I have prayed that your faith won't fail (Luke 22:31-32). I know your works: you have not denied My faith, even in the days when My faithful servant Antipas was martyred among you (Revelation 2:13). Trauma enters the life of the believer, and trauma hurts deeply, but trauma does not derail true faith. Instead, it produces in us a grace: the grace of God that draws us ever closer to Him, and makes us look more and more like Him.

Soul trauma is not like physical trauma. Physical trauma debilitates; soul trauma builds. Psalm 119 reinforces this sense of soul trauma as a building exercise. Princes sat and spoke against me; but Your servant meditated in Your statutes; Your testimonies are my delight (Psalm 119:23-24). Remember Your word to Your servant, in which You caused me to hope; this is my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has kept me alive (Psalm 119:49-50). Trouble and anguish have grabbed me; but Your commandments are my delights. Your righteous testimony is everlasting; give me understanding, and I will live (Psalm 119:143-144).

Are you experiencing untold trauma in your soul? Embrace it as an evidence of the grace of God, a grace commended by heaven and deeply hated by the evil one. Perhaps your being targeted is proof of your incredible value to the kingdom of God.

Mary, you grace-filled, favored, noticed-by-God girl, your righteousness will cost you. Soul trauma is part of the package. All that you know and love might die, but you will experience My Kingdom life: righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Are you in with Me?

Cain Reaction.

Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi. Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and she refused to be comforted, because they were no more. (Matthew 2:16-18)

And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? And why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shalt be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. (Genesis 4:6-7)

And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary His mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Luke 3:34)

From Genesis to Revelation we see a pattern emerge: when righteous persons submit themselves fully to the desire of God, wicked persons respond in anger and rage. It was God Himself who exposed the pattern: 1) if the way of righteousness is not taken, then sin will overtake the soul; and 2) sin seeks to derail us, but we are called to be active overcomers.

God has given us the capacity to live our lives free from sinning. How? By intentionally choosing to live our lives bound to holiness. The apostle Paul picks up the theme in Romans 6, verses 14 and 15: “Sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law but under grace. What, then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Don’t you know that the one you yield to is the one you obey, either sin that leads to death or obedience that leads to righteousness?” What was the angel’s salutation to Mary? “Greetings, Mary: you are highly favored, the Lord is with you, you are blessed!” (see Luke 1:28) Her commitment to righteousness was commended by God.

King Herod’s commitment, though, was to himself. Upon hearing that a Child in his region was destined to be the king of the scattered Jewish diaspora, Herod sought to ensure that no king would emerge. In his rage he extended a wave of infanticide in and around Bethlehem, determined to derail God’s righteous Light. Herod, in serving the devil, manifested the action we find in Revelation 12 verse 4: “… the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.”

The irony of Herod, and Cain, and some people living in the world today, is that this deep rage co-exists with a feigned demonstration of worship. Cain’s murder of Abel was preceded by a presentation of an inappropriate offering to God, which God rejected (Genesis 4:3-5). Herod’s edict to murder all children under the age of 2 was preceded by a falsely stated desire to worship: When you find the Child, come back and tell me so I can worship Him too (see Matthew 2:8). The apostle Jude gives us a list of identifiers that expose persons who choose “the way of Cain”:

• They do not earnestly contend for the faith (verse 3);
• They use their God-given graces as a means of seducing people (verse 4);
• They deny Christ (verse 4);
• They demonstrate unbelief in God’s power even after God has rescued them multiple times (verse 5);
• They walk away from God’s presence and embrace darkness (verse 6);
• They give themselves over to sexual relations outside of the marriage covenant (verse 7);
• They defile themselves, disrespect authorities, and speak ill of their leaders (verse 8);
• They trade authentic worship for their own sense of how to approach God (verse 11);
• They conduct their unrighteous acts in the community of faith, without fear of reprisal (verse 12).

Simeon, in his prophetic blessing, gave Mary the whole story. Yes, your family is blessed: but know that many will respond to your righteous Son with rage. 

Mary was a righteous servant of the LORD, and she agreed with what God said. Herod was a selfish servant of the evil one, and he resisted what God said. Two camps then... two camps now.

Lord, we long to hear Your commendation on the Great Day. Please give us hearts and lives that walk in agreement with You. Yes, righteousness is our deep desire. Form it in us, we pray, for the sake of Jesus and His kingdom. Amen.

Blessing, Piercing, Mourning, Testing.

And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. (Luke 2:34-35)

And I will pour out upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication. And they shall look earnestly upon Me Whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him as one who is in bitterness for his firstborn. (Zechariah 12:10)

Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him; but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. (John 19:31-34)


Mary, according to Scripture, was present at the crucifixion of Jesus. So Mary lived to see Simeon's prophetic blessing come to fruition... but what sort of "blessing" is it to watch your firstborn die?

Pastor Sam reminded us of the danger of living life with what he terms a "kindergarten theology". Kindergarten theology assumes that Christian faith is a means by which we avoid hardship and trial. Our pastor urged us to recognize such thoughts as what they are: tools of the devil, used strategically to derail the faith of many when crisis enters their lives. We are called to exercise maturity in our faith. Mature faith understands that the blessings and graces of God are frequently accompanied by deep anguish.

The prophet Zechariah spoke of this correlation (Zechariah 13:8-9): "And in all the land, says the Lord, two-thirds shall be cut off and perish, but one-third shall be left alive. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined and will test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will hear and answer them. I will say, It is My people; and they will say, The Lord is my God." It is the awakened community of faith, the community alive in Christ, that God gives the privilege of being drawn closer to Him. How does the closeness bloom? Through the testing of our faith by the fire of adversity.

Mary. A young woman with a mature faith, equipped to endure the piercing that accompanied her blessing.

Will your soul still magnify the Lord in the season of testing?

Right, You Are... Just, You See.

Yesterday, Pastor Sam continued his series Human Stories in the Divine Drama.

Although the tradition in many churches is to focus on the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) on the third Sunday of Advent, our pastor also walked us through the prophetic statements made by Simeon, an elderly man who (like others in the Advent narrative) was described as righteous.

Pastor Sam mentioned in passing that there seems to be a pattern in the Advent narrative: the people highlighted in the Advent story are people who seek to do the will of God as recorded in His word. And, in seeking to do His will, they received the great reward and privilege of prophecy.

Is your Christian walk characterized by prophetic encounters with the living God?

Whether our answer is yes or no, we would all do well to seek after righteousness. Such a seeking opens the door to Divine revelation: words of commendation, comfort, and caution to encourage and equip the people of God. We will reflect on the sermon points over the course of this week; today, though, let us hear Simeon's story from Luke 2:25-35.

And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,

“Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace,
According to Your word;
For my eyes have seen Your salvation, Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
A Light of revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”

And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed— and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Advent III

O LORD Jesus Christ, who at thy first coming didst send thy messenger to prepare thy way before thee; Grant that the ministers and stewards of thy mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at thy second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

(Collect for the Third Sunday of Advent. From the U.S. Book of Common Prayer, 1789-1928)

I, Joseph.

Joseph, son of David.

When God calls, what can the righteous person say but yes?

Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife.

Yes asks the righteous spouse to relinquish their right to a quiet divorce.

What is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

Yes wrestles logic out of the righteous heart and replaces it with Divine mystery.

She will give birth to a son.

Yes opens the righteous spirit to clear prophetic revelation.

You are to give him the name Jesus.

Yes allows the righteous bystander a central role in God's program.

He will save his people from their sins.

Yes gives the righteous soul a chance to live a life in which sin has lost all appeal.

"When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him..."

Yes Lord, I'm awake. Yes.

Fourteen... Count Me In.

So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations. (Matthew 1:17)

During this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Sam took time to share the significance of the number fourteen. We learned that, just as the number seven signifies completion, the number fourteen signifies the certainty of the completion: it is, as our pastor shared, a "complete complete". There is no doubt that the hand of God is at work when Scripture evokes multiples of seven.

Joseph, therefore, is a critically important figure in the Advent narrative. The angel sent to speak to Joseph gave a significant salutation: "Joseph, son of David..." (Matthew 1:20). Why is Joseph addressed as "son of David"? Pastor Sam showed us that the name David, in Hebrew, is also an expression of the number fourteen. Joseph is not a random actor, but rather a hand-picked participant in God's project. He is a "complete complete".

Our great and gracious God has chosen certain people to be included in His salvation plan through the ages. The men and women in the Matthew 1 genealogy list may have had obscure beginnings in the world's eyes, but they were special to God! What a privilege to have been chosen by Him.

The Scripture testifies: "Mary's husband-to-be, Joseph, was a man who did what was right." (Matthew 1:19). God could count on Joseph. Can He count on you?

Yes, Domine. My Bags Are Packed.

When the Magi had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” (Matthew 2:13-15)

In Joseph's story, we see that his experience of the Divine occurred by means of prophetic dreams. The dreams, in which an angel spoke to Joseph, served several functions:

Encouragement and Explanation (Matthew 1) - Joseph was reassured concerning Mary's miraculous pregnancy, and was told to move forward in their marriage relationship without fear.

Escape and Establishment (Matthew 2) - Joseph was warned to leave town. In doing so he avoided encountering Herod's wrath, and was able to safely resettle his family twice: first in Egypt, then in Nazareth.

In this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Sam noted that Joseph obeyed the angelic messages without question and without delay. Joseph's response is a refreshing rebuttal to the norms of today, in which men choose to resist the promptings of God. We would do well to remember that God still sends messages through angels, and His angels still speak prophetically on His behalf. When we have received a clear word from the Lord, we ought respond to His word without needing to consult committees or call for board meetings.

"To the angel of Bronx Bethany, write: I know your deeds. I know your heart. I send My word. I give you warning. Obey, and overcome!"

Do not put out the Spirit's fire. Do not treat prophecies with contempt. (First Thessalonians 5:19-20)

Keep Calling Me Names.

In the Matthew and Luke accounts of the Advent and birth of Jesus, there are long lists of names. Pastor Sam shared with us that both lists, interestingly, are traced through Joseph-- even though the narrative clearly indicates that Jesus was sent by God to earth through Mary, without a biological father.

The genealogies stand as an ultimate, permanent reward to Joseph. In his earthly life Joseph endured the challenge of having to experience Jesus as a child he did not father, but had to take care of as his own. Further, and perhaps more challenging, Joseph embraced the co-opting of the normal process of marital relations. Our pastor brought out the point that Joseph, though told by the angel that he could take Mary as his wife (Matthew 1:20), chose to not consummate the marriage until after the child Jesus was born (Matthew 1:24-25).

It seems the Spirit of God noticed Joseph's passionate heart, and stepped in. Joseph, you were out of the picture, sexually speaking, because this pregnancy was a Divine miracle. And then you sacrificially kept yourself out of the picture for all the months Mary carried the unborn Child. So guess what? I'm putting you in the picture. Check the registry; your name is there.

Joseph's lineage is given to us as Jesus's lineage. Jesus, who has none of Joseph's blood in Him, is included in the bloodline traced from Joseph to Abraham (in Matthew 1:1-17), even to Adam (in Luke 3:23-38). And, while Luke 1:5 is very careful to indicate that both Zechariah and Elizabeth had priestly legacies, the Advent narrative does not bother to give us an explanation of Mary's heritage. So Mary, the one whose blood is in Jesus, is the only immediate relative in the Advent narrative who does not have her ancestry listed... though Scripture is careful to reinforce the fact that Jesus is her child, not Joseph's child (see Luke 2:4-7).

How can this be? It is a mystery we receive by faith. Joseph had faith. Mary had faith. What about you?