Where's My Hand Sanitizer?

"Don't touch that!"  "Do you have any idea where that's been?"  "Go wash your hands!"  I'm not a germaphobe… I just have a four-year-old son!  So lines like that are fairly common in my family.

Too bad it doesn't work the other way.  "Hey, you just washed your hands.  Go grab that slice of pizza out of the trash so it's clean to eat."  Yeah, I know… sounds ludicrous… and a little gross.  But it proves the same point Haggai was making to the when he asked the priests of his day, "'If a person carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, oil or other food, does it become consecrated?'' The priests answered, 'No.'  Then Haggai said, 'If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?' 'Yes,' the priests replied, 'it becomes defiled'." (Haggai 2:12-13)

As much as we'd like to be able to sanitize the world around us with a touch, it's just doesn't work that way.  So we carry our little bottles of antibacterial gel and try to keep our kids away from the yucky stuff.  The same is true in the spiritual realm.  While the sanctified life of a believer can certainly have a positive impact on the world, we can't eradicate all the sin in a room just by walking in.  To the contrary, it's much more likely that the "dirt" of our surroundings will rub off on us.  It's not as much a matter of proximity (Jesus Himself ate in homes of "tax collectors & sinners") as it is a matter of proclivity.  Can we walk in the midst of temptation and avoid our natural tendency to stick our hands in the dirt?  Or, as the old saying goes, can we be "in the world but not of it"?

For the people to whom Haggai spoke, the consequences went even further than personal pollution.  As they allowed the world around them to infect them, they discovered that, like a contagious disease, their own defilement continued to be passed along.  "'So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,' declares the LORD. 'Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled… I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail'." (Haggai 2:14, 17)

That's a scary thought… that God Himself may oppose the work I try to do, even in His name, if my life is not "clean" before Him.  "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress AND to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." (James 1:27)   So I'm going to pause and, as Haggai advised, "give careful thought to my ways" as I seek to serve the Lord… and perhaps apply a little "spiritual hand sanitizer" of confession and repentance as necessary.

It's All About the Follow Through

I'm a proud soccer dad.  My daughter's team just won their league tournament, and they did it the hard way.  It was a double elimination bracket, and they lost their first game of the day.  But then they gutted out five straight wins, including two in a row over a well-rested team that had only played two games before the final round.  Our kids were exhausted, but they didn't give up… and it paid off.  I give a lot of credit to their coach, Lenny, who is always preaching "follow-thru."  "Kick though the ball!"  "Run all the way to the net!"  "Never give up on a play!"  "Go till the final whistle!"

I think the prophet Haggai was bit like coach Lenny.  He arrived on the scene in Jerusalem in the middle of a stalled project.  His message was simple: "Get your priorities straight, and get the job done."  Many of the Jews formerly exiled to Babylon had returned to their homeland and begun rebuilding the temple.  But after several years, all they had to show was a foundation and an altar.

Haggai called the people to "give careful thought" to the situation (1:5, 1:7, 2:15, 2:18) and understand that their procrastination was not only disappointing to God but also a symptom of a deeper problem – failure to maintain proper priorities.  Their focus had shifted to the comforts of life rather than commitment to the Lord.  As a result, they failed to follow through and were missing out on the many blessings God wanted to pour out on them (1:3-11).

Sometimes I'm amazed at how easily I'm persuaded to procrastinate and how often I fail to follow through in my relationship to God and ministry for Him.  It doesn't even take exhaustion and blisters (see soccer reference!) or opposition and persecution (see Ezra chapter 4).  It just takes a turn of the head toward my own personal comfort and convenience.  Next thing I know, I'm jogging instead of sprinting, pulling up short on my runs to the goal, and missing out on the potential celebration of "scoring and winning" for the Lord.

So let's suck it up, listen to coach Haggai, get our priorities straight, and follow through for God!  GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLL!!!

Like Grounds In My Coffee

I love the Keurig in our office.  Like so many of my coffee-drinking friends, I've discovered the joy of having the exact flavor I want, exactly when I want it, one fresh cup at a time.  Ahhh…  But every once in a while, if we don't keep it cleaned well enough, that wonderful machine dispenses a nasty brown blob of coffee grounds along with my Caribou blend.  Bleh….


I learned in Zephaniah today that when I get complacent in life (does that include failing to clean the Keurig?), God thinks of me about like I think of those coffee grounds in the bottom of my cup.  In Zephaniah 1:12, God says, "I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and punish the men who are settled in complacency."  That word "settled" actually comes from the wine industry and describes wine that has "set on it dregs" (equivalent in my world to coffee that has set on its grounds!)  It can also be translated "curdled," like old milk.  So choose any of those pictures you like, but it's probably not a swig you want to take!

I also realized that "complacency" doesn't always equal "inactivity."  It really has a lot more to do with attitude than action, a concept revealed in the next phrase: "…who say in their heart, 'The LORD will not do good, nor will He do evil'."  In other words, "God doesn't really care.  He's probably not going to bless me or punish me regardless of what I do."

You can work hard and make a lot of money (Luke 12:16-21 or James 4:13-17) or even impact a lot of people in ministry (see Matthew 7:21-23 or 1st Corinthians 3:10-15) but still be complacent.  When our attitude becomes "just doin' the daily grind" or even worse, "just lookin' out for #1," we're in danger of becoming dregs in the decanter or mud in the mug.  When that happens, all we might have accomplished with any lasting value is in danger of being washed down the drain like soured milk.  That's what happens in Zephaniah's next verse: "Their goods shall become plundered, and their houses a desolation; they shall build houses, but not inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards, but not drink their wine."  (See also the results in Luke 12, James 4, Matthew 7 and 1st Corinthians 3!)

So… today I'm reminded that:

1. God cares about what I do.
2. God cares about how I do it.
3. God cares about why I do it.

That's why I'm going to do my best at the things I know make a difference for His cause and do them with an attitude of "His glory first."  How about you?

Now… time for another cup of coffee.  Hope someone cleaned that Keurig!

Wait for it... wait for it...

Do you ever stop and think about how much of our lives are spent just waiting?  It's actually kind of depressing, so I wouldn't recommend it as a regular pastime.  But contemplating stop lights, drive thru lines, slow web pages and procrastinating bloggers once in a while does give you some perspective.  And perspective is what I think we need when it comes to God's plan for the universe that spans all of history and includes this tiny speck of time we inhabit called "now."

After blowing Habakkuk's mind with the idea that He would use the Babylonians to judge His chosen people, God reassured the perplexed prophet by declaring judgement also upon Babylon.  "But," He said, "the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay." (Habakkuk 2:3)

Often I find myself wishing God would hurry up.  It's tough to wait.  But I can also look back at many times in my life when, if God had been on my timetable, I would not have been in His perfect will.  So I'm trying to learn to wait for it.

The new Testament picks up this theme and gives us another reason to be glad God sticks to His own schedule.  Rebuffing those who scoffed at Jesus' promise to return because He hadn't done so within a few decades, Peter said, "Do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:8-9)

So I guess we have a few things to occupy our time while we wait in the checkout line or for God to show us the next big step in out lives.  Actively believe that God DOES have a plan and that His timing IS best.  Do what you can to move forward in life… but don't run ahead of God!  And along the way, try to bring a few people with you.  God is waiting – in the big picture – for people to come to faith in Him.  And He may be waiting – in your specific circumstance – for you impact those around you here and NOW!

gods of our own making

A couple of my favorite keepsakes are hand-crafted fishing lures made by my Uncle Carlos and given to me when he died last year.  An avid angler, he loved to cut, shape, paint and tie little masterpieces to cast into the water and reel back in with dinner – or a nice wall trophy – attached.  He built them with passion, displayed them with pride and used them with prowess.  But there is one thing I never saw him do.  He never bowed down before his tackle box and worshiped the work of his hands.

Now you might think, "Of course not.  That would be crazy."  But when you read Habakkuk's description of the Babylonians, the concept doesn't seem so far fetched.  He brings all of them up with a hook; he drags them out with his net; he gathers them in his dragnet; so he rejoices and is glad.  Therefore he sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his dragnet; for by them he lives in luxury, and his food is rich. (Habakkuk 1:15-16)

The worship of idols is a nearly universal practice, even among those who don't keep little statues around the house.  For in reality, an idol is anything to which I ascribe more value, and therefore treat with more admiration and devotion, than God.  And some of the most common idols in our civilized societies are indeed the works of our hands and the tools of our trades.

Sometimes I like to fancy myself a "professional musician."  After all, part of my employment is leading worship.  But if I'm not careful, I can end up spending all my time focused on the process of crafting a perfect worship experience, or dreaming about the next shiny six-stringed idol I'm going to hang on my wall, and lose sight of God Himself.

The gifts and abilities God has given us, along with the resources we use to do what He has called us to do, can be a source of great enjoyment.  But they must always be implements  to facilitate worship and never objects of worship themselves.  After all, I'd look pretty silly bowing to an amplifier… even if it does make me sound pretty good sometimes!

The Remedy Is Worse Than the Disease

The oft-quoted axiom titling this post is from the essay, "Of Seditions and Troubles," by Sir Francis Bacon.  In context, it refers to the putting down of seditions by military force and warns that such action should only be entrusted to men of "valor and good repute" lest they themselves stage the next coup.  In other words, "Don't use troublemakers to get rid of troublemakers."

While Bacon's famous words were penned in 1601, a very similar sentiment was recorded 2400 years earlier by the prophet Habakkuk.  In 600 BC, the nation of Judah was once again in spiritual, moral and social decline.  The dramatic reforms of King Josiah had failed to carry over to the next generation and the resulting decent into injustice and corruption troubled Habakkuk greatly.

But after calling out for divine intervention and hearing God's reply, Habakkuk was pretty sure his people were in for a remedy worse than their disease.  Specifically, God was "raising up the Babylonians" to bring judgment on Judah.  If Habakkuk was distraught before, he was simply beside himself now.

Sure, the people of Judah had disobeyed God and deserved His discipline.  But the Babylonians were pagans!  They didn't even pay lip service to Jehovah.  How could He use them to serve justice on His own people?  The three chapters of Habakkuk are really all about how the prophet, with God's help, wrestled that paradox to the ground and came to a fuller understanding of God's sovereign rule over all the world and history.

As I observe the current state of "Christianity" and "the Church," especially in America, sometimes I feel a bit like Habakkuk.  No doubt, revival is needed.  And perhaps it will take some chastisement from the Lord to get us there.  But I still struggle with how the "sinners" often (seem to) prevail over the "saints" in social and moral conflict.  Why does a high-profile athlete who says she loves Jesus  go from national hero to tabloid target?  Why does a businessman who states his personal conviction about the sanctity of marriage go from admired entrepreneur to despised bigot?  Has God decided to quit standing up for His people?  Are we so far gone that He is just going to let the world run us over?

Like Habakkuk, I don't have all the answers… and, also like Habakkuk, probably couldn't handle them even if I did.  But I do know that God is on His throne and history is HIS-story.  Righteousness WILL prevail in the end.  I just hope the just can learn to live by faith along the way without the need for a bitter pill.

No More Second Chances

"Kids, be quiet! This is your LAST warning," I called up the stairs… for the third or fourth time. I know, I know… not exactly the best parenting technique. I'd like to claim it's because I'm so patient and merciful. But it's probably just because I'm lazy and don't want to get off the couch. And once again I realize, with the help of a minor prophet, just how unlike God I still am. Thank you, Nahum.

The books of Jonah and Nahum were written about a century apart and serve as a sort of "bookend pair" around God's dealings with the nation of Assyria and her capital, Nineveh. Jonah, despite his own vengeful attitude, revealed God's surprising mercy toward the Ninevites who repented en masse when warned of God's impending judgment. While genuine, their repentance was short-lived, and within a few decades they returned to their brutality and in 722 B.C. overthrew Jonah's homeland of Israel.

Nahum appeared on the scene around 650 B.C. with a message similar to Jonah's: "The LORD has given a command concerning you: 'Your name shall be perpetuated no longer… ​​I will dig your grave, for you are vile'." (Nahum 1:14)  The difference this time was that God's patience had run out. There would be no more second chances. Nineveh would be overthrown, never to rise again. And sure enough, within a few years, the Babylonians conquered the Assyrians and established a new empire to dominate the world.

As I consider Nahum against the backdrop of Jonah, I can't help but think of the potential similarities in our own great country. Dating back to the early 18th century, several periods of "Great Awakening" are easily identifiable. While none could claim a direct revelation of specific impending judgment, each revival had it's Jonahs – Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, Dwight Moody – and resulted in significant spiritual and social reform. Yet each was also followed by a return to "normal," and we continue to see the moral fiber of our nation unravel as the decades roll by. So I wonder if God has a Nahum in store for us?

And just so I don't get all hypocritically self-righteous and need a Nahum to show up at my door, God made sure there was a cross-reference to Romans 1-3 in my Bible… So I also read, "You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads YOU toward repentance?" (Romans 2:1-4)

So next time I decide to yell up the stairs, "Last warning!", hopefully I'll not only balance justice & mercy in disciplining my children but also realize my own responsibilities as a Christian and a citizen to practice true, long-lasting repentance because, "The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; [but] the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished." (Nahum 1:3)