365: Jeremiah 13, 14 and 15 (Day 234)

When the enemy attacked, a woman with seven sons felt faint because they would all die. (Jeremiah 15:9 - NCV)

With Jerusalem forfeit to Babylon (this was during the run up to Jerusalem’s annihilation and the population’s exile), Judah’s confidence was gone. Having seven sons was a Hebrew word picture of perfect security. A mother’s retirement plan was her sons—with her husband gone they would care for her in her old age. During the battle for Jerusalem, her sons would be KIA, and her social security would be no more.

The scriptures are replete with warnings about putting our trust in the wrong things. When Hezekiah’s Jerusalem was under siege from the Assyrians over a hundred years earlier, Hezekiah worked hard to fortify the walls and build up the military, but when he encouraged the people, his words showed where his real trust was invested: Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles. (2 Chronicles 32:7,8)

The psalmist wrote: Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. (Psalm 20:7) Jesus warned us not to put our trust in treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. (Matthew 6:19)

There are many securities in which we can put our trust: a bank account, a life insurance policy, a job, a spouse (and, of course, all of these are good things), but they can all fail us. When our trust is in the Lord, though everything else in our world should fall apart, God will never let us down. When everything else is gone, God will still be on our side.

In what (or whom) have you placed your trust?

Pirates Outing

Monday night we enjoyed a family Pirates outing at Pittsburgh's PNC Park. The Pirates were soundly defeated by the Chicago Cubs (if you call 12-3 soundly defeating someone). I think there were more Cubs than Pirates fans in the stands. One guy was holding a sign that read: Wrigley was sold out, so I came here!

We had absolutely great seats, but there were also a lot of empty seats. Pittsburgh is my team, whether it's football, hockey or baseball. We're just a little baseball-challenged right now.

Pittsburgh is The City of Bridges. This is the Clemente Bridge, which is closed off to vehicle traffic on game nights, to allow pedestrians to reach the stadium. The Allegheny River is below us, and joins the Monongahela just downstream to become the Ohio River.

This is a view of PNC Park from the Clemente Bridge. It's a beautiful park.

Anyway, we weren't there just to see the Pirates. Our main reason for going was that Janelle's chorus (Sounds of Pittsburgh) sang the national anthem before the game. That's her second row up, second from the left. Unfortunately, we found out that only weekend games televise the national anthem, so none of our friends got the chance to see her, but thanks for trying.

Ben and Will know the most important thing about a baseball game is the food!

Time to call it a night.

Release of the Spirit • 7 (Dividing and Revelation)

Read the whole series here, or by clicking on the Release of the Spirit link at the bottom of this post.

In Chapter Seven, Watchman Nee returns to the topic of dividing the spirit and soul, the inner and outer person. We referred to this in Chapter Two. This entails God breaking the outer person (the soul) and dividing it from the spirit.

Nee explained in chapter six how God uses discipline to break the outer person. All those things we are so quick to blame on other people or on bad luck are really the hand of God working in our lives to break the outer person. In this chapter, he teaches about how revelation (God’s Word) divides the soul and the spirit.

For this dividing process, Nee goes back to Hebrews 4:12,13 – For the word of the Lord is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (NIV) The writer begins by telling us two things about God’s Word: 1) For the word of the Lord is living… It is living in that it is not meant to be just information stored away for later retrieval. It is not dead print, but alive by the power of the Holy Spirit working in us. 2) and active. The Word is active in that it goes to work on a person in such a way as to produce results. (68) The sharpest double-edged sword, though it may penetrate to divide joints and marrow, is not sharp enough to divide soul and spirit. For that we need God’s Word or revelation.

This piercing by God’s light reveals to us that the work we convinced ourselves was for God’s glory was really for our own glory. Instead of preaching the Gospel for the love of the lost, we preached out of our love for the acclaim of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Instead of being motivated by love for God, we have actually been motivated by love for self. (70f.) It does this by revealing the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

But what is revelation? Nee asks. Revelation enables us to see what God sees. (72) What is disguised to us is not hidden from God. What is hazy to us, is crystal clear to God.

So by the Holy Spirit’s discipline the outer person is broken, but it is divided from the inner person by the light of God’s revelation. In this way we are 1) broken to release the spirit, and 2) purified for God’s use.

Now that Nee has explained more fully the workings behind which the soul and spirit are divided, can you relate what God’s light has revealed to you in this purification process?

The Rockland Tunnel • Part 2

This is coming out the far side of the Rockland Tunnel on the Allegheny River Trail. Upon further inspection, the tunnel is somewhere between a half mile and a mile in length. It's walls are covered with graffiti (sort of creepy and something I couldn't see before taking a stronger flashlight), and the far opening is a welcome sight.

365: Jeremiah 1, 2 and 3 (Day 230)

My people have done two evils: They have turned away from me, the spring of living water. And they have dug their own wells. (Jeremiah 2:13 – NCV)

I’ve never dug a well, but I have dug trenches for footers and water lines. It is hot, dirty work. Thankfully, a back hoe did most of the work for the water line. If you’ve ever done that kind of digging, especially by hand, you will understand the absurdity of the people’s choice, and the frustration felt by Jeremiah. Put yourself in their place. It’s a hot, dry day. Someone offers you a pitcher of pure, refreshing ice water. Rather than accept this life-saving, thirst-quenching gift, you raise your hands in the international symbol for stop, and declare, No, I’m going to dig my own well. Not only is the work going to be physically exhausting, but the water you’re going to get (if any) is hours, maybe days, away. Not to mention that it will taste terrible by comparison. Sure, it might keep you alive, but that’s about it.

Why would anyone make a choice like that? Why is it when God freely offers us his best love, we find ourselves prone to go dig up something greatly inferior?

We’re like hemoglobin. (How’s that for a left turn?) Did you know that if the hemoglobin in our red blood cells is given the choice, it prefers to bond with carbon monoxide rather than oxygen? What that means is that if hemoglobin has a vacant seat, and both an oxygen molecule and a carbon monoxide molecule are waiting on the curb, the hemoglobin will pick up the carbon monoxide almost every time. The problem is that carbon monoxide doesn’t have what we need, and so hemoglobin can fill us up with CO and our tissues will suffocate… and so will we.

For every gift that God offers us, Satan has a counterfeit that will choke us to death. We would do well to heed Moses’ words: I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life. (Deuteronomy 30:19)

The Rockland Tunnel

I've had trouble getting back into bicycling since a bad fall a couple years ago. Rather than just ride free, I have that constant awareness of the possibility of falling again. I've been on a couple rides in the last week, and really enjoyed my time in the saddle. Maybe I can get my confidence back.

Yesterday, I took a short ride (only 11 or so miles round trip) on the Allegheny River Trail to the Rockland Tunnel. Many bicycle trails are built on reclaimed railroad beds, and it shouldn't surprise me to find old railroad tunnels marking certain sections of Pennsylvania trails. Rockland Tunnel is difficult to ride through, because it's pitch black inside. I think it's just under a half mile in length, but don't hold me to that. The tunnel curves, so no matter which way you're traveling, you cannot see the exit until coming around the bend. There are no lights, but there are reflectors embedded in the asphalt for navigation. It takes a really bright headlight (brighter than most bicycle lights) to even see the reflectors more than a few feet ahead. When I have ridden through I had the uneasy sensation that I was going to ride off a ledge or into a wall, or just tip over sideways. Next time I think I'll just take my mag light and walk my bike through.

And it's amazing how cold it gets in that tunnel! From the trail, to the point where I took this picture, I'm convinced the temperature dropped at least 20 degrees (please read that as hyperbole if it's not exactly accurate). It felt like standing in front of an open refrigerator or freezer.

Even though the trail is right on the banks of the Allegheny River, there are few breaks in the trees that allow any view of the river. This is the best I could do for a picture.

I'm looking forward to some longer rides, now that I've gotten my proverbial feet wet (which, when you think about it would be an uncomfortable way to ride).

Release of the Spirit • 6 (Brokenness and Discipline)

I think Six is by far the best chapter so far. You can follow the series backward by accessing Chapter Five here. As always you can click on the Release of the Spirit link at the bottom of this post to see the entire series in one place.

In this chapter, Watchman Nee defines consecration as our willingness to be in the hands of God, and though consecration may be accomplished in just a few minutes, that does not mean God has completed the work of breaking the outer person. (57) God must employ whatever means He thinks effective in breaking down any stronghold over which our [inner person] has no control. (58)

Nee reminds us that the events of the last five to ten years have been used by God for our education. We may have whined about the trials because we did not recognize the hand of God. We may have been ignorant of the Spirit’s discipline and just thought we were having a long run of bad luck. The truth is that God has been using the circumstances of our lives to soften and break our outer person. (59) Consecration is submitting to God and saying, Do whatever you need to in order to make me into what and whom you want me to be. (60)

God will do whatever he has to in order to deal with every area of our lives. We may be completely unaware of certain needs, but the Holy Spirit knows exactly where we fall short and what is necessary to fix us. (61) It is easy for us to speak the words, Not my will but Thine be done, but more difficult to fully surrender to the discipline of the Holy Spirit. (62)

One must come to the place where self is no longer trusted. Lord, I am prone to mistakes. Unless [you are] merciful to me, unless [you] support me, unless [you] restrain me with your hand, I will be wrong again. Nee writes: This is the beginning of the destruction of the outer [person]. (63) The Holy Spirit is working to deliver us from everything in life that cannot be brought over into eternity. (64)

In hindsight, are there things you now know (that you didn’t know then) God was using for the breaking of your outer person?

A Blessed Evening with Hector y Mayra Lazado y Jossie Esteban

Last night I had the wonderful opportunity to worship with our Hispanic congregation in Erie, PA. The church meets in the church building I grew up in.

The only problem was that I don't speak a word of Spanish and the guest speaker/singer Jossie Esteban was over an hour late. The service that was supposed to start at 6:00 didn't end until 9:30. Two and a half hours later when I crawled into bed, I crashed.

If you get a "Video No Longer Available" message, try again. I'm not sure if it's my computer, or something else, but I've been having trouble posting YouTube videos lately.

Enjoy! Que Bueno es Papa Dios (How Good is Father God)

365: Isaiah 55, 56 and 57 (Day 226)

Foreigners who have joined the Lord should not say, ‘The Lord will not accept me.’ (Isaiah 56:3 - NCV)

When Jesus cleared the Temple of the money changers and lamb salesmen, he was thinking of this expanded passage. It is written in the Scriptures, ‘My Temple will be called a house for prayer for people from all nations.’ But you are changing God’s house into a ‘hideout for robbers.’ (Mark 11:17 - NCV) The Bazaar of Annas was set up in the Temple area set aside for foreigners. The Sadducees’ entrepreneurial scheming was putting a barrier between God and the people coming to worship him. It made Jesus angry that the poor and the alien would be exploited in the name of God.

Isaiah, more than anyone who came before him, made it clear that the blessing of Abraham was not reserved for the Hebrews, but that it was meant for people of all nations. Here, he lets the alien know that whether one is born a Jew or a Gentile has no bearing on being accepted by God; all are accepted the same. Foreigners are accepted the same as nationals. Outsiders are accepted the same as insiders. Damaged are accepted the same as whole.

We may be tempted to think there is some reason God would not accept us, but that is absolutely false. Likewise, we may be tempted to think people have to be just like us in order to be accepted by God, and that is just as false. As Bill Hybels says: You’ve never locked eyes with anyone who doesn’t matter to the Father. [1]

God, help me accept others just as you accepted me.

[1] as quoted by Mark Mittelberg, Building a Contagious Church, 37.

Happy Birthday, Janelle!

My darling wife turned... another year older today. She is a blessing to my life, and I am absolutely crazy about her. When we talked about how she wanted to celebrate her birthday, she asked if we could go hiking in Cook Forest, so that's what we did. Janelle, Will and I took Cook's Trail, a short (only two miles) loop, which starts at river level and climbs steeply the first half-mile before leveling out. The last mile (almost) is downhill, but a much gentler slope than the climb up.

Janelle and I both liked this spot. The moss was so thick it could have been a downy comforter on the forest floor.

This final picture illustrates life from death. This felled tree was a sappling around the time of the American Revolution. It toppled many years ago, and was then cut to clear the path. Now other plants and animals live on nutrients it stored over the centuries, and life goes on.

It was lucky we took a short trail, because it just poured not too long after our return home. No campfire tonight.

Anyway, I'm glad Janelle had a good birthday. As we like to say, only another 15 years and we'll be approaching middle age. Kind of like this tree... (I'm not sure that came out right.)

365: Isaiah 16, 17 and 18 (Day 213)

My heart cries for Moab (Isaiah 16:11).

The people of Moab, a perennial thorn in Judah’s side, were getting their comeuppance. Their earlier pride seemed foolish in light of their present troubles. God’s response to their misfortune is somewhat surprising. Isaiah writes that God cries for them, and with them, too (vs. 9).

Here Moab is receiving the consequences for their behaviors and choices, and yet God has compassion on them. How can God allow discipline into the people's lives and, at the same time, cry for what they are enduring? Does he also cry for us when we pay the price for our disobedience?

Moab was an enemy of God’s people, yet rather than rejoice over their downfall, God’s heart was filled with the kind of heartache reserved for loving parents of wayward children. There is a lesson for us in these words. We shouldn’t gloat when someone who has chosen to be our enemy tastes the bitterness of defeat. God cries for them.

Paul reminds us: If someone does wrong to you, do not pay him back by doing wrong to him (Romans 12:17), and, Do not let evil defeat you, but defeat evil by doing good (12:21). And did not Jesus say much the same thing? They are blessed who show mercy to others, for God will show mercy to them (Matthew 5:7) and, Love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you (5:44).

Is there any better test of love than to do good to those who do evil to us?

Organic Vegetables

Two men were talking one day.

My wife asked me to buy organic vegetables from the Farmer's Market, said the first man.

Were you able to find any? asked the second man.

Well, when I got to the market, I said to the farmer standing beside this truck, 'These vegetables are for my wife. Have they been sprayed with any poisonous chemicals?' and the guy answers, 'No, you'll have to do that yourself.'

This is dedicated to my lovely wife whose birthday is tomorrow, August 14th. After nearly 29 years of marriage I can honestly say I have never felt the need to spray her vegetables with poisonous chemicals.

Spiritual Fruit and Invitations

It is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." (1 Peter 1:16 - NIV)

This isn't really a 365 post, because we don't get to the 1 Peter passage until late December, just before Christmas. I wanted to touch on this because this is something that God has been teaching me over the last several months in a fresh way. Maybe it's always been clear as crystal to you, but if not, I think I can help.

Jack Hayford writes in his wonderful book Rebuilding the Real You, that since God is our father, we share his DNA. Because he is holy, we can consider it a promise that he is working into our lives his own holy character. We can find this DNA of God's character broken down in Galatians 5:22-23, which reads: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I came to more fully understand the fruit of the Spirit as God's character, which he wants to grow in our lives, when I was preparing to teach in Michigan's Institute of Servant Leadership on The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit.

It was in reading Watchman Nee's The Release of the Spirit and Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life that I more fully came to realize God's methods of helping me grow in his character traits (the fruit of the Spirit). For instance, If God sees I have a need to grow in peace, he will allow circumstances entrance into my life where I am predisposed to anxiety. I have a choice to make: I can either worry, and continue on as I always have, or I can believe in God's promises and his love for me (in other words I can choose peace). If I choose peace, I grow to be more like my heavenly Father in that character trait.

In fact, watch and see in which areas you're challenged the most. If you have a high number of opportunities where your natural response is one of impatience, it's probably because God is inviting you to grow in patience. If you find yourself confronted with numerous people needing a hand or a word of encouragement, maybe God is inviting you to grow in the spiritual fruit of kindness. God knows we cannot grow in peace by never experiencing any challenges in life. We cannot grow in love by being surrounded with people who are easy to love. According to Warren, God helps us grow in spiritual fruit by confronting us with circumstances where we are tempted to respond in just the opposite way.

God knows where we need to grow and loves us enough to give us the opportunity!

Where is God growing you?

WPA Family Camp Meeting

Another Western Pennsylvania Family Camp Meeting goes into the history books. This was one of the best, with great attendance and great leadership, too. This year's speaker was David Shultz, Lead Pastor from Meadow Park Church of God in Columbus, OH. David features a warm speaking style, full of enticing stories and illustrations to reel the audience in and then bring the point home. Our theme was Fly Like an Eagle, and Pastor Shultz really brought it.

Mick Gilliam was our worship leader. Mick and I were at Anderson College together in the late 70s, and he even graciously asked me to lead worship for him one Sunday back in his days at Mt. Scott Church of God in Portland, OR. That was back in our BC (Before Children) days when Janelle and I were traveling as music evangelists. Mick is a gifted musician and anointed worship leader. It was a blessing to sit under his leadership.

Donnie Allen, one of our national leaders in Honduras, served as our youth speaker, and also spoke in the main services on Saturday night and Sunday morning after Pastor Shultz had to return home. My kids, Ben and Will, were highly impressed with Donnie's speaking ability. He related how eagles fly into the storm instead of running away from it. He very pointedly stated that American Christians don't have much of a testimony because, unlike eagles, we run from the storm, and storms are where testimonies are born.

My dear friend Sean Morgan led worship the first Sunday before Mick arrived. He also directed the camp meeting choir all week. What a gifted leader, and all around great guy! Nick Wilson led the orchestra, and did a wonderful job as always. One of my favorite parts of camp meeting this year was Janelle's conference Making Wise Decisions, based on Andy Stanley's book The Best Question Ever. Janelle is a gifted teacher, and I got to sit there all week thinking, That's my wife!

Over and over persons were heard to exclaim how hallowed a peace of ground this camp is. Whitehall Campground has been here since 1892. I have a picture of my grandmother (ca. 1900) here when she was 16. There's definitely a lot of history here. I understand why I think this is such a great place; I've been coming here since I was a kid (except of course for the almost 30 years we were away from Pennsylvania). I was surprised Janelle feels such a strong attachment here, but that's the kind of place (and the kind of people) this is.

The Release of the Spirit • 5 (The Church and God’s Work)

Sorry I had to miss last week's Release of the Spirit post. If you're just joining us, this is a review of Watchman Nee's book by the same title. Some newer editions have the title as Breaking of the Outer Man and the Release of the Spirit. You can follow the series backwards by going to week five here. Or, you can click on the Release of the Spirit link at the bottom of this post, which will assemble all my previous Watchman Nee posts in one place. I highy recommend getting a copy of Nee's book at Amazon. I've read it twice in the last six months or so, and it will go on my foundational books shelf. Those are the books I read and re-read every year or two.

Watchman Nee begins chapter five by explaining that prior to the Incarnation God’s work was not limited in any way by the flesh. Yes, by taking on the form of a servant, Nee says God’s work and power were [resticted] to this flesh, however, Christ’s humanity was not after all a limitation, because his outer person was fully subordinated to the Spirit of God working in his inner person. (49)

In this day and age God works through his church. God’s desire is to have the same freedom in working through the church that he enjoyed in working through the Incarnate Christ. This explains why it is so important for the outer person to be broken, allowing the release of the spirit. (51)

Nee examines these areas of Christian service in which the breaking of the outer person is vital: 1) Reading the Bible – In an unbroken state we will come to the Word to find support for our preconceived notions. It is in the release of the spirit that we connect with the heart of God, allowing the Word to read us as we read it. (52) 2) The Ministry of the Word – Nee defines the ministry of the Word as serving people with the Word of God. In complete brokenness there is nothing stopping the inner person from communicating the Word of God to those listening. They hear not just a voice, but are communicated to spirit to spirit. (54) 3) Preaching the Gospel – People do not get saved because of being intellectually convinced or emotionally titillated. Yes, reason and emotion are both important, but they are insufficient to change lives. The Spirit must be communicated by the spirit of the preacher to the spirit of the hearer. (54) This can only take place when the outer person is broken and does not impede spirit to spirit communication. (55)

How have you experienced spirit to spirit communication facilitated by the breaking of the outer person and the release of the spirit?

Western Pennsylvania Camp Meeting of the Church of God

Whitehall Camp Meeting is in full swing. Due to the increased population of the campground, and the limited accessibility to the Internet, I will likely be unable to post on my normal schedule this week. I'll get back to Watchman Nee's book The Release of the Spirit as soon as I can. We'll have to see about Thursday's 365 post.

I just left Janelle's conference, based on the Andy Stanley book The Best Question Ever, and I'm really enjoying it. That young Stanley fellow might just amount to something if he's not careful... and Janelle's doing a great job.

Today is Will's 13th birthday. What a great kid! I'm not even on my own computer at the moment, or I'd post his picture. I'd love to share a picture from Janelle's conference, too. Maybe I can later in the week, or early next.

Pray for Ben (16); he's worn out. He's been working as summer staff here at the campground, and this is the hardest week. The camp started out short staffed, and they've had three kids quit since the beginning of the summer. Yesterday, Ben had to do both the 6:00 a.m. and the 11:00 p.m. restroom cleanings. By the time he dragged himself into bed he was a tired young man.

Have a great week!

The Masked Evangel (or Why Do I Blog?)

This is actually two blogs from many months ago edited into one introductory blog for a newer audience. Enjoy.

My favorite childhood hero was Zorro. Several actors played the role, but the all time best was Guy Williams from the 1950s television series (later to be Professor John Robinson of Lost in Space fame).

The show revolved around Don Diego de la Vega, the university educated son of a rich 1820s California landowner. Diego saw the plight of the poor and downtrodden, and set about to defend them from their oppressors. For protection, he kept his identity a secret, hence the mask. By day he was a gentleman, but by night, he donned the mask and cape of an outlaw, brandishing his rapier to defend the weak, and leave lovely senoritas weak in the knees.

Lester Cuneo played a similar role in the 1920s silent film The Masked Avenger. As an old west rancher pushed to the limit by cattle thieves, Cuneo rode the starlit prairies wearing the mask of a criminal to punish rustlers left unchallenged by inept and crooked lawmen.

Zorro and the Masked Avenger were not the first in this genre of masked hero, and they aren't the last either. Batman is cut from the same cloth. All these heroes have one thing in common: They were disguised as criminals and forced to fight their battles under the cover of darkness.

What’s that have to do with blogging and the good news of Jesus Christ? Not a blessed thing. I just thought, as a play on words, The Masked Evangel was a pretty cool name for a blog. Which brings up the question, Why do I blog? I’m glad you asked.

Here’s my 4-part answer:

1. I blog to improve the preaching experience. Sometimes I use my blog to share a preview of what's coming Sunday. Other times I might have a you should have said moment. In the past there wasn't really anything I could do about those moments; now I can blog about them. I can comment about Sunday past or the Sunday to come.
2. I blog to improve church communication. This is a great forum where we can talk about what's happening in the church, what's already happened, or what needs to happen. Sometimes people ask me questions, and I wonder, If one person is asking, could other people be wondering the same thing? I can address the issue in my blog, and even those who didn't voice the question can benefit from the discussion.
3. I blog to improve our relationship. Many people only know their pastor for what they see on Sunday morning, nothing more. Hopefully I'm the same person through the week as I am on stage, but come on; I only have 30 or so minutes on Sunday. I don't have time to talk about everything that happened in the 167 hours since we were together last. My blog helps you know me better, with anything from a theological discussion, to pictures from a family vacation, and even to rants and raves about a movie or my favorite TV show. It helps me be more transparent.
4. Finally, I blog to improve myself. I utilize blogging as a spiritual discipline—sort of an online journal. Blogging about a book I’m reading or a Scripture passage helps me understand it better. I know writing about it helps me; if it helps someone else, then so much the better.

Join the conversation! This isn’t meant to be one-way communication. Click on the Comments link, or send me an email. Now that you've been introduced to The Masked Evangel, I hope you'll subscribe to the RSS feed (it’s free—ask me if you don’t know how) and join me as we take off our masks and celebrate life together.