Wander or Wonder - Israel in Egypt

If you know anything about the Old Testament you know that Israel spent time in the wilderness – 40 years in fact. Most also know that Israel spent time in Egypt. Do you know how long they were there? Four hundred and thirty years!

Israel’s time in Egypt started on purpose. You may know the story. Joseph had been sold into slavery by his brothers. He wound up in Egypt and became the second in command to Pharaoh himself. God gave him a vision about a coming famine. The famine is what brought Isaac (who’s name was changed to Israel) to Egypt. The family was reunited with Joseph and they stayed there.

However, their journey to paradise soon turned into forced servitude. After Israel (Isaac) died and Joseph died and the Pharaoh was gone that knew Joseph, the new leadership of Egypt felt threatened by Israel’s presence and forced them into slavery. In essence they entered their first wilderness experience. It is not known exactly how much of the four hundred and thirty years were spent in slavery, but it was a long time.

Long enough that most Israelites did not even see it as wilderness. They forgot about Jehovah. They forgot about the promise made to Abraham. They forgot that they did not belong in Egypt. They came to accept the wilderness as normal; separated from everything they were supposed to possess.

The reason I call this a wilderness is because Israel lost their wonder and began to wander. In simple terms, I believe that defines the difference between a journey and roaming in the wilderness: you lose your wonder and begin to wander. Stay focused while you travel through life. Keep your wonder!

The American Church Is Broken

I know this will be misunderstood. I'm sorry. I have a book that explains it in much more detail.

American churches have become event driven. That used to mean something different than it does today. In the past it meant special speakers or music groups; or even major productions from their own choir, dance team, youth ensemble, etc. However, things have evolved to the point that every Sunday has to be "amazing, exciting, you-don't-want-to-miss-this" type of meeting.

I think it has become counter-productive. If you know anything about me, you know how much I hate dull, lifeless worship services. That's not what I'm talking about. But I believe gathering as the Body of Christ, giving our praise and worship to God, hearing the Word taught, and fellowshipping with other Believers is pretty exciting. It doesn't need hype. It doesn't need a special media campaign every week.

By generating a "focus" for each Sunday service the mundane things (the Body giving praise and worship to God, teaching of the Word, fellowship with Believers) gets lost in the shuffle and placed as a secondary reason for gathering.

Instead of being Event-focused we need to remain Process-focused. The process is making disciples. The process is personal growth through worship and the Word. The process is what Jesus came to demonstrate through His life among us.

Most will justify their programs by claiming "it's for the millennials." Before them it was the flower children, the Boomers, the Gen-Xers, etc., etc. We are so far removed from ekklesia described in scripture that we don't even have a clue.

I don't know how to right the ship. Fortunately this is mostly an American Church issue. Maybe other countries will send missionaries (by the way, they already have) to help us get back on course. I pray we find a way back to True Worship.

The Need for a Standard

In ancient days there was a small town near the water that relied on fishing as both a trade and a source of food. Because it was prosperous it was regularly the target of thieves that would come in during the night and plunder the town’s businesses and its residents. The town’s leaders gathered to find a solution for the constant danger they faced from the marauding hoards.

“Let’s build a wall around the city with only one gate of passage. Once the gate is closed for the day it will remain closed until morning. No exceptions.” Those that once plundered the town ceased because they could not get passed the wall and its gate. The people flourished once again in this safe and secure environment.

One day a fisherman was late getting home and missed curfew; the gate was closed and he could not enter. He decided to make the most of the evening and went back to fish. That night He caught some of the most amazing fish he had ever seen.

The man’s home was positioned right next to the wall. He had an idea. In one of the back rooms of the house that faced the wall he decided to dig a small hole just large enough for him to slip out and back in. It was easily concealed. That night he slipped out to go fishing. He caught some amazing fish. His business grew and he gained wealth.

One day he was entertaining some friends and they were grilling fish, enjoying life. His friends inquired about his newfound success and asked him to share his secret. He decided it was not fair to keep this secret to himself so he showed them the hole he dug and explained the wonderful bounty he discovered in fishing at night. He implored them to not tell a soul.

Some of them decided they would do this as well and they, too, enjoyed the benefit of the night fishing and all of its benefits. As you could imagine it did not take long before many of the town’s people had holes in the wall because they also deserved the right to enjoy the prosperity that night fishing would bring. The once protective wall looked like Swiss cheese with all of the holes.

News of this spread beyond the town and reached the ears of some of the thieves. They returned and found easy access to the town through all of the holes and once again plunder the town and stole their treasure.

What is the meaning of this simple story? You cannot have exceptions. Once there is an exception to the rule, regardless of the benefits received by one or a few, you must not allow them for the sake of all.

I’m not a Calvinist but I agree with the first of the “points” of Calvinism: “the total depravity of man.” There are no exceptions to this. Every person born of man has within them a sin nature. Regardless of how one is born it is depravity. Only in Christ can we find salvation and the life that He can bring to us. “Being born this way” should never be a defense for wrong behavior. It is simply an attempt to justify our sin nature.

Faith At Any Cost

Can you imagine how much courage it took for Martin Luther to stand up against the established religious practice of the day, the tradition for over a thousand years, to state what he believed to be true about God and His character? I’m sure it cost Luther his job, his status, maybe even his friends and family. He held his convictions so strongly that he faced public ridicule to bring attention to the differences between what the Bible teaches and what was being practiced by the established church.

I’m sure John the Baptist went through the same thing. The son of a priest, a relative of Jesus Christ, he began to speak about the coming Messiah. It seems this should have been welcomed news to the Jewish people. The Messiah was their whole focus. They knew God was sending Someone to redeem them, to restore them, yet they refused to hear John’s message when he proclaimed the Messiah had come.

Noah faced similar circumstances. A flood was prophesied; total destruction would result. He gave people an opportunity to escape certain death, but they did not hear him.

When Saul (now known as Paul) was converted on the Damascus road he changed from being a killer of Christians to one of the strongest proponents for the cause of Christ. People were skeptical, thinking it was perhaps a ruse to entrap them. Now we use Paul’s writings to learn how to live the Christian life.

I’m sure as you read those short paragraphs that things came to your mind. Some immediately applied these thoughts to the current political turmoil in the United States and the need to overthrow the “other party”. Others had ministers or ministries come to mind whose belief systems are clearly not scripturally based and should be brought down. Others thought of “the rapture” so you could escape all the madness in the earth. For me, this shows a tendency in human behavior to allow things to drift from the original intent of things to a place of apostasy and turmoil, but also the faithfulness of God to bring individuals who will do His bidding, to speak truth regardless of the consequence.

It cost Noah 100 years of his life, but he saved mankind. It cost John the Baptist his life to hold to his convictions, but he gave himself to introduce mankind to their Savior. Paul gave up his prestige and position in order to represent Christ to his world. Luther opened himself up to public ridicule and shame in order to stand for what he believed was right. What has your faith cost you?

Dance Like Nobody's Watching

This is my first blog post in quite a while. When you get out of the habit of writing it is difficult to get going again. I guess that is true with most things.

The past few decades gave us a couple of songs that came to mind this morning. As I drove home yesterday I noticed in my rearview mirror the young lady in the car behind me. She was singing with whatever music was playing in her car. I love music. I love to sing. It always seems to dampen the enthusiasm when we realize someone is watching.

Lee Ann Womack had a hit back in 2000 called “I Hope You Dance”. It starts out:

            I hope you never lose your sense of wonder

            You get your fill to eat, but always keep your hunger

            May you never take one single breath for granted

            God forbid love ever leave you empty-handed

The hook of the song comes with this line: And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance … I hope you dance, I hope you dance!!

Apparently the young lady behind me yesterday had heard the song “Dance Like Nobody’s Watching.” The lyrics of the song have unclear origin and attributed to many. That doesn’t diminish their impact. It goes something like this:

            Dance like nobody’s watching

            Love like you’ve never been hurt

            Sing like nobody’s listening

            Live like it’s heaven on earth

Children do this all the time. I believe that’s one of the things Jesus implied when He said, “Anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Little children are curious. They trust completely. They love fully. They play with nothing held back. Oh, if we could only find that place again. I do not believe these are the “childish things” that Paul intended to be “put away” when we mature in Christ.

The prime example of this is given in the story of the woman of Bethany that came to the home of Simon the Leper while Jesus was there. She was described as a “sinful woman.” Footnote here: We all are sinful! She was not an invited guest but she had an unquenchable desire to see Jesus. She brought with her a box, or bottle, of expensive perfume. When she saw Jesus, she broke the container open and poured the fragrance on Him. This was her worship!

She did not care that she was a “sinner”, or uninvited. She only knew one thing: if she could get to Jesus she would bless Him the best way she knew how. She gave the most precious thing she had. For her, this was “living like it’s heaven on earth.” I don’t know if she knew that it literally was heaven come to earth, but she was drawn to Jesus because He embodied everything that she desired: unqualified love, complete forgiveness, and total acceptance.

That’s really what all of us want, but we know others are watching or listening. We have been hurt. Until we can find a way to let God heal the hurt we will never find the freedom to worship Him with abandon. Oh, how I wish we could.