Keeping Your Wits When Others Are Insane- Psalm 122

These are a series of thoughts based on the 'Psalms of Ascent' and inspired by Eugene Peterson's devotional entitled "A Long Obedience in the Same Direction". I have especially tried to apply them in this time of unprecedented war versus the Covid-19 global crisis.

My prayer is that this would be a time of exponential revival and return to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. and that the Church would be awakened to gospel proclamation.

May this be a great time of prayer and service in love!

Psalm 122

 I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
 Our feet have been standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem! Jerusalem—built as a city
that is bound firmly together,  to which the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed for  Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord. There thrones for judgment were set,
the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
“May they be secure who love you!  Peace be within your walls
and security within your towers!”  For my brothers and companions' sake
I will say, “Peace be within you!”  For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your good.

I'm writing songs to go along with this series:

Hear Psalm 122 here:

House of Friends (Psalm of Ascent 122) 

Never in my lifetime did I ever expect to see churches completely empty on the Lord's Day. And though I have been encouraged by our great efforts in streaming the services..... it has been a void in our land.

Psalm 122 is a reminder that a source of our joy is worship. It has been said that 'without worship, we shrink'.

The longer I try to live this daily goal of an uphill walk, the more I understand how I have missed and mis-understood worship.

I have blogged before on this fleeting topic:

Arch Bishop of Canterbury- William Temple had this definition of worship:“Worship is the submission of all of our nature to God.It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness, nourishment of mind by His truth, purifying of imagination by His beauty, opening of the heart to His love, and submission of will to His purpose.And all this gathered up in adoration is the greatest of human expressions of which we are capable.”

But even this seems mechanical.

Let me write a minute on the nature of worship and then express an obvious problem.

When I catch a bass on a beautiful lake, I often don't see it for what it is- pure worship. My heart leaps at the intersection of beauty and competition, amazement and adventure.

When I am running or walking on a beautiful Fall day and feel the cool breeze and experience the splash of a columbia blue stained skyline- I experience worship.

I have been listening to some old playlists lately during this time.... music stirs worship in me as well.

I experience a worshipful joy when Bruce Springsteen sings, "come on and RISE UP" and rebuild the city of ruins. I clutch my fist and echo his sentiment. Or Bob Dylan sings "Pressing ON" or George Strait sings "What Goes Up"- another King George masterpiece.....

I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Caught a glimpse of Heaven when I couldn't catch my breath
I felt His presence in the darkest of days
I've asked for direction,
And I've been shown the way

And I believe when I pray, Somebody hears
When I fall on my knees, my words aren't fallin' on deaf ears
And He has the answers
When the answers can't be found
I know without a doubt what goes up comes down

I've been lead from temptation
Though I was standing at it's door
Delivered from evil when I could run no more
I've seen the eyes of God through the eyes of a child
I've thanked Him for my blessings
And I've felt it when he smiled

I raise my hands when my burdens are too heavy
And He lifts me up just like that cross
He didn't have to carry

My greatest prayers will be answered
When he returns to claim his crown
I know without a doubt
What goes up comes down (I believe)
What goes up must come down (I believe)

I have also experienced worship when I confess sin or sit at a sunset.

But herein lies the problem- I'm pointing largely to ascetic responses of emotion that may or may not be true worship.

John 4:24, "God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." 

Is it possible to worship in spirit and not truth? Is it possible to have truth and not spirit?

Let me complicate it further: I was glad when they said to me,

“Let us go to the house of the Lord!

How many Sunday mornings have I felt that way? Why not more?

I went to Graceland one time. I walked into a time capsule back to the 1970's. Like a stopped clock, the jungle room was once a cool place to hangout, but now seemed so plastic.

I am saddened when I see what the church did to historical sites in the middle east. They would build a sanctuary on top of it. I'm sure it was a monumental architectural achievement in its day- but the covering now seems to hide the beauty of what was real and authentic.

Before I am misunderstood here, I need to make the point clearer. My joy in worship is hampered when I just keep it to the same routine I have been doing for decades. What type of heart preparation am I doing to pull off the shag carpet and trash the plastic?

What am I covering up in man made structures that God wants to let out?

And we need to challenge the corporate body to do the same. You can't control the spirit and truth never changes- but truth is also true from all angles.

Here is a truth. When I take time in my week for personal and corporate worship- I have a better pace and more endurance for the journey.

When I grow weary of worship- I quickly fade in my climb.

I worry that we skip from church to church in some nostalgic reach for the past when what we need is a new forward leaning freshness toward our worship to reclaim the passion that encompasses truth.

And maybe that is what I am climbing to. The Psalm here is a look forward to the TOP of the mountain. I AM GOING TO JERUSALEM! Glad to go- but it will be some work to get there.

This is what we are looking forward to ... literally, "I am going to be able to go back to church...soon!" and figuratively, "I am going to be in the new Jerusalem...soon!"

At the top of the mountain will be the culmination and climax of all that is lacking in my pitiful attempts to worship.

You may be familiar with C.S. Lewis "Footnote to All Prayers"- I might need to tag this on my worship as well.

 He whom I bow to only knows to whom I bow
      When I attempt the ineffable Name, murmuring Thou,
      And dream of Pheidian fancies and embrace in heart
      Symbols (I know) which cannot be the thing Thou art.
      Thus always, taken at their word, all prayers blaspheme
      Worshipping with frail images a folk-lore dream,
      And all men in their praying, self-deceived, address
      The coinage of their own unquiet thoughts, unless
      Thou in magnetic mercy to Thyself divert
      Our arrows, aimed unskilfully, beyond desert;
      And all men are idolators, crying unheard
      To a deaf idol, if Thou take them at their word.

      Take not, O Lord, our literal sense.  Lord, in thy great
      Unbroken speech our limping metaphor translate.

Let me try to summarize this and link it back to the Psalm.

The Psalmist here is excited about the destination. He is going to his city, the Lord's city, and the great temple to worship.

The city not only is under the care of the Lord- it is said to be unified and peaceful.

All of this is a type and shadow.. of both the Savior and the heavenly Jerusalem.

So we should show that same type of excitement and anticipation of our type and shadow... private yes, but primarily corporate worship.

I should prepare myself to enjoy with gladness the worship in a place of unity and peace.

This preparation should not be hindered by style or my distractions or fatigue.

And this gives me inspiration and endurance for the climb. These are small tastes of a city which will stand forever. I wish I were there right now!

Keeping Your Wits When Others Are Insane- Psalm 121

I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. 

He will not let your foot slip—

he who watches over you will not slumber; 

indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life;

the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121

I'm adding songs to this series: hear my version of Psalm 121 here:

Eyes Up (Psalm of Ascent 121)

There is something about this Psalm that has always stirred my soul. I first started running longer distances in 1983 and 1984, just as my college football dream was quickly dying. Back then a long run was 2 miles.

Russ Polhemus, Glenn McWaters, Al Miller, Kent Johnson and Tom Caradine were mentors who pushed me to increase my physical endurance and fitness. Coach Miller and Coach Johnson pressed me in the weight room and I ran with both Russ and Tom. It took time to grow... learning to go 3, then 4, then 5 miles at a time. My longest run in those days was a run at Oak Mountain where you went 4 miles UP the mountain and then a record 4 miles down. My joints would ache for days if I tried that now.

But the summer of '84 or '85 was where this Psalm became my running inspiration. We didn't run with IPODS back then. SO I would take a section of this and repeat it over and over it in my mind.

I differ from Peterson in his analysis of this Psalm, and he may be more right exegetically (not sure of the Hebrew here)- but for me, it was 'as I look at the majesty of the mountains, I know where my help comes from'.

There was so much I didn't know then- I had no clue about the Psalms of Ascent- but I knew that this Psalm was fuel for my climb. As I said it on my way up a big hill, my legs burning, sweat pouring, every breath a struggle- this Psalm surged with energy in my inner man.

You can imagine when I heard the worship song "I Lift My Eyes Up"- how that only deepened my need and love for this message.

"I Lift My Eyes Up"

I lift my eyes up, unto the mountains
where does my help come from?
My help comes from You, maker of heaven
creator of the earth

oh how I need you Lord
You are my only hope
You're my only prayer

so I will wait for You
to come and rescue me
to come and give me life

So what is it about this Psalm that has this amazing impact? How can it help us in that quest:

The Goal:
I am marching uphill to the Holy Mountain of Zion with a song in my heart and joy in my spirit because I am loved by the King of the Universe. All I need to care for is this day's walk. May I be found obedient today. I start my day with a gospel help: "I am crucified with Christ" and I will end the day with a gospel hope: "There is therefore now no condemnation in Christ Jesus."

1) It is a strong declaration of trust in the Creator of all things to protect us.

When I first saw the Rocky Mountains, it literally took my breath away, and I experienced God's presence and power at the same time. So when I look up at the mountain of my climb- I am OK because my God made the mountain. Sure it looks impossible, but there is a bigger Helper behind the hurdle.
We are helped when we see God in the struggle, providentially in control, and not only able to help, He is WILLING to help.

2) It is a sweet promise. There are dangers, but the believer has His promise that they will not prevent us from getting home safe and secure.

He promises to watch me with diligence. He is active in keeping me secure.
He is a covering, at all times.
I will not get sun struck (not exhausted) or moon struck (not insane).
The security is there, but it is also there ALL the time.

3) It is a secure providence. God manages my journey, He plans it, He is the maestro over my daily comings and goings. The larger the sovereignty, the more peaceful the response to all of life.

But I'm about to share a secret.... the content of this Psalm is important, but it is not nearly the whole story of WHY it is such a powerful force.

I believe the rhythm and poetic devices in this Psalm act as a delivery system straight to the soul. That is why the musical form of this unleashes and highlights the message.


A TESTIMONY TO THIS SONG FOR THE CLIMB.

I have shared this quite a lot.... I even debated whether to add it or not, but I do think this may encourage someone reading this....

On Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010 I was called into a meeting and fired. No need to go into the why's or whether I agree with the decision or not. But unless you have been there (and I have met a lot of people since who have) it is so hard to describe the depth of the pain, shame, and disappointment.

I remember almost tasting the pain as I drove to my wife's office to tell her this life changing news. I was so concerned with what her reaction would be and what impact this would have on my children. My oldest daughter had just a week before committed to a very expensive college and we crunched the numbers and knew we would be living on little, but barely could make it. I was also filled with questions. This school that just fired me was where my daughter was going to graduate from in 5 months, what are we supposed to do with that? A joyous celebration was now dark and muddied.

It was a dark day. I had no clue what I was going to do. That day, a mountain appeared. It was larger than Everest in my mind. It was a mountain of fear and shame, regret and vanity. My guess is that this seems overly dramatic- but this pain was deeper in my soul than I had personally experienced before.

I woke up the next morning- a Friday. I was in my house all alone.

I sat at my computer and I clicked on I-Tunes and pressed a playlist called "Praise and Worship" and then I heard it... "I lift my eyes up..... to the mountains.... where does my help come from? My help comes from You..... Maker of heaven........ Creator of the Earth."

It was a supernatural moment of such force that my life and circumstances changed in a heartbeat.

God was on His throne... what could mere men do to me?

God had seen this coming.... He had me as spiritually strong at that moment as I had been in years.

God was going to see me through this.

Now is the cool part. I almost hate to write this, because it makes you realize what a spiritual wimp I must have been for God to come so quickly to my rescue. I know of many godly men and women who walk dark journeys for months and years after a knock down.

My rescue came in less that 12 hours.

I read the Bible. Made a list of people to call. Went for a run listening to that same playlist (which became my song list/routine for months) and when I got back I received a phone call.

It was a generous job offer. Not only an offer, but a request that I NOT take it immediately. This amazing man, with a heart of compassion I had not experienced in a very long time, told me to put his offer in my back pocket, pray, search out all the opportunities before me, and just let him know before March or April if I wanted it. He wanted me to come only if God led me to that decision.

I accepted his offer after many weeks of prayer and discussions of all of the offers with my family....

Now, every time I read Psalm 121 or hear the praise song, I get chills and sometimes I cry. These were not just words, this is HIS WORD of promise.

Do you see where this journey is headed?
We get kicked to the ground in a myriad of ways.
We want to lay there in defeat, but we get up.
We see the mountain and it looks overwhelming.

But GOD is bigger than that mountain and He made that mountain.

What is your mountain in these unprecedented days?
Fear of losing your job?
Missing out on some special moments?
Worried about a grandparent?

He will see you through.

And so you climb a little more up the path today. One day 2 steps...one day 6.. one day you slide back 3 or 4... then you get up and go 7 or 8!

My hope is that You get to experience Him in this way as well and keep your song for the climb handy!

By the way, I did take that job and I have been in that new place 9 years and 4 months to this day.

Amazing to see that God knew what He was doing. I still am walking through some things including forgiveness, but I find myself getting stronger and healthier day by day.

My wife and children have been very well cared for. Thank you Lord!

This is not to say that a mountain may appear again soon- but I know where my help comes from!

Keeping Your Wits When Others Are Insane- Psalm 120

This is a Day 2 of writings to encourage us to CLIMB out of pits of despair, worry, and hopelessness. It starts hard... but like any time of improvement, we will get better. Slow down and ponder what the Lord has for you today....

These writings are inspired by an amazing book- 

A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society by Eugene Peterson

You can get it on Amazon

I have made this Psalm into a song, you can listen to it here:

The Bottom (Psalm of Ascent 120)

Today's Reading

Psalm 120 (The Message Version)

I’m in trouble. I cry to God,
desperate for an answer:
“Deliver me from the liars, God!
They smile so sweetly but lie through their teeth.”

Do you know what’s next, can you see what’s coming,
all you barefaced liars?
Pointed arrows and burning coals
will be your reward.

I’m doomed to live in Meshech,
cursed with a home in Kedar,
My whole life lived camping
among quarreling neighbors.
I’m all for peace, but the minute
I tell them so, they go to war!

Psalm 120 begins with the most honest prayer we can ever utter:

I’m in trouble. I cry to God,
desperate for an answer:

Have you ever been there? 

Eugene Peterson labels this Psalm "Repentance" which is a fundamental piece of any real change. Even our introduction to the Kingdom of Christ is born out of true repentance and true saving faith. The reason I add 'true' is that we can be fooled by our emotions and deceived by self rationalization. "True" means from God, and bears fruit of the substance of that repentance and faith, albeit over time and through trial.

When we say to God, either for the first time as a cry for salvation, or frequent other times as a believer as a cry for rescue- "Help me, I'm at my end"- it is a heart breaking but beautiful moment. 

Things are about to get real.

This is why Jesus cries out in Matthew 5- "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven"- And the reality is this- All real change begins with pain or disillusionment. But the pain needs to drive us to the source of our help, and it is not found in us, nor the world, nor our 'friends', not even our family or church- the source of this is the Almighty God, King of All, and the Supreme Lover of Your Soul.

Now... I hate that I have to get to this point over and over. But I have to say this prayer WAY MORE than I should. But it is a reality.

I say with the Apostle Paul in Romans 7- "For I know that nothing good dwells in me".

Peterson drives it home this way:

A person has to be thoroughly disgusted with the way things are to find the motivation to set out on the Christian way. As long as we think the next election might eliminate crime and establish justice or another scientific breakthrough might save the environment or another pay raise might push us over the edge of anxiety into a life of tranquility, we are not likely to risk the anxious uncertainties of the life of faith.

So where are you? Are you tired of seeing that same person in the mirror day after day, a victim of your own bed of circumstances? How long are you going to believe in that idol that drops you time and time again? Do you still have hope that those people will come through? That that job will matter? That that trip will fulfill? That that program will produce?

When we fall down and finally say, "Lord, I'm in trouble" then the journey can really begin. And unfortunately it 'begins again' time and time again. But the Lord is too good to not hear the true cry of His child.

REALIZING THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION- PEOPLE

“Deliver me from the liars, God!
They smile so sweetly but lie through their teeth.” Psalm 120 vs 3

This is so hard to write about. The premise of the hit TV show, House, was "All people lie". I have to reluctantly say...'True!' and that means I am guilty. Some lies are more subtle than others. Broken promises hurt. The spreading of untrue or inaccurate gossip wounds. Betrayal and infidelity are consistent piles of rubbish in the wake of human interactions.

It is especially exasperating to me to see the horrible disinformation campaigns during this current crisis of the Coronavirus. The 'news' actually makes the situation MUCH worse than it should be.

If it weren't so serious, it would actually be laughable.

But again- though the culture is full of gossip and rumor, the reality is a useful tool. Because in brilliant juxtaposition is the COVENANT KEEPING GOD. Jehovah never breaks His promise, even to the point of suffering and death. It males Him hard to deal with because He is a 'man of His word'- but it means that He is trustworthy when all men are not.


REALIZING THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION- DESTINY

Do you know what’s next, can you see what’s coming,
all you barefaced liars?
Pointed arrows and burning coals
will be your reward.

The Psalmist here drips with anger. Real hurt brings raw reaction. I am not sure it is healthy, but it is reality. The key is what to do with the anger.

I read a facebook post one day that said:

No need for revenge - Just sit back and wait... those that hurt you will eventually screw up all by themselves ... and if you are lucky, God will let you watch.

Remember, we are in step 1 of a change. Hopefully, in time the anger will be harnessed under the streams of grace. But the Psalms are always so true to real life existence.

When I get angry, I go out for runs. After I was fired in 2010, I was so angry and ran so much that I actually ran the Music City Marathon. My body won't let me do that much anymore, but I do think exercise is a good outlet to pour out deep frustration.

But I also need to know that I too have caused hurt that results in that type of hurt and anger. Mostly unintentional... but at times with full knowledge of my wrong.

The good news of the gospel must always be in line with the bad news as well. It is clearly here. THERE WILL BE UNSPEAKABLE PUNISHMENT by the Just and Holy God of the Universe.

It is contained even in the most beautiful proclamation of grace in the Bible:

For God so loved the world, that He sent His only begotten Son. That whoever believes in Him SHOULD NOT PERISH, but have eternal life. John 3:16

This REALIZATION is two fold:

1)There are bad people who will not ever repent and grow colder and bolder. These are the liars and mockers. Wolves in sheep's clothing. Men of evil intents and iniquity. Manipulation and deceit. Insatiable selfishness. Shakespeare said: "He will speak more in a minute than he will stand to in a month". These are the people who listen and watch for any small opportunity to take someone down. They twist words and float tiny white lies that are as deadly as the virus we are fighting right now. 

If that is you or me... we must cry out for change.... because these people will have to drink the fury of God's Holy wrath to the last drop for all eternity. He will not back down from that promise either. 

And the 2nd realization is.......
2) There are bad people who come to/or brought to their senses and they desperately cry out for mercy. They SEE the Lamb of God who was slain and fall down in awe of what was done. HE drank the cup of that fury and wrath. They will desire to 'turn' ... they admit their failings, and they walk in deep humility and love because they have received the gift of grace and mercy.

Because this is true- why stay in the mud of depression? Get up and walk uphill in praise to this King of Grace! Bring someone with you along the way! Proclaim this all who will hear. Leave this broken place behind!


REALIZING THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION- The Path Upward and Onward

I’m doomed to live in Meshech,
cursed with a home in Kedar,
My whole life lived camping
among quarreling neighbors.

I’m all for peace, but the minute
I tell them so, they go to war!

I LOVE how this Psalm closes because it is a daily dose of reality that keeps me from going back to where I was. 

In fact, I love that this Psalm closes with Kedar and the next Psalm opens in worship.

The reference to Meshech and Kedar are parallel analogies to nomadic wandering in barren places. 

You and I walk dust trails in the remote outposts of a cursed land.

Do we want to stay in the valley of our little pity party? There is nothing here for us.

No ... let us cast our eyes to the mountain. The upward journey that ends in an eternity of no more tears and no more pain and freedom from regret and shame.

You will not find peace here. Your job, marriage, stock portfolio, or weekend activities will not be without thorns and mosquitoes!

You are a pilgrim... a royal ambassador... but serving in a place that is not your ultimate home. Enjoy the journey, but never be in anything but a tent. Even your body is a temporary structure.

2 Corinthians 5:1–10

[1] For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. [2] For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, [3] if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. [4] For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. [5] He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

[6] So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, [7] for we walk by faith, not by sight. [8] Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. [9] So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. [10] For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. (ESV)

So this first song for the journey is a song of pain that leads to repentance. No one really likes sad songs, but they are representative of real life.

My sad songs help me REMEMBER where I was and motivate me to never want to return.

Thank you God for hearing my desperate cry for help! 

Time to move on.........

Today, I challenge you to do something I bet you haven't done in a while- pray on your knees.

Get up right now and go to a small quiet place and physically get on your knees. It is a very humbling posture... a posture of submission... a posture of poverty.

And then cry out a simple prayer.... Lord, I am in trouble...HELP!

And He will run to you... faster than the speed of light.

Why are we waiting?

Keeping Your Wits When Others Are Insane- Intro

Note: This is the 2nd time I used the Psalms of Ascent to lift me from depths. You can find an earlier attempt to capture these in 2012 not long after I was dismissed as the head varsity football coach at Christ Pres Academy (CPA) in 2011 (those posts start on Oct. 2012). When the world shut down down in 2020 from Covid, these Psalms were my 'camp out places'. In 2024 I added the soundtracks...Thank you Jesus for these amazing songs! Songs for the climb!

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If- Rudyard Kipling (stanzas 1 and 2)

I don't have a lot to offer during this time of global uncertainty, but I do feel compelled to write. Possibly, this will be some sort of solid substance to steady a weary soul. These are revised offerings that come directly from the "Songs of Ascent". 

Here is an effort to encourage my brothers and sisters who are currently in "The Mitigation".

These writings were originally inspired by an amazing book by Eugene H. Peterson, "A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society". I have been through this book a number of times now and have to place it among the most inspirational devotional commentaries I have ever read.

Of course, you have to give ALL of the credit to the Scripture- the Psalms of Ascent (Ps.120-134), especially in the translation of The Message. They are God-breathed and powerful. If you ever feel betrayed, or lonely, or worn out in your spiritual walk- these passages are like adrenaline, vitamins, and new vigor.

So I will take some time to reflect on these great pages of soul stirring food over this time of 'mitigation'.

Chapter 1 of Peterson's book begins with a question, straight out of Jeremiah 12:5. "If you're worn out in this footrace with men, what makes you think you can race against horses?"

Exasperation, feeling defeated and overwhelmed, experiencing doubt and thinking about quitting is a place that I have known and experienced in very tangible ways.

Especially in a time where there is an unseen virus and an unknown future.

For me to get there is rather surprising. If you knew me, especially in my youth, you would see me as an atomic fireball with an ability to 'see it and seize it'. Winning was natural, overcoming obstacles a joy, and my attitude was beyond positive. It had a dark side to it- I would fight to win by any means, and it didn't matter who I hurt or how tangled the manipulation scheme became.

But I now know that life will wear on and wear out anyone. And left to my own strength and devices, it doesn't take long to find myself in pits of my poor choices, spiraling downhill in defeat and destruction.

I had a bad week last week... this sudden stoppage of my rituals and routine was like a car wreck. I had been running at 222 MPH for a long time.... too long.... and my car was not in good shape!

It is in these moments where you find out what is of real substance in your life and what is idealistic vapor fumes.

The phrase 'essential services' left me in my proper place.... and now I am doing my duty by shutting down and shutting in!

I have learned a lot about winning from years of athletics, where winning has been more the experience. I am not a good loser ( I have often quoted Coach Bryant: "Show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser' ) So when I find myself laying in a mud packed ground of depression and loss, it can get the best of me for a time.

It is a fragile state to be in......

It feels good to lay there for a while. I mean, I have an excuse: "Look what injustice I have received, look at this crummy world system, I TRIED MY BEST!" And  I lay there, caked in mud and blood, close my eyes, and hope that it will all magically go away.

But it never does.

I then put on Rocky music and get up for a few good swings and then dramatically throw myself down, hoping to draw someone to my attention. But no human comes in those times; or, if they do, they only enable or condemn.

So what can I do? What can WE do?

Conventional wisdom would say DO NOT LOOK UP TO THE DESTINATION OR YOU MAY GIVE UP BECAUSE IT IS SO FAR OUT OF REACH. But we can't help but do that. I look up at the top of the mountain and realize how far deep in the swamp I have sunk. But to say "Don't look at the ideal standard or prize" is unrealistic and promotes mediocrity.

I think we also tend to try and reason WHY we failed. But this doesn't necessarily help. There is no program or strategy to keep me getting up. If I add it up as A+B= C,  I might think I can do it on my own or I will have convenient excuses as to why I am just laying in the muck.

What I have found most helpful is to stop worrying about the outcome.... whether it will be judged a win or a loss. I am simply asked to do 2 things-

(1) Get up and (2) Don't give up.

There is a familiar quote: It matters not if we try and fail AND try and fail again. What matters is if we try and fail and fail to try again.

 And I will never do even one of those things unless I realize that I am powerless to do either on my own.

Peterson explains the problem in chapter 1. THE WORLD IS NO FRIEND TO GRACE. To live as a disciple of Jesus Christ is to understand that this is a walk that is hostile to the environment around you. You are hostile to it and it is hostile to you.

An adopted son of the King is an enemy to a culture where Isaiah writes that 'fools are called noble and scoundrels are said to be honorable'. I have quoted G.K. Beale a number of times- "Worldliness is what any culture does to make sin seem normal and righteousness seem strange."

Now, I need to make a HUGE distinction here. The winning edge is not just getting up and not giving up (my definition of discipleship). The winning edge is to get up and walk in a spirit of compassion, hope, love, humility, joy, gentleness, peace, etc. as a follower of the one true King.

You have to know the 'Myth of Sisyphis' written by Camus to understand why the distinction matters.

The heart of existentialism is a rugged rebellion- a massive middle finger to the 'gods' or authority for the lot that these rebels find themselves in.  Sisyphis found himself in that existence as he rolled that rock up the hill over and over and over. In this rebel's heart he found a mysterious sense of winning! Camus writes:

I leave Sisyphus at the foot of the mountain! One always finds one's burden again. But Sisyphus teaches the higher fidelity that negates the gods and raises rocks. He too concludes that all is well. This universe henceforth without a master seems to him neither sterile nor futile. Each atom of that stone, each mineral flake of that night-filled mountain, in itself forms a world. The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.

This is an imposter! We must show a different type of the warrior spirit!

If we look at the general scope of the American climate, we have to agree that this is a very prevalent mood. For far too many people, the 'American spirit' is a godless tenacity to keep plodding on with no real hope in sight.

Sadly, The American church isn't much better right now... Atheistic rugged individualism actually accomplishes more than a believer like me who has passively given up the charge and remains on the ground with his eyes closed.

Our snot blowing, blubbering 'woe is me' stagnation looks weak and frail when compared to these tough existential fighters. But they too are throwing haymakers at windmills.

SO how do we do this? Where does the power come from to get up and dream again?

It starts with a realization that this is a process of decades and not days.

Peterson explains: "The biggest disservice of our rapid paced society is the illusion that meaningful treasures can be attained in microwave moments."

So these writings in this current crisis is a goal and it is a help for a journey that hopefully, will continue on AFTER Covid-19 has long left the headlines... and it is a hope for the journey- as perilous as it may seem.

The Goal:
I am marching uphill to the Holy Mountain of Zion with a song in my heart and joy in my spirit because I am loved by the King of the Universe. All I need to care for is this day's walk. May I be found obedient today. I start my day with a gospel help: "I am crucified with Christ" and I will end the day with a gospel hope: "There is therefore now no condemnation in Christ Jesus."

Here is how Paul said it in Philippians 3:7– 4:1

[7] But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. [8] Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ [9] and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—[10] that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, [11] that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
[12] Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. [13] Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. [15] Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. [16] Only let us hold true to what we have attained.
[17] Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. [18] For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. [19] Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. [20] But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, [21] who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. 

[4: 1] Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. (ESV)


Tomorrow, we will be reading in the Psalms... (120-134) - . These Psalms have longed been used by pilgrims who were climbing up toward Jerusalem, climbing up the temple mount, climbing up Mt Zion.

I am re-evaluating, re-imagining, re-committing, re-invigorating my calling to climb.... please join me! Our culture needs to see a lot of light right now.... not our light... but the true light!

COVID-19 and Deadly Storms: A Christian's Prayer, Actions, Attitude, and Feelings

We have had two sad and heart wrenching stories dominating our news cycles recently.

As a Nashville resident for 7 years, I was deeply impacted by the video and photos from the tornado that struck the east side of the city this week. And equally concerned about the spread of this highly infectious virus.

The Nashville tornado has seemed to rally a more unified response at the moment and I doubt few people are happy that the coronavirus has resulted in partisan bickering.

Our country has DEEP divisions that have been growing. These are massive fault lines that ever grow into a feud and could be seeds of civil war if we leave them unchecked.

And no feud ends well.... the tragedy between the Caplets and Montages contains the famous line from Mercutio: "A pox on both your houses."

With no pun intended.... we need to carefully consider a proper response and community call to address this crisis, and ANY such crisis that threatens life and the state of our union.

APOCALYPTIC ALLUSION- The signs are in place.... are We READY?

As a Christian, I must bring us first to God's Word, that gives us multiple layers of information to encourage and inspire our approach and actions.

When we read the words of Christ in Matthew 24 and study the writings of John in Revelations, we see numerous 'signs' or possibly 'reminders' that Christ is returning. I have often seen the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgements is Revelation as 'pre-judgement judgement and pre-wrath wrath' that grow and rescind like the 'birth pains' that Jesus refers to in the Olivet Discourse.

For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. [8] All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. ( Matthew 24:7–8 ESV) 

And any perusal of global media will show that the signs are there, and have always been there. It is a call to say... BE READY... BE ALERT.. SEEK THE LORD

Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8 ESV)

This is my similar post on any large scale that captures our national attention:

God is never absent in a crisis like this global pestilence, hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes.... indeed He is ever present in that chaos... and though it migrates within the properties of nature that He designed, it also is contained in the majestic control of His mighty hand.

AND  like most humans in that I don't understand that... and if I am honest I don't like that. But I am so thankful that God has many promises that we can cling to when life doesn't make sense or when we don't like it.

God is so patient as we cry out in misunderstanding and dissatisfaction.

But I am human, limited in understanding, I don't see events in the light of eternity.... so  I do say to God that what Paul says in Romans is true... but frustrating...

"But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, 'Why have you made me like this?' [21] Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? (Romans 9:20-21 ESV)

So we pray for God's will and His mercy. We understand that this virus has wreaked havoc in many places and many calamities fall in different ways everyday. God's love stands true in the midst of any human condition. His  gracious offer of eternal salvation to all who call upon His name far outweighs even the darkest human story.

But the Bible also encourage us to pray... to wrestle with Him... to knock... to seek... to ask.... It encourages us to pray in faith and Jesus teaches us to pray in unity of numbers and perseverance.

And ultimately, we trust in every answer.... sometimes "Yes", sometimes "No", and sometimes "Not yet". We know that God's ways are not our ways and God's purposes are just and His acts are good.

We bow before Him as sinners. We come before Christ as a people who often ignore Him and cling to idols who offer nothing but lies.

And yet, God's  heart is still so full of compassion. He demonstrated Agape love in space, time, and history.

[7] For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—[8] but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:7-8 ESV)

PRAYER:

So Father, we cry out to You- the ONE WHO CAN turn the virus called 'Corona' and we ask that even as Your people pray, the efforts and conditions of healing will take hold. We lift up the victims in Nashville and ask for your people to run in and restore.

Father, if it be Your will to not relent in that way, or seem slow in Your healing- we know that You are gracious and loving. Your children know how to pray as Job prayed, "Though he slay me, I will hope in him" (Job 13:15 ESV)

We also pray Lord that You would move the hearts of Your people to rally to the needs of others. We thank You for 1st Responders and countless thousands of others who give cups of water and words of healing in Your Holy Name right in the darkest places of human suffering and infection.

Lord, when You allow grace... may many people recognize Your mercy and fall their knees in thanks. We know the skeptics will mock and jeer.... they will say that it is only soul-less 'science' and resist You in hardened rebellion.

But Lord, may they even see Your majesty and peace and patience and love while the door of mercy is still open.

So Lord, Your people pray and we wait. We are not helpless or hopeless. May we be found dressed- clothed in the righteousness of Jesus- ready to respond to Your call in the peace that passes all understanding and the power of Your Holy Spirit.

So thank You for even the privilege the pray... to ask that You move among us so powerfully that all the world may see Your ways and be amazed.

In The Name of The King of Kings and Lord of Lords... Jesus Christ.

AMEN

How does one Biblically respond to a disaster?

#1 God is in control- He was not absent from the disease. The curse of sin and the righteous wrath of holiness is the fury of it. He is  the pilot of it. Nothing happens outside of His sovereignty.

#2 The rain falls on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matt 5). ANY tragedy represents judgement for some and graduation to heaven for others. See Jesus commentary in Luke 13 on human disaster. The question is always- "Am I ready for my death- Am I ready to meet God?"

#3 God is loving and compassionate. In the chaos is also God's love. It is the same love shown on the cross. Where was God when pestilence struck? He was in the same place as when His Son hung on the cross. He is in control and full of love.

#4 For the believer. tragedy is eventually turned to triumph. Rom, 8:28 promises that all things work for good. How can that be? The reaction to the tragedy shows God's truth. It shows mans depraved nature (Rom 3:23) in the looting and crime. It shows the existence of God in how we value life (we spend money and risk lives to save lives). It gives God's people a chance to show compassion (II Corin 1). It wakes us up from trivial lives of idolatry.

What is more comforting? The Corona virus with no God in control or the virus being used by God to fulfill His eternal purposes?

How you answer that question shows what risk you have taken for eternity.

See Joseph's faith in Genesis 50.

Psalm 74:9 You stand up to judge those who do evil, O God, and to rescue the oppressed of the earth. 10 Human opposition only enhances your glory, for you use it as a sword of judgment.

What A Fool Believes- Readings in Genesis

There is no limit in this culture of people who mock or ridicule people of faith. Some are downright nasty while others bemuse themselves with jabs at the religions for humor or entertainment. Bill Maher is a combination of both. Here is one of his few quotes I would feel comfortable quoting in this blog post: "It worries me that people are running my country who think - who believe in a talking snake."

I guess it would be snarky to say that some may find him to be a talking snake, and a more irenic response would be to say, "I'm sure you could easily find people who think that both of us are talking snakes."

But the skeptical (mocking with sarcastic tone) question remains...."Do you believe in that brain dead story!?"

Not just Genesis... Here is how Bill Maher ridicules the entire gospel:

'What if there was a religion which an all-powerful god from outer space decided to send his unborn son on a suicide mission to planet Earth? So this space-god impregnates a human female in some mystical, not-quite-physical fashion, and she gives birth to a baby who is both a human being and a divine incarnation, simultaneously the space god's spawn and the space god himself. (Oh, space god also has a third manifestation, one that's totally invisible.) So space-god junior is born on Earth destined to be killed, even though he's a space god and therefore immortal. " Bill Maher at the Vatican City in his documentary, "Religulous"

That is a 'throw down the gauntlet challenge'.... right?

The title of this particular post is straight from the mesmerizing notes and beat of the famous Doobie Brothers song, What A fool Believes..... it is playing in the back of my brain right now

He came from somewhere back in her long ago.....

Tryin' hard to recreate, What had yet to be created....

She musters a smile for his nostalgic tale, Never coming near what he wanted to say

Only to realize it never really was....

As he rises to her apology....Anybody else would surely know...
He's watching her go

But what a fool believes, he sees

No wise man has the power.... to reason away
What seems...... to be

Is always better than nothing, Than nothing at all

Am I a fool for believing?.... Do I stand in front of all educated elites and hear the echo of bombastic laughter and finger pointing shame?

Not at all..... what I believe is the very essence of faith, but it is not incredulous.

And the attack from both sides of the spectrum show up when you write about Genesis.

I have been very encouraged and persuaded regarding Genesis in the last few years by C. John "Jack" Collins, a professor of Old Testament and Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Collins has an excellent background for tackling Genesis... he has a love for science (former MIT engineer), a love of language, a love for literature, and a love for the Lord and His scriptures.

Dr. Collins has written several books and can be found on you tube lectures. I have enjoyed his view of 'periscopes' in Genesis, theories regarding analogical days, and excellent analysis regarding authorship, Hebrew consistencies, plain reading analysis, and commentary about original reader understanding and intent. He does so while keeping a high view of a God inspired Bible and a robust, traditional gospel.

But leave it to the Creation Institute writers to call Dr. Collins book, Science and Faith as 'Sloppy, lazy, and dishonest'..... wow, with friends like that, who cares what our enemies think!

But let's go back to Genesis... back to creation, back to the garden, back to the talking snake in the garden....

I read it, and there is room for analogy and interpretation....I read it differently now, but it still rings true.... and if you accept the one line "In the beginning, God" .... the rest isn't hard to accept on face value.

What a fool believes?

I think I could put the shoe on the other foot....

What else explains life? our understanding of good? dark? seasons? weeks?
How am I able to internally meditate and debate value and purpose?
Why do I wrangle over words?
Can I explain death or zeal for life without some knowledge of the divine?

Who is the bigger fool? One who joins others in a shared belief in a Judeo-Christian cosmology? Or the one who looks at the uncanny nature of the fine tuning of the universe as one cosmic accident?

The Bible actually takes sides here:

Psalm 14:1 "The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” (ESV)

So what do I believe?

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
      creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
      who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
      and born of the virgin Mary.
      He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
      was crucified, died, and was buried;
      he descended to hell.
      The third day he rose again from the dead.
      He ascended to heaven
      and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
      From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
      the holy catholic church,
      the communion of saints,
      the forgiveness of sins,
      the resurrection of the body,
      and the life everlasting. Amen.

And my only prayer for those who reject this, don't double down on your pride.... all Creation is full of the glory of the Lord, and every heart beat is proof of His grace.....

We Know Sin Too Well and Grace Too Little- Reading in Genesis

Genesis is Beginnings, and 'Origin' is a more accurate term.

I love origin stories..... any reading or video series that tells me how things came to be captures my attention. These stories often pull together distant details and end up in the fabric of a grand narrative that deepens our understanding on where we are and possibly where we are headed.

And these aren't always 'happy tales'.... some origin stories are dark and are unknown. Time covers tragedy and though we may know the surface story, we have no inkling of past shame. Humans are really good at forgetting.... and we sometimes purposely forget as a type of cover-up. Deep shadows in the past, regrets that press with force and  tension like the fault lines of broken continents, that tremor and strain below the crust.

God had Moses write about this. Because this is the question that always demands an answer. The question of evil is a fishhook that cuts to the very marrow of existence. Indeed, the very understanding of sin and consequences is real .... we all know the dark very well. What we demand to know is 'whence did it come from'?

On May 24, 1844 Samuel Morse was being carefully watched by members of congress as he was set to send the very first commercial message by the single wire mass communication that he had so cleverly invented.  The message was going to be sent by a series of taps and pings that was going to be transcribed by a partner in a Baltimore train station 40 miles to the north.

It was a very short sentence, a process that is an ultra-cosmic distance from what we know today in a world of texts and tweets that travel the globe in seconds (actually they travel to space and back in seconds). 

The irony is what Morse sent.... the message also from the hand of Moses. A quote lifted straight from Numbers 23:23.  Morse's assistant, Alfred Vail transcribed the short 'telegraph onto a piece of paper':  “What hath God wrought?”

And now we know a lot more about what was brought about.... the 'genesis' of mass communication technologies... on first glance a neutral tool that transmits information, but also admittedly has been used for evil and destruction.... as well as for healing and good.

Most parents first response to mass communication is negative, and for good reason. We do evil too easily, we know evil too well.... it takes work to keep it wholesome and positive.

That is what we tend to focus on as we read Genesis - the seeds of sin and rebellion that will rip apart Paradise.

We all know the account (though few read it carefully)... In Genesis 2:15 God puts man in the garden to 'work and to keep it' and He does it with a privilege and a command:

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, [17] but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16–17 ESV)

Who knows how many trees were given in the privilege.... man was permitted FREELY to enjoy hundreds? Thousands? Tens of thousands? “What hath God wrought?”

Herein lies the greatest distinction of the creature and Creator. In this first 'prohibition', the framework was laid for not only the possibility of evil, but actually the probability of it.

God knew the type of being He had made.

And there is something else here.... He already knew of the rebellion of a powerful, created being. He already had experienced 1/3 of His creation shake their fists and follow a leader into direct confrontation. Such a mystery.... freedom and sovereignty.

Back to Genesis 2:15.... Eve was not yet in the picture.

I read liberal and conservative textual commentaries and criticism. As a reader, I have to admit there seems to be on the surface differing creation accounts... perspectives... timelines. 

I have spent time pondering the possibilities.... and each possibility has a resulting consequence. Our choice is exactly what Adam had to understand. We are free to choose, but not free to choose the results of our choosing.

Every time I whittle the creation account down to symbol, I unleash human propensity of speculation and manipulation. 

God is telling me something very complex is a very simple way. And in my rebellious nature, I miss the forest for the trees.

As we move from Genesis 2:15 to the first gospel promise in Genesis 3:15.... we are left without a good many details.... and as a reader, I have to accept the storyteller's motive and purpose. 

Moses was never afraid to ask God hard things. Moses saw God in a way that no other man ever would again. Moses got real with God and both communicated real feelings, including anger and discouragement.

But we get a clue to things going wrong.... and one important clue was that Adam had added to the Lord's prohibition. 

When the crafty serpent floated the question... "Did God actually say?"

She had already gotten it wrong.... 

And the woman said to the serpent, “We may (missing 'surely') eat of  (missing 'every') the fruit of the trees in the garden, [3] but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden (missing the name - 'tree of knowledge of good and evil'), neither shall you touch it (added something God did not say), lest you die (missing 'you shall SURELY die')’” (Genesis 3:2–3 ESV)

And we know the sin and consequences... the pain and the shame. Innocence gone and paradise lost.

Human propensity, not trusting, a lack of gratitude, the nature of temptation, and the subtle slide to destruction and death.

And in just a few short paragraphs, we have all of human misery and the full impact of the curse. The origin of why our nature is full of sin and shame.

lying, cover-up, blame, shame, running from God, regret, hatred, violence, strife, pain, discontentment, false teaching, hunger, thorns, bloodshed, death, exile, separation, rivalry, seduction, failure, murder, rebellion, bigamy, genocide.....

But as we shudder at the reading and understand these terms too well.... what do we miss? 

We miss God's grace... all the way through each tragic event.

God's Grace to Adam and Eve

Even in the consequences required by God's holiness- His grace shines, and I miss it ALL the time.

In the curses, there is grace:

The very first one is the promise of the gospel in Genesis 3:15

There will be a warrior from the woman- an 'offspring' who will prevail in the battle

But there are MANY more:

The Lord God clothes them

He protects them from the Tree of Life- I believe this keeps them from being forever stranded in their condition

Blesses them with children

Allows worship and maintains contact

God's Grace to Cain

This is the one that took me by surprise recently.... look how the Lord tried to counsel and how he protected Cain in spite of his horrendous sin...

God counsels with Cain- approaching him over his fallen countenance

He warns him about sin's crouching- and commands him to fight it

He creates a sign to protect him after he gives the consequences of Cain's actions

Allows Cain to live

Allows prosperity and even allows rebellion

What do we make of this?

I still think we make the Bible out to be the story of man and sin.... but we still miss that this is actually the glory of GOD. His love and long suffering, His goodness and sacrifice.

And His consistent call is to leave the forsaken things and fall on Him. His arms are open still.

Don't be a SCOFFER....

[4] They (The Scoffers) will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” [5] For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, [6] and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. [7] But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

[8] But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. [9] The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. [10] But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. (2 Peter 3:4–10 ESV)

Lord, depart from me, I am a sinful man..... “What hath God wrought?”

More grace and love than we can comprehend.

It Was All VERY Good- God and Light- Readings in Genesis

Linguistically, the better organization of the Genesis text is to take Genesis 1:1- 2:3 as a coherent section. 

There is considerable debate to counter this, but I have been persuaded through those who study the Hebrew and who faithfully press into good points and counterpoints that this is the best break.

I won’t publish all of Genesis in these writings, but take some time to read this section as a whole.

In reading blog posts, I sometimes skip over the Scripture.... don't do that...it is the only good stuff here!

Genesis 1

[1] In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. [2] The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

[3] And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. [4] And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. [5] God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

[6] And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” [7] And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. [8] And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

[9] And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. [10] God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

[11] And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. [12] The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. [13] And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

[14] And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, [15] and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. [16] And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. [17] And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, [18] to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. [19] And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.


[20] And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” [21] So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. [22] And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” [23] And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

[24] And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. [25] And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

[26] Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

[27] So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.

[28] And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” [29] And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. [30] And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. [31] And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. (ESV)

Genesis 2:1–3

[1] Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. [2] And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. [3] So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. (ESV)


According to Genesis 1 and 2, it was God Himself that brought into being not only good things, but things that He named. He was the first to name- “Day”, “Night”, “Land”, “Seas”, “Heaven”, “Earth”

He was active… He said, He saw, He created, He made, He blessed, … also early it was written that He ‘hovered’ which has a reference to wind. I sometimes think of the rushing wind of God’s spirit that blows over a dark, empty, soul that is void.

It was His idea to mark seasons, days, and years.

He was also, somewhat passive- some things happened out of the motions He put is place…. He didn’t stop the earth from sprouting or fish from swarming. He saw and blessed.

He allowed for a division called ‘livestock’- domesticated animals for man’s good. This was apart from ‘wild animals’ and ‘small animals’.


He is a God of lavish blessings- the sea ‘swarmed’ with fish, the skies “filled” with birds. A once ‘formless mass cloaked in darkness’ now overflows with light and life- good bounty and great harvest!

He then patterned people after Himself (actually "Us"which I believe is a reference to the triune Godhead). We reason, emote, contemplate, choose, and communicate.

It was all excellent and good and He rested, and He designated that rest as 'holy'- set apart for His glory.

I want to address a few other concepts here. It is interesting that we have light and dark on day 1 and the ordination/placement of the sun and moon on day 4.

We can’t ignore light…. When it comes to God.

LIGHT– is one of those things that cry out to the existence and glory of God.

If you did not have the Bible- LIGHT would still be enough to cause the human mind to contemplate a Creator. Why?

Well, it is so unique… it has been discovered that light is a particle AND light is a ray. Einstein sums up this interesting scientific observation of light being particle and ray at the same time:

“It seems as though we must use sometimes the one theory and sometimes the other, while at times we may use either. We are faced with a new kind of difficulty. We have two contradictory pictures of reality; separately neither of them fully explains the phenomena of light, but together they do” Albert Einstein

Also, when Guillermo Gonzalez and Jay Richards were outlining their case for Intelligent Design, they were suddenly grasped by a reality that seemed to ‘reveal’ more evidence than just the ‘fine tuning of the universe’ properties that seemed to suggest prior intelligence in the formation of our planet and the environment most favorable to life. Not only were the basic laws understandable.. they were discoverable.. and not only that, we live at a particular platform where these things are OBSERVABLE!

In their mind, the fact that light was available and we had an atmosphere to SEE beyond our planet was too ‘coincidental’ to not be ‘suspicious’. The slot machine of the lottery wheel seemed to be rigged….

I have always been intrigued by the way Jesus says in Luke, Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. And again in Matthew: If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

I don’t know about you.. but having DARK LIGHT in me sounds serious and heavy!

As great as light is in the physical world… the dynamic of spiritual light and darkness is even more so!

The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD,

searching all his innermost parts. (Proverbs 20:27 ESV)

The NLT says it like this:

The LORD’s searchlight penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive.


SO WHAT IS THIS DARK LIGHT THAT WE FIGHT BY A SHINING LIGHT?

The fundamental difference in the Christian worldview and predominate spirit of this age is in determining man as evil or good. The world says, “Man is good, but he sometimes does bad things.” This view believes man’s intentions and motives are for universal good. If educated and free, man will choose to help others and end evil.

BUT…the Scripture says, “Man is evil”. Born into a depraved condition. Whose motives are greedy and malicious. When he does good, it is usually tainted. He speaks lies and defends immorality. Good only exists because of the common grace of God.

This is the paradoxical dichotomy of man. He builds hospitals. He sells illegal drugs. He gives to the poor. He brutalizes children. He gives to charity. He robs from the poor. What explains this?

‘Man is good and does bad things’? or ‘Man is evil and is good only by God’s common grace’?

The Bible’s answer is most likely correct. It fits the either/or reality in a more correct way. Modern man rejects original sin and blows it off as myth. I accept it because it defines me according to the reality of my nature.

Without God, how low would I go? I tremble at the thought.

When the searchlight of God hits my motives, I stand before the world guilty and condemned. Who is my advocate? Who can cleanse me? Who can forgive? “Therefore now, there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)” I don’t have to cover up my sin problem, I give it to my Savior.

SPIRITUAL DARKNESS IS THE SHADOWS OF SIN AND SHAME:

Job 24:13,15,17 (NIV) “There are those who rebel against the light, who do not know its ways or stay in its paths… The eye of the adulterer watches for dusk; he thinks, ‘No eye will see me,’ and he keeps his face concealed… For all of them, deep darkness is their morning; they make friends with the terrors of darkness.”

Isa 29:15-16 (NIV) Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their work in darkness and think, “Who sees us? Who will know?” You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!… Can the pot say of the potter, “He knows nothing?”

If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,

and the light about me be night,”

even the darkness is not dark to you;

the night is bright as the day,

for darkness is as light with you.

(Psalm 139:11-12 ESV)

JESUS CHRIST SHINES A SPIRITUAL LIGHT INTO THE DARKNESS

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
(John 3:19-21 ESV)

SPIRITUAL LIGHT IS A KEY TO SALVATION AND SANCTIFICATION

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
(Colossians 1:13-14 ESV)

For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.(2 Corinthians 4:5-7 ESV)

AS JESUS IS LIGHT- WE ARE TO ‘WALK IN THE LIGHT’

Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Romans 13:11-14 ESV)

THE NEW JERUSALEM WILL HAVE A SPECIAL LIGHT:

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
(Revelation 21:22-27 ESV)

SO HOW ABOUT IT…do you want the dark light or the light of salvation?

Physical light has a speed.. the speed of light is:

299,792,458 miles per second!

The Speed of Spiritual light is FASTER… it responds to the cry of the sinner to the Savior….

Indeed- HE is ALL VERY GOOD!

In my next post, you will become breathless when you see his grace on display in His dealings with Cain.