Chasing Shadows

"The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins."
Hebrews 10:1-3

I was in my back yard watering yesterday. While doing so, I noticed my dog Buddy frantically running around the yard in erratic patterns. Knowing how he likes to chase things, I stopped to observe him and see what had caught his attention. It turns out that he was chasing the shadows of birds and butterflies flying overhead. Rather than chasing the things making those shadows, he was perfectly content to chase their shadows, even if it meant he never actually caught anything.

As much as I love Buddy, I will be the first one to admit that he's not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. His adorable face is a distraction from the fact that he's one sandwich shy of a picnic. Truth be told, his sister Molly got all the brains and he got the good looks.

As I was watching him and amusing myself at his antics, I was thinking that people aren't a whole lot different than Buddy when it comes to chasing shadows. How often do we expend time, energy and resources chasing after things that only have the appearance of what it is we really want or desire? Even the Bible talks about shadows in this regard. The writer of Hebrews stated that the law was only a shadow of the life that is perfected through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus. He acknowledged the futility of making annual sacrifices that could never permanently resolve the sin problem of the one who desired to worship God and be in constant fellowship with Him.

What are some of these shadows that we waste our time chasing?

• We chase the shadows of money, thinking it will provide us security.
• We chase the shadows of material possessions, thinking they will provide us with happiness.
• We chase the shadows of sex, thinking it will satisfy our need for companionship and love.
• We chase the shadows of youth and beauty, thinking they will make us more desirable.
• We chase the shadows of alcohol, drugs or food, thinking (and hoping) they will erase our physical or emotional pain.
• We chase the shadows of successful careers, thinking they will provide us with admiration and approval of our families and friends.
• We chase the shadows of legalism, thinking it will bring us closer to God.

I'm sure there are many other shadows that we chase, but these are a few that came to mind.

The fact is, there are many things that we chase for all the wrong reasons. There is nothing wrong with having money or possessions or a satisfying sex life (with your spouse, of course). And I am the first one to enjoy a good meal accompanied by a fine glass of wine. And there is nothing wrong with excelling in your chosen profession, using your God-given talents to provide valuable products or services. And there is nothing wrong with having a moral code of conduct to live your life by.

But when we chase these things for the alleged benefits we associate with them, we soon find ourselves off track and misplacing our priorities. We run the risk of replacing God's blessings in our lives with the shadows of those blessings, and sooner or later we will discover that we have been chasing nothing more than wind.

Just as a shadow quickly disappears when the sun is obscured by the clouds, or a light is extinguished, so all those "shadows" I mentioned above can disappear in an instant. Money and possessions are fleeting, as are youth and beauty. Jobs are lost, addictions are insidious, and our moral compasses get out of alignment. The only permanent thing in this life is God's love for us. Everything else that we enjoy and take for granted has an expiration date. Just this month alone, one of my friends lost his son and and another lost his home and pets in tragic accidents that no one would have ever predicted. I've lived through enough recessions to have lost more money than some people will make in a lifetime. Yet through all these losses, one thing remains - the presence of a loving and merciful God, who sustains us and preserves us, even when we are crying out in the night for answers that may never come.

What shadows are you chasing today? Where do you need to realign priorities in your life? No one can answer that for you; only through personal introspection and examination can you determine where your time, energy and resources are being misspent. Ask God to show you those shadows, and He will. I know He's showing me mine.

As we enter this Holy Week during which we observe the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord, I pray that you will find a renewed sense of purpose in your life, eliminating the shadows and seeking out the true blessings of God.

Have a blessed week!

Pastor David

Your Ram in the Thicket

(Reprint of a sermon I preached on October 1, 2006)

The story of Abraham and Isaac is a familiar one to most of us. Most often, it is discussed in terms of Abraham’s faith. It also is an incredible allegory depicting God the Father sacrificing His one and only Son, Jesus. But there is another side to this story, and that is what I want to focus on today.

(Genesis 22:1-2)

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

As counter-intuitive as it may seem, sometimes God asks us to sacrifice that thing which is nearest and dearest to us, even if it is the very thing He promised to give us. This was the case with Abraham and his son Isaac. And just as Abraham's instructions were void of specific details, God doesn’t always give us all the information we need to understand our task. Sometimes we just have to move forward in faith, believing and trusting that God knows what He is doing. 

(Genesis 22:3-5) 

Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” 

This was Abraham’s first faith declaration: “We will worship and then we will come back to you.” Even though he didn’t have the full picture, Abraham figured God knew what He was doing. Sometimes we need to involve others in carrying out God’s plans, but we can’t always tell them exactly what God has in mind. If we do, we may lose their support, or they may try to talk us out of our obedience.

Notice that Abraham described what he was doing as an act of worship. Our sacrifice must come in the midst of worship, or else we may give it grudgingly. Abraham equated sacrifice with worship. To him, they were inseparable.

Genesis 22:6-8

Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

This was Abraham’s second faith declaration: “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Again, Abraham did not know what or how, but he knew Who, and that was enough for him. Up to now, no one had questioned Abraham’s actions, probably because of his reputation as a man of faith. Only the curiosity of an innocent child saw that something was missing. But even then, he accepted Abraham’s answer and was satisfied.

Genesis 22:9-10

When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

What was Abraham thinking? “He said sacrifice, not circumcise, right? God, do you know what you’re doing? God, I hope you know what you’re doing. What am I going to tell Sarah?”

What was Isaac thinking? “My old man’s really lost it this time. I knew I should have stayed in bed this morning. How sharp is that knife? I wonder if I’ll bleed to death before I’m burned to a crisp. Mom’s going to be fried when she finds out about this!”

What was God thinking? “I know exactly how you feel. One day, that will be my Son. I can’t bear to watch any longer. Quick, someone stop him!”

Genesis 22:11-12

But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

Did God change His mind? No, He knew all along that this is how it would end. After all, this was a test He knew Abraham could and would pass. But there was something else God wanted to teach Abraham, and the countless generations to come after him who would read this story. God wanted to reveal Himself as Jehovah Jireh, God the Provider.

Genesis 22:13-14

Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”

What a “coincidence”! It just so happened that God provided exactly what Abraham needed at the precise moment he needed it. God’s original request for a sacrifice was still in force. He simply changed the object of that sacrifice. The amazing thing about God in this regard is that He always provides the sacrifice that He wants from us. He will never ask you to give Him something that He hasn’t already provided. And He will always replace the sacrificed item with something better.

Abraham thought he was about to lose a son. Instead, he gained his son, as good as dead. Hebrews 11:19 says,

“Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.”

Yet God still got His sacrifice and worship. What a deal!

The Bible is full of stories about people who had a need that God provided for at just the right moment. God is always right on time. Sometimes we think that He is late or that He has missed His window of opportunity. But He knows exactly the right time to come through with His plan of provision.

Sometimes He provides in a way that we do not expect. Were there not plenty of acceptable rams in Abraham’s flock back home? Was all this mental anguish really necessary? What was God trying to prove, anyway?

He was trying to prove that, when we step out in total obedience and choose to worship Him instead of questioning Him, He will open up the treasuries of Heaven and pour out such a blessing that we cannot even imagine it.

What is your ram in the thicket? What is that special need you have, that you don’t feel that God has provided for yet? What has he asked you to sacrifice in worship to Him, through faith and total, unquestioning obedience?

God is not a practical joker, or some sick, twisted individual that gets delight in dangling a carrot in front of you to see how frustrated you can get, knowing that you will never get that carrot, now matter how hard you try.

God is a loving Father, who wants the best for His children. But He also wants unyielding devotion and obedience from us so that He can be free to shower us with His provisions.

Philippians 4:19 tells us:

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

If you’re still waiting for your ram in the thicket, you need to ask yourself these questions in the following order:

1)	Is this truly a need in my life, or is it a distraction from what God wants for me?
	No:	Let it go, you’re better off without it. If you keep pressing God for it, He may give it to you just to teach you a lesson!
	Yes:	Go to question 2.
2)	Am I fully trusting in God’s ability to provide this need, or am I trying to bring it about through my own abilities and strength?
	No:	Know and believe that God is able to do anything better than you can, and if you try to make things happen, you will make a mess that He will need to fish you out of.
	Yes:	Go to question 3.
3)	Have I been obedient in everything that God has asked me to do, without questioning Him or trying to reason through His requests?
	No:	Start walking in obedience by doing what God says, and in faith trusting that He knows what He is doing when He asks you to do His will. He will never ask you to do something that He has not already equipped you to do.
	Yes:	Go to question 4.
4)	Am I operating on God’s timetable or mine?
	No:	Learn to wait on God and remember that to Him, a day is as a thousand years. God is not bound by our clocks and schedules. His timing is perfect.
	Yes:	Your ram is waiting!

Have a blessed week!

Pastor David

Was The Cross Really Necessary?

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."
John 3:16-17 

A very dear friend of mine has been questioning his faith lately. Actually, that's an understatement. He has so many doubts about what he has been taught by the "church" over the course of his life that he isn't really sure what he believes anymore. Or if he believes anything. So naturally he comes to me regularly with very deep theological questions. 

Having been raised a Roman Catholic, he is always curious to know what the "Protestants" believe about this or that. It appears that the Catholic perception of Protestantism is about as skewed and incomplete as the Protestant perception of Catholicism. Of course, I am no more able to answer for all Protestants than he can answer for all Catholics. But as I ponder his questions, I have come to conclude that there is absolutely nothing that all Protestants believe in common.

In fact, based on my observations of running dialogues in the faith community, it seems as though traditional Christianity has evolved into a very personalized "boutique" religion, where adherents adapt their theology to suit their own personal needs and understanding, as well as mix in practices and doctrines from other non-Christian faith traditions. At the end of the day, when someone says that he or she is a "Christian", one no longer knows exactly what that means. Organized religion has become extremely disorganized.

Thus, whenever I reply to one of my friend's questions, I try to always reinforce the fact that my answer is my best understanding of the information available to my from my studies of Scriptures, regardless of commonly held beliefs by the "church". The older (and hopefully wiser) I get, the more I continue to re-evaluate what I believe and why I believe it. And the more I do, the more I see my theology drifting away from popularly held beliefs and doctrines of mainstream Christianity. I think this is partly due to the fact that mainstream Christianity has really dropped the ball when it comes to properly discipling the believers. Instead of sound doctrine based on thorough Biblical scholarship, most people sitting in the pews today are either fed a constant stream of feel-good sound bites, or bombarded with negative vitriol. Neither does the kingdom of God any favors, and only serves to drive serious seekers away from the church at alarming rates. But I digress.

One of the questions my friend asked me this week was regarding the death of Jesus. In essence, did God have to kill Jesus because He was mad at humans? And if that's the case, why didn't God just kill all the humans instead? Basically, was the cross really necessary? This is a rather common question, especially among those who are trying to make sense of Christianity. On the surface, it doesn't make any sense: God makes a bunch of laws and requires a blood sacrifice as the penalty for breaking those laws; man breaks the laws repeatedly; God gets mad at man and decides to kill His only son as payment for the sins of humanity; now everyone can live happily ever after with God. Uh, yeah. That makes a whole lot of sense. NOT.

The problem lies in our understanding of the sin problem and God's righteousness.

When God originally created humans, He had perfect fellowship with them. But sin entered the picture and ruined that fellowship. God desired to restore that fellowship, and so He established a moral code for His people to follow. Being a righteous God, He required a blood sacrifice as atonement for sin. Being a merciful God, He allowed that sacrifice to be a substitution - people were allowed to offer the blood of animals in exchange for their own blood. But sin continued to separate people from God (as He knew it would), so His ultimate plan of redemption kicked in. He would make the perfect sacrifice for our sins so that we would no longer be caught in this eternal sin/sacrifice loop. Thus, He came to earth in the form of His son Jesus, fully divine and fully human, to die once and for all to satisfy all of the requirements of God's perfect law. Jesus didn't die because God was mad at us. Quite the contrary - Jesus died because God loved us so much. In John 3:16-17 Jesus made it quite clear that He was here because of God's intense love for His creation.

In order for the death of Jesus to be completely sufficient to remove the sin problem that stood between God and humanity, it had to cover all sins for all people for all time. Otherwise, He would have to die over and over again, just like all those bulls and sheep and goats. Once Jesus shed His blood, the penalty for all sin for everyone was paid in full, and we were finally free to enter into an intimate personal relationship with our Creator. Those Christians who continue to throw sin up as a barrier to fellowship with God negate the work that Jesus did on the cross.

Does this mean that everyone is automatically saved since there is no longer any penalty for sin? Not at all. A person still has to believe in Jesus to receive eternal life.

"If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, 'Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.' For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' " (Romans 10:9-13)

The problem is, the church has made it unnecessarily complicated to be saved. In fact, ever since the resurrection of Jesus, the religious elite have attempted to repair the torn veil that once separated us from the presence of God. They go beyond repairing it, however, by adding hoops and hurdles and endless mazes filled with rules and traditions. They hold salvation over the heads of their followers like a carrot on a stick; if you do everything right and follow all of the rules, you might have a chance of obtaining your salvation. But if you trip and fall, we'll yank that carrot out of your reach faster than you can say "Beelzebub".

The core theme of the Gospel (and all of Scripture), has always been God's love for His creation. If the Gospel is presented in any other light, it is a false Gospel. People can't be threatened, scared or bullied into salvation. They have to be wooed in with the serenade of a lover pining for his beloved.

Yes, the cross really was necessary. Not because an angry blood-thirsty deity needed to be placated, but because a loving Father was willing to sacrifice His own son in order to redeem a people who could not redeem themselves, no matter how hard they tried.

Have a blessed week!

Pastor David

United in Suffering

"The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, 'I don't need you!' On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."
1 Corinthians 12:21-26

Very early this morning, my friend Gary lost his 22-year-old son in an automobile accident. As the details of this horrible event unfolded, I wept for my friend, as did many others. I can't even begin to imagine what Gary is going through right now, other than the thoughts and feelings that he has shared on his facebook page. No parent should ever have to bury their child, especially one so young with so much of his life ahead of him.

Throughout the day, many of our mutual friends began posting about Gary's loss, and people who don't even know Gary poured out their prayers of support and comfort for him. And I began to think about something that the Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Corinthian church: when one part of the body of Christ suffers, every part suffers with it. For a little while today, Christians all over the country (and around the world from what I could tell), suffered alongside our brother in Christ.

We may all come from various faith traditions and have our doctrinal differences, but our common bond in Christ unites us as one body, and those differences suddenly disappear, especially during times like this. And I believe that is the way it should be. What unites us should always overshadow anything that might divide us. I don't have to know what it feels like to lose my youngest child in order to know what my friend and brother in Christ is enduring. I know the pain and anguish of losing someone very dear, and that is enough to know that he must be going through a living hell right now. And that brings tears to my eyes and a heaviness to my heart.

Life is short and uncertain, and none of us is guaranteed a tomorrow. Never pass up an opportunity to let your loved ones know that they are loved. You never know when the last conversation you had with someone will be your last.

I pray that the God of all comfort will pour out His Spirit of comfort on Gary and his family during this dark valley, and that one day my friend will find peace regarding his loss.

Have a blessed week!

Pastor David