Pigpen Parables: Pigs Just Want to Have Fun

My son, Ryan, showed livestock in 4-H for years. His first show animal was a pig. The livestock advisor suggested we bring a ball for the pigs to play with. Truly, I doubted they would play with a ball and thought it was a silly suggestion. 

Ryan, however, loved the idea, so we bought a big ball. He threw it into the pigpen. In a few minutes, the pigs were flipping the ball with their snouts and tossing it into the air. I was truly surprised at how cute and funny they were.

When I got Andy, that memory came back to me. Yesterday, I gave Andy a big purple ball of his own. He was lying down in his little mud hole when I arrived. He quickly jumped up and ran over to see what I was doing. I tossed the ball into the stall. It landed in the middle of the mud. (Video below)

Andy started oinking like crazy and ran over to the ball. I don't know if he was excited about the new toy or upset about the mud, but he quickly started moving the ball around. If you watch the video, attached below, you can see him playing. It's mighty cute.

I watched Andy flipping the ball around, lying his piggy head on it like it was a pillow, and rolling it around the stall. As he played, he seemed less like a pig and more like a dog. He was so cute, so sweet. He seemed so innocent.

Andy's reality is he's a boar hog and he will never serve the purpose for which he was obtained unless he has a serious change. It's not his heart that needs to be removed; it's a different body part, but it's the part that determines his "nature." 

No matter how cute Andy is, no matter how sweet, he still has a nature problem. He smells like a pig. He acts like a pig. He hasn't been neutered and his boar-ness will taint the meat.

It's a great picture of the world and the sin nature that taints everything. The world can be an enticing place. People trapped in the pigpen of sin can be just as fun and enjoyable as the most devout Christian. When we, as disciples, were in the pigpen of sin, we had fun, too. 

The problem is that, fun or not, our sin nature permeates everything. Only a cutting away of that sin can change us. Only the blood of Jesus can accomplish it. 

Does the "cutting away" end the fun? Not at all. All the "fun" I had before Christ came with a price. It never quite satisfied. Jesus, however, is where all the contentment, all the peace we want can be found.

Jesus doesn't end the fun. He's where it begins. 

When Jesus said He came that we might have abundant life, He was talking about us, too. Are you enjoying the life God has given you? Do you take joy in the little things? If not, why not?  

Today, let's do a nature check. Is there a bit of our old sin nature still at work? Do we need to take a step closer to Christ and allow Him to trim away the "piggy-ness" so we can enjoy the abundant life He intended? If so, let's do it, and let the joy begin.

"The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing." Proverbs 10:28 

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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: Caregiver Chronicles: When Peppy Music Pepped Sam Right Out of the Bed

If you feel led to partner with this ministry (US, Jordan, the digital world), here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

Or you can mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line

Pigpen Parables: The Place of the Piggy Heart

Andy the Pig lives in my barn's back stall. For now, that's his pigpen. 

The stall was empty for months, so the ground was packed as hard as rock when he first arrived. Andy has rooted out a furrow of dirt to lie down in because that's what pigs in pigpens want to do. They make themselves comfortable in the dirt.

There's actually nothing "wrong" with the place where Andy lives. It's designed to be a horse stall. A wonderful horse lives there in the winter. It's clean and lined with shavings. A mound of sweet-smelling hay rests in the rack. When  Belle, my registered quarter horse, is in residence, that little bit of barn is a beautiful place.

With Andy, it's not quite so beautiful. The ground is rooted and there's a mud puddle by the waterer. It has a new fragrance now, too. The odor of pig.

It's not the location that makes it a pigpen. It's the pig inside. 

The same holds true for the metaphorical pigpen in which we find ourselves. It's not the location that makes it a pigpen to which we, as prodigals run. It's the piggy-heart in us.

When the prodigal in Jesus' story arrived in the literal pigpen, it was easy to see how far he'd fallen. What we don't always recognize is that he was in a pigpen all along. The uncleanness of rebellion in him made everywhere he went a kind of pigpen, because he took his sin with him. 

When he was standing outside his father's house, his rebellion made that dusty lane a kind of pigpen, a home for sin. That sin couldn't co-exist with His Father, so the prodigal took it to the finest places in the far country. Nice restaurants. Fancy dress-up parties. Prince's palaces. Anywhere he went, he took his piggy-heart with him. 

When we see someone who has made terrible life-choices and ended up in a place of devastating loss, we can see they've suffered consequences. They're in a kind of pigpen where, we hope, they can come to their senses.

When we make choices that don't necessarily lead to a place of devastating loss, we can look less "pig-hearted" to ourselves and to others. Beautiful homes, nice restaurants, and big bank accounts don't look much like pigpens, but they can be. It all depends on the pig-heartedness within us. 

Are those homes and bank accounts a result of rebellion? Have we chosen a plethora of "good" activities instead of doing the one thing God has called us to do? Have we ensconced ourselves in beauty and left our neighbor to fend for himself? Are we following our own way instead of God's?

Friends, pig-hearted choices always turn our surroundings into pigpens, where we root around until we make ourselves at home there.

When the pigpen becomes a comfortable place, we can stay there far too long. No matter where we find ourselves today, let's ask God about our own hearts. In what areas do we have piggy hearts of rebellion? In what areas do we want our own way? 

Let's ask God to help us see our hearts, and our "pigpen" as He sees it, then made a new choice. 

Come home, much-loved children. Our Father waits at the end of the road. 

"So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him..." Luke 15:20 nlt

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Please like and share if this blog post has touched your heart. It extends our digital reach in significant ways. Thank you.

In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: Caregiver Chronicles: The Body of Christ at Work

If you feel led to partner with this ministry (US, Jordan, the digital world), here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

Or you can mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line

#pigpen #prodigal 

The Sign

As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, "This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. (Luke 11:29-30 NASB)

And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights. (Jonah 1:17 NASB)

Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the stomach of the fish, But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving. That which I have vowed I will pay. Salvation is from the LORD." Then the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land. (Jonah 2:1, 9-10 NASB)

At last, we come to the sign of Jonah. In his rebellion, Jonah became a prodigal. He ran as far as he could to get away from the call of God on his life, then boarded a ship and went even further. He was determined to avoid obedience, but that determined avoidance came at a terrible price. 

God responded to Jonah sin with a powerful storm that engulfed all those around him and threatened to turn deadly at any moment. The sailors, veterans of many storms, were terrified by this one. Desperate for answers, they turned to Jonah. "Save yourselves and throw me overboard," he told them. In desperation, out of options and as a last resort, they did. 

What no one could have known was that God had already made a provision for Jonah, and a giant fish was waiting for him. When Jonah was tossed overboard, it appeared that all hope was gone. He sank into the depths and, at just the right time, the great fish swallowed him whole. In that inky darkness, Jonah rediscovered his faith and his Lord.

He repented of his sin and promised to obey what he had vowed to God he would do. For three days and three nights, Jonah was in the belly of the fish before it vomited him onto dry land. When his feet his dry land, Jonah was a changed man.

When Jesus told the people of his day that the only sign they would receive was the sign of Jonah, this is the sign of which He was speaking. 

As Jonah was in the fish for three days and three nights, so Jesus would be in the belly of the earth for three days and three nights. 

As Jonah was changed by his confinement, so Jesus would be changed. 

As Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so Jesus would be a sign to be the people. 

As Jonah's confinement in the belly of the fish was God's response to sin and rebellion, so Jesus' confinement in the belly of the earth was God's response to sin and rebellion. 

The vital difference in the two situations is that the sin and rebellion in Jonah's situation was his own. The sin and rebellion that led to Jesus' entombment, his death, was ours, yours and mine. His resurrection serves as proof that He has conquered the sin and rebellion we could not.

Jonah served as a sign to the people that there was no sin so great that God could not forgive, no prodigal escape so far away that God could not reach, no situation so hopeless that God could not intervene. Jesus' death served as the once-and-for-all payment for that sin, the once-and-for-all rescue for prodigal escapes, the once-and-for-all intervention for all hopeless situations.

Like Jonah, we are all prodigals. Some of us are running prodigals and some of us are staying prodigals. We all wander from God in our hearts, even when we do not run with our feet. It's a simple problem of rebellion. There is a God and we are not it. We want our own way, but His is best. Rebellion will not change those facts.

Aren't you tired of being a prodigal? Aren't you tired of seeking your own way, rather than God's? Aren't you tired of the storms that  result from your rebellion? Consider the sign of Jonah. Resurrection and a fresh start are available, and they can begin right this minute if you are willing.

From the belly of the darkest place on earth, Jonah called out to the Lord and He answered Him. He will do no less for you and me. Jonah found that salvation comes from the Lord. It still does. Call out to Him. He will not fail to respond.

Spiritual Detached Retina

"No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but on the lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light. The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness. If therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it will be wholly illumined, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays." (Luke 11:33-36 NASB)

In order to understand the concept of "clear eye", we are taking a detour through a few eye diseases and making spiritual applications. We have previously considered Macular Degeneration and Glaucoma. You can click on the links to see those. Today, we are exploring Detached Retina.

The retina is the light-sensitive lining inside the eye that sends information through the optic nerve to the brain, allowing us to see. When the retina is detached, tearing away from its proper position, it can cause permanent loss of vision. The symptoms are an increase in floaters or light flashes or the appearance of a "curtain" over the field of vision. If treated immediately, usually with laser surgery or cryopexy (freezing), 90% of retinal detachments can be repaired, although recovery of vision can vary. A retinal detachment is a medical emergency and complaints of vision loss, floaters, or light flashes should trigger an immediate search for treatment. 

In a similar way. we as believers can become "detached" from the body of Christ for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you, like me, have had some experience in this. I've found that my propensity for detachment occurs in one of two ways, and is much like being a prodigal. 

I'm not proud of this, but on occasion, I've been physically detached from the body of Christ. In that instance, I've avoided attending church services and, at times, avoided "church people" (other believers). Most often, my detachment has been as a result of my own sin. It was easier to stay home than risk being confronted by truth and conviction. That, of course, was not my stated reason for staying away. At times I claimed a busy schedule and other times I claimed dissatisfaction with the church. I simply didn't attend.

Sometimes, though, I've been in-place but disconnected, much like the stay-at-home prodigal. My body has attended all the usual services, but my heart has been as disconnected from the people in my church, and from my Lord, as if I had stayed at home. This has been because of my own sin, as well. I hate to admit this, but usually it is because of my pride and critical judgmental spirit. You may have a different set of sins, but the result can be the same. 

When I get on my "haughty high horse", I can easily think that my failure to sense God's presence is because the people at my church are somehow at fault. How foolish that attitude is! My relationship with God is not dependent upon the faithfulness of other people, but upon my own faithfulness. God is omnipresent. He is everywhere all the time. If I don't "sense" Him, it is not because He is absent.

Every time, my failure to connect with the body of Christ has eventually affected my spiritual vision and my walk with Christ. The only treatment is to repent and reconnect.

Only our God is without sin. His believers are far from perfect and it's why we need a Savior. That's why there is a place for me in the body of Christ. That's why there is a place for you. We, too, are imperfect people, in need of a perfect Savior. 

Have we become detached from the body of Christ? Are we "detached in-place"? Allowed to persist, that detachment will affect our spiritual vision and our relationship with our Lord. Let's spend a few minutes today evaluating our own relationship with the Lord, including to His church. If there is evidence of detachment, let's treat it like the spiritual emergency it is and do what it takes to correct it. Treatment begins with repentance and reconnection, so don't wait. The body of Christ is dependent upon every part. Let's get in our place and do our part.

For the body is not one member, but many... But now there are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; or again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you."... Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it. (1 Corinthians 12:14, 20-21, 27 NASB)

The Power of Nevertheless

As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, "This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. (Luke 11:29-30 NASB)

So they picked up Jonah, threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging. Then the men feared the LORD greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows. And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights. (Jonah 1:15-17 NASB)

We are nearing our destination on our detour to explore the sign of Jonah. Yesterday, we looked at the concept of accountability and consequences. In the most desperate of circumstances, our tendency is to try to "fix it" by taking some sort of action to remedy our difficult situation. Even when the Will of God is frightening, even when we fight against it, there comes a point of surrender in our lives (or should) when we are willing to let go of our will and embrace the will of God. 

The sailors asked Jonah what to do to calm the storm and Jonah said the most remarkable thing imaginable. "Throw me overboard." The sailors agonized, prayed. They didn't want to let go of Jonah, but there came a point where they were willing to do exactly what Jonah said. 

The most incredible thing happened next. The sailors threw Jonah into the water and the big fish God had prepared (appointed) was waiting. Jonah began to sink and the fish began to swim. That fish lined up with the floundering man, opened its mouth wide, and swallowed him down. I don't know what it was like in the belly of the fish, but I know that God had prepared this place of refuge for His prodigal. 

It's clear from Jonah 2 that the runaway prophet thought he was about to die. "I cried for help from the depths of Sheol (the place of the dead)," Jonah said, but he understood the concept of nevertheless. 

"I have been expelled from Your sight, 
but nevertheless, I will look again toward Your holy temple." 
                                                                               Jonah 2:4 NASB

Nevertheless is a word that means "in spite of that". In spite of the fact that God had disciplined Jonah, he held fast to the hope that his relationship with God would be restored. 

Nevertheless is an underused word that speaks of great hope in this situation. Jonah had endangered every man on the ship with his rebellion, nevertheless, God had protected them in the storm. Jonah had rebelled against God and had run as far from Him as he could humanly get. Nevertheless, God could, and would, restored Jonah to relationship with his Lord. Jonah was experiencing the discipline of God, nevertheless, on the other side of discipline, God would restore Jonah to right relationship with Him.

This is a basic truth we often forget in the midst of failure, especially the kind of outrageous, public failure that Jonah experienced. Paul wrote about this in his letter to the Romans. 

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39 NASB)

Paul was saying that any manner of catastrophe, any manner of evil attack can happen to us. Nevertheless, we will not be separated from the love of God. This is such a vital tenet of our faith that we must be sure we understand. We may fail in business, relationships, or morally, nevertheless that failure cannot separate us from the love of God. We may choose to run as far from God as possible, deny Him, and live in the worst sin imaginable. Nevertheless, those choices cannot separate us from the love of God.

Our sin may separate us from fellowship with Him, but it cannot separate us from His love.

I can't understand a love so great. I can't imitate a love that magnanimous. I can't comprehend the kind of nevertheless love that forgives despite all my failure, all my sin.

God's nevertheless love is a foundational concept that changes everything and nothing can separate us from that love. Nothing. 

Today, let us embrace the One who loves us with a nevertheless love that never fails and let us live as those who have been redeemed. 

Surrendering to God's will

As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, "This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. (Luke 11:29-30 NASB)

So they said to him, "What should we do to you that the sea may become calm for us?"-for the sea was becoming increasingly stormy. He said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will become calm for you, for I know that on account of me this great storm has come upon you." (Jonah 1:11-12 NASB)

We are rambling on a side road in search of understanding about the sign of the Jonah. Yesterday, we saw that Jonah's actions spoke much louder to the sailors than his eloquent words about fearing the God of heaven. Today, we see that the sailors understood something we often do not, the concepts of accountability and consequences. They were saying to Jonah (Leanna Paraphrase), "This is your fault because of your rebellion, and we want the storm to stop. How are we going to get relief?" 

The storm was because of Jonah's rebellion. The sailors were essentially innocent bystanders in the crisis, drawn into the situation by Jonah's presence on the ship. All they wanted was for the storm to stop and the seas to calm. They wanted peace. 

The sailors wanted to "do something" to make the storm stop. If Jonah's actions had "caused" the storm to start, perhaps some other set of actions could "cause" the storm to stop. Since Jonah was at the center of the problem, they turned to Jonah for the solution. "What should  we do to you?" I don't know what they expected him to say, but "throw me overboard" was not it.

When I read Jonah's words, I'm always surprised. What was he thinking? I suppose he considered one of two things. 1) They would throw him overboard, the storm would stop, and he would drown, successfully ending his flight away from God. 2) They would throw him overboard, the storm would stop, and God would miraculously save him. Either way, there would be a resolution to the situation.

For the purposes of illustration, I am presuming that Jonah had come to the end of himself. His rebellion and prodigal flight had not worked out as he expected, and his consequences were overwhelming. He had finally come to the point of abandoning himself to God. "Throw me overboard" was, in a way, a surrender to the will of God. 

I've been to the point of resignation a time or two, and maybe you have, too. In situations so complex that I had no idea what to do, there came a point when my desired outcome no longer mattered. The most important thing to me was an end to the storm. At that point, the outcome was not as important as getting some kind of relief in the ongoing situation. That point of surrendering my will to God's is a vital step in receiving the miraculous intervention of God. 

When Jonah told the sailors to throw him overboard, they were horrified. They did all they could to save Jonah from his plight. At last, they, too, had to abandon him to whatever solution God would provide. In the midst of a crisis with someone we love, this is often a vital place for us to reach. I don't at all mean to "throw overboard" one who has brought a storm into our lives, but allowing God to use the consequences of their actions to change their hearts and lives is a necessary part of God's redemptive process. 

The sailors rowed desperately, trying to avoid letting go of Jonah. They begged God for mercy. They delayed as long as they dared. All the while, God's big fish was waiting for Jonah so that His plan could unfold. Our attempts to spare others from God-designed consequences can delay the redemption God has planned. 

There was no way for the sailors to know what God would do as they flung Jonah toward the sea and whatever mercy God would offer. Sometimes He sends a storm, but sometimes He sends the most unlikely of refuge places. That's what Jonah found. 

When the sailors did what Jonah said to do, the storm completely stopped and they understood that Almighty God had done it. They feared God greatly, and responded with sacrifices and vows to Him. God completely transformed their lives. God never wastes the storms of life. In this particular storm, he used it to bring the sailors, bystanders drawn in to Jonah's rebellion, to Himself. 

The storm was not wasted in Jonah's life, either. We will see tomorrow about the refuge God had prepared for this wandering prodigal.

For today, consider the storms of your life. How did God use the storm? Have your efforts to spare others (or yourself) of consequences delayed the resolution of the storm? Surrendering to the will of God is not an act of failure. It is an act of faith and opens up the most remarkable of possibilities when we allow Him to do all that He can do, in whatever way He chooses. 

Let Him have His way. It's always best.

As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, "This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. (Luke 11:29-30 NASB)

We're on a detour in order to better understand the sign of Jonah. Yesterday, we stopped at the point where Jonah had begun to see that "sorry" did not make it all better. The sailors had said, "Jonah, this storm is your fault," and he had said, "Yes, it is." Those irate and frightened sailors had a few questions for him, starting with, "If you believe in the God of the universe like you say you do, how could you do this?" Jonah found that his actions spoke much louder than his words.

After I posted the blog yesterday, I realized that those sailors had tried to do something Jonah should have considered. 

Then the sailors became afraid and every man cried to his god, and they threw the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone below into the hold of the ship, lain down and fallen sound asleep. (Jonah 1:5 NASB)

When the storm arose, admittedly a whopper of a storm, the sailors were terrified. The first action the sailors took was to cry to their god. These men were not worshipping Jehovah, but they instinctively knew that only a powerful god could save them. They turned to the god they knew best in their time of need. Some probably worshipped Baal, some Molech, or another of the gods of the time. Every man, however, turned first to that which they worshipped for help.

In a way, that's our problem, too. When trouble begins to come our way, we turn first to that god we know best. It may be that we look to ourselves and our own ability to "pull ourselves up by our bootstraps". Others look to chemical aid (drugs, alcohol, food). There are some who turn to friends, family, even the law for aid. 

Those pagan sailors turned first to the god they knew. When that medley of gods didn't save them, they turned to themselves and began to lighten the load by throwing the cargo overboard. When the storm continued unabated, they realized that in which they trusted was not adequate to deliver them. 

When the storms of life come our way, we will instinctively do exactly what those sailors did. We will turn to that which sustains us in the easy times. If our trust is not in Almighty God, we, too, will find ourselves unable to weather the storm. If you, like me, have ever gone through one of those times when life is filled with turmoil and uncertainty, you know the truth of this. When my trust is in myself, I have a poor deliverer. 

If we want to successfully weather the storms of life, we must prepare in advance by placing our trust in the only One who can guide us through and calm the storm. We must practice faith in Him on a daily basis. Then, when crisis comes, and we turn instinctively to the One we trust the most, we will find an anchor that holds and help that is able to deliver.

The psalmist wrote that God is our "very present help in time of trouble." (Psalm 46:1) When our faith is in Him, that help is where we turn first. When we do, we will find His help is exactly what we need.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, 

and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33 NASB)

Actions speak louder than words

As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, "This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. (Luke 11:29-30 NASB)

We are taking a brief detour to take a closer look at the sign of Jonah. Our study yesterday left Jonah at the point where the sailors said, "This storm is your fault" and Jonah agreed, "Yes, it is." That point of owning your failures is a freeing place and can be a first step in healing. 

One of the problems I see is that we want everything to be "fixed" immediately when we confess our fault. That's not quite how things work. When I confess my sins to God, he is faithful and just to forgive my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9). That forgiveness is immediate. Working through the consequences of my choice, my sin, however, is not, as Jonah soon learned. Those who suffer from my choices have to work through the consequences of my choice, as well.

The sailors had three very pointed questions for Jonah. The first was, "Who are you?" In light of his prodigal attempt at escape from God, Jonah gave a surprising answer. "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land."

That answer shocked the sailors. "If that's who you are and the God you fear, why would you try to escape from Him?" Jonah had no answer. 

Their question is one the world asks us as believers on a daily basis. If you believe what you say you do, why don't your actions match up? Indeed. It's something we will likely struggle with until we enter eternity. This business of obedience has always been hard for us as humans, but it has never been optional. 

If we believe what we say we believe, our actions must match our words. If we believe that the words of Christ are truth, we must forgive those who hurt us, care for the poor, pray for our enemies, love our neighbor as ourselves. We must do what Jesus said to do. 

If we do not obey, our failure says something about our belief, doesn't it?

The third question the sailors asked Jonah was equally probing. "What does this mean for us? What should we do?" The world asks the same question of us as believers. "If your actions don't match what you say you believe, what do you expect of us?" 

It's a scary thought. When the world looks at those of us who claim to be Christian and find that our actions are no different from theirs, it's no wonder that they question us. It is no wonder that they doubt the validity of our faith and decline our invitation to join us. If we are to be light in a dark world, we must offer light that is recognizable by the lives we live. 

Standing on the deck of that ship as a storm raged around him, Jonah came face to face with the failure of his faith and his testimony, as well as the struggle of those who suffered with him. When questions came, he was sadly bereft of answers. 

For today, let's spend some time examining our lifestyle in the light of the what we say we believe. Do they match in a way that is recognizable to those around us? Can the world see that we believe the words of Christ by the way that we live? If not, what changes do we need to make? What does our choice of actions say about our faith? 

My mama always said, "Your actions speak louder than words." She was right. Let's be sure our actions say what we meant for them to say.

The sign of the prodigal

As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, "This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. (Luke 11:29-30 NASB)

{I'm taking a little detour today because I found something important on the way from here to where I intended to go. We'll come back to this soon.}

To understand the sign of Jonah for the Ninevites, we need to understand the story of Jonah. (This is the Leanna paraphrase of his story) He was an ordinary man who was grumpy with God, openly rebellious, and had a judgmental, condemning spirit. He was a lot like us. (okay, me) Nineveh was sin city, wicked through and through. God spoke to Jonah. "I want you to go to Nineveh and cry against it, because the people are wicked through and through."  

This next part shouldn't surprise me, but it does, even though I've done the same thing before. I can speak with experience on Jonah's action. He didn't tell anyone God had called him to Nineveh. He didn't seek wise counsel on this move. He didn't discuss it with God or argue with him. Jonah said, "I'm not doing that," and he took a ship in the opposite direction. He headed as far away from Nineveh as he could go. 

Jonah became a prodigal. 

Jonah 1:3 makes me shake my head at his foolishness. Jonah knew when he bought his fare to Tarshish that he was trying to flee "from the presence of the Lord." Surely he knew that God was omnipotent and that he would never escape His presence. Regardless, he made a good try at escaping God. If you've ever tried to run from God's pursuit, you know how well that worked. It didn't work at all.

God didn't take well to Jonah's antics. "The Lord hurled a great wind on the sea." I have the mental image of a major league pitcher winding up, leaning back, and hurling a fast ball at the batter as hard as he can throw. God hurled the wind and whipped up a storm. 

The sailors, who were professional sailors and not usually terrified out of their minds at a storm, were terrified out of their minds at this storm. They knew it was extraordinary and that they were about to die. First, they cried out to their gods to save them. When their gods didn't help, they started throwing the cargo overboard to lighten the load. 

Finally, someone noticed that Jonah was missing. The captain found him, asleep in the hold, peacefully thinking that he was escaping from God. The captain couldn't believe it. "We're about to drown and you're sleeping? Get up and ask your God to save us. No one else's god has been any help at all." I can imagine that Jonah thought, "No way am I talking to God about this." When you are a rebellious prodigal, the last thing you want to do is talk to God about anything, even if you might save your life in the process. (Being a prodigal is a foolish thing on many levels.) 

The sailors decided to find out who was to blame for the calamity. They cast lots and Jonah got the blame. This frightened the sailors because Jonah had already told them he was fleeing from God. These pagan sailors thought, "This man is running from his God and his rebellion is about to cost us our lives." They were right. 

What we never seem to realize is that our time in the "far country" as a prodigal affects more than just ourselves. When we choose to go our own way, to seek our own pleasure, there is fallout. People are endangered by our rebellion and wounded by our choices. Those wounds can be far reaching and long lasting. They don't just go away because we wish it. Saying I'm sorry doesn't make wounds evaporate. It might be easier if it did.

If we haven't had a time as a prodigal, we've probably been the older brother. You remember him. He was a stay-at-home prodigal. Openly obedient, he was inwardly rebellious and angry. Even when we are not actively rebelling against God, we can have those prodigal moments when we think, "No. I'm not doing that, God. I'm not making a spectacle of myself. I'm not forgiving him. I'm not serving her. I'm not..." Those prodigal moments, if allowed to continue, can have devastating results, as Jonah can attest.

For today, let's stop here and consider our bent towards being a prodigal. We've all done it, and some of us have more fallout from out choices than others. Let's ask God to show us the consequences of our decisions and actions in the lives of those we love. 

There's mercy and grace available for all of this, but sometimes we need to "own" our choice and it's result so that God can bring healing. It's what Jonah did. The sailors said, "Jonah, this is your fault," and Jonah said, "Yes. It is." What God did with that confession is truly remarkable. Today, let's do some "Yes, it is" of our own. Confess our own failings and ask God to do something truly remarkable with our failure. Jonah's story changed with that admission and ours will, too. 

Son of Man, part 3: Overcoming the Will (Luke 6:5)

And He was saying to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." (Luke 6:5 NASB)

Son of God.  Son of Man.  

Why does it matter than the Son of God referred to Himself as the Son of Man instead of the Son of God?  The first is who Jesus is and why He came.  The second is how He came and what He offered.  Although fully God, Jesus was also fully human.  His use of the term Son of Man implies that He identified with our humanness and all the struggles that brings. King Jesus understands what it feels like when we are angry, hurt, rejected, misunderstood, because He has been human and experienced the emotions and problems with which we are burdened.  He identifies and He understands.  

The difference between our humanity and His is that we regularly fail in a God-like response to the challenges of life.  Jesus however, faced what we face, yet without sin.  He acted in obedience to His Father every time.  Every single time.  He demonstrated obedience, even when it was hard, and He left the Holy Spirit to help us in our own efforts at obedience.  We certainly cannot live a sinless life on our own, but, as believers, we have the Spirit as our Helper and our Guide.  Could we live in perfect obedience?  Maybe so, if we were consistently, constantly led by the Spirit of God, and if we chose God's way rather than our own every single time.  Of course, we don't.  We don't obey every time.  We don't respond to hurts and trials with a godly response every time, but that does not mean we shouldn't.  

Jesus came as the Son of Man and demonstrated what a God-filled, God-controlled, obedient life should be, and we are to emulate Him.  We are supposed to... if we will.  I'm supposed to, if I will.  That little four-letter word is at the root of the problem, isn't it?  

WILL

Paul, in his letter to the Romans, wrote about this very dilemma.  

"For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:14-24 NASB)

It's a dilemma, this problem of wanting to do right and not doing it, but Paul recognized the solution to the problem was in Jesus Christ alone.  He went on to write that, when our mind is focused on the things of flesh (the sin things we want to do), we are going to do them. When we get our mind focused on the things of God, and are led by the Spirit, we can obey and live a godly life.  Paul said something very important, and very hard.  We are under obligation.  (Romans 8:12)  We are under obligation, not to ourselves, but to Christ, and that obligation requires us to live according to His way.  

Are we living as if we are obligated by the sacrifice Christ made on our behalf?  Do we obey as if our only joy is in pleasing Christ?  

Today, pray that we will live by the Spirit and obey by the Spirit, with our hearts set on pleasing Christ alone.  Pray that our loved ones will be  so astounded by the victory they see in our lives that they will want the same for themselves and willingly embrace the Cross.

Battle of the Grapes (Luke 5:37)

And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. (Luke 5:37 NASB)

A vineyard just before harvest is a beautiful place. The aroma is sweet and rich, the colors varied and bright. On the surface, it seems peaceful and idyllic, but there is a battle for the grapes that requires a closer look.  Botrytis cinerea is a fungus that specifically attacks grapes and causes botrytis bunch rot. As you can surmise from the name, the fungus causes the bunches of grapes to rot, making them a total loss. This particular fungus is almost always on the fruit while on the vine, but it cannot infect the fruit unless the fruit is damaged in some way. A myriad of factors, from insects to a worker bumping the fruit, can cause a small wound. That is all the opportunity the fungus needs to accomplish its mission. It enters the grape, infects the grape, infects the grape, and destroys the grape. Once infected, that grape is a total loss. Once that first grape is infected, the entire bunch will soon become a total loss, as well. 

That sounds familiar, doesn't it?  1 Peter 5:8 says, "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." (NASB) The enemy of our soul is just as tenacious as the Botrytis fungus. He, too, hangs about looking for the slightest opportunity to invade, and he is intent on destruction. If he cannot steal the eternal life of the one he attacks, he will steal the joy, hope, and effectiveness of witness. Any destruction will do. 

It is impossible to go through life without an injury of some sort. Our loved ones may have experienced the pain of rejection or betrayal by someone close to them, angry and hurtful words from a loved one, or the damage that can come from their own foolish choices. Regardless of the hurt, it can be used by the enemy of our soul as an opportunity to attack and, if possible, steal their faith from them. There is nothing the enemy can do, however, that our Lord cannot heal. 

Pray today that the damage of the evil one in the lives of our loved ones will be limited and that they will eagerly submit to the loving, healing ministrations of the Great Physician. Pray that healing will come and joy, hope, and faith will be restored. 

The Sin Sick Heart (Luke 5:31)

And Jesus answered and said to them, " It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. (Luke 5:31 NASB)

Last night, I had already snuggled into my warm bed when a dear friend called. It was obvious from the description of the ongoing chest pain that a heart attack was in progress. Yesterday morning, he was running errands, doing a little paperwork, eating a ham sandwich at a country store. He was going about his life without a thought in the world to the latest advances in medical treatment. 

At 9:20 pm, his interests completely changed. When that pain whammed into his chest, he wanted a doctor and he desperately wanted that doctor as fast as possible. I don't recommend this, but he drove himself as fast as he could go to the ER. Getting to a cardiologist was his highest priority, and rightly so. A cardiologist was the only one who could help him. In the ER, intravenous nitroglycerin and morphine finally eased his pain, but it wasn't until the cardiologist took him to the cath lab, removed the clot blocking his artery, and inserted a stent that the problem was adequately addressed. He didn't really want a doctor when he thought he was well, but he surely did when he realized he was sick. 

Priorities and desires can turn in an instant, can't they?  The thing we care about the least can suddenly be the thing we care about the most. That's the difference between a person who thinks they are well and one who knows they are sick. The one who recognizes their illness becomes very concerned about regaining their health. 

It's the same way with our spiritual hearts. Until we recognize our need, we don't worry much about healing it. That was the problem with the scribes and Pharisees. They were sinners in desperate need of a savior, but didn't know it. What made Matthew different was that he knew he was a sinner and he knew he needed a Savior. When Jesus showed up, Matthew grabbed on for dear life and was not about to let go. Those people at Matthew's party were the same way. Jesus had something they needed, and they were making friends with the only One who could provide it. It's how we all come to Jesus. We see our need and reach out to the only One who can meet that need. 

Pray today that we and our loved ones will be acutely aware of our sin-sick state and will be satisfied with nothing less than the direct intervention of the Great Physician. Pray for healing of sin sickened hearts