Don't Stand Still: Make the journey and face the enemies

God didn’t deliver us so we could stand still.

That was my take away from a verse I meditated on this week as I posted it on Grow Barefoot social media (Facebook, Twitter, Google+). The verse was Psalm 56:13.

A lot of us are content standing still. Hey, at least we aren’t just sitting in a pew – we’re standing! We serve a little in our churches, we pray occasionally, maybe open a Bible sometimes on a day other than Sunday, and pretty much try to live a good life. Sometimes we go a little crazy and put a Christian calendar on our desk at work or a Christian bumper sticker on the back of our car. They fit in real nice between the chrome fish and the stick figures of our family members.

It’s all good. We did those things five years ago, and if God doesn’t return, we’ll be doing them five years from now. And ten years. And twenty years. We’ll keep doing them and never stop doing them because we’re standing still.

So, in the midst of all our standing around, in comes a verse like Psalm 56:13, “For You delivered me from death, even my feet from stumbling, to walk before God in the light of life.” It invades our comfy little standing-around gathering and reminds us all what God did for us. It even has the nerve to go a step further and point out an appropriate response on our part.

Considering Psalm 56

Psalm 56:13 is the conclusion of a brief Psalm written by David when he was in dire circumstances. We have to consider the whole thing to fully understand David’s conclusive call to action.

Introduce the Problem
David is in the midst of his enemies; the Philistines have taken him captive. He knows his life is in danger. Fear overwhelms him despite God’s promise of a future kingship in Israel. The Philistines gasp and pant for the opportunity to crush him. They can almost taste his destruction as they know his defeat will bring them victory against the Israelite army. In their arrogance, they actually think they can stop God’s plan (Psalm 56:1-2).

The Response to Fear
David’s afraid – very afraid. He didn’t allow fear to paralyze him, however. He didn’t let it control his thoughts, actions, or emotions. As waves of fear came over him, he purposely chose to place his trust in God. That’s not a normal human response; David must have had enough life experience by this point to discipline his response to fear. He knew to trust, not panic or doubt God’s promise. After all, he had the very Word of God – a promise given through the prophet Samuel – that God had a future for David. In response, he could quiet his fears, assess the situation, and proclaim to his captors, “What can man do to me?” (Psalm 56:3-4).

The Six Attacks of the Enemy
The Philistines didn’t come at David in only one way. They attacked him relentlessly from six different angles. They tortured him with words as they twisted and distorted the truth to which he clung. They schemed and connived every sort of evil against him. His enemies gathered together under a common cause of stirring up strife in David’s life. They hid themselves away in the deceptive shadows. They watched him from those shadows. As they schemed together, hidden and watching, they panted for a chance to crush and destroy him (Psalm 56:5-6).

God’s Response to David and his Enemies
The stage has been set, David’s attention has been focused in the right direction, and the enemies are scheming their evil plan. With that, we reach the climax of the Psalm. “Will they escape in spite of such sin?” David’s trust in the surety of the Word of God empowers him to prophesy his enemies’ demise – God will bring them down. Their outcome is certain.

David’s outcome is different, though. The same Word that promises the destruction of the enemies of God’s chosen people promises a future for those He has chosen. For them, God has a record of our walk… our journey… our wanderings. He has our tears preserved in a bottle. Our whole walk, including every tear, every moment of fear, every rejection, and every attack by the enemy, is recorded before God’s throne (Psalm 56:7-8).

The Outcome
David’s enemies imprisoned him; his situation looked bleak. Yet, he knew God’s Word and therefore he knew the outcome that awaited. He didn’t cower in fear. He didn’t stand still. He rose up against his enemies. He called out to them knowing they would retreat because he also knew that God was for him. He didn’t need to know the details. He only said, “This I know: God is for me” and that was enough.

Not just any God either. When David entered his dire situation and fear threatened to envelop him, he relied on the Word of God. He trusted the Word and even reached a point of praise in his prison. By the end, though, he had grown. He found victory from the threats and evil intents of the Philistines. He experienced the comfort and compassion of a God who keeps each of our tears in a bottle. He put God to the test and found Him faithful. The experience of his journey led him to add a new line to his song of praise. He not only sang “In Elohiym, whose word I praise” but now the victory of his test leads him to sing, “In YHWH, whose word I praise.” Yahweh, Jehovah, the one and only true God was the source of David’s victory and assurance for the future. With even more confidence and power, I believe he loudly dared any who might rise against him, “What can man do to me?” (Psalm 9-11).

Our Response
Here we are – almost to the verse that began this whole grand saga. God provides epic defeat of the enemy. He not only freed David from captors who lusted for his death; He delivers us from an even worse torment imprisoned in Satan’s lair. He offers us a walk of victory where our feet won’t even stumble. All that He asks is that we take that walk – make that journey. Rise up against those enemies and boldly declare, “God is for me… What can man do to me?”

We’ll never make that walk if we keep standing still.

What might happen if we start walking? We'll become healthier, stronger, and we'll start moving forward. Click here to read more.

Netanyahu: A man called for such a time as this

History does indeed repeat itself.

I toured the Jewish concentration camp Dachau while on a mission trip in 1992. I read a sign on a particular display that I’ve never forgotten. Even in the moment, it impacted me enough that I took a picture of it.

It’s a well-known expression but I find it appropriate that I first learned it in a concentration camp. In English it reads, “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it” (George Santayana).

I took a picture of another sign that day 23 years ago. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reminded me of it today when he addressed holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel during a speech to the US Congress. He reminded all of us that the horror experienced by Mr. Wiesel and the powerful life he has lived since those atrocities is a testimony to why we must all proclaim, “Never Again.”

Approximately 2,500 years ago, a man named Mordecai refused to bow to Haman, the chief minister under King Ahasuerus in Persia. Rage enflamed Haman; when he discovered Mordecai was a Jew, he decided to destroy the entire Jewish race rather than execute only Mordecai. Haman manipulated King Ahasuerus to bring about the Jewish people’s annihilation. He wrote a decree “to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jewish people – young and old, women and children – and plunder their possessions on a single day” (Esther 3:13, emphasis mine).

Queen Esther, a Jew who had until that point concealed her ethnicity, stepped up in a phenomenal act of bravery. At the urging of her cousin and guardian, Mordecai, she approached King Ahasuerus to plead the case of the Jewish people. Esther’s life was in danger the moment she stepped into the king’s presence unannounced as he could have had her executed for doing so. After a series of acts which displayed her humility, the King asked her to reveal the desire of her heart. She boldly yet humbly petitioned, “If I have obtained your approval, my king, and if the king is pleased, spare my life – this is my request; and spare my people – this is my desire. For I and my people have been sold out to destruction, death, and extermination” (Esther 7:3-4).

In the end, the king ordered Haman executed on the gallows Haman had built to execute Mordecai. The king gave the Jewish people the freedom to defend themselves, sparing the genocide of their race.

Despite the passing of 25 centuries since Esther’s act of bravery, the Jewish people still celebrate her every year on Purim. This year, Purim falls on March 4-5 on our calendar.

25 centuries later, Persian leadership once again threatens Israel’s existence in the form of Iranian nuclear capabilities. They likewise could destroy the Jewish people in a single day once their weapons are complete. The leader of the Jewish state of Israel, PM Netanyahu, spoke to the US Congress on March 3rd, the eve of Purim. Similar to Queen Esther in the past, his petition went against all established protocol of the time. Similar to Queen Esther, he made the request to stop the promised annihilation of the Jewish people. And like Queen Esther, I believe PM Netanyahu came forward in humility but also knowing that if he didn’t speak, massive death would come upon his nation and his people.

The timing of this event reminds me of one more correlation with the ancient Queen Esther. God has promised an eternal destiny for His chosen people, Israel. They will survive and indeed have done so through multiple persecutions throughout history. But for PM Netanyahu, as was the case with Queen Esther, “If you keep silent at this time, liberation and deliverance will come to the Jewish people from another place, but you and your father’s house will be destroyed. Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14).

PM Netanyahu submitted to his call for such a time as this as he declared to the world, “The days when the Jewish people remain passive in the face of genocidal enemies – those days are over.”

I’ll leave all the political ramifications of this speech to the political pundits.

Here’s what I see, though. The Obama administration has deteriorated our relationship with Israel – a country of freedom and democracy. They also have validated relationships with terrorist regimes such as Iran – a country of “death, tyranny, and the pursuit of jihad,” as PM Netanyahu shared.

Lines are being drawn in the sands of the Middle East; on which side of the line will we stand?

I think now is the time for us to individually consider this question. We tend to think all of this is over there – thousands of miles away – and doesn’t matter to us. Our jobs and activities keep us from taking time to educate ourselves as to the multiple crises occurring throughout the Middle East.

But here’s the deal. A time is coming when the world’s attention will focus quite intently on the Middle East. The Bible prophesies many earth changing events still to happen in that region of the world. We need to know what’s going on, how situations might fit in with prophesied events, and discern which side of the line we will choose.

We have different priorities by which we choose which side of the line we prefer. Democracy, freedom, rights for different races, religions, and genders, economic resources, and social standards are among the criteria we naturally consider. However, biased reporting and dishonest leadership can make those areas very difficult to accurately assess.

Let me give you one key criteria that’s very simple and won’t let you down – side with Israel. As events occur, deals are negotiated, and wars and rumors of wars come – side with Israel.

God made it very simple when He said thousands of years ago to the Jewish patriarch Abraham, “Go out from your land, … to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, … I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who treat you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:1-3).

Love and Serve God: Learning to pray for our children

I guess I’m a bad mom. I don’t know but it seems that’s what the world would have me believe.

I’ve encountered a few situations lately where people have expressed surprise verging on disapproval with my parenting style. I need to make more of my daughters’ decisions for them. I need to control every aspect of each situation they enter. I need to manipulate outcomes to guarantee my girls’ success. I need to map out every moment of their time and their future so they’ll have an amazingly successful career.

I think this is the problem – when Jimmy and I left the hospital after the birth of our first child, I forgot to pick up my pair of hovering helicopter wings on the way out.

Here’s what did happen in my life around that time, though. In early 1998, I found out I was pregnant with our first child. At that time, I read the Bible and prayed at our kitchen table each morning. From the time of that first positive pregnancy test, my prayer life added a new dimension.

I began to pray for each of my children to love and serve God. That was it. I wanted God to be real in their lives and I wanted help for Jimmy and me to raise them that way. God was real to each of us; the only way we could fail as parents was if we neglected to pass that along to them.

I’ve learned some things about what it means to love and serve God in the past 17 years since that first prayer. If we’re all still around 17 years from now, I’ll have some more things to share because I’m still learning. Also, I think these things apply to all of our relationships – not just how we relate to our children.

To love and serve God

God made you special and He loves you very much

This line actually came from Veggietales, a children’s video series who enjoyed their highest popularity in my daughters’ younger years.

The point for us, however, wasn’t only to teach the girls that God feels this way about them. Even more, we wanted them to learn God feels this way about everyone. Every person has a unique, inherent value because God made them. We don’t classify by race, age, gender, or any of the other categorizations where people like to set one group apart as superior to another group.

Some of the stories I remember that weren’t an issue because of the way my girls’ thought… A fourth grader can play with a third grader even though they aren’t the same age. It’s ok if you’re white but you want to pick out a black baby doll or if you think a black boy is cute. A new kid on the softball team needs help learning how to play – why would someone make fun of them?

We can’t love and serve God – as adults or children – if we don’t recognize this. We put people down because of how much money they have, how hard they work, where they live, how their family behaves, and other nonsense. As long as we do this, we’ll fail to see that God loves and serves each and every human on the planet and calls us to do the same.

Learn to learn

This is my primary goal in choosing to homeschool our daughters but it applies in all aspects of life.

God created an amazing environment for us to live in – it abounds in artistic creation and scientific discovery. It’s full of ideas, truth, art, and logic that all weave together to make the human experience. If our life’s goal is to learn information to pass a test to make a grade to get into a school to get a certain job, then I can almost guarantee we’ll miss out on the beauty of the artistry and the wonder of the science.

At some point we decide we can stop learning; for some, it’s after high school or college graduation. Others wait until they have a graduate or doctoral degree before they stop learning.

Loving and serving God, however, is to realize that we can never stop learning. As children, we can learn to learn so our life may become a pursuit of God’s truth, a discussion of ideas to implement it into the world, an ability to create as He created, and a capacity to research and discover all of it.

Grown up in a grown up body

Children are born with three parts – a body that interacts with its environment, a mind that interacts with other people, and a soul that interacts with God. As parents, we need to raise all three parts to adulthood.

Decent nutrition and shelter will help the physical body grow to adulthood all on its own. The mental functions of the mind aren’t so easy though. The spiritual soul is even more difficult but for now, I’m going to focus on the mind.

We had a 9 year old friend of my daughters over recently. We were going to buy Subway sandwiches for lunch so I asked her what she liked. She didn’t know; she said her mom always orders for her. I asked, “What kinds of meat do you like – ham, turkey, beef, or salami?” She didn’t know what any of the meats were because she’d never had to make a decision for her own sandwich.

Many adults are children in grown up bodies. It’s important for children to make their own decisions. They start young in deciding which clothes to wear or which lunchbox to buy. They learn skills that help them as they grow and their decisions become more complicated… Should I cheat on this test? Should I go out with this guy? Which car should I buy? What classes should I take? Where should I go to college? Should I marry this girl? Should I serve God on the mission field?

This isn’t only about decision making though.

My daughter wanted banana cut up on her Rice Krispies this morning. I’ve been teaching her how to use the knife and cut it herself but she told me she doesn’t like to get her hands slimy from cutting it. My answer was simple, “Yes, but when you’re 35, I’m not going to come over every morning to cut up your banana so your hands don’t get slimy.” She smiled and proceeded to cut her own banana.

We can’t make all their decisions for them; likewise, we can’t do everything for them. We often do because we do it better, faster, or safer. From cutting bananas to balancing their own checking account, they’ll never learn if we don’t allow them to try. Yes, they’ll mess up along the way. Sometimes we learn more from our failures and mistakes than we do our successes!

Part of loving and serving God is to function as responsible members of society. We make decisions and accept the responsibility for the outcome of those decisions as we also seek God’s guidance in the process. We accept our failures as learning opportunities for greater success in the future.

So what’s my point?

I don’t know; goodness knows I don’t have all the answers when it comes to parenting. I guess I’m only wanting to explain my lack of hovering helicopter wings. I want to raise children who recognize the value in all people. I want my children to try and serve those people rather than expect to be served. I want them to learn how to learn about what fascinates them and praise the God who created whatever interests them most. I want them to be responsible adults who can help society rather than drain it. I want them to love and serve God.

Priorities: Finding a way to give thanks in a messed up world

As a family, we give thanks before each meal. We bow our heads and one of us – we take turns – prays a simple prayer of appreciation for the meal. I remember when my youngest could barely speak. She’d pray, “Baby Jesus, for this food. Amen.” We never figured out why she prayed to Baby Jesus, but she’s outgrown it now.

I doubt if any of us send up a prayer of appreciation for our clothes before we get dressed each morning. Or how about every time we get in the car and it starts? What about when we pay bills and the money doesn’t run out before we pay the last one. Do we think a prayer of thankfulness every time a thought of a loved one comes through our minds?

It seems so odd to me. We can be so rigid about the necessity of giving thanks before a meal but not express any appreciation the rest of the day.

What are some other things for which we can be thankful?

A lot of conflicting stories abound on every issue out there. I’ve learned to rely on Scripture to help me prioritize what’s important. Based on that, in no particular order, I’m thankful for…

• The transforming power of the Word of God; 1 Thessalonians 2:13. (ß Spend some time in God’s Word; read the verses to help you prioritize your season right now!)
• God’s gift – the sacrifice of His Son; 2 Corinthians 9:15.
• The peace of the Messiah; Colossians 3:15.
• The privilege to enter the presence of God; Psalm 100:4.
• Victory, because it is all about winning when it comes to eternity; 1 Corinthians 15:57.
• God’s grace and the privilege to pass it along; 2 Corinthians 4:15.
• The hard times God uses to help me grow; 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
• The part I have in God’s eternal kingdom; Colossians 1:12.
• Wisdom and power of God that are available to me; Daniel 2:23.
• Prayer that conquers worry; Philippians 4:6.
• God’s eternal goodness and love; Psalm 106:1.
• The amazing works of a loving God; Psalm 107:8.
• God hears us, answers us, and saves us; Psalm 118:21.
• The righteousness of Holy God; Psalm 7:17.
• The unlimited power and eternal nature of Almighty God; Revelation 11:17.
• The faith of believers all over the world who do their part in God’s kingdom; Romans 1:8.
• The teaching of Christ who points us to all truth; Romans 6:17-18.

You see, it’s ok if you burn the turkey or dump a pie on the kitchen floor (already had that one happen this year). It will even be ok if one of your relatives isn’t able to be with you this year. News of riots, wars, and nuclear talk failures can't even stop thankfulness. Why? Because even in the midst of daily stresses, relationship difficulties, and world turmoil, we have much for which to be thankful. We are thankful because God reigns, He gave His Son to restore our relationship with Him, and He and His kingdom will stand victorious for all eternity.

May some of these be added to your list of thankfulness this holiday season. 

Boots on the Ground: Engaging the spiritual battle

My local church is known for its cross-generational outreach. Many churches may choose to focus on a particular age group but we have made an effort to maintain an extended family atmosphere with plenty of young children, teens, young adults, and those who aren’t quite so young anymore. That’s why my friends range from twenty years younger to forty years older than me.

Al and Carolyn West are a couple that fall into that older than me category. They don’t act like it but they have grandkids older than my own kids so they must be older than me.

Al had the privilege to participate in a Heartland Honor Flight in recognition for his past military service. He wrote the following regarding his experience. I asked for the privilege to pass his insights along to you…

What an amazing experience to join other local veterans for an unforgettable visit to our nation’s capitol to pay honor to all veterans who have (or are) sacrificing and defending our heritage of freedom. It was truly an awesome day and one I will always cherish. …

While in Washington DC, I was amazed that our nation’s capitol was filled with so many memorials to the defense of our liberty as a nation under God. We visited the memorials to the fallen of battle from WW2, the Korean War, Viet Nam War, Arlington National Cemetery, the Air Force Memorial, and the Flag Raising at Iwo Jima (Marine Memorial). As the only Coast Guard veteran in the group, I returned home with a greater appreciation for our heritage, our national patriotism, and courage.

Until Jesus returns, there will always be conflicts and attacks against our way of life as we live out what is called our American Dream of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” As long as there is sin and evil in this world, there will always be ideologies that will hate our individual freedoms and the fact that we are a “…nation under God with liberty and justice for all.” Visiting those memorials, I was reminded that they honor the physical conflict and sacrifice of a freedom loving people. But there is also a spiritual battle for the souls of men. All of us who name the name of Christ are soldiers, locked in that struggle to the death.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12 NASB).

The forces of evil cannot be “contained.” There must be “boots on the ground!”

When duty called, Al stepped up and served his country as have thousands of men and women in the past and present. What I appreciate even more, however, is Al’s recognition that as followers of Christ we fight an even greater battle. I repeat what Al wrote that we are also in “a spiritual battle for the souls of men.” We are “locked in that struggle to the death” as we fight for their freedom. The spiritual battle isn’t fought with air strikes; the spiritual battle for the souls of men requires boots on the ground. 

We are those boots. 

So Many Thoughts; One Common Message

I can’t decide what to write about this week. So many thoughts.

I want to write about…

…this article by Jefferson Bethke on the modesty of a woman’s attire. I loved it because it points out that modesty can become an idol – a self-righteous sign of holiness and piety. It can become a legalistic stumbling block just as can an immodest wardrobe.

…another article by Joel Rosenberg regarding the war in Israel. I loved it because it discussed God’s miraculous power to protect His covenant people today.

…my husband’s coming trip to Africa. He’ll be leading a team to install a solar panel system for a missionary family serving in a remote location.

…a recent conversation with a friend. She rejoiced in her ability to defeat the rules and regulations of a highly-religious / non-relational childhood.

… the book “Spirit Bridge” by James L. Rubart that I read recently. It’s the third in a trilogy that confronts the shackles of religion and embraces the possibilities of a life fully lived.

Why do I want to write about all these things?

They all have one thing in common – freedom in Christ.

• Freedom to dress in a way that honors God.
• Freedom to live peacefully in relationship with God.
• Freedom to share and serve and love a people group who haven’t heard the truth.
• Freedom to be who God created us to be in our lives and our relationships.
• Freedom to fight an enemy who loathes our relationship with Christ.

I want to write about these things because these people are sharing the impact of spiritual freedom in their lives; an impact I have likewise felt. And I want you to know about it. 

I want you to experience a love relationship with a Savior Creator that exceeds anything you can possibly imagine. I want you to rest in His provision and plan as our world crumbles around us. I want you to experience the “coincidences” of a life lived trusting Him, even in the details. I want you to find the peace of a life lived out of love and honor, not rules and regulations.

I want those things for you. And I don’t know how else to share them with you than to continue to write – hoping you’ll read, hoping you’ll share, hoping you’ll consider, hoping you’ll experience freedom in Christ. And in case you do want to read - share - consider - experience, here's a link to every article I've written about what it means to Live Free. 

The Message of Christ

The Spirit of the Lord God is on Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance; to comfort all who mourn, to provide for those who mourn in Zion; to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning, and splendid clothes instead of despair. And they will be called righteous trees, planted by the Lord to glorify Him.

Isaiah 61:1-3

Liberated to Live Free: 3 Aspects of Spiritual Freedom

Can you imagine a Jewish prisoner in Auschwitz concentration camp who chose to stay when Soviet forces liberated the camp? Would an inmate in Alcatraz refuse if a boat pulled up and offered him passage to freedom? Would a POW at the Hanoi Hilton stay huddled in his cell when the door opened and freedom awaited?

“Christ has liberated us to be free. Stand firm then and don’t submit to a yoke of slavery. … For you were called to be free, brothers; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love” (Galatians 5:1, 13).

Set Free to Live Free

Freedom became available for all humanity when Jesus died and later resurrected. He didn’t sacrifice so greatly for our freedom so we could continue to live in bondage. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Galatians 5:1 NIV). He set us free to live free! He opened the cell door, liberated the camp, and offered the passage to freedom. Why do some of us not step out of the prison cell darkness and into the light?

Click here to read more on what it means to live free.

Stand Firm

D. L. Moody once quoted a former slave woman in the South following the Civil War. “Being a former slave, she was confused about her status and asked, ‘Now is I free, or is I not? When I go to my old master he says I ain’t free, and when I go to my own people they say I is, and I don’t know whether I’m free or not. Some people told me that Abraham Lincoln signed a proclamation, but master says he didn’t; he didn’t have any right to.’” (Source) 

This enslaved woman needed to learn the same lessons we need to learn as well. Abraham Lincoln defeated his enemy thereby retaining the power to set the woman free; likewise, Jesus Christ defeated His enemy and retained the power to set us free. Her former master told her lies to keep her confused as to her status of freedom. Our former master – the enemy of Jesus Christ – tells us lies as well to keep us from living in our freedom.

We can’t stand firm in our freedom if we crumble every time Satan attacks. We can’t let our former master put the yoke of slavery back on us with his lies.

Free to Love, not Indulge

Here’s the part where many fall apart. The fear is that many who choose to live free will throw off all self-restraint. Morals and standards will disappear as people live free to do whatever they desire.

But freedom is not the absence of responsibility.

Freedom granted by Christ follows His example. He used His freedom to choose sacrificial love – not to satisfy selfish indulgences. We live free to serve others and love them sacrificially – not as an opportunity to satisfy our human desires.

Believe It, People of God

Passover and the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection will be here soon. We don’t mourn as a people who have no hope; we rejoice in this holy season. We celebrate freedom from slavery; we find joy in God’s provision of redemption for all people.

This season we’re reading through the last of four servant songs written by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). Written hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, they give detailed prophecies of the coming Messiah. Prophecies fulfilled in the life of Jesus. We read the first stanza last week – Wake Up, City of God.

Hard to Believe

“Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?” (Isaiah 53:1 NIV). Sometimes we hear things – especially in this day of internet-based information overload – that don’t really seem possible. Sometimes a little tidbit of news seems a little too far out there – a little hard to believe. 

Or, maybe the news doesn’t quite fit with how we think the situation should play out. We expect one outcome of events and yet things appear to have happened a different way.

Kind of like the news Isaiah is about to share with his fellow Jews. Will anyone believe this message? Will anyone realize they have beheld the power of God, poetically referred to as the arm of the Lord? After all, it’s kind of a hard message to accept that the Messiah would… could lower to… could humiliate Himself to … come as a man.

Four Aspects of Jesus’ Humanity

• “He grew up before Him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground” (Isaiah 53:2).

Since Jesus came as a man, He had to grow up. He lay in a manger as a baby and learned in the Temple as a boy. He grew to manhood.

But He also grew before God the Father – connected to Him as a sapling tree connects to the original tree. Yes, He was a man but He came from God and was God.

He grew before God the Father – miraculously as a root that grows out of dry earth. Yes, He was a man but He was a source of life in a spiritually dry, desolate environment.

• “He didn’t have an impressive form or majesty that we should look at Him, no appearance that we should desire Him” (Isaiah 53:2).

His body, His clothes, and His appearance were normal. 

He didn’t have the physique of Thor or Superman. He didn’t dress or have gadgetry like Iron Man or Batman. He didn’t have an intimidating appearance like the Incredible Hulk. He was a man.

• “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was” (Isaiah 53:3). 

His reputation was nothing special; He wasn’t immune from pain, sorrow, or suffering.

He didn’t focus on building a platform or deal with paparazzi. Most people who lived in the first century probably never even heard His name. He definitely didn’t break any retweet records.

He ached for His beloved city of Jerusalem, wanting to gather the people together under His protection (Luke 13:34). He wept over the death of a dear friend, Lazarus, and for the sisters who didn’t yet realize that only through Him was resurrection and life (John 11:35). He was troubled knowing that betrayal would come from a friend with whom He sat at the same table (John 13:21). In agony, He sweat drops of blood as His crucifixion drew near (Luke 22:44). He was a man.

• “He was like someone people turned away from; He was despised, and we didn’t value Him” (Isaiah 53:3). 

He had no special charm and no celebrity status.

Celebrity status has taken over the American church. People love pastors and teachers for their charisma, charm, dynamic delivery, and impressive buildings. Many of us would excitedly jump at the opportunity to meet Billy Graham, Francis Chan, John MacArthur, John Piper, or __________ (fill in the blank with your favorite celebrity pastor). Usually (unfortunately not always), the pastor or teacher isn’t after the celebrity status; it's a by-product of our culture. We are drawn to them because of their charisma and charm. We lift them up; we highly esteem them.

Jesus had none of that. Nothing drew people to Him. Very few jumped at the chance to meet Him – usually only those hoping for a healing. Most turned away from Him. He wasn’t the Christian celebrity we know today full of charisma and charm. He was a man.

It’s kind of hard to believe, isn’t it? The Savior of the world, the awaited Messiah, wouldn’t supernaturally appear as a conquering hero. He wouldn’t come with beauty and majesty. He wouldn’t be overwhelmingly popular and loved by all.

But don’t worry, that day is coming. The Messiah came the first time as Isaiah’s prophesied Servant but a second coming awaits us in the future. At that time, He will supernaturally appear as the conquering hero. The whole world will behold His beauty, power, and majesty. The whole world will worship Him as King of Kings. Amen to that.

Read about the third stanza, Isaiah 53:4-6, by clicking here: Consider the Why, Rebels of God.

Read about the fourth stanza, Isaiah 53:7-9, by clicking here: Behold the Lamb, Children of God.

Read about the fifth stanza, Isaiah 53:10-12, by clicking here: Receive the Victory, Chosen of God

Forgiveness...The Unmerciful Servant Part 2

If you haven’t read part one yet, I encourage you to do so before proceeding.

Forgiveness

It’s not hard to see that the parable of the unmerciful servant teaches the kingdom of heaven is a kingdom of forgiveness. God forgives an insurmountable sin debt in our lives; our natural response should be to forgive the more minor – even if still significant – sin debts people owe us. But more intrigue hides in the details.

Why two different penalties?

The king at first demanded all the servant’s possessions and family members be sold to pay the insurmountable debt. The servant imprisoned the second servant until he could pay the minor debt. Possessions sold or imprisonment – why use two different penalties in the story?

The King’s demand to sell the possessions and family members shows us that no matter how much we give, work, sell, or sacrifice, we will never be able to pay the debt we owe. Although the King gives the chance for repayment, it will never be enough. We can never pay the price.

The servant’s imprisonment of the second servant shows the extent of his hard heart – an extent we don’t want in our own life. The servant didn’t even provide an opportunity to sell items in order to pay the debt. The amount was manageable; perhaps the second servant could have sold enough belongings to pay it. But the first servant jumped straight to condemnation. Those of us whom God has forgiven much must offer opportunity for reconciliation to those who wrong us. We don’t really grasp how much God forgives in our own lives if we can’t extend even a little of it to others.

Why did the servant choke the second servant?

Did you note that little detail? The servant encountered the second servant and began to choke him before he even expressed his demand for repayment. Again, this shows the servant’s heart – no compassion, no forgiveness. I think there’s more here, though.

When formulating this story, Jesus could have used any method of attack yet He chose choking. Jesus used choking as an example in one other place in the New Testament and it happens to be another kingdom parable – the parable of the sower in Matthew 13. My complete take on that parable is in the book, “Everything We Need: God's Path to Know Him Better.” But for here, “the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke [the good seed] making it unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22). That gives us a clue as to the concerns of the servant. He was worried about life and deceived by wealth so he attacked the second servant to get more. He didn’t realize worry keeps us from trusting God and money deceives us so we trust it instead of God.

Why did the King allow the servant to be tortured?

This next part blew my mind a little. A commenter asked me after reading part one of this series, “If God were the King why would he have the man tortured?” I admitted that I struggled with this as well, especially since he had already forgiven the servant’s debt.

The servant imprisoned the second servant while the King turned the servant over to the jailers. We may think this is the same thing but I found a significant difference when I looked at the original words. The imprisonment imposed on the second servant meant that he was under guard. He was watched. However, the king permitted the jailers to torture the servant after his lack of forgiveness to his fellow servant. The torturers (Greek: basanistēs) were “those who elicit the truth by the use of the rack.” Ouch. This servant had the truth in him; but he had to stretch on the rack to have that truth pulled out of him.

Yes, God does allow us to struggle sometimes. He allows persecution, problems, and pain – He allows torture. But one reason He does so is to pull the truth out of us; He wants to make it real in our life. I don’t want Him to have to use those methods for my life, though. My truth is that the King has forgiven much in my life – an insurmountable debt that I could have never paid. How much easier to let that truth flow out of me as I forgive those who wrong me than to have to be stretched until I painfully admit to it?

What debt did the servant owe?

The king allowed the torture until the servant “should pay back all he owed” (Matthew 18:34). Here’s my question – what did he owe? What did he have to pay back? The king forgave the debt; he cancelled it. Friend, when God forgives our sin debt, it’s gone. Nothing’s going to bring it back. (There’s a whole chapter on that in the book as well.) The king even says, “I canceled all that debt…” The details of the Greek verb tense here indicate the cancellation was a done fact without regard to time frame.

Yet, Jesus ended the story by saying the servant had to pay back all he owed. So what did he owe? I don’t think this debt had anything to do with talents or denarii. It’s the same debt I owe today, as do you if you’re a follower of Jesus Christ. I owe Him my life – a life defined by His truth willingly poured out to those around me. A life defined by my extension of His compassion in acknowledged gratefulness for the sacrifice He made on my behalf.

Click here for a free, downloadable study on more parables of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Forgiveness...The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant Part 1

One of my favorite topics covered in “Everything We Need: God's Path to Know Him Better” is the kingdom of heaven. It was also the hardest topic to write…by far. Words like struggled and wrestled don’t begin to describe the days spent writing the two chapters dedicated to the kingdom of heaven.

But you see, John the Baptist and Jesus Christ both began their preaching ministries with the same words, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 3:2 and Matthew 4:17, respectively). They both began that way…seems significant, doesn’t it?

Jesus also said in Matthew 13:11 that “the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.” “Given to you” – His followers; “but not to them” – those who don’t follow Him. He gave the knowledge in parables in order to make this happen.

I’m His follower. I want to know Him better. I want to know His kingdom. Despite how hard it might have been, I struggled through the seven parables given in Matthew 13 and wrote about them in the book.

Those seven parables took a lot of book space – two whole chapters. The problem was that five more parables are scattered throughout the remaining pages of Matthew. Did I dare dedicate a third chapter to this already extensive section? I decided no, that would be too much. It would outweigh the scope of the book.

Those five remaining parables have been nagging at me though. Now that the book is done and available to you, I find myself going back to them. What treasures of truth hide in their words? I want to KNOW. So for the next five weeks, that’s where we’re going to go.

Parable of the Unmerciful Servant – Matthew 18:21-35

How many times do we have to forgive someone who has wronged or offended us? Not seven, but seventy times seven (490) times. That’s a lot of forgiveness; that’s the context that begins this kingdom parable.

Nine of the twelve kingdom parables begin with a man performing some action. In all of them, the man symbolizes God. He is the one performing the action. This parable depicts Him as the king. Fitting, isn’t it?

The king intends to settle accounts with His servants. One servant owes Him 10,000 talents. A talent was a unit of money, not a gift or ability as we use the word today. It’s really hard to know exactly how much money this amount represents in today’s culture and standards. As close as I can figure, based on the average wages for a common worker, this amount is about 160,000 years worth of salary. Yeah, go back and read that again because I did type it correctly. Even if I’m off a little bit in my calculations, it’s easy to see this was an insurmountable debt. The servant was never going to be able to pay it. The king decreed that not only would He sell the man’s possessions to pay the debt, but He would even sell the man, his wife, and his children. I’m going to make an assumption here and guess that even if all items and family members brought the highest price possible, the total still wouldn’t come close to the amount owed. 160,000 years worth of salary is a debt no servant will ever be able to pay. The servant begged forgiveness of the debt. Compassion moved the king; He forgave the debt at His own sacrifice.

The insurmountable debt forgiven, the servant left the presence of the king and met up with a fellow servant. This new guy owed the servant a hundred denarii. A denarii is a much smaller amount of money. Using our same conversion system as earlier, one denarii was about one day’s wages for a common worker. One hundred denarii equaled about fourteen weeks’ worth of pay – not a small amount, but not insurmountable either.

Even though a smaller debt, the second servant still couldn’t repay the first servant. He likewise begged for time to pay the debt. Compassion didn’t move the servant like it did the king. The servant ordered the second servant thrown into prison.

When the king heard about the servant’s hard heart, compassion no longer moved Him. Anger did. The king turned the servant over to the jailers to torture him until he could pay back all he owed.

Forgiveness

It’s not hard to see that this parable teaches the kingdom of heaven is a kingdom of forgiveness. God forgives an insurmountable sin debt in our lives; our natural response should be to forgive the more minor – even if still significant – sin debts people owe us. But more intrigue hides in the details.

I thought this parable was going to be pretty straightforward but, I tell you, some of these details rocked my world. Would you rather be tortured than forgive someone? Click here to read the rest of the story. 

Click here for a free, downloadable Bible study on several of the Kingdom parables.

Live Free: Away from Religion and into Relationship

Hopefully you joined us last week for my review of the book Memory’s Door by James L. Rubart. Some of you might have wondered why I did a book review – I’ve never done one here before and, in general, they don’t fit within the purpose of the Grow Barefoot blog.

Moment of honesty here – I’m not doing this because the book is so wonderful (although it is) nor am I doing it to help the author sell more books (although that would be ok too).

I’m doing it because I believe in Jim Rubart’s personal ministry.

Jim’s heart is to bring people into an intimate, freeing relationship with our awesome God. That same God also happened to give Jim an incredible talent for story-telling; Jim uses that gift as an avenue to bring people into the freedom of Christ’s love.

Along these lines, I asked Jim a few more questions about his newest book, Memory’s Door, and his personal ministry.

Religion vs. Relationship

From the book, “For one Christian to weigh another down with rules and regulations that are not their own…that is the greatest enemy of Christianity. Religion. …

“The spirit of religion is an enemy who is crushing churches, dividing fellowships and friends, turning God from a person into a manifesto of dos and don’ts that crush the spirit and turn Christianity into a program devoid of true godly power and devoid of love.”

Q: Religion versus relationship is a strong theme in this book. How would you distinguish between a religion-based faith and a relationship-based faith?

A: Simple. A religion-based faith is about what you should and shouldn’t do. Don’t smoke, don’t drink, don’t swear, don’t go to R-rated movies. Do read your Bible, go to church, pray a lot, give 10% of your money away.

A relationship-based faith is all about the relationship. Let’s hang out. Get to know each other. Have conversation. Tell the other how amazing they are. Almost sounds like a friendship, doesn’t it? Almost sounds like two people in love. Maybe that’s why Christ calls us His bride. Maybe that’s why there’s going to be a wedding feast at the end of the age.

Live Free

Q: Apart from the books, the tagline for your ministry is "Live Free." What does that mean to you?

A: There’s only one path to absolute freedom – absolutely dying to self. The more I throw off the old worries, wounds, cares, and idols I still try to hang onto, the more I press into friendship with Jesus, the more free I am.

The more I don’t care what people think of me, and simply live out of my true self, the freer I am.

So in the end, “Live Free” means immersing myself in the person of Jesus so completely that I don’t exist anymore; I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. But understand – this new person that Christ lives inside of is not an annihilation of me, but is the birth of a new being, the one Jesus purposed me to be from before the beginning of time (2 Corinthians 5:17). The new person is a glorious, perfected James L. Rubart that is holy and true and pure. In that state we live without walls, without boundaries, without rules, but in perfect relationship with the Trinity. That is living free.

A huge thank you to Jim for taking the time to share his thoughts with us.

At Grow Barefoot, we seek to Live Free · Pursue Holiness · No Excuses. One of our goals is to help you grow in your relationship with God and His Word. Hopefully, you can now see why we appreciate Jim and his ministry.

Only by stepping away from the rules and regulations of man-made religion can we enter into a free, loving relationship with Him who created us and knows us better than we know ourselves. In that place, we find the power, love, security, and purpose for which we strive.