Watchman

Even though there are many awesome commissioning scripture passages, I have often thought that Ezekiel 33 should be read at all ordinations. I have a pastor friend whose whole ministry seems to be guided by this scripture. Some think him harsh and pushy, but I know that his heart is like that of God. “As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that he turn from his ways and live.” (Ezekiel 33:21)

My friend also takes his calling as a watchman very seriously. God said, “If I say to the wicked, O wicked one you shall surly die, and you do not speak to warn him to turn from his wicked ways, and that wicked person die in his iniquity, his blood I shall require at your hand.” (Ezekiel 33:8)  The watchman is responsible and subject to judgement for abrogating his responsibility to warn the sinner. That is why my brother in Christ seems almost desperate at times to speak out, even though it means he will be vilified for his faithfulness.
  

Perhaps some of the rest of us also need to take a page from this book and take our responsibility as watchmen much more seriously, rather than trying so hard to fit in with our fallen society.

Opposites

It was hard the other evening reading Ezekiel 20 alongside Psalm111. The contrast between man's defiant disobedience and God's loving faithfulness was almost too much to bear. The Lord's holiness and mercy stands in direct opposition to Israel's flagrant disregard for the Law. It is no wonder that God became angry!

But what of today? Are we really any different after these thousands of years of religious experience. Jesus has blessed us beyond measure...sacrificial love on a scale that we have a hard time even imagining. Yet, we...like our rebellious forefathers, steadfastly refuse to keep the Sabbath holy. We literally "profane" the Sabbath (20:21), rejecting God's rules, refusing to walk in his statutes and hoard rather than "caste away the detestable things our eyes feast on" (20:7) We still defile ourselves with idols, albeit modern versions, but idols just the same.

Then we expect God to bless us... expect, even after we have rejected the sacrifice of his son, to be welcomed into the kingdom at our death...because we were a "good person". We expect to be offered a second chance of salvation, regardless of how we behaved...and abuse anyone who might even suggest otherwise. How arrogant?

Lord, let this not be me. Have you way in my life. I pray to be constantly reminded of just how blessed I am and encouraged day by day to walk in righteousness and holiness before you...Amen
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More on Integrity

(Rev.3-4) I think that many, if not most, of what we call the "mainline" church today are bound by the sin of indifference. You might even call it laziness. We just don't behave as if our faith is important enough to inform and impact every aspect of our lives...and in doing so, relegate Jesus to the sphere of "nice to have when we need him"

Lest we think that this is a new phenomena, one has only to look at the letters to the churches in Revelation chapter 3. The churches in Sardis and Laodicea treated Jesus with contempt. In one, Sardis, it was covered well. Jesus said, "you have the reputation of being alive, but are dead!".(1) They were essentially playing at church without any commitment to the faith that was supposed to support and uphold it. There was a remnant, but even that was at risk unless there were some drastic changes.
There are many churches in our own society, like Sardis, just going through the motions. Jesus said, "Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief and you will not know what hour I will come against you." (3)

The second church, Laodicea, is also luke-warm, but in a lot worse shape. Jesus describes them as, "wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked" (17) And this is a church community! He said, "I know your works: you are neither hot nor cold. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are luke-warm, and neither hot not cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

Folks, here is a church community desperate to straddle the fence between the world and faith...desiring to belong in both, and committing to neither. Unfortunately, this is also an accurate description of many groups of Christian believers today. The message here is plain. It can't be explained away as a first century cultural thing. Lukewarm faith will result in expulsion from the kingdom...full stop!

All is not lost, though. It never is. With Jesus there is always an avenue of redemption and restoration. God is still calling these churches to repentance. He is still willing to restore them to full fellowship. There is a narrow window of opportunity which will indeed slam closed without warning...but for the moment remains open. God is inviting us in the same way to examine our journey of faith...and to see of we are lukewarm, just playing at it...and if so, to repent and return. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears and opens, I will come in..."(20). Why not consider doing just that today?
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Light and Darkness

I was reading in 1John1 and observed that the writer is very big on integrity. He believes that authentic faith must be observable. Just saying that we believe doesn't make it so. The committed believer must also seek to move physically and emotionally, as well as spiritually, out of the pit of darkness and into the light.

(1John 1:6-7) "If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth." In short, our life is a lie. If we in our arrogance go even farther and claim that what the Lord calls sin is not sin at all, not only are we lying to ourselves, we are...by our word and actions, accusing Jesus of lying! In effect, we are de-throning him in our lives and demonstrating that our declaration of faith is a sham.

However, and I love the "howevers" in the Scripture, when we are intentional about confessing our unrighteousness and choosing to walk instead in the light, pursuing that which is holy and true..then we are brought into intimate fellowship with God and with each other. Our faith is authenticated...and we are cleansed from our sin! TBTG!


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As I Have Loved You

"If then I your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet...you aught to wash one anothers' feet." (John 13:14) "A new commandment I give you...love one another as I have loved you." (John 13:34)

Sometimes I wonder just how many believers actually get this? "As I have loved you". The other night in small group we were talking about forgiving and releasing those who have hurt us...and how difficult that can be. I believe that the greatest struggle lies not in the actual act of forgiveness, but in realizing and understanding the enormity of what has been done for us on the cross by Jesus.

"As I have loved you"...the "as" is sacrifice, the giving of life for the sake of others. The ability to truly forgive others, the power to release the anger, frustration, and pain, is only made possible after we have accepted the gift Jesus has given us. For, it is out of a place of personal redemption, when we know that we have been forgiven for our own sin, that we can risk forgiving and blessing others.

"There, but for the grace of God go I" I have been removed from the place of being a perpetrator of suffering and pain by the grace and mercy of God. The space between victim and abuser is very narrow, as is the space between condemnation and forgiveness. Sometimes, all it takes is an act of grace-filled courage on my part to bring my abuser into the place of redemption and restoration.


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Commitment

Yesterday while on the way down the trail from a 22km hike into the mountains, we came upon a 40 something man pulling a modified golf cart loaded with two days worth of camping gear and supplies, followed by his 80 year old mother. They asked how far it was to Red Heather Hut and Elfin Lakes. When told the distances they both remarked, "No Problem"! I am sorry now that I didn't get their picture.

Thinking about that encounter this morning I was struck by the level of commitment and love this man showed for his mother, and wondered how many of us would show this kind of love for another? While it pales in comparison, it is a good human representation of the love Jesus demonstrated for each of us when he went to the cross on our behalf. The man was literally punishing his body in order to give his mother a couple of days in the most beautiful place in the world.

Do you love like this? Have you taken Jesus love seriously and payed it forward? Such devotion is beyond earthy reason and reveals a heavenly mindset!
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The Glory of Man

Yesterday I spoke of the presumption of humanity to think that we can create and sustain without reference to God. In this morning's reading from John 12, we see the result of this defiant independence. Once enjoyed, and it is indeed pleasurable at first blush...and exercised to worldly profit, godless independence needs to be maintained at all costs. Why? Because it is addictive.
In John 12, the Pharisees have fallen completely from grace. They are plotting to murder, not only Jesus, but one who has already been resurrected...in a vain attempt to maintain their power and influence over the people. (12:10-11) "So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.". Resurrection is indeed a powerful witness! (17) "The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus forth from the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to bear witness.

However, such is the satanic influence in the fallen, that even the knowing leadership would deny the truth in order to be maintained in their positions of power. (42) "Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in Him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue...for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God."

As I walked uphill alongside a Rwandan Archdeacon one day, he told me a tale about an evil which created an environment in which the genocide could happen. He said that many, even among the church leadership, were more afraid of each other...and the loss of their portions of influence, than they were of God. They had exchanged the glory of God for the influence of man. Over a million died as a result.

We think that this could never happen in our so-called civilized society. Bosnia and Rwanda were both "civilized" jewels. Look around you. This very evil and the sin which encourages it is among us...barely hidden beneath the surface of respectability. History repeats itself, and godlessness always bears the fruit of destruction. There, but for the grace of God, go we!
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