Hiding in Plain Sight

 "Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden." Genesis 3:8

"Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.' For the great day of their wrath has come and who can withstand it?"  Revelation 6: 15-17

    When I was a teenager, I took the family car without permission. On my fool's errand, I drove through some very telltale tar which marked that car like a scarlet letter. Intelligent human being that I was, I hid the car in the garage. Now that's as feeble as trying to hide a buffalo under the bed. When my father approached me, requesting an explanation, did I rely on his love and confidently confess and repent? No. Regretfully, I lied. Why did I do that? My father loved me to pieces and he was never prone to violence or outrage, either. I had no reason other than shame.

    From Genesis to Revelation, mankind has been hiding from God. Who can blame us? The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, thereby deserving death, so how can any one of us withstand the judgment and wrath of Holy God? If my sin brought fear of punishment from my earthly father, how much more a lifetime of iniquity against a powerful God? 

    Well, like my dad, God loves me. Loves me so much that he gave his only Son to take the stripes that I deserved. And, like that buffalo analogy, I cannot hide from Him. Proverbs 28:13 lends this wisdom: "He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy." Armed with this undeserved mercy, how do I confidently approach the throne of God as his child? I'm glad you asked; it's no secret, nor is it hidden from sight. Jesus hung on a cross for all to see, thereby drawing the world to Him.

"If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world, we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." 1 John 4: 15-18

You Be the Judge

"Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, 'Which is right in God's eyes: to listen to you, or to Him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.'" Acts 4: 18. 19

    Recently, I began volunteering to help the food pantry at a local church. The food is kept on the church property and operated by loving brothers and sisters of their congregation. As part of the training, I was told we are "not allowed to proselytize" since the Cleveland Food Bank that supplies the goods does the governing. In my heart, I thought, "Oh, so the church is good enough to provide the means, but then we are told to shut up." Those who arrive to be fed will be hungry again as they drive away with souls as empty as raided shelves.

    The courage we lack was demonstrated by Peter and John in the days of the early church. They were also told to shut up by the governing authorities of that day, but reread their amazing response in the verses above. These two unschooled former fishermen had healed a man in the name of Jesus, then proceeded to preach the Good News to the hungry crowds. Before they were thrown in jail for this "crime", many who heard their message believed, so the number grew to five thousand. 

    When Jesus fed the five thousand by multiplying the little boy's lunch, those who ate were soon hungry again. At this feeding of the five thousand, the starving were satiated with the words of eternal life!

    After Peter and John's release from jail, they were given many stern warnings NOT to preach in the Name of Jesus again, yet in their subsequent prayer meeting, they implored of the Lord: "'Now Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness'...And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly." (Acts 4: 29, 31)

    It shames me to say that I complied with what I was instructed. I did not want to upset the apple cart. But is that what I am called to do? I believe I know the answer...

"Jesus answered, 'Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'" John 4: 13, 14 

The Bit Players

 "So He sent two of his disciples telling them, 'Go into the city and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. Say to the owner of the house he enters, "The Teachers asks 'Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?" He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.'" Mark 14: 12-15

    On our way to Texas, we would be driving through Memphis. Thinking it might be fun to stay in the Heartbreak Hotel, I inquired about a vacancy via telephone. The clerk responded, "Are you crazy, lady? That's during the throes of Elvis Week! You'll be lucky to stay anywhere in Tennessee."

    The earthly life of Jesus is bookended by busy, booked cities. A census caused the crowd in Bethlehem, when Joseph could only procure an empty stable for the birth of the King, and now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, AKA the Passover, had Jerusalem humming at a fevered pitch. I wonder if there's any hidden meaning in this parallel? 

    Anyway, I got to thinking about this homeowner who happened to have an upper room, "furnished and ready." For whom was it prepared? Had he known the Teacher would request it? Or did he have to cancel a reservation? The scriptures do not tell us because such details are unimportant to the story, yet I find it intriguing to peer beyond what's given and imagine being the bit player in the background. What was it like for this guy to host the Last Supper in his abode, though he likely had no knowledge of the historical impact of the event. Did Jesus greet him upon entrance, extending a hand in gratitude? Perhaps the man witnessed the grotesque display at the hill of Calvary the next day as he tried to piece the puzzling events together. Then, imagine what he thought when he heard the news of the empty tomb! What a time that must've been!

    I'd like to think that the full truth of the visiting Messiah opened the door of his heart, as well as his home, as he humbly welcomed the Living Lord. Then, upon his death, it would be Jesus's turn to open His heavenly home to the man with the upper room. 

    Our service to the Savior is not always star-studded, front page news. It may be as insignificant as opening ones home to someone in need, but when it's done for Him, it's a starring role.

"And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward." Matthew 10:42  

     

Just Do It!

 "And when your children ask you, 'What does this ceremony mean to you?' then tell them..." Exodus 12:26

    Every year in mid-March, I sit back and watch the frivolity surrounding St. Patrick's Day. Avid folks in shamrock shirts chase corned beef and hash with green beer, never stopping to think why they are doing it. Sometimes, I will ask them, "Who was St. Patrick?" It's a privilege to tell them about the missionary who'd been taken from his homeland as a slave to Ireland. After he'd regained his liberty, his love for the lost people of that country tugged him to return, bringing with him the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's a great way to begin a conversation about our Savior.

    When we forget the origin of our celebrations, we are like a person who walked past the historic St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, admiring its awesome architecture, yet turned a corner and looked back and all that is seen now is a Dollar General. The former is forgotten. 

    What's behind Christmas? Santa, silver bells and elves on shelves? Does the power of pretty dresses and pastel eggs blot out the resurrection of the crucified Messiah every Easter? Satan's smokescreens seek to smother the light of the Gospel until green beer replaces the celebration of the birth of Christianity to an entire nation. It's little wonder God, knowing us like He does, reminds us throughout the scriptures to remember! If the loss of our liberties in America meant the tearing down of crosses or the torching of sanctuaries, would the truth slip from your heart as easily as turning a corner?

    We have so so much to celebrate! At Christmas, bake a birthday cake for Jesus with the little ones in your life. Take them to a live nativity. Every Easter, don't glide right by Good Friday, eager to embrace the joy of the resurrection. Talk about the gravity of sin and the power of the blood. If we don't teach our kids the truth, what falsehoods await them in the secular kingdom? Don't wait for them to ask you either; just do it.

    "Only be careful and watch yourselves closely, so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. " Deuteronomy 4:9

Coming to the Rescue

 "He said, 'Surely they are my people, children who will be true to me.'; and so, he became their Savior. In all their distress, he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old."                 Isaiah 63: 8, 9

    One dark and rainy night, our phone rang. "Could you please come and help me?" our daughter asked. "My car is stuck in the mud." My husband compiled the tools of rescue he felt we may need and together, we headed out. On the way, however, our wipers quit working! Now we needed to be rescued. Enter our relative, Jeff, who kindly came to our aid in inclement weather. Our daughter tried to free her car on her own but she needed help. In the Bible, Jeff would have been our kinsman redeemer - a next-of-kin who, in certain emergencies, was expected to come to the rescue. 

    Sooner or later, in this life, we will find ourselves stuck in the mud. We're wet, miserable, sinking in our sinful mire, unable to free ourselves, no matter how hard we try. Who will rescue us from this mess? We need Someone who is not also stuck, Someone who has all the right equipment. "For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1: 13, 14) 

    Do you know you were bought at a precious, valuable price? It was not with perishable things, like money, that we were redeemed, but "with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." (1 Peter 1: 18, 19) The word "redeem" means to "recover ownership of by paying a specified sum; to buy back." When it comes to saving souls for all eternity, who could possibly afford that price? 

    Jesus came to the rescue in person, in inclement situations, paying the price we could never afford. Just as we would never have left our daughter in the mud, He heroically came to deliver us from this body of death so we may go home to be with Him where it's safe and dry. He is our Kinsman Redeemer.

"I will deliver this people from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction?" Hosea 13:14

A Head Above the Rest

 "But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, 'Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.'" Luke 19:8

    In a recent article warning readers about credit card fraud, the characteristics of Satan were plain as day within the text. The deceptive traps laid by the fraudsters were identified as "dark patterns" using such descriptive words as trick, sneak, fakery, deceive, crooks, illegal, fooled, risk, confuse and coerce. These patterns involved sneaking unwanted items into online carts, convoluted wording meant to induce confusion, visual tricks and psychological games. 

    There were such shysters in Jesus's day, too, the most infamous being tax collectors. This was the trade of Zacchaeus, a short guy whose desire to see Jesus drove him up a sycamore tree. Imagine his shock and delight when Jesus stopped beneath his bough and, addressing him by name, announced He (Jesus) would be dining with him that evening! His meeting with the Savior so changed his heart that he repented of his charlatan ways and vowed to make things right. His integrity raised him a head above the rest.

    I keep an excerpt from Psalm 140 near my computer as a prayer of protection: "Keep me safe, Lord, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from the violent who devise ways to trip my feet...Do not grant the wicked their desires, Lord; do not let their plans succeed...May the mischief of their lips engulf them." Maybe I should also pray that the hearts of the fraudsters, like that of Zacchaeus, be changed by the only One who can cleanse their sins.

"You must have accurate and honest weights and measures so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. For the Lord your God detests anyone who does these things, anyone who deals dishonestly." Deuteronomy 25: 15, 16

Voices from the Grave

 "By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous when God spoke well of his offering. And by faith Abel speaks, even though he is dead."     Hebrews 11:4

    In front of our county courthouse, two statues flank the entrance. The man on the right has a kind, relaxed demeanor, hands gently resting by his side. In contrast, the composure of the man on the left is tense and glowering with a furrowed brow and a clenched fist behind his back. These are the brothers Cain and Abel, representing the first murder in the history of mankind. 

    Both of these men's actions speak from the grave all these centuries later. In their biblical account, though both men had offered a sacrifice to the Lord, Abel had done so with a glad and generous heart. Cain, clouded by envy, reacted in anger against his brother, leaving his murderous mark on the world.

    Our heart's perceptions have an immortal quality. Long after I am laid to rest, will my voice from the grave speak of my faith in God? Or will I be remembered for my sins?

"God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Corinthians 9:7