Moses was certainly a righteous dude. He was revered in Judaism like no other. He talked face to face with God. I mean you can just sense his greatness from that penetrating stare in the above photograph unearthed by archaeologists in 1956. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)

These persecuted Christians (addressed in the Letter to the Hebrews) were tempted to go back to the old ways of Moses and Law because it was what they formerly knew. And it was safer. At this time in the Roman empire, nationalistic religions, like Judaism, were actually tolerated. They posed no real threat, and were allowed side by side with the religions of the empire. Christianity was much more dangerous, and threatening to the powers that be.

Our author here tells them that Moses was just the warm-up act. Pointing to Someone far greater, as well as the inauguration of a “system” far superior to the old. We could even think of the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament) as mere warm-up that points to the One through whom God would rescue all of humanity!

Moses, we see, was definitely someone to be looked up to, but only because of his faithfulness to God. Not for himself. You do not praise a piece of art more than the artist. The artist designed and made the piece of art.

Sticking with our example of warm-up acts, let’s just say that…I was the warm-up act for, ohhhhh, Jon McLaughlin. Sure, a few people may be entertained by my performance, but they will be far from satisfied. Then comes Mr. McLaughlin, and people are ecstatic to hear someone who can really play his instrument and sing, not only on key, but beautifully! No one in their right mind is gonna be like, “Bring Rob back out!” after seeing Jonny Mc”L”. After experiencing him, they’ll just want more of him. Don’t we all…

My job was to get the crowd ready and point to Jon. If I am admired at all, it should be for that reason. I fulfilled my role and did a great job of being replaced by Jon, who is the real talent.

Moses represents the Law (Torah) and the old covenant between God and His people. Jesus replaced Torah.

We revert back to the old inferior covenant when we make Christianity about things we have to do as opposed to Someone we need to love.

In the Name of Jesus,
Soli Deo Gloria

We currently live in this “in-between” sort of age. With the introduction of Logos incarnated (God dwelling among us in human form) into the universe, the kingdom of God was inaugurated here on earth. It has been infiltrating humanity, and spreading ever since the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Yet it obviously has not been fully realized, or consumated. There is still evil, pain, death, and war. We live in a tension, if you will. If the kingdom of God came to us in Jesus, why is there still all this crap going on? Well this letter called Hebrews, among other places in Scripture, tells us that we are in this time between Christ’s two advents. And until the second advent, there will still be suffering. At the same time, there will be much joy and healing due to the inaugurated kingdom spreading among us. Statistically, most of the healing organizations in the world giving relief to suffering are Christian, or started by followers of Jesus.

This also gives us an interesting insight. We have a distorted view many times of what life should be like, of what the Christian life should be like. Who says what life should be like? Who has that kind of authority? For much of history, persecution has been the normal Christian experience. God has not always answered affirmatively the prayers of the afflicted. If that were the case, no Christian would ever die, get sick, be abused, stub their toe…

So maybe we’re asking the wrong question. Perhaps it’s not a matter of “Is God answering prayers?” but rather “How should we respond when we do not see everything submitted to Him?”

The answer lies in our perception of reality, and of the nature of our Christian faith. Our worldview. Here’s what Larry Crabb says concerning Western Christianity: “we have become committed to relieving the pain behind our problems rather than using our pain to wrestle more passionately with the character and purposes of God. Feeling better has become more important than finding God. And worse, we assume that people who find God always feel better.” Focusing on our situations, problems, and pains as primary, rather than the purposes of God, moves us away from important aspects of following Christ. We must follow Christ in the way of suffering. God’s people have always been persecuted as counter to the power systems of the world. This is just how it is at times. And this has always been how Christianity has grown. Where is it growing most today? Not in America where we have it so easy. It is in Africa and China, and other places where there is oppression.

We know this is still happening today in other countries. People are being imprisoned, beaten, murdered by beheading for their faith in Jesus. This is happening now. Christianity is not necessarily Pollyanna right now all the time.

“The problem of evil for the Christian lies not in God’s abilities, nor even in our perception of His will and timing, but in our perception of Jesus.”*

We need to make sure we are following the reality of Jesus and the Christian faith and not something we have made up or have swallowed hook, line, and sinker from someone else. From someone who says it’s suppose to be easy and happy all the time.

Scripture tells us that God is bringing about all things in the end for His purpose, and that He works everything out ultimately for our good. He does not tempt us or inflict evil upon us, but will redeem and restore everything. This is the great comforting. It is up to us to trust Him for this even in the midst of pain and suffering.

When my friend of 22 years, Jeff, died of Leukemia in 2010 barely at 40 years old, it sucked. It reeeeeally sucked. He left behind his wife and three children. But it did not prove that there is no God. It did not definitively show that God does not answer prayer. We are just not seeing all things consummately subjected to Him yet. What we do see, if we so choose, is Jesus in the midst of our sufferings. We can grow though any circumstance into someone closer to Christ Himself, if we look to Him for comfort instead of focusing on our circumstance.

*George Guthrie

In the Name of Jesus,
Soli Deo Gloria

I came across this story yesterday which the desert monastics would tell their students:

A brother who was insulted by another came to Abba Sisoes and said to him: “I was hurt by my brother and I want to avenge myself.” The old man tried to console him and said: “Don’t do that, my child. Leave vengeance to God.” But the disciple said: “I will not quit until I avenge myself.” Then the old man said: “Let us pray, brother.” And standing up, he prayed, “O God, we no longer need you to take care of us since we now avenge ourselves.” Hearing these words, the brother fell at the feet of the old man and said, “Forgive me, Abba. I am not going to fight with my brother anymore.”

When we take matters into our own hands, such as vengeance, we essentially forfeit God’s care. It’s like the tough guy in the movies who leaves the hospital early, ripping off his monitor wires and what not. “No thank you, experts in medical and trauma care. I got this.”

Isn’t this what we do with the ultimate Expert?

“No thanks, Lord of the Universe and Keeper of Souls. I believe I know better how to take care of myself as well as how to handle this situation.”

This is what we say when we go against God’s clear and loving guidance and mandates.

I love what Dallas Willard use to say to philosophers who said they did not think they needed to follow Jesus or His ways to be happy or live life well. Willard would simply ask them, “Well who did you have in mind?” If they said themselves, he would congratulate them and admit that he did not trust himself in order to follow his own heart, as it would no doubt lead him astray at some point. It was funny, too, I once heard him say that if you’ve found someone else to follow to give you life, that Jesus Himself, in His polite gentleness, would probably say, “Great! Good for you! Go right ahead then.”

In the Name of Jesus,
Soli Deo Gloria

What’s the point?

How we see life and all of our circumstances depends upon our worldview, what we think the meaning of life is, or, if it has one.

Do we see life as a gift or a chore?

Is it a chore? Merely perpetual BS to trudge through? Put your boots on every morning in order to get through another day’s crap with your greatest hope being to just survive.

Or is life a gift from a good God who wants nothing more than to be close and bring us to Himself through whatever circumstance meet us?

Or is your worldview that life is suppose to be a “Perpetual Disneyland?” If so, then it makes sense that you’re constantly frustrated. Because things will go “wrong” everyday. Probably every hour. So you can keep fighting against this, which is very difficult. Why? Because it’s so hard to be, and make, everything perfect. I’ve tried. It’s extremely tiring.

So maybe the point is not to bring about perfection.

Maybe it’s to be brought, eventually, one step at a time, to God.

Perhaps every single circumstance of every single day–good, bad, indifferent, planned, unplanned, joyful, tragic, euphoric, depressing–is a chance to be brought closer to God, along the way gaining ever sharper and sharper vision to see God everywhere, for that’s where He resides. Everywhere, at all times.

So the question could be, “Is life the sum of our circumstances, or is it how we see them?”

Maybe it’s not about never being sad as much as it is about keeping our attention on God while experiencing sadness and, consequently, living a fuller, deeper, richer life in God.

No matter what happens to you today, God is with you, desiring to draw you closer to Himself.

Will you pay attention?

Will you let Him?

Or will you choose to focus on your circumstances and yourself?

In the Name of Jesus,
Soli Deo Gloria