Pastoral Care

The Steadfast Heart.

Dan

To Jacob, a friend of mine. I am sorry for your troubles. Let me tell you about somebody else who has a story like your story. I heard her story many years ago. Her name was Patty. In her early days, Patty lived a faithful life focused on Jesus. She was active in her church choir, spent hours praying for others. She made meals for neighbors when their children were sick. But then Patty broke her back. She rarely asked why, Patty simply tried to be true to God no matter how bad it got. Patty could have sat on the ground and withered away. She was completely flattened by life. The increased health care insurance premiums caused her boss to let her go. Quickly after the release, her house was repossessed by the bank for lack of payments. Patty had no place to go. Her girlfriend stepped in and invited Patty to shelter in her house until she recovered from the injury and found more work.

Gradually Patty was getting better. Then her friend died from a kidney rupture. Once again, her life was in turmoil, but her girlfriend had told the children that Patty should remain in the house. Then the children of the girl friend reneged on their agreement, took the house, and pushed Patty onto the street. She had no family, money, or place to go. She only had the clothes on her back. Gradually, things got better. She drifted to a new city and started again – she remained in the eye of the Hurricane.

I heard about Patty when she was working at a church thrift store — after all this happened. As I listened to the story, it appeared this woman, who had been faithful to God, had been completely crushed. Patty should have given up on God. She should have quit. She had every human excuse to stomp her foot and curse God. But Patty did not. In time, God restored her life with new friends, a job, a home, and the things she needed to live her remaining life in fullness. Through all of this, she stayed the course.

Abraham should have let go of the dream from God and returned to the land of his parents. He should have quit. Abraham should have told God that this covenant thing was dead, he was too old and completely unable to make a life in this new place. Yet, God had called Abraham several years earlier and Abraham responded. He left his home and traveled to a distant land. He left for this new place because God had promised to bless him with land, children, and prosperity (Genesis 12:1-13,18). However, none of that was forth coming. So far, this new place brought him famine, conflict with other groups, no children, and personal threats upon his life. Abraham had nothing to show except a sad adventure story.

So, he asks for guidance from God and once more God steadies him…be patient (Genesis 15:18). But after that conversation, all Abraham obtained was more silence (Genesis 16:1-6). He should have given up on God. He should have quit. But he did not and we know the rest of the story. Abraham became the father of many nations. We Christians continue to be adapted into his family (read the book of Hebrews).

Paul says — Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself. (2 Timothy 2:11-13)

In the face of what could be deemed as God’s failure, neither Patty nor Abraham gave up. They did not quit. They lived within his strength. All during her time of trouble, Patty would take aside young women who were in deep trouble, pray for them, encourage them, take them under her wing, and help them to trust in God despite their troubles. Abraham became the father of many nations. God is sovereign. No questions, no whining, just obedience. He is sovereign. When we are faithful, in the end he is faithful. Even if we waver a bit during the dark days, he is faithful. He loves us.

I choose Jesus.

The Hand Stretched out Before Me

Dan

It was my observation when pondering upon the commissioning of Ezekiel as prophet in Ezekiel 2:6-10, we find God advising him how to function in his role. He is told to be very bold. He must act with confidence.  His work will not be easy.  He must stand firm, and not be driven off of his tasks no matter how weird the task appears.  He must never lose sight of who he is working for.  God makes it clear to Ezekiel — They are a rebellious bunch of scorpions but they are my scorpions and I need to talk to them and get them back on track. 

Ezekiel 2:6-10 says — And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them, for they are a rebellious people. You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious people; open your mouth and eat what I give you. Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe. [NIV]

If you have been called to do things for God, then it is imperative that you are not afraid of mere men.  At the end of the day we work for God, we answer to him not the men that surround us.  The scorpions are constantly harassing God’s called, entangling them in their talk, looking for fault (see Matthew 22:15). We all know the bite of a scorpion is 1000 times harsher than a thorn-hedge (see Micah 7:4). 

These scorpions are also hurtful to the Israelis caught up in the rebellion but not sure what to do. To those who would listen to Ezekiel, the scorpions choke out the message and belittle the messenger. God will not fail to reward the scorpions for their evil if they do not repent. Therefore, even in their disbelief, God makes use of the scorpions for correction and instruction in much the same way that Gideon taught the men of Succoth with thorns and briers (see Judges 8:16).

Clearly these people have earned the wrath of God, yet he tries again and again to bring them back to their senses. However, while the bad stuff continues, Ezekiel knows he lives amongst them. He will not be safe in the quiet of his own home, these are his neighbors and they are not nice people. Given the opportunity, they will make his life extremely difficult. We are reminded of the things that Jesus said to one of the churches in the book of Revelation – I know where you live, the same place where Lucifer’s seat resides (see Revelation 2:13). This is a strong statement and I suspect it applies to these scorpions.

Imagine the transition for Ezekiel, first he is hanging out in the middle of a vision, then he is talking with God about stuff.  But when he edges back to reality, he finds himself with a parcel of scorpions, people who are hecklers doing their utmost to drive him away. I think they knew their captivity was self-inflected, they were being controlled by Babylon, but they could bark out all manner of threats and noise to scare Ezekiel in the same way that people railed against Jeremiah (see Jeremiah 3:5).

In the midst of all this commotion, Ezekiel has learned to keep his eye on the endgame.  He knows that he must be faithful to his calling. The people who are harassing him need him and need the message.  He knows that God will eventually soften their hearts. He knows God will do the work if Ezekiel does his part and accurately reflects the message. The weight of this mantle is no small thing for him. It would be easier to blend in and avoid trouble. But God has placed a love for these scorpions in his heart and he is determined to stay faithful. Goodness, if only we had a heart similar to this, amen.  And, with the missive that comes from this final thought, I choose Jesus.

Do not be Hasty!

Dan

It has been my observation while reading Solomon’s thoughtful epistle Ecclesiastes, he recommends we guard our steps when we enter the house of God to worship. Being near to each other in corporate worship helps us to draw from the common expression of adoration towards Elohim by the community of God. On Sunday morning we move about with quiet expectation, we allow the lion within us to sing, but also to listen, we avoid haste and lack of self-control in our heart, guarding and measuring our thoughts before we utter anything to God. Please understand, He is close, not because we are in the House of God, but because He is close 24/7. He hears our thoughts even before we think them, he surrounds us with his presence; Under his protection, we rest and lean into his shelter. We are wise to let him envelop our worship, and then, in that framework, offer up a respectful sacrifice of praise, embracing and expressing the fear of God (massive respect for the formidable nature of God) in our worship.

Solomon writes — Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few (Ecclesiastes 5:1-3).  

Solomon’s focus is to guide us away from the world, by showing us the vanity of human-ness, we find the path to God and to our calling, that we may not walk in the way of the world, but by God’s will, nor depend upon the wealth of the world, but focus on prayer, praise, worship and doing the will of God for others. This is why we linger with the community of God; this is why we listen more and talk less.

Consider the fact that Solomon is nudging us towards the House of God; our place of public worship, created by men and women – at God’s direction. Notice in Ecclesiastes that Solomon reflects with regret on much of his life activities (implied in Ecclesiastes 2:4) claiming they were meaningless. I do not recall Solomon regretting creating God’s House, rather he indirectly reflected on God’s House with pleasure, completing the task his father David had assigned years earlier. This observation is not openly discussed in Solomon’s epistle lest it appear to be a point of pride. I think he did find quiet pleasure in building this focal point for the community to gather and worship the one true living God. Some things do not need to be spoken about in detail to be clear.

When David was anxious or confused, he went into the sanctuary of God. David wrote — If I had spoken out like that, I would have betrayed your children. When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood (Psalms 73:15-17).

We read in Proverbs – Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way (Proverbs 19:2). We should render our approach to the one true living God with a quiet pause, take time to compose our heart, avoiding carelessness and haste with our feet. During worship preparation we should harness our thoughts from roving and wandering from the task; for when we worship the one true living God – our sacrifice should be an all-encompassing effort. Some think this level of worship embodies the request from God for Moses and Joshua to put off their shoes (Exodus 3:2-6, Joshua 5:13-15) as a sign of subjection and reverence. I suggest you keep your feet clean (Exodus 30:17-21).

The Deeper Truth is — our sacrifice should not be the sacrifice of fools, that we bring our passive attention, lame thoughts, and careless words (implied Proverbs 15:7-9). We should not bring second best to the table, we should not revel in the sign, ceremony, and performance, without embracing the sense and full meaning of it, for that would be the sacrifice of fools not the sacrifice of praise.

You all know I am a musician; I have spent considerable time on worship teams; I have struggled with this. But, in the end, God accepts our meager offerings. He knows we are broken people who bring a ‘less than perfect worship’ to his alter. If our heart is in the right place, God’s mercy washes over all our failure and brings the true worship to surface. We are blessed to have permission to enter into the temple. Embrace it. Humble yourself and worship the one true living God…

I choose Jesus.

The Hand Stretched out Before Me

Dan

It was my observation when pondering upon the commissioning of Ezekiel as prophet in Ezekiel 2:6-10, we find God advising him how to function in his role. He is told to be very bold. He must act with confidence.  His work will not be easy.  He must stand firm, and not be driven off of his tasks no matter how weird the task appears.  He must never lose sight of who he is working for.  God makes it clear to Ezekiel — They are a rebellious bunch of scorpions but they are my scorpions and I need to talk to them and get them back on track. 

Ezekiel 2:6-10 says — And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them, for they are a rebellious people. You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious people; open your mouth and eat what I give you. Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe. [NIV]

If you have been called to do things for God, then it is imperative that you are not afraid of mere men.  At the end of the day we work for God, we answer to him not the men that surround us.  The scorpions are constantly harassing God’s called, entangling them in their talk, looking for fault (see Matthew 22:15). We all know the bite of a scorpion is 1000 times harsher than a thorn-hedge (see Micah 7:4). 

These scorpions are also hurtful to the Israelis caught up in the rebellion but not sure what to do. To those who would listen to Ezekiel, the scorpions choke out the message and belittle the messenger. God will not fail to reward the scorpions for their evil if they do not repent. Therefore, even in their disbelief, God makes use of the scorpions for correction and instruction in much the same way that Gideon taught the men of Succoth with thorns and briers (see Judges 8:16).

Clearly these people have earned the wrath of God, yet he tries again and again to bring them back to their senses. However, while the bad stuff continues, Ezekiel knows he lives amongst them. He will not be safe in the quiet of his own home, these are his neighbors and they are not nice people. Given the opportunity, they will make his life extremely difficult. We are reminded of the things that Jesus said to one of the churches in the book of Revelation – I know where you live, the same place where Lucifer’s seat resides (see Revelation 2:13). This is a strong statement and I suspect it applies to these scorpions.

Imagine the transition for Ezekiel, first he is hanging out in the middle of a vision, then he is talking with God about stuff.  But when he edges back to reality, he finds himself with a parcel of scorpions, people who are hecklers doing their utmost to drive him away. I think they knew their captivity was self-inflected, they were being controlled by Babylon, but they could bark out all manner of threats and noise to scare Ezekiel in the same way that people railed against Jeremiah (see Jeremiah 3:5).

In the midst of all this commotion, Ezekiel has learned to keep his eye on the endgame.  He knows that he must be faithful to his calling. The people who are harassing him need him and need the message.  He knows that God will eventually soften their hearts. He knows God will do the work if Ezekiel does his part and accurately reflects the message. The weight of this mantle is no small thing for him. It would be easier to blend in and avoid trouble. But God has placed a love for these scorpions in his heart and he is determined to stay faithful. Goodness, if only we had a heart similar to this, amen.  And, with the missive that comes from this final thought, I choose Jesus.

Do Not Be Hasty

Dan

It has been my observation while reading Solomon’s thoughtful epistle Ecclesiastes, he recommends we guard our steps when we enter the house of God to worship. Being near to each other in corporate worship helps us to draw from the common expression of adoration towards Elohim by the community of God. On Sunday morning we move about with quiet expectation, we allow the lion within us to sing, but also to listen, we avoid haste and lack of self-control in our heart, guarding and measuring our thoughts before we utter anything to God. Please understand, He is close, not because we are in the House of God, but because He is close 24/7. He hears our thoughts even before we think them, he surrounds us with his presence; Under his protection, we rest and lean into his shelter. We are wise to let him envelop our worship, and then, in that framework, offer up a respectful sacrifice of praise, embracing and expressing the fear of God (massive respect for the formidable nature of God) in our worship.

Solomon writes — Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few (Ecclesiastes 5:1-3).  

Solomon’s focus is to guide us away from the world, by showing us the vanity of human-ness, we find the path to God and to our calling, that we may not walk in the way of the world, but by God’s will, nor depend upon the wealth of the world, but focus on prayer, praise, worship and doing the will of God for others. This is why we linger with the community of God; this is why we listen more and talk less.

Consider the fact that Solomon is nudging us towards the House of God; our place of public worship, created by men and women – at God’s direction. Notice in Ecclesiastes that Solomon reflects with regret on much of his life activities (implied in Ecclesiastes 2:4) claiming they were meaningless. I do not recall Solomon regretting creating God’s House, rather he indirectly reflected on God’s House with pleasure, completing the task his father David had assigned years earlier. This observation is not openly discussed in Solomon’s epistle lest it appear to be a point of pride. I think he did find quiet pleasure in building this focal point for the community to gather and worship the one true living God. Some things do not need to be spoken about in detail to be clear.

When David was anxious or confused, he went into the sanctuary of God. David wrote — If I had spoken out like that, I would have betrayed your children. When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood (Psalms 73:15-17).

We read in Proverbs – Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way (Proverbs 19:2). We should render our approach to the one true living God with a quiet pause, take time to compose our heart, avoiding carelessness and haste with our feet. During worship preparation we should harness our thoughts from roving and wandering from the task; for when we worship the one true living God – our sacrifice should be an all-encompassing effort. Some think this level of worship embodies the request from God for Moses and Joshua to put off their shoes (Exodus 3:2-6, Joshua 5:13-15) as a sign of subjection and reverence. I suggest you keep your feet clean (Exodus 30:17-21).

The Deeper Truth is — our sacrifice should not be the sacrifice of fools, that we bring our passive attention, lame thoughts, and careless words (implied Proverbs 15:7-9). We should not bring second best to the table, we should not revel in the sign, ceremony, and performance, without embracing the sense and full meaning of it, for that would be the sacrifice of fools not the sacrifice of praise.

You all know I am a musician; I have spent considerable time on worship teams; I have struggled with this. But, in the end, God accepts our meager offerings. He knows we are broken people who bring a ‘less than perfect worship’ to his alter. If our heart is in the right place, God’s mercy washes over all our failure and brings the true worship to surface. We are blessed to have permission to enter into the temple. Embrace it. Humble yourself and worship the one true living God…

I choose Jesus.

Responding To Friction

Dan

To my young friend Albert, here are my thoughts on friction (verbal jousting) when talking about the things of God between friends. It has been my observation – when someone challenges how we use our belief system to make decisions, the verbal aggression and volume of our response is inversely proportional to our: (1) Assurance what we believe is unconditionally true; (2) Knowledge of the true nature of grace and the all-powerful living God; (3) Ability to suppress our fight or flight response; and (4) Assurance we are doing the right thing for the right reasons.

Observing how Jesus operates in Luke (His repetitive encounters and struggles with local leaders), Jesus rarely uses verbal aggression and volume to make a point. Rather, He tends to embrace logic (premise, supporting evidence, conclusion), presented in a calm voice, bathed in love for the listeners, and enveloped with the shekinah glory of God. Jesus exudes assurance, his actions reflect unconditional truth. Given the example of Jesus in Luke, we should take note of his approach. We gain knowledge of grace and God’s power by seeing how people make decisions when confronted by the truth. I think every time a person decides an issue, two things happen.

First, we make a choice (the right thing versus the wrong thing). The decision often includes consequences. Before we choose the path, we consider the available guidance from Scripture, listen to the nuances from the Holy Spirit, foster a willingness to abide within the wisdom and counsel of God; then implement the decision.

Second, we build character. Each time we decide to act on an issue, we draw from all we know (including our character) to continue. The outcome of our actions reflects our gradually morphing world view. We are learning how to manage our fight or flight response. The direction we take reflects our character. Our character is constantly aligning with our current decisions. Decisions that are based on a stable set of principles strengthen the resolve of our character. The aftermath of each decision gradually builds or diminishes our walk with God and our character (implied in Luke 6:45). “As a man thinketh; a man is” (Proverbs 23:7). As we grow, we gain assurance how to differentiate between right and wrong. And, at the same time we learn how to love the unlovely.

JI Packer said – “To love God and our neighbor requires us to behave like a referee. Our purpose is to live in a manner that is as pleasing to God and beneficial to our neighbor, within the limits that God has set.”

To this end, love prompts three ideas. First, love directs us to gain thorough knowledge of the full range of scriptural guidance. Without this basic knowledge, good decisions will be impossible. Second, love directs us, in each situation, to secure as much relevant information about actual causes and consequences as we can. The more information we have the better the decision. Third, love directs us, when we struggle with lack of knowledge or experience, to seek counsel from others who are better qualified to suggest what should be done, while at the same time declining to be swayed by loud noises and friction from people who are enthusiastic but not well informed.

Our life should be less about our self and more about Jesus (implied in Galatians 2:20). Paul tells us several times – I know what the right thing to do is, but I rarely get there all the time. Yet Paul claims victory because of the grace of God offered to him, renewed every morning, presented to Paul as a tool of restoral. Embracing grace, Paul can see a path forward. How then, do we move forward? Do we walk backwards in a circle, in a dark room, thinking about our past mistakes? Humm. We should walk forward, in a straight line, guided by light, embracing grace, looking to Jesus for help to do what needs to be done.

I choose Jesus.