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Emails to God – Accepting and Rejecting Prophets (Matthew 10:40-42)

12 Jan

40 “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 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.”

Dear God, I have both accepted and rejected your “prophets” over the years. The trick is trying to discern whether or not they are from you. For example, there is a popular television preacher out there that I have rejected as your prophet. That’s not to say that I would treat him badly if I saw him, or that I wouldn’t give him a drink of water if he needed it, but I absolutely reject his teaching. If I am wrong on him then I have, indeed, rejected anything you might try to say to me through him.

I am also in a situation where I am in a class right now to possibly join a new denomination, and I am trying to reconcile the things that I agree with and the things I don’t agree with. What is important and what isn’t? Where should I draw the line and say, “That is too far,” where should I say, “I disagree, but it isn’t important,” and where should I say, “Hmm, perhaps I should consider rethinking my position”? It can be hard to parse through the different items that make up our theology and figure out where we can come into the truth you want us to know and also come into community with each other, even though we each might understand truth a little differently.

Father, help me to find truth through this process. Help me to discern what you would have me to believe, what you would have to be just accept in an “agree to disagree” kind of way, and what you would have me to reject. If I reject something, help me to do it in love. Even this one preacher that I reject, help me to love him—especially if you consider him to be your prophet and disciple. Speak truth to him. Speak truth to me. Help me to know you more and more.

 
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Posted by on January 12, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Loving God More than All Others (Matthew 10:37-39)

11 Jan

37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

Dear God, Jesus is really on a roll here. This whole chapter seems to be a little out of character for him, but I don’t suppose it really is. In this case, he is simply saying, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart…” He is saying that your devotion has to be to your God first because if you love your children more than me then you will fail your children. If you love your parents more than me, you will fail your parents as well as me and everything else. Whenever you figure you that you have to lose your life, dreams, goals, ambitions, priorities, etc. in order to live a life that is fulfilled and at peace then you will have to love me more than anything else.

One of the things that is hard for me to do is to remember to call you in when I am in crisis. Sure, I might throw up an occasional prayer, but do I really seek your provision and comfort? Two days ago I was very stressed. A family member was discovered to be sick. I had some overwhelming circumstances come up at work. I was pretty down. So I decided to do something I hadn’t done in a while. I fasted and prayed. I don’t remember the last time I took a day to fast, but it has been a while. Well, it was really good and purifying. Every time I felt hungry I thought of the relative I love and the problem at work and I simply turned it over to you. I didn’t really beseech you for anything as much as I surrendered to you. The hunger pains were a reminder that I needed to let go and rest in you.

Father, help me to carry that lesson into today. Help me to continue to rest in you. Thank you for the people you sent to me yesterday who encouraged and blessed me. Thank you for hearing my prayers. Thank you for caring about my prayers. I am doing my best to love you more than anything else, although I often fail, and I want to be continually be in your peace. So I give myself over to you in this moment and ask that you carry it all through the day.

 
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Posted by on January 11, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Turning fathers against sons (Matthew 10:32-36)

10 Jan

32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn

“‘a man against his father,

a daughter against her mother,

a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—

36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’

Dear God, it is interesting that at some point they will be looking for the one who is going to bring a sword, but he will be saying that he is bringing peace. Matthew knows this when he is writing this in retrospect, so why is he focusing on this now? What is Matthew’s message to me?

I think that Matthew realized, looking back, that Jesus’ message and being his disciple would “turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, etc.” While Jesus preached a message of hope and reconciliation, he knew that there would be conflict about this. He knew that his message would offend some. It is pretty amazing how fortunate I am to not have these kinds of conflicts with my family over faith. I wonder, however, what kinds of conflicts I might have with my children over the years with faith. How will what they see in me influence their relationship with you? Will it push them away from you because it appears unappealing to them or will it draw them closer to you because they find it is something that they want? What will happen with my relationship with them over the years? As I said a few days ago, my greatest fear is that I am failing them spiritually.

Father, my heart is heavy today and distracted. You know what is going on in the different areas of my life. I have decided to make this day about sacrifice to you. Some can only come out through prayer and fasting. Well, if that is what it takes then that is what I will do. I will fast and pray about some of the issues I am facing and ask that you hear my prayers. Whether they be for family members or for work issues, I beseech you to hear me. If you are willing, hear my prayers.

 
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Posted by on January 10, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – “So do not be afraid…” (Matthew 10:24-31)

09 Jan

24 “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!

26 “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Dear God, it is interesting that verse 26 starts out, “So do not be afraid of them…” How are they not supposed to be afraid of them? You just finished telling them that they will be arrested, flogged, put before governors and kings, etc. Now, you say, “…do not be afraid of them…” So what emotion are they supposed to feel when they are in these situations?

Am I ever supposed to feel fear? Is there ever a time when you think it is reasonable for me to be afraid? My first instinct is to say, “Sure. There are lots of times when I should be afraid.” But then I start to think about the various things that would normally bring me fear and I think that, in each of them, right down to losing my own life or the lives of my family members, you are not calling me towards fear, but faith that it will all be okay in the end. Sure, it’s okay to grieve. Sorrow was part of your life. And I think that Jesus battled fear in the garden the night he was betrayed. But in the end he didn’t leave that garden with fear. He slayed it and said, “Not my will, but Your will be done.”

Father, THAT is the prayer you call me to: “Not my will, but Your will be done.” It kind of goes along with the man earlier asking for healing who told Jesus, “If you are willing…” Those are my prayers, in combination: “Father, if you are willing…Not my will, but Your will be done.” Help me to live these prayers and to be at peace in the midst of any storm that brews around me and heads my way.

 
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Posted by on January 9, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Fathers and Children (Matthew 10:21-23)

07 Jan

21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

Dear God, I’m sorry, but I’m not sure I’m willing to pay this price. I don’t want my brother, father, or children to betray me. I don’t want to have to feel persecution in one place. I know this was said to the disciples, but I think, at least at some level, this is meant for me too.

I’m at a men’s retreat right now, and men’s retreats inevitably end up centering around the idea of fathers and children. I was in a small group yesterday where we were each to tell a story about our father. Some were great: “I grew up in the Cleaver home.” And some where awful: “I always hated guys like you because of your fathers.” At one point in the day, we were also asked what our greatest sorrow is and also our greatest fear. My greatest sorrow was hard. I have had sorrows in my life, but, thankfully, nothing too debilitating. But my greatest fear was easy: Am I failing my children spiritually? In essence, am I failing you and them as their father?

I always start my last paragraph of every one of these emails by addressing you as “Father.” Well, Father, I don’t know what my future holds in terms of my relationships with my children, but let me say this: I offer my relationships with my children to you. Do with it what you will. I adore both of them and I commit to you that I am willing to pay whatever price it takes, personally, in order for them to lead lives that are joyful and peaceful through submission to you. I don’t know what price you will ask of me, but I tell you now that I will pay it. You have put me on this earth, first and foremost, to be my wife’s husband, and then to be their father. Help me to be the best one that I can be for their sakes and your glory’s sake.

 
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Posted by on January 7, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – “What Wondrous Love is This”

06 Jan

What wondrous love is this,

O my soul, O my soul!

What wondrous love is this,

O my soul!

What wondrous love is this

That caused the Lord of bliss

To bear the dreadful curse

For my soul, for my soul,

To bear the dreadful curse

For my soul.

When I was sinking down,

Sinking down, sinking down,

When I was sinking down,

Sinking down,

When I was sinking down

Beneath God’s righteous frown,

Christ laid aside His crown

For my soul, for my soul

Christ laid aside His crown

For my soul.

To God and to the Lamb

I will sing, I will sing,

To God and to the Lamb

I will sing,

To God and to the Lamb

Who is the great “I Am,”

While millions join the theme,

I will sing, I will sing,

While millions join the theme,

I will sing

And when from death I’m free,

I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,

And when from death I’m free,

I’ll sing on,

And when from death I’m free,

I’ll sing and joyful be,

And thro’ eternity

I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on

And thro’ eternity

I’ll sing on.

I thought I would pick another hymn to get into tonight. I rolled through about 170 of them in the hymnal and landed on this one. I’ve always liked the somber tone of the tune. The music really makes this song work.

It’s almost as if the writer (hymnal doesn’t list a writer, but just says, “American Folk Hymn”) is getting a revelation of what their sin cost Jesus and God, but the first question focuses on Jesus and not the write: “What wondrous love is this…?” The writer apparently already realizes the depths of their sin before the song is written and starts the song with the marveling at Jesus’ love.

The second verse then goes back and picks up the writer’s knowledge of their own sin: “While I was sinking down beneath God’s righteous frown…” and then picks up Jesus’ sacrifice again: “…Christ laid aside his crown for my soul.”

Now, the third verse shows us that the write knows it’s time to worship while they are still living: “To God and to the Lamb, I will sing…While millions join the theme, I will sing.”

And the fourth verse takes us to heaven. Jesus’ sacrifice from the first verse saved us from God’s righteous frown, and now we will sing for eternity. I used to get a little freaked out about the idea of heaven and being joyful forever. My imperfect human heart doesn’t quite grasp that concept and it scares me, but I take comfort from those who have seen heaven in near-death experiences and talk about the pure joy they felt while they were there.

Let me know if you see anything in this song that you think I missed.

 
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Posted by on January 6, 2012 in Hymns and Songs

 

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Emails to God – Shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16-20)

06 Jan

16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Dear God, okay, these folks must have been absolutely Spirit-filled at the time if they followed through with this. Otherwise, how could anyone be excited to go out and get ready to be arrested, flogged in the synagogues (church of all places, meaning their message will be considered heresy to most—especially the Jews, the people Jesus is specifically sending them to), brought before governors and kings (how often does it work out well for the common person to be brought before a governor or king?), etc.

But verse 19 says that they shouldn’t worry because they will be given what to say. I think that is the part of this I want to grab onto today. I want to have the peace to know that, when I face trials of different sorts that I shouldn’t worry because you will provide for me in those situations. I am thinking of our building situation right now. We had more developments this week that made me start to feel overwhelmed again. This mountain seems so big to me. What are we to do next?

Father, give me the words to say and the actions to take. Let it be you and the Holy Spirit that speak and move through me, and not me. Let this process ultimately be a blessing to everyone involved. Draw each person closer to yourself and give them your peace and presence. From our board, to our staff, to our patients, to our volunteers, to our contractors, to the people who originally built the building, be glorified in each life and make this process a peaceful as possible.

 
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Posted by on January 6, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Empowered by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 10:9-15)

05 Jan

9 “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— 10 no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. 11 Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

Dear God, I don’t think I would have liked this assignment. In fact, I would really have had to have been filled with the Holy Spirit to do it. I don’t like the idea of going out with no money, extra clothes, etc. Heck, I am leaving for a retreat today at a nice place, and I am still going to pack a fair amount of clothes to take with me. Then I would have to find someone to put me up. Yeah. Good luck with that.

I think there are times when you call us to do extraordinary things like this, but I also think that the Holy Spirit empowers us when those times come. I can think of brave things I have done in the past, and I can tell you that each time I found that I had the peace of the Holy Spirit and the power of the Holy Spirit with me. I am thinking of the time my wife and I helped a homeless woman and her daughter in an extraordinary way. Or when I left a secure job to embark on the unknown. Or when I took a job that I wasn’t sure could support us. You prepared me for each of these little assignments, and, while they were difficult, I found them to be doable.

Then there are the times my fear and/or apathy left me sitting inactive instead of following your call. These examples are too numerous to count.

Father, I pray that you will prepare my heart, mind, soul, and body for whatever call you have for me. I pray that same thing for my children and my wife. Help us to all represent you well and to give you the glory for the things you are doing in our lives. Love others richly through us and be glorified in everything that we do.

 
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Posted by on January 5, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Sending the Disciples to Harvest (Matthew 10:1-8)

04 Jan

1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

Dear God, it is interesting that Jesus specifically sent them to the what was probably the tougher audience—the churched. He had worked so hard to keep his power a secret, but now he had empowered his disciples and told them to go to the people who were more likely to reject them. He told them to do it freely so that a lot of people would see your power. Was he hoping that the Jews would one day become missionaries to the Gentiles and Samaritans? Was he trying to build a base from which he could launch faith?

So who am I? I suppose that I am part of the base that now is supposed to go out and share you with others. Although I am a Gentile, after two millennia of the Christian faith, I would say that the term Gentile no longer applies to me. I was raised to believe in you from birth, so I have different responsibilities than someone who doesn’t know you or comes to faith in you later in life.

Father, much like my question yesterday about what kind of harvester should I be, today’s question is, What are my responsibilities since you have given me so much? Back then you saw the needs of the people and that you needed harvesters so you empowered your disciples and told them to go out and harvest. I think you are calling us to harvest too. So teach me to harvest. Teach me to love others. Teach me to be the servant you need me to be.

 
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Posted by on January 4, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – What does a harvester look like? (Matthew 9:35-38)

03 Jan

35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Dear God, this description paints an interesting picture. Jesus, openly performing miracles from town to town is starting to attract a lot of desperate people. I would imagine that people in one town would find him and then follow him to the next so that the crowd became quite large. Such a crowd would require some logistical support. They would need food, places to sleep and bathe, etc. I wonder if city officials would get wary when they heard that Jesus was coming to their town.

I would also imagine that the people Jesus saw in the crowd were not the wealthy or even middle class (if such a thing existed in that area at that time). They would have been the “harassed and helpless”. They would have been the desperate and disenfranchised. They would have been the sick and hurting. They would have been those who were broken and ready to stop. I wonder what kind of harvest Jesus envisioned for them. If there were plenty of “workers” to work the harvest, how would things have been different? Would fewer people have been following Jesus because fewer people would have been desperate?

I guess the question I ask myself is, What kind of worker are you looking for and how can I help? If the harvest is all around me, then how would you have me work it? Is there something I should be doing that I am not? Is there a need I am missing? Should I be more evangelical, generous, service-oriented? What does your harvest need? Those are the questions that roll around in my head.

Father, teach me to be a harvester. I need to understand what that looks like and, if I am not doing it, learn to do it in a way that will enable you to work your will through me. Be glorified in my life, and help me to see your vision for how I should live my life.

 
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Posted by on January 3, 2012 in Matthew

 

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