"Son, Crack the Whip!" (Surprisingly, God's HESED)

Review: I'm currently in a study of the "inexpressible love of God."

A love that is beyond words.

The Hebrew language gives it one word: HESED

No other language can do that! So, for the rest of us, we have to attach other words to the word "love" in order to define it.

Words like mercy, kindness, steadfastness, faithfulness, strength, goodness, grace (the list goes on and on).

The last couple of weeks, we added a grouping of three words: slow-to-anger.

The first week I found it easy and, actually, fun to write about the "slow-to-anger-ness" of God.

The second week, not so much.

For while, it is true our God is, indeed (!!!!!), slow-to-anger (over and over and over again)...He will not turn a blind eye. 

After hundreds of years of seeing His people break His priority commandment...

...the Lord responded in the Old Testament, and, to be honest, it wasn't pretty.

My God still loves deeply and unconditionally, but in His righteous jealousy, He attempted to get the attention of His kids.

Idolatry disgusts Him...because idolatry does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for us....EVER!

In fact, the idols we craft for ourselves will simply steal from us - our joy, our hope, our peace...

Idolatry will take you further than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.

That's the nature of idols.

...and, because the Lord loves us (HESED), He will do ANYTHING that might remind us how incredible it is to walk this life's journey with Him by our side. 

His HEART of HESED desires ABUNDANT LIFE for each of us!  

This I know: HESED LOVE ALWAYS GIVES! AlWAYS FILLS US TO THE FULL - completely satisfied. 

But, last week was Old Testament.

What about in the New? 

Surely, Jesus, our loving Savior, would not act in anger, right?

Well, wrong.

There came a moment during Jesus' final week, right before the crucifixion, where He picked up some cords and used them as a whip in the temple to drive out the money changers. 

His righteous anger in that minute matched the Father's righteous jealousy.

Did you catch that? He picked up cords and used them as a whip! 

I fervently believe God the Father nodded His approval.

In fact, I'm not sure, that when Jesus entered the temple courts, His Father didn't whisper in Jesus' ear: 

"Son, go ahead, make a whip!"

I can hear the question... 

How is this HESED?

Because God wants so! much!  more! for us, His followers. 

His LOVE longs to drive out the stuff that steals, kills, and destroys us.

Such as?

Would you stop for a minute and read John 2:14-16 (linked for you - this scene is also found in Matthew 21:12-13, Mark 11:27-33, Luke 19:45-46).

In this moment, what brought the "slow-to-anger-ness" of the Lord to halt?

It's right there in the passage:

• God's temple was being turned into a theater of "show," and worship was anything but...
• His home was being turned into a home for idols (the god of mammon).
• His place of prayer was a market-place.
• His sanctuary set apart for sin-sacrifice had become a den for robbers and self-serving-religion.

This past Monday, as Bay and I drove home from a speaking engagement in Northern Arizona, I tuned into a YouTube channel that hosts old, 1980's Christian music (some of which I cut my teeth on as a new-er believer). 

I began listening to Michael Card's album, Scandalon, and stopped at a little song titled, The Lamb is a Lion (linked).

Take a listen; here are the words:

Weak from the journey / The long traveling days / Hungry to worship / to join in the praise... Shock met with anger / that burned on His face / as He entered the wasteland of that barren place

And the Lamb is a Lion who's roaring with rage / At the empty religion that's filling their days / They'll flee from the harm of the Carpenter's strong arm / And come to know the scourging anger of the Lord!

The priests and the merchants demanded some proof / but their hearts were hardened, and blind to the Truth / Satan's own law is to sell and to buy / But God's only way is to give and to die...

And the Lamb is a Lion who's roaring with rage / At the empty religion that's filling their days / They'll flee from the harm of the Carpenter's strong arm / And come to know the scourging anger of the Lord!

The noise and confusion gave way to His word / At last sacred silence, so God could be heard...

And the Lamb is a Lion who's roaring with rage...

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There it is...two things that we can say for certain cease the slowness of God's anger:

1) Idolatry

2) Empty Religion

That sets me up for even more heart reflection as I continue to journey toward the cross this Lent.

Perhaps, you, as well?

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But, PS....

There is one thing for sure that maintains God's patience:  He desires that all should come to repentance and turn to Him...

#thepurposeofthecross

God's Love: SLOW TO ANGER? Really?

A few weeks ago I traveled to Bali to speak at a retreat for women serving globally. 

One of the things that struck me around the island were the numerous idols; but more even, the endless offerings and sacrifices that were left for these gods.

I never saw the gods receive the sacrifices, but the rodents certainly enjoyed them.

At night, the remnants would be picked up; then in the morning, new offerings were left. 

It must be a hopeless feeling, to offer sacrifices to the gods who demanded them, but to never see them accepted and/or appreciated.

As I attempt to look a little more at my God's amazing love, His HESED, for His children exhibited in His character quality of being SLOW TO ANGER, we also need to look at this one thing that we may often forget about when we question whether this is quite true.

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I closed last week's blog, by mentioning a haunting conversation with a young gal from a couple weeks ago, who declared to me, "I don't much like the God of the Old Testament, but I like Jesus. So, I will put all my emphasis on Him, and simply read the gospels." 

She's not alone in her viewpoint, but, repeating what I see as a growing pattern of thought. 

These folk struggle with labeling a mental file "SLOW-TO-ANGER" and filling it with some of the violence that God commands His people to commit. To these same folks, it comes in conflict with God's HESED - His lovingkindness/steadfast love.

Truth be told, I don't want to wrestle with hard-teachings; in fact, I wanted to handle this issue with a statement I read years ago from AW Tozer (Book: The Pursuit of God), and, have tucked into my front pocket:

"God will not hold us responsible to understand His mysteries of election, predestination, and His divine sovereignty. The best and safest way to deal with these truths is to raise our eyes to God and in deepest reverence say, 'O Lord, thou knowest.'"

This topic of whether our God really is slow-to-anger is one of those mysteries of divine sovereignty we will never fully understand...

...so, I'd prefer to throw up my hands - but...

Growth, including knowledge and wisdom, is always uncomfortable. 

That puts me here, trying with best efforts, not to defend God's HESED that is longsuffering, but to understand it. Perhaps, even, to see it sorta-kinda from His perspective. 

This is what I've been reminded of this week (in fact, the pastor include this in his message last Sunday)...

God is relational, and as you read Scripture, you can't help but see this fact throughout its entirety. 

From the very beginning, He created a people, in His image, for fellowship; and, He's a jealous God (jealous in a good-way, not a sin-way) - jealous FOR His people. 

But, from the earliest days of Adam and Eve onward, His people kept getting distracted and turning away from Him.

Maybe that's why one of His first commandments spoke to this problem (well, I know its why, because two verses later He introduces His jealousy): 

You shall have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:3).

Yet, we see a cycle among the Israelites: they turn to God, declaring they will follow Him alone with all their hearts -------> God blesses them -------> They get comfortable, look around, get distracted by the other folks living around them, see their gods, start worshipping those gods -------> and, life starts crumbling around them -------> so, they cry, "HELP!" and, they return to God again...

This cycle continues over and over, and this is the common theme we read when God's folks got comfortable in His blessings, "The people did what was right in their own eyes (Judges 17:6, 21:25)." 

Read those words again, "over and over, again and again, more (!) times (!) than (!) you (!) can (!) imagine (!)."

What if YOU were God?

I'm glad you aren't.

Just as you should be very glad I am not!

I know my patience with people is on a very short leash. 

I know my heart.

What's in my heart comes out in the words I say.

What I would have said is, "Smite them all! Start over again!"

Oh, wait!

God did say that - - - - to Moses (read Numbers 14)! 

Face-to-face (heart-to-heart, indicating deep intimacy in friendship) in the tabernacle, God said to Moses, "I'll just wipe these dull-minded people off the planet, and begin again with you." 

And, while Moses is equally unhappy with these obstinate people he's been tasked to lead, Moses pleads with the Lord on their behalf. 

He begs the Lord, according to His divine HESED. 

After all, what will the people around us say about You, Lord, if you eliminate the very people you've set apart unto Yourself? 

So, the Lord listens to Moses; or, was He testing Moses? I'm not sure which; either way, the Lord doesn't kill them all and begin again, even though...once again, this cycle continues among the children of Israel....and, the Lord continues to show His lovingkindness to them (His slow-to-anger-ness). 

But, the biggest problem among His kids is that they keep on breaking that first commandment: they turn their back on THE LIVING GOD and turn to gods/idols made by the hands of man. God's that can't speak, can't hear, can't move, can't touch...CAN'T LOVE! 

So, what's the answer? 

As God in heaven watched from His Heavenly throne, this is what He saw:

He saw His children start walking in unbelief and turn toward the pagan gods. 

Are you familiar with them? The gods?

They were endless in number.

Let's just take a look at one: Molech.

Molech demanded, as did all the other gods, sacrifices - some were food offerings; some were financial offerings; then there were sexual practices required; but, the BIG DEMAND, the BIG ASK from Molech was for the children.

Molech was a gruesome, demonic looking idol, a bronze furnace with a ramp running down his mouth into the flames; and, children of all ages were required to "pass through the fire" in order to appease Molech.

In the research I read, even newborn infants were wrapped and rolled into the mouth of the fire (unbelievably, Solomon built an altar to Molech near Jerusalem). 

It is said that near the Hinnom Valley outside the city walls, a continuous beat of drums pounded in an attempt to drown out the infant screams.

As I read up on some of the idol worship, and the sacrifices demanded, I thought it no wonder, the Lord's patience began to run dry with his children, as the influence of the neighboring villagers and their gods turned their trust to unbelief. 

So, as I researched these things and the endless list of idols who gave the One True God competition, then read of the wars, and the demands of God to wipe out the enemy living among them, I can begin to understand a little better why.

If His children wouldn't stop running to the idols about them, God would attempt to remove the idols and the idol worshippers distracting them, to remind them of one HUMONGOUS truth: 

There is ONLY ONE GOD.

These words of Solomon, before his downfall, rang true then and ring true still today:

Lord God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven or on earth, who keeps His covenant and HESED, with Your servants who walk before You with all their heart (2 Chronicles 6:14).

Above all, this must be remembered when we start critiquing whether God is truly slow to anger, or not. 

There is but one God and He wants our whole heart.

He refuses to share it with another...

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Oh, and by the way, Molech is still alive and well today. 

Ponder this as we move forward in Lent.

Why God's Love Is SO Scandalous!

This is one of those mornings, the blinking cursor on my screen, flashes in accusation, attempting to say, "You've got nothing..." (I think I hear no small amount of mocking, as well...)

The problem, however, isn't "nothing," but too much on my mind, as I try to process the teachings on which I've been reflecting over the past week.

So, I'll begin at the beginning (a very good place to start)...

I took my own advice from last week's blog-post, and spent some time standing in the shadow of the cross of Jesus, sincerely exploring the secret recesses of my soul. 

What I see there is not pretty - a messy variety & measures of: pride, a critical spirit, a perverted love (not the HESED variety), self-centeredness, impatience, bitterness, and unbelief, all top my list (this is an uncomfortable, but healthy exercise, by the way).

As I reflected, it didn't escape me that the cross truly is (past, present and future) my salvation, along with one more very significant truth:

Oh, how patient is the love of my Lord towards His children!

Not surprisingly, as I started to dig into the next set of Scriptures on my to-study-list, I began to recognize the same over-arching theme. 

The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands... Exodus 34:6-7

The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forging iniquity and transgression... Numbers 14:18

But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness... Psalm 86:15

The Lord is slow to anger, great in power... Nahum 1:3

Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love... Joel 2:13

Sprinkled throughout the Old and New Testaments are verses like these above...as I said, an "overarching theme."

My God's ABUNDANT (RICH) HESED/LOVE is acted out as being, 1) merciful, 2) gracious, 3) faithful, and 4) slow to anger!

SLOW! to! ANGER!  

(Long-suffering. Patient. Forbearing.) 

Those three little words (slow to anger) took my breath away this past week; certainly, He is all that and more towards me. 

I'm reminded of these words in Laura Story's song: Grace 

I ask you how many times will you pick me up / when I keep on letting you down? / And each time I fall short of your glory / how long will forgiveness abound? / And you answer, "My child, I love you / And as long as your seeking my face / you'll walk in the power of my daily sufficient grace!"

Who am I that I should escape the wrath of God for my perpetually sinful heart?

I am nothing! No-one!

In me there is no good, except...

I can point to Jesus - It's His precious blood that covers me; and, I am filled with gratitude beyond measure that GOD, the HOLY OF HOLIES,  has not judged me unworthy and consumed me with fire. 

BUT for JESUS...

BUT for the CROSS!

BUT for the SALVATION I FOUND IN HIM, when I completely handed Him my whole life!

This truth - This reality of the evangelical faith:

GOD'S HESED IS SCANDALOUS!

Why? 

He is slow to anger/patient, not wishing that any should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance!

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I have to stop here. 

This is enough to reflect on this week as we tie together Lent and the Love of God.

But! This whole concept of God's slow-to-anger-ness raises some BIG QUESTIONS for many:

How can a God who is 1) merciful, 2) gracious, 3) faithful, and 4) slow to anger, turn around and do some of the unfathomably hard stuff we read about, particularly in the Old Testament?

I chatted with one gal recently, who told me, I no longer believe in the God of the Old Testament, because of all the violent acts He performed; but, I do like Jesus. So, I will put my emphasis on Him, and simply read the gospels. 

Let's not shy away from these hard conversations. 

So, next week, we'll take another look at this aspect of 

HESED: SLOW TO ANGER or SOMETHING ELSE?

The Awkard and Uncomfortable Love of God

It's true. 

The evangelical church seldom celebrates the seasons of Advent and Lent. 

Yet, I find their purpose to be exceedingly helpful in my own spiritual advancement.

Hence, the reason I wrote my little Advent devotional book, "Don't Drop Jesus," and, may contemplate a Lenten devotional book down the road. 

Do you know why we celebrate Lent?

I love this quote I found several years ago, and never did find the author of it:

I've also borrowed this quote off of Facebook:

Regarding Lent, Jonathan Gibson says: “To be clear, the season is not about what we can do for Christ by our work or prayers or fasting; rather, it is about what He has done for us in His work and prayers and fasting—a work that began in His life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and the outpouring of His Holy Spirit, and which will conclude in His return to glory.”

I would, also, add that Lent is an incredible period of time to look deeply into our hearts and examine our own sinful nature.

After all, Lent really is a journey that first takes us to the cross of Christ, where we experience the beauty of having our sins completely covered at the expense of SOMEONE ELSE...SOMEONE COMPLETELY (!) PURE (!) and INNOCENT (!)...

Praise the Lord, the Lenten season doesn't just drop us off at the cross, but leads us on, into the garden of His burial, and, there, explodes with the astonishment that our Jesus didn't stay dead.

The cross was not the end-all.

We are also given Resurrection Power. 

BUT, we CAN NOT flippantly just pass the cross on the way to the empty tomb.

We simply must NOT ignore the price that was paid for us.

I think I know why we do...

To stand there in the shadow of the cross, blood dripping onto us, unable to recognize that Jesus is even a man (Isaiah 52:14) is uncomfortable, and awkward, beyond measure. 

Love (HESED - see previous blogs) is gory.

Here's a little history to put an exclamation mark on "uncomfortable."

Did you know that early Christians found the crucifixion so shocking that they wouldn't even attempt to talk about, let alone make an image, of this most excruciating form of punishment (a punishment prepared by the Romans solely to shame, humiliate and cause the most pain possible to man) for more than 200 years? 

However, since then, what's been depicted through art, literature, and even movies, has changed countless times (from a serene, weak and scrawny Jesus ultimately to an ornate, but empty cross).

Church historian, Martyn Whittock, tells us that finally, in this most recent decade, modern artists have become more willing to explore the shocking reality of this violent torture endured upon a rough hewn cross. 

But, sit and stare at the horror of it? 

No! At least not for long...

Yet, we absolutely must do so for Easter to have our full appreciation.

So, this Lent, I'm sitting at the cross even though it makes me squirm and nauseates me.

I'm reminded, I put Jesus there. 

Me!

My sin!

The past of it, the present of it, and the future of it.

My heart hides its secrets in dark corners pretty effectively.

As I sit, I'm reminded that the cross was a product of  God-the-Father's love for me, and Jesus' joy to die there...

So, I recognize the need to reflect on those hidden secrets that my heart slowly gives up (the ones for which Jesus died to save me); and, I'm reminded there is a unfinished work the church (me!) needs to live out daily:

The unfinished work of spreading God's HESED for all mankind - even to the ends of the earth. 

This HESED-Love-of-GOD (true, steadfast, sacrificial, giving, good and faithful love) captured for us on the cross is exactly what this world needs - even if it is awkward and uncomfortable. 

Love & Lent

For those who take time over the 40 days of Lent to reflect on Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, yesterday marked the beginning of that journey. 

It didn't surprise me, then, that my thoughts turned, automatically to John 3:16.

Such a familiar passage.

Sometimes, so familiar we take it for granted, but nothing is more Lenten than reflecting on this incredible verse that is the gospel in twenty-four words (above). 

Because it's so familiar, here's a more modern paraphrase of the verse to ponder:

"Because God loved the world so deeply, He gave His one and only Son as a gift, so that anyone who believes in Him can have eternal life and not be lost (AI generated paraphrase)."

This version has thirty-two words; but no matter what version you read, there are two key words on which I want to focus.

The first, of course, is the word "love."

This is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word I've been studying, "HESED." 

In Greek it is "AGAPE," (unconditional, steadfast, expect-nothing-in-return, quick-to-forgive love). 

The second word is "gave."

MANY YEARS BACK, when I was serving as Dean of Women at Arizona Christian University, I remember sitting in my counseling office when a young husband asked for an appointment.

This was rare.

I almost never talked with the men, because as Dean of Women, I came alongside the gals to encourage, admonish, counsel, and, often, explain.

But this young man who hadn't been married long, found himself in a predicament.

He'd gotten himself caught (I don't even know if that's the right word, really) in an affair and his young wife was ready to walk away. 

I quickly caught on that he was hoping to justify the situation to me, to help me see everything from his perspective, then explain it all away to his wife. 

Instead, I kept asking clarifying questions, which he couldn't really answer in his own favor.

One of the last questions I asked was, "Do you love this girl (the one with whom he had an affair)?"

His response, "Well, she made me feel...." 

For this young fella, love looked like how he felt..

It looked like what someone else could do FOR him.

"I love because I felt: _________________(cared for, good, special, wanted, valued, accepted, agreed with - fill in the blank)."

In fact, in these days, for many -

Love = how I feel in your presence.

Love is me-centered.

Love is you loving me to the degree that I love myself.

But that's not what I read in John 3:16. 

I went on and asked him to fill in the blank of this very familiar verse I was about to quote:

"For God so loved the world, He __________________...."

Immediately, no need to think, he correctly responded, "gave."

In God's economy, in KINGDOM CULTURE, love looks like my willingness to SACRIFICE.

Love is measured in "giving away." 

Love is other's centered!

Life lesson on "hesed/agape" - "HESED" always gives. 

It is always sacrificial.

This is first and foremost before my needs, my wants.

God loves me in spite of what I do for Him, or how I please Him, or how I make Him feel.

In fact, in spite of me....God still loves me. 

God loves me so much He gave (Jesus), and continues to give, blessing after blessing no matter what I do in return.

Human love can't ever, really, match this kind of Christ-like-love. 

We can try.

We can come close (remember, there's no greater love than this: that a man lay's down his life for his friends - John 15:13)...

But God's HESED, gives and gives and gives and gives, again and again.

Endlessly.

Ponder that this Lenten Season.

It's partly why as a part of Lent, we "sacrifice" something in a fast (as an offering unto the Lord). Doing so helps us to remember this very aspect of God's love:

HESED: it's all about the sacrifice!

Steadfast Love and Forgiveness

As I post this, I am on my way home from Bali, where I spoke at a retreat for women who serve globally. 

Most of you are aware that these girls are near and dear to my heart, since I once lived, worked, and served overseas, as well. 

We have a LOT in common, even though my age puts me well above these young ‘uns at this stage of life. 😁

In recent months, I’ve observed how many of them have become snared by the enemy of their souls, allowing him a foothold into their lives, particularly from past sins.

He has convinced them that they are not worthy enough to be fully useful, wonder how the Lord can use them (!) because of their history, and as a result tend to hide in the shadows. 

With those old mind-videos cycling in their heads, and whatever words the enemy picked to label their hearts, then their lives start spinning in a merry-go-round-cycle-of-incredible-defeat. 

I’m certainly not pointing any fingers, for I’ve been them, just with a different face. 

We, Westerners, tend to forget just how real the unseen spiritual world is, and how hard-fought the battle can be.

Often, our tendency is to just give up and allow all of it (the insecurity we fight, the fatigue that comes from carrying all that junk, and the lies that swarm like bees to honey) to become our “normal.”

David (the Great King of Israel, the slayer of Goliath, the writer of Psalms) must have felt this way from time to time, as well. He’s the one who penned the words in the .jpeg at the beginning.

He begs God in Psalm 25 - “Forgive and forget my sins, God, my acts of rebellion. Don’t dwell on them, please.”

He earnestly prays this because he, too, wants to “forgive and forget.” 

He’s worn out from all the whirlwind that weighs heavy in his heart.

Often, I’ve wondered, does he confess these things and walk away in freedom, or does he keep coming back with the ask - over and over again?

However, I think David holds this incredible visual in his heart, too:

A new born lamb.

Completely unblemished.

Innocent.

Bleating as he is picked up and placed on the altar of sacrifice.

Throat slit, blood dripping as he bleeds out…

All to cover the darkened wild, rebellious heart of the King with forgiveness. 

As he wrote those words, did this picture come into his head? 

Does he remember there is no need to keep his mind stayed on his past junk?

Perhaps, so…because later he would write, 

“According to Your HESED; according to Your goodness, YOU REMEMBER ME…

In Psalm 103, more words: 

“God does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so GREAT is His HESED toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us (verses 10-12).”

Isaiah writes about it, as well: 

“I, I am He, who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins (43:25)…”

Then, Micah, the next to the last of the Old Testament prophets (I count John the Baptist as the final prophet) weighs in: 

“Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of His inheritance? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in HESED!”

Why does God do this for us? Forgive us? Not dwell on the sins we’ve confessed?

Simple - His HESED. His great love. His awe-mazing goodness. 

His HESED, steadfast love, sent Jesus to be the final sacrifice for ALL OUR SIN! 

Picture our Lord’s sacrifice.

Once and for all time, he died for our sins, that we might LIVE forgiven and free…

Don’t let the enemy have any victory - put your shame down, don’t dwell on the past…

Jesus took care of it all at the cross.

It is NO MORE!

Lent begins next week, March 4th.

What a great time to do as so many of my sweet gals did in Bali, this past week. 

They knelt before their Savior, and, with gratitude thanked Him for the price He paid; placed all the stuff they were holding onto before His feet, and walked away in complete VICTORY.

In FREEDOM. 

I KNOW they even slept better than they had in years, because they remembered that in Christ they have been set FREE from sin and death.

His HESED is THAT GREAT!