Lucky? Unlucky? Or?

Shortly after John the Baptist sent a couple of his disciples to Jesus to simply confirm Jesus' identity, John found his head on a  chopping block (literally) and delivered to Herod on a platter (the recipient of an angry woman's revenge). 

What a horrible, macabre end to a life lived wholeheartedly committed to the Lord. 

So, last week, in the middle of a conversation with a friend who'd been following the John-blogs, she commented, "What an unlucky end for John..."

I scrunched my forehead...something didn't sit right with that sentiment.

Then, Sunday morning as I listened to the teaching-pastor at our grandson's church, there in the midst of a biblically solid message, this comment flowed: "Lucky for me, at the time, I was sitting right over there in that spot, when..." 

Lucky for me...

Unlucky for John...

🤔

I frequently hear Jesus-followers use these words (or various synonyms of the same sort) in conversation and find my eyebrows lifting in question; and, admittedly, I've begun cringing (the kind of cringe that comes when you hear a fork scratch across someone's teeth). Oy!

Here's why it's become such a big deal for me.

First, words matter. We best know what they mean and how they fit into the plumb line of Scripture.

As a student, still learning what Scripture tells me, I am completely convinced regarding the Sovereignty of God. To me, it is is an indisputable fact. 

If this is so, then there is nothing that touches our lives that the Lord is not aware of...and allows. 

Everything from life to death and in between...that affects us...does not happen by chance. 

If I believe in chance, then I can not truly believe God has a perfect will for my life (Romans 12:2)...

"Luck and God's will?" - The two can not go hand-in-hand. 

I believe one or the other, I can't believe both (not luck, not chance, not fortune)...

And...

if I believe in chance/luck, then what happens to faith? 

There's no need for faith.

No need for trust...we just resign ourselves to how the dice will land when they are thrown.

What a terrible way to live!

Were I to believe in simple good-fortune, or bad-fortune (as the case may be), I'd wake up each day living out the course of the day in nothing but fear. 

I don't, though.

I live each day with the faith that God is still on His throne...still looking ahead...knowing assuredly His plan will never be thwarted (and it's a GOOD PLAN, which we may not always see or understand at any given moment). 

God's Sovereignty does one more thing for me.

Not only do I not live in fear, but knowing the kind of God who is in control of my life (His character, His grace, love and mercy), makes surrender to Him, and His plans for me, easier (note: easier, not necessarily easy). 

Because of God's Sovereignty, making friends with the hard-stuff finds a place in my world. 

So, should things go south, turn pear-shaped, not go according to my expectations - I can be at peace and settle into true rest within my soul. 

Were we to sit down and record a podcast with John the Baptist, I believe he would tell us the same thing ToDaY (!) about the end of his life: 

Yes, while horrible and macabre - it was not a matter of good luck or bad; but, it was all part of God's plan to 1) remind us Jesus truly was the Lamb of God; 2) there's always a purpose we can't see, even in the hard stuff; and, 3) even in death, God will use us as a witness to His Sovereignty. 

So, if I could wave a magic wand and eliminate one word from the vocabulary of a Jesus-follower, that would be the word (and anything similar to it): 

LUCK.

For me, there is No! SuCh! ThInG!

In the Middle Between Disappointment and Despair

 "Are you the One to come, or should we look for another?"

-John the Baptist-

(Luke 7:19)

There he sat.

Imprisoned in Herod's cruel confines, John waited with uncertainty. Who knew with Herod what John's upcoming fate might be? 

Twiddling his thumbs, he had nothing but time on his hands, as he looked back at this life God ordained for him, and wondered at what the future held.

This wasn't what he'd expected, nor how he'd imagined the end of it all.

So, as I looked deeply at this picture, the furrowed brow, the dark eyes squinting (as if trying to foresee the future), I find myself deeply comforted (of course, the cross made by the iron bars in each of the corners also helps). 

However, I imagine if we interviewed John right now, he'd assure us that he's glad to bring us a measure of comfort, hope, maybe even joy as his weakness is unveiled in Scripture.

It makes me think of the Apostle Paul and these words from him:

If you're like me, the last thing you want to brag about are your weaknesses...

Paul (and John the Baptist) disagree.

For it is in our greatest weakness that the power of our Savior is revealed to all mankind.

He shows Himself off best when we are not strong (so we CAN'T brag, in and of ourselves).

In the Luke 7 passage (in fact, go and read verses 18-35), John's wondering about his lot in life...and, his disappointment has led to doubt. 

Doubt lies half-way on a dangerous journey toward despair. 

Disappointment leads to discouragement.

Discouragement leads to doubt.

Doubt to distrust.

Distrust to depression.

Depression to despair.

Despair is the bottom of the barrel. 

It's where suicide generally finds us. 

We are all like John (after all, his human existence puts us in the same club, where it is easy for doubt to find us). This is what I find most comforting. Even the prophet Elijah, whom John often imitated, found himself on the journey toward despair (again, a comfort...we aren't alone!). 

It's not sin to doubt; the sin comes when we allow ourselves to wallow...

The goal, of course, is to deal with disappointment and discouragement before we ever get to doubt, but doubt is subtle and creeps up on us before we even know it.

So, even though John's disciples are reporting on the amazing ministry of Jesus (they'd just returned rejoicing in the healing of a soldier's son and a widow's son - the latter from death to life), his heart needed something more. He wanted confirmation from the One that he's declared to be "The Lamb of God," Himself.

Two of his disciples went to Jesus with John's question.

Jesus does just what we'd expect.

He rebukes John, scolds him for his unbelieving heart, and tells the disciples to go back to their rabbi and say, "Buck up, Buttercup! Remember how you leapt for joy at my arrival before you were even born? Of course I'm the ONE!"

Nope!

That's not what I read in the Scriptures.

Jesus responds with patience, kindness and a WORD OF TRUTH...

...That WORD came directly from Isaiah (chapter 35): 

That is all it took to turn John's journey back to one of hope and joy - one prophecy fulfilled, one good word spoken, one truth to remind him all was not in vain.

The comfort I receive abounds when I remember, 1) I am not unlike the one who Jesus declared to be the "greatest" of those born among women (Luke 7:28) - - - if we are human, we will doubt from time to time; and, 2) at any time on the spiral downward to despair, I can stop that Merry-go-round with a Word from the Lord found in His Holy Scriptures. 

Instead of wallowing in my own little pity-party, I can make a choice to start the climb out of the pit, one rung at a time, as I dwell on the TRUTH, and renew my mind. 

ANOTHER TRUTH IS: maybe somewhere in the middle, between someone else's disappointment and despair, we will be able to offer the same kind of comfort with which we have been comforted!

Thank you, John!

A Piece of the Puzzle

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through Him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

John 1:6-8 (underline emphasis mine)

In two verses, the same word is used to describe John the Baptist three times: 

witness

In each dictionary I checked, the word is, first, a noun...not a verb; so that tells me, "I am" before "I do;" John, then, followed up with living it out. 

Witness was John's identity before it was John's work.

Truthfully, we would be hard-pressed to separate the two, but the sequence is important: first, be; then, do.

God sent (indicating intentional purpose) John to become evidence that proved Jesus as Messiah, the Light of Men. 

And...John contented himself with being a piece of the puzzle that pointed the way to Jesus. 

Once he understood his call, John opened his mouth, became a voice, and brought forth a word of testimony. 

The witness became a witness. 

Living between two advents means I, too, am willing to be a simple piece of the puzzle that points to our soon-to-come-again-Savior, along with readying others for the Kingdom.

But, the word "witness" means far more than I once realized (as the Word-Nerd-in-me steps to the forefront, don't give up, just yet - this is pretty important).

The word, which we translate as witness, is transliterated from Greek as "martyria."

It's fairly obvious that this is where we get our word for martyr. 

In first century AD, to be a witness for Jesus, you recognized the fact you risked death. The two concepts were significantly inseparable. This new sect called "Christianity" came with HUGE political and religious tension.

With that said, it isn't at all surprising that John the Baptist became one of the first New Testament martyrs as he "made straight the way of the Lord Jesus." 

If I claim to be a Jesus-follower, I am also called to be a witness.

Jesus makes it clear:

"Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations...teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matthew 28:19-20)."

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8)."

Like John, there must be a resolve, a willingness, (and, yes) a contentedness that comes with our being "sent out." 

Like John, and, like Jesus, there's an attitude in us standing and declaring, "not my will, Father, but Yours be done," and with that resolution moving forward into the purposeful calling of God...even if it might mean death (a little more on this next week as we look at John the Baptist's moment of doubt).

XXXXX

Just before sitting to work on this morning's blog, I happened to be upstairs doing some clean-up after our Christmas-company. 

Dusting the shelves, my eyes rested on stacked blocks that have been there for years (you know how sometimes something sits for so long we forget it's there? Exactly!). Here's a picture.

I

DIE

DAILY

From God's sending of John to the day of his actual beheading, this truly was the man's theme.

It was the apostle Paul's, as well...

"For me to live is Christ, to die is gain (Philippians 1:21)."

You know, sometimes, I recognize that I just throw those words out there in the blogosphere, but what does it mean, really, to die to self?

Well, there's another sign on my wall, crafted and sand-blasted years ago by a dear friend:

Absolute surrender! That's what it means to die daily...

Dying-to-self is simply to surrender in obedience to the Lord: His will, His way, His when, His where...

I'll close with this little prayer that is hand-written and taped to the back of my phone today. It comes from the prayers of early Puritans in the little book, Valley of Vision:

All-good-God,

Help me to see how good Thy will is in all; 

and, even when it crosses mine, 

teach me to be pleased with it. 

Amen.

New Year's Goal

It's a New Year: fresh starts; new beginnings.

I like this CS Lewis quote as I sit on the fringe of 2025:

"The past is frozen and no longer flows, and the present is ALL LIT UP WITH ETERNAL RAYS (all these capital letters are my emphasis)."

Yep, we can't do anything about the past, but there is a great big PRESENT all ready for us to unwrap. 

I know many who are fearful of what's in that package, but Oswald Chambers addresses that, as well:

"Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the ONE who is leading."

That's why, as Jesus-followers we can live in the now, looking at the future without fear or dread. We know the one who KNOWS ALL THINGS, has been there before us, and is working all things for our good; because He IS GOOD!

Sigh.

Welcome 2025 and all you bring...

XXXXX

With Christmas over, and all the trimmings packed up and put away in tubs to wait for another year, you'd think my mind would stop dwelling on Advent.

Yet here we are in what is known as Christmastide (the season we call "The Twelve Days of Christmas"), beginning Christmas Eve.

So, it's only right to still be pondering how we live between two Advents, as we continue to study the first (and the people who lived it).

This morning, I was re-reading Luke 1, which heralds the Christmas story. 

I stopped again at the story of the birth of John the Baptist (Jesus' forerunner and cousin). 

There are a few interesting sentences starting where Zechariah writes the words, "His name is John (v. 63)"

The audience standing around this newly parented couple were curious, wondering, "what next..."

Then Luke records for us these words:

"All these things (regarding the birth of John) were talked about through all the hill country of Judea. All who heard them laid the stories up in their hearts, saying, "What will this child be?"

I think every parent looks at their newborn babe and wonders the same...echoing the same question throughout the early years with a great deal of hope.

"What will this child be?"

We even ask it of ourselves, "I wonder what I'll be when I grow up?" I'm still wondering...

John knew the answer to that question from an early age.

He'd figured it out, and it was all tied up in the life of his cousin, Jesus. 

Who he would be depended entirely on Jesus.

If I'm faithful in pondering my own identity, the same is true. 

Who I am depends entirely on Jesus...

Ah, then, how I live between two advents reflects this, as well.

XXXXX

In John 1, John the Baptist is asked this question by the priests and Levites: "Who are you?"

This is how John answers the question, first asked by his neighbors, then by the religious leaders:

"I am the voice (John 1:23)."

That's it.

Just a voice.

A voice crying out in the wilderness to make straight the way of the Lord.

That's all he was ever meant to be. 

That's all he wanted to be. 

I've not heard of any little ones, when asked what they want to be when they grow up, answer: "Oh, a voice."

For one thing, voices aren't seen, just heard....and most of us want to be seen, known, valued.

For another...depending on what the voice says, it raises a lot of opinions (some very under-appreciated). 

Yet, John the Baptist sets for us an example of who and what we are to be, first and foremost, as we live betwixt and between two Advents.

A voice crying in the wilderness of this world: 

"Here He is, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29)."  

Yes, Jesus loves us - and we are to live loved.

Yes, Jesus set us free - and we are to live in that freedom.

Yes, Jesus made us citizens of heaven, children of the one True God, and we are to live like it! 

But, like John, as Jesus-followers, we are to be THE VOICE, making straight the way to the Savior - our Lord. 

New Year's Goal.

Between Two Advents

In the past week, I attended two different Celebrations of Life for two friends via Zoom.

Both were lovely, God-honoring ceremonies. 

Both women had committed their lives to serving their Lord in another country - one in Costa Rica (age 40), the other in Zimbabwe (age 84). 

Both will be remembered for the joy that overflowed in their lives. 

I was reminded at both celebrations of a quote attributed to St. Augustine:

"We are Easter people and halleluia is our song."

Easter People.

What a thought!

We aren't just Christmas folk; we're more - way more! 

We live in light of a resurrection that sealed the Lord's promise to return again.

What hope!

What joy!

What a difference it should make as we live life between two Advents - 

How should Easter People live? 

It's odd, but the little story that came to mind is found in the gospel of Luke, chapter 1.

After Mary's conversation with the Angel, she traveled to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, in the hill country of Judah. 

She arrives, enters the home of Zechariah and Elizabeth, and greets them.

Immediately, Luke records the rest of this story in verses 41-44. Here's how they read:

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice, she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy!"

In this whole story, "joy" is a major theme. Elizabeth was filled with joy, and Mary's magnificat that follows is a song of joyful praise, but the one that stands out to me is the joy of the unborn child, John. 

Even before Advent, John rejoiced in Jesus...and, continued to do so throughout his ministry. 

It speaks to our life between two Advents - joyously celebrating the coming (first and second).

Death can't quench it...we're in His Presence with fulness of joy.

Life should amplify it...

Here's the rest of the Augustine of Hippo's quote:

"We are an Easter people and halleluia is our song. Let us sing here and now in this life, even though we are oppressed by various worries and uncertain times, so that we may sing it one day in the world to come, when we are set free from any anxiety that plague us."

We are an Easter people!

Let us leap for joy!

Jesus fulfilled the first Advent.

He will also complete the second.

Bank on it.

Like John, even before He arrives on the scene - get a little leapy in your joy!

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

I'll join you again in January.

Living in the Waiting

Over last summer, we lost a friend who'd been battling a terminal illness for over four years. 

In spite of the illness, our friend never lost his sense of humor, his "knack" for interminable teasing, and spunk.

I was honored to be asked to give a eulogy at his celebration of life service. 

As Bay and I reminisced together different stories from our shared past, one word kept rising to the surface as we laughed and discussed all the memories. 

From that one word, I wrote the eulogy, describing Dave's life...

Here's the word:

FEISTY

What a fantastic descriptor of someone's character.

That one word actually has three parts to its definition.

The first part had me laughing. It comes from an Old English word coined back in the 1500's, meaning "fire blower." A fairly descriptive word for someone who can express their opinion rapidly, "breathing out fire," and then move on. Fire blowers tend to be quick to speak, often regretting they didn't do a better job of counting to 10 first. And, yet, you always know where this person stands. You never have to wonder what they might be thinking. I find most fire blowers are quick to want to put out the fire and make things right, as well. 

Meaning number two tells us that the "feisty" lean towards courage and fortitude in the face of difficulty. These folks have pluck and determination. Definitely, a skill I covet...

Last, but certainly not least, in the pile-up of definitions is the one that told me "feisty" marches in with a spunky attitude and enthusiasm. 

Put those three definitions together and you have a picture of our friend, Dave. 

However, I had just put the last period on my eulogy notes, as I was also beginning to study the life of John the Baptist. 

It certainly didn't get past me that John might easily be described by his close friends the same way. 

As a preacher, John most definitely fit the "fire blower" piece of the feisty puzzle.

Crowds knew where John stood on religion and politics of the day; and, he spoke with fortitude and determination (it didn't seem to bother him in the least if he might offend someone), which also fits the spunky attitude (definitely, John). 

Yes, feisty fits John, just as it does his predecessor, Elijah, before him, 

Frequently described as a "fiery" prophet, John walked in similar sandals. 

As we look toward the end of 2024, and step into a new year, it might behoove us all to examine our lives and add just a little bit more feisty to them. 

Quick to speak Jesus and what we believe about His gospel.

Showing up with fortitude in spite of our difficult circumstances.

And, living with a little more heart, a little more spunk in our attitudes.  

As we wait for our Savior's second Advent, John the Baptist, once again, gives us a clue how to walk along on the way as we are in the waiting: 

FEISTY

Stay Covered in the Dust of Your Rabbi

In this Advent season, I've been digging a little more deeply into the life of John the Baptist, because no-one, and nothing, is more symbolic of the Advent of Jesus than John. 

I want to know from his life how we might live as we Pre-Advent Jesus' second arrival. 

I loved this message from our former pastor, which he posted recently on Facebook - a much needed reminder that Jesus is, indeed, coming again:

"Advent. Jesus came the first time to bear the cross and He will come a second time to wear the crown. Because we had a First Coming, we are guaranteed a Second Coming. Jesus will come again to finally and forever put an end to all that is contrary to the will of God. This is the certain hope of every follower of Jesus. Come, Lord Jesus (Jeff Daley)."

One of the things that impresses me most about John is his unique demeanor (camel's skin clothing and locust-eating aside).

Raised by a righteous priest, who walked blamelessly before the Lord (Luke 1:6), John stepped into the role of rabbi at a very young age. 

He seemed to quickly gain a following of disciples - men who wanted to adopt his message and way of life; men who walked the same road he walked; lived life alongside him; and, leaned into his teachings and belief system (certainly not easy-believism-stuff). 

We don't know how many disciples with whom John journeyed, but we do know that one of them was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother (John 1:35-42). 

And, we do know that several of John's disciples soon began to follow the new rabbi gaining notoriety around the area (Jesus). They left John's dust, for Jesus'. 

YET, we never see competition between John and Jesus.

One of the most notable Jewish blessings of the day was this one: 

"May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi." 

Meaning, may you walk so closely behind your rabbi, as you learn from him, that you are always covered in his dust. 

Acceptance by a rabbi in those days was akin to being accepted into an Ivy League doctoral program. It was a big deal...so, to leave following one rabbi for another just didn't happen...

Yet, John's disciples exchanged the source of their dust...as Jesus came on the scene inviting ALL who would,"Come, follow me (Matthew 4:19)."

...and, John happily (or so it seems) celebrated the new rabbi his disciples followed: Jesus, the Lamb of God. 

John's whole demeanor declares loudly the essence of humility. 

He believed, and lived it out, that he held no special significance, or importance, that put him above any other.

He lived totally against typical human behavior - his attitude opposite the norm. 

Gotta tell ya, if I were John, I'd battle jealousy (especially if they were "my" disciples...), and, sadly, jealousy smacks of pride.

But, this was not John's way, and it fits how he always lifted up Christ, saying, "He must increase, but I must decrease...He who comes from heaven is above all (John 3:30-31)..."

John's life gives us a clear picture of how we, too, are to live during the wait for our Second Advent: humbly exalting Jesus, giving Him first place, seeing Him honored above all, excited when others are drawn to Him, willing to take a back seat, so that His name is proclaimed, exchanging our agenda for His...

...and, above all, showing others how to walk in the footprints He left behind, covered in His metaphorical dust, traveling with Him through the teaching of His Words, as we wait for His return. 

In other words, live as a passionate, sold out, disciple of Jesus.

PS. Great read: "Practicing the Way," by John Mark Comer. Available on Amazon here.