sons of Abraham

    I intentionally try to stay away from mentioning politics or controversial issues on this blog because it is not my intention to focus on things like that.  I want to to write down rather my thoughts about the Bible.  Yet, at times the Bible seems to intersect with the news and events that are happening today.  In particular, I've been saddened by the hatred and violence coming out of the middle east, Syria and Gaza and Israel.  I thought about how long all of this hatred has been going on and its roots, which goes back to the book of Genesis.

    In Genesis 15, God takes Abraham outside and tells him to count the stars if he can.  He tells him his descendants will be as numerous as those stars.  Now, at the time, Abrahma was called Abram and was already an old man and Sarai was also old.  So, Sarai realizes that she cannot bear children and decided to take things into her own hands and gives Abram her maid, who was Egyptian named Hagar.  It says that in Genesis 16:4 that Hagar became pregnant and then began to despise Sarai, which caused no small amount of trouble in the home.

    This child is named by the angel as Ishmael, and it says of him, "And he will be a wild donkey of a man, His hand will be against everyone, and everyone's hand will be against him. And he will live to the east of his brothers." Genesis 16:12.  This Ishmael is the father of the Arabs, who today are shooting rockets into Israel.  You notice that Hagar also had her roots in Egypt.

     This is how long that this conflict has been going on.  And it started with Sarai thinking that she would help things along and taking matters into her own hands.  Abram should have corrected her and stopped this plan of hers, but he didn't, so he is equally guilty.  But, the interesting thing is that before you go on getting all upset with Sarai or Abraham, we have a tendency, too not wait on God and to try to do things our own way.  One of the hardest, dirtiest, worst four letter words in the universe is "wait".  

     The good news of this though is that God uses people like Abraham, who more than once told people that Sarai was his sister instead of his wife.  He uses people like Sarai, who are imperfect and impatient and have a hard time waiting.  He even uses people like you and me to do his will and to accomplish all sorts of things.  The fact that Sarai and Abraham had problems and made mistakes somehow makes me like them more.  They seem more real to me instead of some towering figure I can't relate to.  The miracle of it all is that God's grace is so much greater than our sins and imperfections that he uses us despite ourselves sometimes instead of because of us.

     Waiting reminds me of Psalms 62:5-7 "My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from HIm. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken. Oh God, my salvationa nd my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God."

Hard to Believe

   I have been reading recently John MacArthur's book "Hard to Believe".  He talks about the difference between the gospel that Jesus preached and what you hear in many name it and claim it seeker sensitive churches today.  In chapter two he states, "Perhaps the dominant myth in the evangelical church today is that the success of Christianity depends on how popular it is, and that the kingdom of God and the glory of Christ somehow advance on the back of public favor."  In a desperate attempt to try and get people into the church, many pastors and churches take the attitude that it is numbers that are importand and not substance.

    We may forget that there were times in Jesus' ministry when he would say hard things that actually caused people to scatter from him.  He didn't have a big stage and fancy logo.  He had grace and truth.  Some people were attracted by it and some people were not.  But, the uncompromising message of the gospel has been and will that if we are going to come to Christ we must die to self, take up our cross and follow Him.  It is not that Jesus wants us to be fat, comfortable and happy.  We should remember that Jesus said that he had nowhere to lay his head.  He was essentially homeless and dependent on others most of his ministry on earth.

     I'm not saying that there is no joy in the gospel.  Contrary, Paul tells us numerous times in Philippians to rejoice in the Lord.  But, think about what that means.  The rejoicing comes not from circumstances or prosperity, Paul was a man who was poor and often in jail.  Rejoicing came from knowing the Lord and holding on to his promises.  Sometimes I think some churches have it  backwards.  The message of the cross is not to be happy in your circumstance.  It is to rejoice that you have a God who is forgiving, loving, merciful, all powerful, all knowing and will not abandon or forsake you.  Our joy isn't the result of circumstances, but it rises above it.

     I think about Paul and Silas when they were cast into a prison cell.  They were beaten with rods and then put into the stocks and it says that by midnight they were singing.  The prison was filled with the voices of praise and then the earth shook.  Paul and Silas weren't happy that they were beaten or glad they were in stocks.  They were able though to rejoice in the Lord.  As a result of this, a family was converted that night, probably more than one. 

    The success of the church is not based on fancy logos or smart advertising.  The success of the church is based on the power of God displayed in the people of God when they are surrendered to him.  It let's the world see that we are different because of our relationship to Jesus.  I like what it says about Peter and John when they were questioned by the Sanhedrin.  It says they began to take notice that Peter and John had been with Jesus.  They stated putting together the dots and realized that what was important in their lives was that they knew him.  Smoke and lights and fancy music and guest speakers aren't the answer for the church.  Not as long as you can't tell any difference between the way that christians live and the world.  The answer is that christians need to abide in Christ and lean on Him and surrender their goals, dreams and aspirations to him and let him lead us.