Three Men

Before God’s covenant with Abraham, three men quantify the relationship between God and man: Enoch, Noah and Nimrod.  Each relationship showcases an aspect of the human interaction with God that remains true to this day.  Enoch’s relationship with God illustrates the divine desire for companionship.  Noah reveals God’s capacity for grace, and Nimrod indicates that there are parameters placed around the grace of God.  The features of these relationships can be seen as principles that determine God’s dealings with mankind. 

Enoch

One of the most enigmatic figures of the Bible, Enoch, escaped death.  Of this, the Genesis account mentions that “Enoch walked with God, and was not, because God took him.”  (Genesis 5:24).  Hebrews 11:5 records that Enoch did not die because he pleased God.  Theologically, the fact that this was an ascension, or some sort of rapture, poses questions that scholars have debated for millennia.  How did this happen?  Where did Enoch go?  Is he with Moses and Elijah?  (Matthew 17:3) Was there a rapture before the rapture?  But, speculation about this endgame is immaterial to Enoch’s journey to that point.  The greater and more practical issue concerns the close relationship between God and Enoch.  The Amplified Bible further defines the phrase “walked with God,” as “habitual fellowship.”  This reveals something fascinating about the nature of God.  Enoch must have found a chemistry with the divine essence, a precious connection that captured God’s sustained attention, an inroad into—can we use the term “psyche” of God?—that culminated in sparing Enoch the indignity of death.  Rather than splitting hairs over the physiology of Enoch’s translation, we would be better served to contemplate the propensity of God to even want human companionship on this level.   

Noah

Noah’s unique character stands in stark contrast from his evil generation.  Genesis 6:8 says, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.”  Moreover, the Bible specifically depicts him as a just and a perfect man.  Like Enoch, he also walked with God, but God did not translate him—He had other plans for Noah.  We know the ark builder as the legendary figure who became the means by which the human race and all species of animals survived the worldwide flood.  While this purpose undoubtedly factored into his special relationship with God, his designation as a recipient of the grace of God occurred before his commission to build the ark.  Not to be argumentative, but if we were to debate which came first, the grace or the commission, we would have to say that grace preempted the ark. 

While it would appear that Adam and Eve also were beneficiaries of God’s grace, the literal word “grace” did not appear in Scripture until Noah.  The phrase, “found grace” is commonly used throughout both the Old and New Testaments, but parsing it is still a worthwhile endeavor.  Another way to translate the verbal phrase in the Hebrew is “acquired grace.”  We may rightly deduce that grace was already an attribute of God’s character, but Noah acquired it where all others did not.  If we were to say that he acquired grace by means of his righteous life, however, it would invalidate the very definition of grace as “unmerited favor.”  Noah’s character, therefore, could not have obtained grace through his own merits. 

The question, then, is why did Noah find grace if he didn’t or couldn’t do anything to earn it?  Here is where we must read between the lines: grace is more a gift of God than it is a procurement of man.  Dispensing of grace remains the sole decision of a sovereign God who can give or withhold it at will.  Yet, we circle back to the question of Noah.  Why did Noah receive grace when it was apparently denied to everyone else on the planet?  The answer must be that there was something in the desire of Noah for God, the sensitivity he possessed for God and the insight into the nature of God that he must have demonstrated.  This desire, sensitivity and insight were not the merits of his behavior but the attitude of his heart.  Again, this tells us as much about the nature of God as it does the character of Noah.  This great God, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, holy and righteous though He was, possessed a very different side to His deity, attributes that seem incongruous to a divine personage.  Tough, but tender; great, but gracious; foreboding, but forgiving.  

In a practical sense, it is critical that we understand that the grace of God defines His character as much as any other attribute we may use to describe Him.  It is His grace alone that held Him back from unleashing raw and total destruction upon us all.  If we fail to understand this, then we fail to embrace the breadth, width and depth of salvation.  If we fail, we misunderstand Bethlehem, we disrespect Calvary and we show contempt for the resurrection Christ from the grave.  This is the narrow isthmus over which we pass to eternal life.

Nimrod

A shadowy figure briefly emerges from the blur of colonization and city-building between the global flood and the appearance of Abraham.  Nimrod, the great-grandson of Noah, merits only the mention of a “mighty hunter” and, possibly, the founder of several kingdoms, of which Babylon was most notable.  Historians treat him as more of a legend than a real person, and some believe that his character is the composite of rulers whose reputations exceeded their actual persons. 

We should be wary of marginalizing a man, however, for whom God carved out a place the scriptures.  Clues to his influence exist that help us understand the challenge of our relationship with God.  The first clue is not what was said about him, but what is omitted from his biographical sketch.  Nothing is said of his walk with the Lord.  There is no mention of grace.  Had Nimrod been shaped in the mold of Enoch or Noah, those features would have been pronounced.  This is highly significant.  I once attended a funeral for a great lady who was known for a number of accomplishments, but none of those feats were highlighted in her memorial.  Instead, the greatest emphasis was placed on her relationship with Jesus.  She exemplified Christianity.  Nimrod exemplified his present world.

It is clear, then, that Nimrod reveled in his reputation as an illustrious sportsman, a man who received his greatest gratification through the work of his own skillful hands.  This speaks to his hubris and his exalted opinion of his prowess in the fields, probably the first in the field of other hunters of the day.   With regard to his hunting expertise, Matthew Henry posits that Nimrod used that as a ploy to assemble other hunter/warrior types to exert power over rivals and thereby establish his own kingdom.  He may have rid the land of its wild beast infestation, but he was also driven by ambition and a desire to conquer territory.  Without a rightful claim to a kingdom, he resorted to cunning and raw power on his path to hegemony.  Babylon, with its reputation for paganism, sensuality and witchcraft was undoubtedly an extension of Nimrod’s wicked heart. 

Nimrod should be held up as the antithesis of righteousness.  He did not, nor could he have had a relationship with God because of the condition of his heart.  As David wrote years later, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.”  Psalm 66:18. God has standards, guidelines and expectations of anyone who intends to draw near to God.  If we dismiss Biblical morality as immaterial to a close relationship with God, we completely misunderstand the nature of God.  And, lest someone protest this contention by reminding us that we are not perfect, I refer him or her to a pithy statement made by a country preacher many years ago.  “We may not be perfect, but our standard is not imperfection!”

As to sin, the final barrier that separates God from man, it would appear that animal sacrifices provided atonement, although that purpose was not articulated in Genesis.  The purpose of the sacrificial offerings of that era were worship and thanksgiving.  In terms of typology, however, we can discern the shedding of blood for the remission of sins.  Without blood, there is no remission: without remission, there is no relationship.  (Hebrews 9:22). There were a few more folds that needed to come unwrapped before the fullness of the redemption plan would be complete. Before that happened, God dealt with sin in a reckoning dimension, clearing the way for Him to emphasize His desire for relationship.

The Redemptive Relationship

As we have seen, radical change upended the relationship between God and man following our first parents’ exile from the Garden of Eden.  The catalyst was the invasion of sin into paradise, a factor that a holy God could not ignore.  It was a deal-breaker.  Pushed to the precipice, the relationship could only be saved by an act even more dramatic than the sin that ruined it.  But, this exigency could not find completion until all components were in place.  While it evolved, the divine and human relationship traveled through a number of significant stages.  These vital aspects of a relationship with God were listed earlier as 1) Unconditional Love, 2) Open Communication, 3) Total Transparency, 4) Divine Authority, 5) Adoring Worship, 6) Submission (or Obedience), 7) Responsiveness, and 8) Commitment.  We may learn much about our own carnal selves as we watch this ancient relationship surge, wane, stabilize and stagger, and finally move into a totally new dimension and new covenant at Sinai.  The analysis of this era reinforces a bedrock principle: a relationship with God cannot exist without laws and guidelines.

The Relationship before Moses and the Law

Unrestrained passion and social disorder erupted during the era between Adam and Eve’s exile from the Garden of Eden and the institution of the Law of Moses.  Violence became a way of life to get revenge, gain superiority or settle disputes.  The Bible relates two instances of violence—Cain, who murdered his brother, Abel, and Lamech, a later descendant, who killed a young man whose name is unknown.  It was a microcosm of the conflict and deadly struggles that pervaded society because corruption began spreading like a cancer.  But the times were also dotted with new discoveries and inventions.  Cultural sophistication began to advance in farming, music and entertainment, and metallurgy.  A man named Jabal developed animal husbandry, Jubal, his brother, invented the harp and flute and another brother, Tubal-Cain, became the father of craftsman in bronze and iron.  Man began to organize into tribes as he established communities and built cities, but sin, violence and rebellion against God, soon caused mankind to spiral downward to widespread corruption.  “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Genesis 6:5.

This universal wickedness ended in the cataclysm we now call the Great Flood.  Only Noah and his family escaped in the ark, along with all the basic animal species necessary to restart the human race and replenish the earth with livestock and game.  In Genesis, chapters six through ten, we are given a detailed play-by-play of the flood, an account of the family of Noah multiplying and rebuilding the social structure, and then a meticulous history of how the nations developed.  Because of inherent sin, however, the descendants of Noah returned to their depravity.  In its early stages, sin corrupted man in a personal, individual way. 

The tower of Babel, however, illustrated the propensity of man’s moral contagion to become organized and increase its power.  Beginning as a small virus, it grew into a frothing laboratory of wickedness.  “And they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.’” Genesis 11:4. The disobedience of our first parents matured into full-blown, systemic rebellion.  Some scholars think that the tower was man’s attempt to escape another flood.  Others believe man was trying to exalt himself into the heavens so he could challenge God Himself.  Whatever the reason, God decreed that it could not stand.  “So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city.  Therefore, its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.” Genesis 11:8-9.

As we survey this era in the specific terms of relationship, we see a depressing picture of the human race.  How could God enter into a relationship with such hard core sinners?  Man became obsessed with gaining power over others, whether by violence or cunning, and had little time for God.  Not only was there a dearth of spirituality, there seemed to be a deliberate abandonment of anything that referenced God.  But, it is out of these abysmal circumstances that we can discern something about relationship.  Remember that the essential problem that developed in the Garden of Eden was disobedience.  Disobedience both impacts and reveals character.  People disobey their authority when they believe they are equal to or superior to that authority.  They also disobey when they take the consequences of their disobedience lightly.  A relationship with God dies if we think of ourselves as equal to—or better than—God Himself.

Turbulence

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV)

Those who fly the not-so-friendly skies encounter something called turbulence.  The plane shakes, rattles and doesn’t actually roll, although, occasionally, it drops a few hundred feet.  And those of us aboard the Ship of Zion, the church, are feeling more and more turbulence the closer we get to our destination.  Sometimes, we get this ominous sense that we’re not going to make it, that the church that Jesus built is going to crash and all will be lost.  We should take a lesson, however, from the pilots who steer the machine loaded with people through the scary air.  “All is good,” they say.  The following excerpt from a seasoned pilot explains their unruffled state of mind.

“Turbulence: spiller of coffee, jostler of luggage, filler of barf bags, rattler of nerves. But is it a crasher of planes? Judging by the reactions of many airline passengers, one would assume so; turbulence is far and away the number one concern of anxious passengers. Intuitively, this makes sense. Everybody who steps on a plane is uneasy on some level, and there’s no more poignant reminder of flying’s innate precariousness than a good walloping at 37,000 feet. It’s easy to picture the airplane as a helpless dinghy in a stormy sea. Boats are occasionally swamped, capsized, or dashed into reefs by swells, so the same must hold true for airplanes. Everything about it seems dangerous.  Except that, in all but the rarest circumstances, it’s not. For all intents and purposes, a plane cannot be flipped upside-down, thrown into a tailspin, or otherwise flung from the sky by even the mightiest gust or air pocket. Conditions might be annoying and uncomfortable, but the plane is not going to crash.”  (www.askthepilot.com) 

We know turbulence.  It pummels the church from every angle.  From the political angle, it seems as though each presidential election cycle gets nastier than the last one.  On the world scene, saber rattling is evolving into nuclear bomb testing and missile launching.  Rogue nations like North Korea and Iran, plus the mounting threat from ISIS, throw fear into all of us.  Reports of genocide against Christians tell us that we are entering into an era not unlike that of the early church.  Add to that the disappointing numbers of defectors to the cosmos, falling prey to the overtures of Satan and returning to the “barf bag” of this worldly system, one might be tempted to say that we are indeed spiraling into a sickening tailspin.  But, if you spend a little time talking to the Pilot, you will soon settle back into your seat, fasten your seatbelt, hang on to your coffee and know that we’re going to make it!

First, you can’t stop the turbulence.  The only surefire way to avoid turbulence is to never leave the ground.  (That’s exactly why some people never fly.)  But that’s not an option for the church.  If we fly, we’re going to get buffeted.  Jesus said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”  (John 16:33) Things will always get shaken up—even those things you thought were set in stone.  Accidents, catastrophes, hurts, failures, disappointments and problems make up the skyscape through which we navigate.  Expect it, inspect it if you must, and then rise above it!

Second, the church is destined to succeed.  It is no mistake that we are told “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:27) That verse is not merely a motivational slogan, intended to prop us up and keep us going.  It is a statement of fact.  Jesus said He would go to prepare a place for us.  We need to read the book of Revelation as though it were a tangible, present-day reality.  Kick the “tentative” out of your faith and replace it with “absolute!”

Third, the church is built to “take it.”  Engineers who build planes choose the strongest metals, incorporate the best forms of reinforcement and support structures, and design the most efficient aerodynamic functions to absorb turbulence and stay intact.  Spiritually, this give new meaning to the well-rehearsed scripture “Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18) Depending on the intensity of the storm, you might hear some creaking and groaning.  People around you might be screaming.  You might get a little queasy from time to time.  But do not be alarmed.  The ship will sail on!  From a theological point of view, this is precisely why Jesus insisted that the disciples left Bethany with the instructions to “tarry in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high.”  God built the baptism of the Holy Spirit into the church to ensure our survival.

Last, the worst thing turbulence can do is distract us from achieving our purpose.  If we become so concerned about the threats against the church that we pour all of our energy into comforting one another and keeping ourselves calm, we neglect the mission of the church in the world.  The Apostle Paul said, “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:18) As long as we stay in the plane, we are secure.  We have a world to reach, we have the role of the ambassador to fulfill, we have a God-ordained revival to implement.  It’s in our hands.  Let us not abandon our mission out of fear for our safety.

“Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:17-18)  

The Limits of Understanding

Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? 1 Kings 3:9 

When we think of Solomon, one word that comes to mind more than any other:  wisdom.  In this passage, Solomon had a dream in which the Lord came to him and gives this earth-shaking command: “Ask what I shall give thee.” Here was a golden opportunity, a priceless moment, a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get anything Solomon might want from a God who is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. So, what did Solomon ask for?  He asked for wisdom, he asked for understanding.  And so he received it.  That wisdom was immediately demonstrated by the two mothers who stood before Solomon as king.  One had accidently suffocated her baby during the night, so she stole the other woman’s baby.  The king proposed to divide the baby in half and give a half to each mother.  One mother said go ahead and do it.  The other mother pleaded with him not to do this.  Since she wanted the baby to live, Solomon knew that she was the real mother.  That was wisdom in action.

Next, we are treated to long passages of scripture about how Solomon built the temple for the Lord.  Solomon’s Temple.  It was the most extravagant, ornate edifice in history.  People came from around the world to see it.  The Queen of Sheba said, “It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.  Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.” 1 Kings 10:6-8,

But after Solomon built the temple, he had another visitation just like the first one in Gibeon.  This second visitation was a warning about the first dream.  (God never intended for us to have a one-time experience with Him!  For every stage of your life, for every turning point, for every big decision—actually, every DAY!—God has a fresh experience, a new and relevant word for you!  That’s why you need to come to church on a regular basis!)  Here is the warning:  But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them: Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people: 1 Kings 9:6-7.

Please note there is a difference between unconditional  and conditional eternal security.  God has never allowed people to mock His commandments with impunity.  He built a caveat into his promises.  Essentially, He told Solomon, “If you turn away from following me, there will be consequences.”  Solomon did exactly that.  He turned away from following the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;  Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.  And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. 1 Kings 11:1-4.  Why did Solomon do this?  He was wise and his wisdom was a gift of God.  It was documented time and again.  If you will notice, however, Solomon’s conversations with God, and God’s words to Solomon were both in the context of dreams and visions.  They happened when Solomon was in a spiritual frame of mind.  Here’s what Apostle wrote to the Romans: So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Romans 8:8-9. 

Every believer should understand that serving God only makes sense when one is in a spiritual frame of mind!  When you grow carnal, it all looks foolish.  When you resort to your own understanding, the Bible seems oppressive, the church looks confining, holiness looks like bondage, worship looks like insanity, doctrine looks like dogmatism, baptism looks like a meaningless ritual, the Holy Ghost looks like fanaticism, truth looks like tyranny, sacrifice looks like silliness, paying your tithes looks like a stick-up in church and prayer looks like an exercise in futility.  But, when you are in a spiritual frame of mind, the Bible is liberating, the church looks like the body of Christ, holiness looks like freedom, worship looks like loving God, doctrine looks like the dew of heaven, baptism looks like taking on the name of the bridegroom, the Holy Ghost looks like joy unspeakable and full of Glory, truth looks like Jesus, sacrifice looks sacred, paying your tithes looks like heaven’s financial plan and prayer looks like tapping into God’s promises!  “God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth!”

When you try to worship God in the flesh instead of the Spirit, nothing works.  If only Solomon had all the understanding he talked about.  Understanding is a Biblical concept.  It is also a quality, an attribute, a skill that educators, psychologists, therapists, counselors and everyone in the helping professions, along with some politicians and diplomats seek to possess.  We are told that we need to understand people.  We need to understand why people do what they do.  We need to understand the motives behind the behaviors.  And it all sounds so convincing, so logical, so necessary to good human relations.  But there is a very strict qualifier placed on the understanding that God gives us.  It is the understanding of God, of the nature of God, not an understanding of the world!

So, what about us?  Should we understand?  Should we understand the terrorist?  The serial killer?  Should we understand why people commit perverse acts?  Should we understand why people sin? Why shame?  Why degradation?  Why transgression?  Once we begin to understand the why of sin, we get curious about the how of sin.  Then the devil takes us by the hand and leads us into the fascinating world of human wisdom.  But there is a problem with human wisdom.  “In the day you eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall die!”

There is a limit to understanding.  There are some things we are told not to understand, not to learn.  I want to be an ignoramus when it comes to sin.  I want to be wise when it comes to the knowledge of Christ!  For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 1 Corinthians 1:21.

The world says understand me!  Get to know me!  Get to know why I lie, cheat, steal, fornicate, kill, commit adultery, live in immorality and rebel against God.  Understand why I’m so angry; why I hate; why I curse; why I am so bitter.  Understand why I sin.  The world wants the church to understand it?  Where will that lead?  It will lead to death!  Here’s what I believe:  I want the world to understand something called the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!  I don’t want to understand sin; I want the world to understand God’s salvation! I want to lead people into a life of grace, peace, joy and love!  When you begin your journey of understanding God, you begin to understand the reason why God created man and why he re-created him and redeemed him! 

Understand the love of God that covers a multitude of sins.  Understand the grace of God.  Understand the power of the Cross.  Understand what happens in repentance.  Understand what happens in the waters of baptism.

Understand what happens when you receive the Holy Ghost.  Understand prayer, worship, Bible study, coming to church, giving to God.  We have a challenge to either know God or know the world.  Choose to know God!

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:7-14.

Critical Leadership Questions

What are you trying to do?

What are you actually doing?

Is what you’re doing working?

What is your evidence that it is working?

If it’s not working, why are you still doing it?

That’s an interesting question:  why ARE you still doing it?

Are you interested in real results or in simply going through the motions?

Why don’t you stop and find out what will work?

If what will really work costs more and takes more time, are you still willing to do it?

If you aren’t willing to do what it takes, why haven’t you given the job to someone else?

That’s another interesting question: Why HAVEN’T you giving the job to someone else?

If you do know what will work, why aren’t you doing it?

More Leadership Questions

Define sacrifice in terms of your area of responsibility.

What do you consider minimum effort in your job/ministry?

What would you consider maximum effort?

If a continuum were drawn between the two, where would you place yourself?

Do you see yourself primarily as a facilitator, innovator, executive, planner or a resource?

What role do you play in actually getting things done?

Be honest: does your personality help or hinder your ability to get things done?

Were you put in your position because of performance or reward?

Would you subject yourself to a performance review?

Would you appoint yourself to your position if there were other people in the running?

Dig Deep

Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great. Luke 6:47-49 (KJV)

There is always the obvious and the obscure; the point that everybody sees versus the point that few people see; the conspicuous over against hidden.  It is the easy way as opposed to the difficult path; the quick versus the long and arduous.  Some meals can be done in a microwave;  others have to be cooked for hours in a crockpot.  Some lessons can be learned before noon; others take a semester to grasp.  Some books can be flipped through requiring only a few cursory glances to comprehend; other books must be pored over with agonizing effort and digested slowly, and even then you’re not sure if you totally understand everything the author is trying to say.  Some projects can be wrapped up overnight; others (like road construction) can consume five years or more.

The parable of the two builders and two houses cannot be understood by merely looking at the purpose and intent.  The floor plans and elevation drawings were no doubt very similar.  The building materials were not in question.  The time of construction, the skill of the builders, and the location of the structures may have been virtually identical.  We can go on citing the similarities between the two houses, and yet there are two very different outcomes.  The gale-force wind, the driving rain and the rising tide had little or no impact on the first house, while the storms left the second house in disastrous ruins.  The obvious answer between the two houses had everything to do with the foundation.  The one on the rock stood still; the house built on the sand collapsed.  We all understand that much.

But the less obvious key to the difference is found in verse forty-eight:  the first builder took the time and put forth the effort to dig deep. 

The second man took the short cut and decided that all that digging was a waste.  We are not told all the details, but I venture to guess that the second man built his house in record time.  He was probably finishing up the latch on the front door, or drawing the paint brush across that last piece of trim when he looked out and saw that the first builder was just lining up the rafters and nailing them into place.  He probably smirked, shook his head, and remarked to his wife, “Honey, poor Levi hasn’t even got his roof done yet!” 

But, from this parable of Jesus, the question that needs to be asked, the question that begs to be explored is this:  How deep are you willing to dig?  The integrity of your house is a function of the depth of your digging.  You can live cheap or you can dig deep!  You can race to the finish line and lose or you can laboriously, agonizingly, painstakingly do the job right and win in the end. 

Let’s cut to the chase.  We’re not talking about literal houses.  We’re talking about people…about the soul…about the real, authentic you.  You and I are complex creatures.  David said we are fearfully and wonderfully made.  The writer to the Hebrews said “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12.

You are more than muscle and blood, skin and bones.  You are more than a homo sapien who walks upright, breathes, eats, sleeps, wears clothes and works for a living.  Inside of you lives a dynamic personality with motivations, desires, loves, affections, drives, beliefs and intentions.  God has a vested interest in this inner person.

“Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” Hebrews 4:13. 

That simply means that God has x-ray vision.  He sees all that is hidden from view.  That’s why there is a divine invention called repentance.  Repentance represents the invasive process of digging.  Shallow, incomplete repentance gives the appearance of godliness and sacrifice, but in reality, it is only an exercise in self-deception.  Shallow repentance stops short of real pain and embarrassment.  Deep repentance drives through the pain and risks embarrassment because a real relationship with God is worth any amount of pain and discomfort it causes. 

SR = Shallow Repentance

DR = Deep Repentance

• SR: I am sorry only for what I DO.
• DR: I am sorry also for what I AM.
• SR: I confess after I have sinned.
• DR: I am continually repentant because of my sin.
• SR: I am sorry that I offended you.
• DR: I am sorrowful that my sinful heart is so offensive.
• SR: I am sorry because I got found out.
• DR: I am thankful God brought this to my attention
• SR: I focus on my behavior and desire moral reformation
• DR: I focus on my disposition and desire spiritual transformation
• SR: I can’t believe I am like that. Let’s not talk about it anymore.
• DR: I can believe I am like that. We need to talk more about it.
• SR: I have an explanation.
• DR: I am sick of my explanations.
• SR: I want quick resolution so God will get off my back.
• DR: I want deeper insight, so God I need you to hang in there with me.
• SR: I repent by trying to do it right the next time.
• DR: I repent that I don’t have it right and trust Christ to be my righteousness
• SR: I am sorry for my sin because the consequences it’s brought
• DR: I am sorry for my sin because it’s offended God and violated the humanity of myself and others.
• SR: I am sorry for my sin and must personally atone for it.
• DR: I am sorry for my sin and know that only Jesus can atone for it.
• SR: I will repent tomorrow.
• DR: I will repent right now.  (Adapted from an unknown source.) 

Psalm 51:6-7 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.  Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

And so the quest, the goal, the mission that each of us has is to get to that place of the inward parts, to keep digging until we reach the solid rock of truth.  If you think that is an easy task, you’re crazy.  Self-evaluation, self-analysis, introspection is the most difficult challenges any of us will ever face.  If you ask me what is wrong with you, I can tell you in a few short minutes.  But, if you ask me what is wrong with me, I have no clue.  And, even if I could identify something in me that needs to be fixed, I would sooner have a tooth pulled than deal with it. 

Yes. I’m full of myself—after all, I’ve spent a long time in sin’s prison.  What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise.  So if I can’t be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God’s command is necessary.  But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help!  I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it.  I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway.  My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.  It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up.  I truly delight in God’s commands,  but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.  I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question? Romans 7:15-24 (MSG) 

In January of 2016, I was in Deridder, LA and baptized my granddaughter.  Before I baptized her, I told her the story of the priest who put his hand on the head of the sacrifice, thus transferring the sins of the person to the lamb.  The lamb was then sacrificed and the sins were erased.  I looked up the story again when I got home, but I was amazed once again at the thorough way that the lamb was sacrificed.

Leviticus 3:6-11
 And if his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering unto the LORD be of the flock; male or female, he shall offer it without blemish.  If he offer a lamb for his offering, then shall he offer it before the LORD.  And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron’s sons shall sprinkle the blood thereof round about upon the altar.  And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat thereof, and the whole rump, it shall he take off hard by the backbone; and the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,   And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.   And the priest shall burn it upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire unto the LORD.  

You couldn’t have a weak stomach and go through that process.  It was brutal.  It was bloody.  It was a complete carving up of the animal.  The lamb was so thoroughly slain that there was no chance it would come back to life. 

You have heard it said when an uncomfortable subject comes up, “I’m not going there.”  I’m sorry, but you have to “go there” if you have a true repentance experience.

The Art of Digging a Hole

• What is the purpose of hole?  (To get to   the foundation rock; otherwise you will be destroyed)
• Where are you going to dig?  (Your relationships, your loves, your habits, your weaknesses)
• How dirty are you willing to get?  (No such thing as a nice repentance.  It is going to hurt)
• Digging up boulders.  (Offenses, attitudes, hurts, questions about God)
• Digging through roots.  (Bitterness, shame, inadequacies, loss)
• Digging through clay.  (Habits, addictions, failures, disappointments)
• Be careful of cave ins.  (Loss of identity, chaos, setbacks, sabotage)
• Discard the loose dirt.  (Your dirt is preventing a solid foundation stone from being laid.)

Psalm 77:1-6  I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me.  In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.  I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.  Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak.  I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times.  I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.

Psalm 139:23-24  Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:  And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

When is your mission over?

• You are not through digging just because you get tired.
• You are not through digging just because you hit boulder too big for you to handle.
• You are not through digging just because you run out of time.
• You are not through digging just because you have run out of inspiration.
• You are only through digging when you have reached the foundation rock!

1 Corinthians 3:10-13 (KJV)  According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

The foundation is Jesus!  When you get to the place where the only thing that matters is Jesus Christ, you will have your foundation. 

The storms are coming.

I had a sister whom I never knew.  Her name was Marian.  She was the firstborn of my parents and she died of diphtheria when she was ten months old.  I cannot imagine losing a ten-month old baby.  My parents, however, not only survived the tragedy, they flourished.  They went on to plant a church in Indianapolis and then pastor the church in Jackson, Michigan.  (Here, I also tell about other families in the church who have gone through major storms and yet survived.)  The key is that they had dug down to the foundation rock! 

Dig deep.  Dig deep.  Dig deep. 

Proving God

I have heard all my life that nobody can prove God.  We have been told to just believe that He exists, that He possesses all the attributes of deity, and that He is God forever.  God doesn’t need proof.  In fact, if anyone needs proving, it is man.  Moses said it.  “And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.” Deuteronomy 8:2.  The Psalmist echoed it.  “Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.” Psalm 26:2.

Proving someone or something means that the facts are in doubt.  The only way to obtain proof of the reality or credibility of the entity in question is to put it to a test.  This is where we come apart at the seams.  Demanding proof exposes a lack of faith.  Pure faith leaps before it looks, does it not?  Total and unequivocal belief places no parameters of God.  To demand that God should submit to proof speaks of sacrilege and infidelity.

And yet, despite all the points aforementioned, the Prophet Malachi writes the unthinkable.  “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts.”  Malachi 3:10. This is a remarkable scripture.  Here, God challenges us to prove Him!  Evidently, He gives concession to the hard-headed nature of man.  Rather than vilifying us for our shameful lack of temerity, God throws down the gauntlet to us.  He says to us, “Okay, if you are having a hard time believing me, I’m giving you a chance to prove that My Word is true!” Failure to accept God at His Word is one thing; failure to put Him to the test is something else. 

First, from a negative perspective, the most tragic decision we can make is to act with prejudice toward God. It is at this point that simple doubt turns into blatant mistrust; that temptation becomes sin.  When we refuse to turn our tithes and offerings over to God, we confess that we do not trust God.  When we decline to make our prayers and petitions known to God, we accuse God with nonperformance.  When we consciously disregard God’s Word, we charge Him with lying! God gives us latitude for uncertainty, but He does not give room for scorn.  “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6:7.

From the positive perspective, however, the picture changes dramatically!  God honors the slightest move in His direction.  You don’t have to have the faith of a Bible superhero.  Even if you are hesitant, even if you have nagging doubts, even if you aren’t sure that it makes sense, you can at least put God to the test.  Proving God, by definition, means that you are not one hundred percent sure, but you are willing to try.  God is okay with that!  Here is the second part of the verse in Malachi.  “… if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”  The excitement of that promise alone should galvanize you into action!

Don’t think you can afford to pay your tithes and give in offerings?  The solution is to go ahead and give.   A blessing that you can’t contain awaits you!  Not sure about praying in earnest about a need in your life?  Go ahead and start to pray with faith believing.  An astonishing answer is out there ready to be unleashed!  Uncertain about obeying a command in the Word of God?  The blessings and benefits that God has ordained for the obedient cannot be overstated.  “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14.

My Political Priorities

(We are in a confusing political campaign season and the coming year will even be worse.  I suggest that every concerned citizen sit down and write out their convictions and what they want to see happen.  Please, do not play the personalities game and just go for the slickest, smoothest or most likeable candidate.  The one who seems the best may actually be the worst person for the job.  You may or may not agree with my list, but here is what I think.  What about you?) 

No government interference with the freedom of religion.

Sanctity of home and parental rights.

Protection of unborn children.

No taxation of churches or religious institutions.

Guarantee of freedom of speech.

Guarantee of freedom of association.

Abolition of the IRS and the implementation of a fair tax system.

Restricted immigration.

Guarantee of states’ rights.

Secure borders.

National security.

Freedom to defend oneself, one’s family and one’s property.

Education, employment and advancement based on individual merit, not quotas or affirmative action.

Right to work.

Freedom to choose one’s insurance carrier or other contractual agreements.

Congress forced to comply with a budget.

Restriction of executive powers.

Absolute accountability of government entities and executives.

Term limits for all congressional positions.

My Political Preferences

Pull out of the United Nations.

Full disclosure of terrorist activities and activists.

Guarantee of the Bill of Rights on college campuses and universities.

Strengthening of military to protect American interests in the world.