Ancient Of Days

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A poem inspired by Daniel 7

The Ancient of days takes his seat on the throne

Elevated above all that can and cannot be known

America, Babylon, Persia, yes, even Rome

No nation nor tribe outlasts His own

His light through the darkness has gloriously shown

His immaculate power will never be loaned

A servant king who brings sinners home

The Son of Man sits to the right of His throne

His enemies were real, and their rise like foam

Raging for a moment yet now crushed bone by bone

Arrogance persisted in creation’s defiant tone

Unaware of the reaping which rebellion had sown

Once were the saints weighed down by hearts of stone

Now they ascend and are free of their groans

Sons and daughters to Abba have flown

The Ancient of Days, the king on the throne

Winning By Losing

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How do you know when you’ve won?

In sports, it’s easy. The final buzzer sounds, and you check the scoreboard. Arguments can be won in the courtroom based upon the ruling of a jury. A promotion at your job might even be won by your performance.

But how about in life and death? Can you “win” at life?

I’m not suggesting that life is a game, but I do get the sense that many of us believe it is. We are told to “play with the cards you are dealt” and a variety of other idioms exposing this undertow of philosophy. Since this perspective prevails, we must have some sort of definition for what constitutes winning.

It’s an interesting activity to consider what one would need to happen or accomplish to consider life a “win.” I imagine having healthy, enjoyable relationships with our loved ones would be on the list. Being financially literate and creating generational wealth may also cross our minds. Perhaps there’s even a list we have started that literally states all the things we want to do before we die. The thought of a life with many of those things left unchecked may bring on a panicky depression, motivating us to “live life to the fullest” while we still can. A life with unfulfilled aspirations is not typically chalked up as a win.

This question has been on my mind as I’ve been challenged by what has recently transpired in Afghanistan. I think about what certain members of the Taliban consider a winning life. Or, how members of Al-Qaeda or ISIS would answer such a question. These three groups can undoubtedly differ in their belief systems and complexity is richly interwoven within their history, but it’s well documented that many would declare their life a “win” if it brings many other lives to an end.

This horrific reality has once again been pushed to our frontal lobe. While one celebrates victory by blasting an AK-47 into the sky, another mourns as they hide for their lives. There is no simple way to neatly package such a situation and I don’t intend to speak on behalf of anyone. I simply look to call to attention that “winning at life” certainly isn’t relative like we often claim it to be.

If winning isn’t relative in sports, court, or the workplace, then why would it be in matters of life and death? It’s here that I am comforted in the renewing power of God’s word to reveal to us the truth of this world. He shows us that life is won not through acquiring, building, or even enjoying. Rather, it is won by losing.

God’s son, Jesus, tells us that the one who loses his life for Christ’s sake will find it. He tells us that the greatest among men is actually the one who serves the most. He showed us that a winning life doesn’t look like we often think. Moreover, Jesus didn’t live as some detached religious figure who merely espoused things He didn’t actually do. His words always point to His own actions.

It was the worst moment in human history that God chose to also be the greatest. As the Roman soldiers laughingly mocked Him, the religious leaders looked on in pleasure as Jesus’ righteous blood flowed onto the  Golgotha soil.

Jesus let out His last breath, and victory was far from His disciples’ minds. They scattered, afraid for their lives. Yet it was in this moment, that their victory – and the victory of all those who place their belief and hope in Jesus – was secured. Jesus rose from the dead three days later in triumphal procession.

Many more have made the decision to follow Jesus and suffer with their Lord. Yet they not only consider their persecution a win, but actually rejoice that it is happening to them and pray for the souls of those who plan their slaughter. Their eternal hope in Christ’s atoning work for their sin is a victory no bullet can rip through, or knife can decapitate.

For my brothers, sisters, and I, we know our lives have already been won for us. The closest thing to winning in this life we now know, is if in our death, many are pointed to the one who also offers them true victory. Especially those who commit such acts and think they’re pleasing God.

In the coming weeks, as reports continue to surface, my hope is that you reflect upon your own understanding of a winning life and then run to the only One who offers true victory.

 

Scripture References:

Luke 9:24 – Lose your life for Christ’s sake and find it.

Luke 22:26 – The greatest is the one who serves.

Philippians 3:8-10 – All is counted loss compared to knowing Christ Jesus

Acts 5:41 – Rejoicing to be counted worthy of suffering for Christ

Matthew 5:44 – Pray for those who persecute you

Father, Meet Me There

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Father, meet me there

In the winds of confusion

Where my mind flaps like a flag

And I’m slow to dismiss delusions

Father, meet me there

On the seas of sorrow

As I float on painful depths

And dread tomorrow

Father, meet me there

By the fountain of joy

Where gratitude comes easy

And the days bright as koi

Father, meet me there

Atop the steps of success

Where pride subtly lurks

And I puff out my chest

Father, meet me there

In the waiting room of desire

When my wants seem like needs

And I’m consumed to acquire

Father, meet me there

At the crossroads of decision

For several paths beckon

And clouded is my vision

Father, meet me there

Behind the bars of rebellion

Discipline me in love

And show me the cell I’m in

Father, meet me there

In the ruins of apathy

Built by the self-consumed

Point me back to your majesty

Father, meet me there

In every situation

For every duration

At every location

Father, meet me there

For you are here

I know you’re near

Yet you’re already there

Thank you Father, for meeting me there.

Jehovah Tsidkenu

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Standing outside courthouses across the globe is a lady as old as time. Her appearance differs depending on the cultural context, but her name is the same on every continent. Justice.

“Lady Justice” has personified judicial law for millennia, dating back to Roman mythology. In most architectural renderings she stands tall, blindfolded, and wielding a sword in one hand with a scale set in the other. Stoic and beautiful, she welcomes people into her courthouses where, theoretically, they will be met with justice as balanced as the scales she holds.

It takes one look past those magnificent statues to see that Lady Justice is only a figment of man’s imagination. Justice is perverted as the guilty are set free and the innocent prosecuted. We bicker over policy in an effort to rectify the system but fail to see the injustice in our own proposals. While our best attempts at justice do sometimes bring a temporal satisfaction and give us a glimpse of the real thing, everyone can agree that the scales Lady Justice holds, and the scales of the real world are two different things.

We rightly lament over this disparity and how it affects us, but we must place ourselves on the scale to see that amidst our own efforts, we also maintain an egregiously unbalanced scale.

This is the case even if we place our “own” moral code and rules to live by on the other side of the scale. We can’t live up even to that, so we begin to place “worse” people on the other side. Think the scum of society, be it a criminal or member of an opposing political party. If we can’t balance the scale, might as well come out on top, right? What we miss is the fact that the other side of the scale isn’t something we determine, but as evidenced by the conscience and a universal assent to moral responsibility, is a reality grander than human intuition.

Righteousness, or conformity with what is ethically and morally acceptable or “right” sits on the other side of the scale. We’re all aware we must one day step on the platform to see if the scales slowly bob up and down only to come to rest in perfect equilibrium. Why else would we care about justice in the here and now? If there is no scale of justice we must face, why attempt to do justly to others? Without the presence of moral obligation, there is no logical place for justice and order in society. Only chaotic depravity.

Recognizing this, we seek to build a resume of righteousness. We start with all those years we didn’t murder, rape, or rob somebody. Then, we bullet out the things we did for our community and those in need. Next, we include our spotless legal record. Finally, we place the cherry on top by pointing to the years we have spent with our families. Surely an unrighteous person couldn’t sacrifice what we did for loved ones, right? We submit our resume confident the scales will balance even if we had some slip ups along the way, which we don’t mind minimizing. What meets us, however, is the horrifying reality that the other side of the scale is far weightier than we ever perceived.

Our so-called “righteous” acts lay on the scale as the density of true righteousness suspends them high in the air, a laughable sight akin to a toddler’s best attempt at drawing a self-portrait. That’s really what we came up with? That’s what we consider to be righteous?

The righteousness on the other side is ethereal, a law of the universe only the Creator can fully behold. For it is His very identity, that which He shaped His creation after, that sits upon the scale. Holiness, justice, and righteousness are here defined. These are not merely characteristics of Almighty God; He is the essence of their being.

Only a righteousness of equal weight will balance the scales, and only a balanced scale will deliver the subject from the cost of true justice. This justice requires two deaths, first one’s body and secondly one’s soul. Just one broken statute or failure to mirror our divine Creator in holiness results in the same punishment as the one who’s record is stained with iniquity. His law is too perfect for sinners to comply satisfactorily.

Any deviation from the scales in His deliberation mirror our broken justice systems, and simultaneously corrupt not only true justice, but the Lord from whom it derives its life. It is an impossibility.

What then, is mortal man to do? All are guilty in this courthouse. Nobody can balance their scale. An eternal sentence awaits our dead souls with torment and wrath, our just reward.

It is here where another individual stands. The crumbles of our earthly Lady Justice lie scattered in the shadow of another, but He is no Roman mythological creature. He is not an idea personified. He is not made of marble and clay but of flesh and blood.

His name is Jehovah Tsidkenu.

It’s in His days that true justice meets full mercy. As tears pour down our faces and we cry out in agony while the scales sway lopsided, He cuts in front of us. He casts Himself into the pit as our verdict is announced by the Judge. He dies our death and puts His own righteousness on the scales.

It balances.

Both the punishment earned by our crimes against the Creator and the hope of personal righteousness are fulfilled in His kingship. As we stand naked before God crying out to Him, He rises from the depths and places His royal robes onto our backs. The case has been closed and our sentence fully served.

His name is an unfamiliar one to us in later generations, but it was clear to those who He first chose to reveal Himself. He made clear to His prophets that this name is not simply a title, but a promise. A promise to all who recognize their righteousness is equivalent to rags in the sight of our perfect Creator and ask Him to balance the scales for them. Its meaning is not trenched in mystery but beautifully simple.

“The LORD our righteousness.”

Only the God man offers you the righteousness needed to balance the scales and be acceptable to God Almighty. Toss your resume of righteousness in the trash, for that’s all it is in the LORD’s sight. Trust in such a resume will leave your scales unbalanced and notarize your death sentence.

Jehovah Tsidkenu offers to impart to you righteousness. His own. He has already served your sentence; you need only cry out to Him in trusting dependence. Then you’ll call Him, “The LORD my righteousness.”

Scripture references:

Jeremiah 23:6 & Jeremiah 33:14-16 – Jehovah Tsidkenu, The LORD our righteousness

1 Corinthians 1:30 – Christ Jesus became for us righteousness, sanctification, and redemption

Philippians 3:8b-9 – A righteousness extended to us through faith in Christ

2 Corinthians 5:21 – In Christ, we become the righteousness of God

Victory

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The heat of battle melts many souls

Death is almost certain – who will be among the toll?

Warfare wages onward as the enemy rolls

A rubble city smolders like coal

The white flag lures us since it’s easier to fold

Our eyes water from the smoke

Visibility flees as we begin to choke

All we can see is the absence of hope

The enemy mocks and laughs at his jokes

Surely, we’re at the end of our rope

It’s in the midst of the fight of our lives

That the heart of the battle we can no longer deny

Our course is far from “easy as pie”

In fact, it sometimes feels easier to just die

As the battle rages, does anyone hear our cries?

Many settle for quick illusions

Which are never a substitution

For joining the revolution

By embracing our destitution

And accepting the King’s solution

He lays His life down

While wearing His crown

The opposition celebrates looking around

“The battle is won!” they say, “He is in the ground!”

“This self-proclaimed King will never again utter a sound”

The moment they thought they had won

Was the moment they longed would never come

The war was over long before it begun

The plan was fixed and the King’s will done

Even in the midst of their victory song

Our King rose and overcame

Death itself has been slain

“Believe in me,” “Give me your shame”

“Freed are those who trust my name.”

Grace falls like summer rains

His saints follow Him

Which means war on sin

Our road isn’t easy and often we feel pinned

Cry to King Jesus, our overcoming kin

Through faith in the victory for us He did win

What’s temporary doesn’t compare to that which is eternal

Battle horns may sound, but we aren’t without our Colonel

Listen to His instructions, don’t go in circles

Even now, you’re clothed in purple

Already your head is donned with the laurel

Scripture References:

1 John 5:4

1 Corinthians 15:56-57

Romans 8:18

Romans 8:37

Patience

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Every spring, the naked trees that endured winter’s blusters clothe themselves in a spectacular array of colors and fragrances. It’s as if they are preparing for a special occasion, taking extra measures to exhibit their beauty.

One of the earliest arrivals to the spring banquet is the Magnolia tree. Her pinkish white petals and bright yellow carpels seem to signal to the rest of the trees that it is indeed time once again to blossom.

I’ve long adored the large Magnolia that stands outside the front of our house. As a young kid, I would climb it and hang on its branches. As I’ve grown older, I find myself admiring the beauty of its presence in the springtime and all that means.

Spring is my favorite season. When I see that Magnolia in the front bloom, I know that warm weather, sunshine, and rounds of golf are right around the corner. I’ve come to notice over the past several years however, that in terms of Magnolias, ours seems to be a late bloomer.

Along our road are several homes with Magnolias that bloom at least a week or even two before ours. Could they be a different type of Magnolia?  Sure. I’m no arborist! But in this discrepancy, I find myself awaiting the buds’ transformation into flowers with a frustrated sense of urgency. In something so seemingly inconsequential, I quickly grow impatient, and the once eloquent banquet scene is ruined by an unruly rush of the moment.

Sound ridiculous? I’m not actually staring out the window angry because the tree didn’t bloom fast enough, but I might as well be when I examine other areas of my life.

Take driving. I’m not sure of many things I dislike more than driving behind someone going less than the speed limit. It infuriates me. I start to tap the steering wheel. I huff and puff. I consider passing even though I know it’s a stupid idea. One day after this began happening more frequently, I began to think, “why do people around here drive so slow?!” Then, like a smack in the face, a thought popped into my mind.

“Why do you drive so fast?”

I began to thank God that I was getting stuck behind “slow” drivers after that. I still don’t enjoy going less than the speed limit, but these scenarios have elevated a desire in my heart that is so much more valuable than being able to do things quickly.

I used to understand patience as waiting. If I was having a good day, patience would be waiting with a positive attitude. If I was having a bad day, patience would be waiting angry that it wasn’t time yet. But most of the time, patience for me has been an enemy I try my best to defeat quickly and often.

I think that’s probably the case for most people. We’d rather not wait so we do everything we can, so we don’t have to. But perhaps you have come to see with me that impatience almost always produces negative results. It ruins good things. It actually capsizes the desire it claims to expedite delivery on.

For years I’ve been praying that God would make me a patient person. So much so, that I’ve grown quite impatient that I’m not as patient as I’d like to be yet. It’s kind of hilarious when you think about it. Growing impatient about having patience!

As I’ve searched God’s Word trying to learn what He says about patience, it often seems like the word is presented as an exhortation but seldom with a definition. But upon closer study, you’ll find that patience is defined much differently than simply waiting or trying not to reduce your wait time.

Most of the references to patience I see in scripture are describing the character of God. Take Peter’s words as an example.

“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” – 2 Peter 3:8

This oft-quoted verse is remarkable. This statement is made during a reminder about the return of Jesus Christ to earth and the subsequent judgement of those who don’t know Him. We learn that God doesn’t see time in the same way that we do, sure. But more than that, we see that God is patient.

What does that mean? Patience is one thing for fallible human beings who can’t really control much of anything. But for the God of the universe for whom nothing is impossible? We see here that His patience is not merely waiting because He can’t do anything else. It’s part of His nature and a reflection of His love for the world that He’d rather delay His wrath on those who don’t know Him as much as possible so that they might come to repentance.

While He’s been mocked through the centuries by those who laugh at the idea of His existence, He’s waited patiently for them to receive His gift of salvation in Jesus Christ through faith.

The thing that’s so incredible to me about that is the fact that He never has to be patient. He is God. He can do as He pleases when He pleases. Yet He chooses in love to be patient with sinners, as He simultaneously adorns the finishing preparation touches for the true banquet awaiting the redeemed in Heaven.

Patience isn’t something that we can impatiently produce within ourselves. It’s something God works into our hearts as He brings forth the blossoming of His kingdom in its time. As He has been and is incredibly patient with us, then we can be patient with one another and even ourselves.

But much more than that, God’s patience is one of the avenues of His love towards us, culminating with salvation by offering up His Son as the atoning sacrifice for your sins and mine. Yet, patience is appointed for a time. We would be fools to mistake His patience for silence as many have done throughout the centuries. Just as those Magnolia buds pop every spring, so will Christ return. Those who have received His Son by faith will be “caught up in the air” with Him. Those who have rejected Him will fall into the His hands and face the judgement they once mocked.

Patience is something we all need. Sure, for the things in our lives that can drive us crazy, but more so, we need God to be patient with us. The good news is He has been! Listen to Paul’s words.

“But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.”  – 1 Timothy 1:16

No matter what you’ve done or where you are right now, God has been patient with you. Receive His Son Jesus by faith. Seek Him. Wait upon Him. The result is much more beautiful than any Magnolia tree.

The Empty Cup

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There stands a cup

Brimming with wrath

A bitter, foaming wine

Fills the glass

A concoction so strong

One sip is deadly

Yet down to the dregs

Will the wicked drink this medley

We pour the cup

Swirling it under our noses

When we worship ourselves

And reject the God of Moses

“Wake up! Wake up!”

God’s servant Isaiah cried

“This drunkenness is not of wine

But judgement of the Divine”

“Hear the Word of the LORD,”

Jeremiah wept

“To drink is not a choice

It is your very debt”

These warnings to Israel

Extend to all mankind

For there are none righteous

All must drink this wine

Yahweh Almighty,

Perfect, holy, and true

No sin will He leave unpunished

All receive rebuke

He is the God of justice

alone defining its terms

All who reject Him

He will also spurn

This is the cup of staggering

Of fire, sulfur, and wind

No man can drink and live

Unless He be without sin

This leaves only one

Jesus, the Son of Man

Who lived a blameless life

And became our spotless lamb

The Father handed Him the cup

The one that stood before each of us

The weight of the world’s sin

Upon Messiah thrust

In agony he prayed

That the cup be taken from Him

Yet surrendered to His Father’s will

As He was beaten limb from limb

The one who raised the dead

The one who healed the blind

The one who freed the possessed

Was mocked and criminally maligned

He heard every word

And read every thought

Still, He pleaded their case

“Forgive them! What they do, they know not”

Each sip brought more misery

God’s just punishment of iniquity

And with one big swig

Cried “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

His lips trembled

As they released from the cup

He said “It is finished”

Every last drop

Darkness covered the land

Rocks split and crumbled

The temple curtain tore in two

As the city rumbled

His lifeless body hung

From the bloody splintered wood

Those watching beat their chests

And departed from where they stood

Some followers buried His corpse

And tightly wrapped it in linen

But then after three days

Heard reports that He had risen

The Marys and Salome

Visited the tomb

And the words of an angel

Made joy out of their gloom

“Why do you look for the living

The living among the dead?

For your LORD has risen

He’s risen just as He said!”

Christ appeared to many

Even those who doubted

“See my hands, touch my side”

He mercifully propounded

He explained the cup of wrath

Had been consumed once for all

When He died and rose again

And answered His Father’s call

Now a cup of blessing replaces

That which brought condemnation

For those who believe in Him

And come to Jesus for salvation

For their new cup is His blood

His body, their bread

Christ is now the very life

Of those who believe what He’s said

Judgement replaced with blessing

Guilt replaced with peace

Grace instead of wrath

Alive instead of deceased

Come to Jesus Christ

Who drank the cup for you

Repent and receive

The one who makes you new

Your heart is His prize

The soul He Himself made

The price of His blood

Was one for you He paid

Rebel from your rebellion

Lift your cross, take it up

Come and worship the one

Who emptied your cup

Scripture References:

Thus the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it.” Jeremiah 25:15

“And if they refuse to accept the cup from your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: You must drink!” Jeremiah 25:28

For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs. Psalm 75:8

Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. Psalm 11:6


Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath, who have drunk to the dregs the bowl, the cup of staggering. Isaiah 51:17

Thus says your Lord, the LORD, your God who pleads the cause of his people: “Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering; the bowl of my wrath you shall drink no more; and I will put it into the hand of your tormentors, who have said to you, ‘Bow down, that we may pass over’; and you have made your back like the ground and like the street for them to pass over.” Isaiah 51:22-23

For as you have drunk on my holy mountain, so all the nations shall drink continually; they shall drink and swallow, and shall be as though they had never been. Obadiah 16

Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” Matthew 20:22-23

And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39

Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” Matthew 26:42

Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” Mark 10:38-40

And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Mark 14:36

And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” Mark 14:23-25

“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. Luke 22:42-44

So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” John 18:11

The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” 1 Corinthians 10:16

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 1 Corinthians 10:21

If, Then

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I’ve written before that math has never been my thing.

That’s why I was shocked when I was sitting in a college math class and it dawned on me that I was actually enjoying what I was learning.

It was a feeling I never experienced in my 12-year academic career. I was well acquainted with dread, confusion, apathy, and frustration. Joy? It felt…wrong.

But that’s exactly what I felt sitting in that lecture hall in late October one fall semester. I’m pretty sure it was called “Introduction to Mathematics” or something. It was probably the lowest level course I was allowed to take. All I know is as a communication major, I only was required to take one math course. One! It was bliss. So, I chose the most basic course hoping it would be a glorified curriculum of addition and subtraction.

Somehow, someway the little old man professor who boasted a sub 1-star RateMyProfessor score won my attention and for the first time in my life, math made sense. I remember thinking “if I had only taken this class in kindergarten…”

Rather than math itself, we discussed the why of math. Logic. It was super interesting and something I realized wasn’t just observable in a textbook or on a whiteboard, but in my life. Perhaps more astonishingly, I began to see math in the Bible.

Conditional statements, or “if, then” statements aren’t something on which we spend a whole lot of time. It’s one of the building of logic. Effects have a cause, and a cause has effects. We understand this every time we make decisions. Our decisions are causes that have effects, some intentional and others unintentional. It’s a simple truth of our existence.

It should be no surprise then that the Bible, authored by supreme Creator God, is chock full of “if, then” statements. One of my favorite questions when reading the Bible is to ask, “what’s the ‘therefore’ there for?’ It’s a great question because there are a LOT of uses of the word “therefore” or it’s variations in scripture. It also aims to go deeper and gain a whole picture of the causal relationship being described.

The apostle Paul knew logic well. The content in his letters compound like interest. His premise leads to an implication which then points to another truth which then reveals a deep fact of life to his audience. The identity of God is almost always his cause.

The same goes for the Old Testament. I’ve been particularly struck by the book of Ezekiel when God uses the phrase “that they may know that I am the LORD” almost every single chapter. The word “that” naturally points to a cause as knowing God to be the LORD or, YAHWEH – the name of God Most High.

Tragically, the context of Ezekiel and this discovery of who God is comes through an outpouring of punishment of sin. Israel had been entrenched in wicked behavior for centuries and continued to rebel against God’s gracious calls to return to Him, their first love, their bride. Yet the people continued in wickedness, choosing to construct material alternatives to the unseen God who revealed Himself to them daily in creation, provision, and protection.

So, where God previously announced that His chosen people would know who He was through blessing and miraculous displays of His power on their behalf – like parting the Red Sea- He now spoke through Ezekiel, and others, that the people would know who He was because of their destruction. They were to discover who really holds the power when their semblance of control was stripped from them and their world fell apart.

And that’s exactly what happened. Famine broke out and the people starved. Swords were unsheathed as God rose up nations like Assyria and Babylon to destroy Israel. Pestilence filled the land and drove a desperate people to long for death to bring a release.

As I continue to read through the prophets, I sense God asking His people – “What’s it gonna take? What’s it gonna take for you to wake up and smell the roses – or should I say decaying bodies? When are you stubborn people going to realize who I am and come back to me?” Thankfully, God is much more gentle and more gracious than I.

So often, the misplaced questions we present to God could be effortlessly flipped back on us. We say to Him “if only you did this, then I would believe.” A simple cause, effect relationship, right? Wrong. Turns out logic can be observed in nature, but our arrogance leads us down a dangerously illogical path.

One of my favorite examples of this is when a group of people who likely had just witnessed Jesus feed thousands of people with two fish and five loaves of bread have the audacity to ask Jesus, “what sign do you do that we may see and believe you?” It’s ludicrous when reading through in context. I mean, what is it going to take if they see that happen and still don’t believe?

There are signs a plenty for us to know God. He has revealed Himself in creation, His Word, and His people just to name a few things. As we see in Ezekiel, God does things that we may know that He is who He says He is.

Perhaps the ultimate example of this is the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. Jesus was the only sinless one to ever live yet was crushed on the cross with the weight of the sins of the world. After being dead three days, He walked out of His grave and appeared to His disciples and hundreds of others. He then ascended into Heaven, and His angels explained He would return in the same way that he left.  

Prior to these events, Jesus gave us the most important “if, then” statement. He says that the one who believes in Him will live, even though they die. What does this mean? He again says that he who believes in Him, has eternal life. That is, the required payment for our sin is death, yet Christ paid that debt. So, when one believes in Jesus, they agree with Him about their sin and need for Him. They accept what He did on the cross for them, and they’ll be with Him for all eternity because of what He did.

To know who God is because of mercy and not judgement is a gift of grace open to all who read this today! May the hard-heartedness of previous generations not continue in us. May we know that He is the LORD and place all our trust in Jesus!

Scripture References:

Ezekiel 6:7 – One of many examples of  “and you shall know that I am the LORD.”

Exodus 14 – The parting of the Red Sea

John 6:30 – “What sign do you do, that we may see and believe you?”

Matthew 27 & 28 – The crucifixion & resurrection of Jesus

Acts 1:11 – “Jesus…will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

You Held Me

/ brianhilton9 / 1 Comment

A Poem Inspired By Psalm 107 & Psalm 139

Ponder the loving deeds of LORD

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so

When I tossed and turned

And my stomach churned

And my skin burned

You held me

As my mind spun

And I wanted to run

Through the promise of your Son

You held me

Many times, I’ve failed

And in my nerves bailed

But while I felt jailed

You held me

When I cried out to you

Doing all I know to do

And though I wasn’t in a pew

You held me

When I couldn’t eat

And my spirit felt beat

When I envied the weak

You held me

When lies seemed true

Causing me to question what I knew

The Spirit of truth came through

You held me

You teach me through these things

You are my reason to sing

My life and death are yours, my King

You held me

Darkness is not dark to you

Sorrow, nothing you haven’t already been through

My Savior, the King of the Jews

You held me

No time and no place

Will I ever be without your grace

Despite my stumbling in the race

You held me

Before I existed

Your love was consistent

Though I had no subsistence

You held me

You have answered once again

My Savior, My God, My Friend

My soul sings like a wren

You held me

Another battle, another victory

A sound defeat of the devil’s trickery

This servant of the LORD cries out with glee

You held me

Though other battles will come

I smile knowing the war is won

And again I’ll say as your son

You held me

Ponder the loving deeds of the LORD

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so

The Hope of Glory

/ brianhilton9 / 1 Comment

”The Hope of Glory” is a realistic fiction short story inspired by the biblical account of Jesus Christ’s birth and subsequent ministry. The story is not intended to be viewed as scripture or an attempt to “fill in gaps.” Rather it is a fiction narrative prayerfully created to celebrate the real birth of Christ and God’s faithfulness to deliver His perfect promises. Namely, salvation for sinners through faith in Jesus Christ.

Broken up into 5 short “chapters,” each chapter begins with a verse that corresponds to the over arching theme of the story. I hope the story creates in you a desire to open the scriptures for yourself and behold the mystery of God revealed in Jesus Christ.

 Merry Christmas!

Chapter 1: Colossians 1:25-26

Moonlight coated the back wall as the curtain danced in the wind. Chaff from the nearby wheat field blew in through the doorway. Keinan continued spinning the wheel with his right foot while gently pressing his index finger against the clay. He squinted examining every inch of the jar as it circulated on the upper disk. Just as he began to slowly lift his hands from the finished product, a second large gust threw open the curtain and toppled the jar onto the dusty floor below.

“All that for nothing,” Keinan muttered as he slammed his fist against the table sending tools flying. He stared at the deformed masterpiece. His tears were quickly dried by the crisp night air. Keinan stepped down from his stool, shuffled over to the basin, and scrubbed his hands clean as he stared out through the window across the dark valley.

Since his father passed, Keinan tried day after day to master the same craft and keep the family business going. But inexperience and the painful nostalgia that hit him every time he placed his sandal on the same wheel his father had hundreds of times before left him better suited to tread the clay, not fashion it. Failing to produce and sell pottery left him no choice but to forfeit portions of his inheritance to the Romans to keep up with tax obligations. He had lost almost everything and was still drowning in debt.

Keinan grabbed his torch from its holder on the wall and exited the pottery house, tossing the front curtain aside and slamming it back against the other side of the door as he stepped outside. The torch flame flickered as he made his way along the trail past the barren wheat fields. As his sandals pounded the earth below, Keinan clenched his free hand tighter and tighter considering what his life had become.

As a boy, Keinan excelled in his study of the Torah. Memorizing the scrolls came easily to young Keinan who was highly regarded by the rabbis for his mental depository of Pentateuchal instruction. He particularly enjoyed the account of Abraham’s improbable fatherhood at 100 years old with his barren wife Sarai. Such an event inspired Keinan to worship the God of his ancestors. The one for whom nothing was too hard.

Keinan smirked, shook his head, and let out a sarcastic chuckle. Accounts that once quickened the young boy’s faith in Jehovah were now no more than a series of tales good only for putting young children to sleep. The scrolls once so clear to Keinan now seemed like a mystery after years of loss, pain, and dashed hopes.

Ahead of Keinan was a trail junction leading him back to Emmaus or the main route heading towards Jerusalem. As he neared the junction, a faint noise broke the silence of the valley.

“pit-pat-pit-pat”

Keinan’s head spun and his pupils swelled. His nerves tingled as the glow of a torch rapidly approached.

Chapter 2: Jeremiah 33:3

The dark silhouette advanced towards him as Keinan’s mind raced. Who would be trailing him at such an hour? Surely it wasn’t a sojourner traveling into town. The city gate was shut hours ago. Perhaps it was a Roman Centurion tracking him down by order of Quaestor Drusus for his delinquent taxes. Or worse. It was that demon possessed child everyone in the Decapolis was talking about. The one who lived among the tombs in Gadara and spent his days cutting himself with stones and screaming out at all hours. Keinan shivered considering these possibilities.

Keinan puckered his lips and blew out his torch. Just as he was about to take off running, a raspy voice cried out, “Shalom!”

Keinan looked back. The orange torch glimmer revealed an elderly man in a tattered tunic. He lumbered along the dusty trail as his torch bobbed up and down with his arms.

“Shalom shalom!” the man exclaimed as he gasped for oxygen. “I’m not the athlete I used to be,” he laughed.

“Shalom,” Keinan responded. “Why were you running towards me?”

“Better question. Why did you blow out your torch?” the man piped back. “Bet you thought I was old Drusus ready to shake you down for those delinquent taxes!” He chuckled as Keinan looked on quizzically.

“…How did you kn-“

Cutting Keinan off the man asked, “What? Know about the taxes?” “Everyone owes Rome something!” Keinan smirked. His muscles loosened and his pupils shrunk.

“What is your name, son?” asked the man.

“I am Keinan, son of Shahar.”

The man tilted his head and stared deeply into Keinan’s sunken eyes asking, “And Keinan, son of Shahar, what has you trouncing your way around the countryside in the middle of the night?”

Keinan looked down and pushed some dirt around with the top edge of his sandal. “Just trying to figure some things out,” Keinan said.

The man smiled and looked down. “Well, the answer isn’t going to be in that dirt, son.”

Keinan gave a half grin. “Yeah, I guess not. I’m not really sure there is an answer.”

The man looked at Keinan and smiled. After a long pause, he began to speak. “Do you remember in the days before the exile when Nebuchadnezzar had battering rams surrounding Jerusalem and God told Jeremiah to buy his cousin’s land? Ah, what was his name…”

“Hanamel,” Keinan spoke as he lifted his head.

“Yes! Very good son, Hanamel. It made little sense for Jeremiah to follow the law and be Hanamel’s kinsman-redeemer since the land he purchased was inevitably going to be in Babylon’s possession.”

The man’s pitch climbed. “Or do you remember when Habakkuk cried out to the Lord only to find out that Adonai was raising up the Chaldeans against Judah?”

Keinan released a long sigh and looked off into the distance. “I don’t mean to be rude bu-“

The man could hardly contain his excitement. “Or the time when God told Abram that he would be the father of many nations and changed his name to Abraham even though he was an old man, like me, with a wife who couldn’t give birth?”

Keinan locked eyes with the man.

“Sure, I remember. I remember my abba reading these stories to me as a child and believing them. I remember thinking these scrolls all made sense. I remember trying to love the Lord with all my heart, all my soul, and all my might. But it’s become increasingly clear to me that the feeling isn’t mutual. Since you bring up the prophet Jeremiah, explain to me why God says, ‘I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.’ Do you see justice here? Do you see righteousness here? Do you see a king from David ruling over the land? All I see is Herod and the continued oppression of our people – excuse me, God’s chosen people. All I see is God not keeping his promises. So, excuse me old man, but the last thing I need is a Torah lesson in the middle of the night from a total stranger.”

Keinan took off into the darkness before the man could fit in another word. Sunrise was mere hours away. He had to get home before the Romans arrived.

Chapter 3: Luke 19:10

“Do you remember?”

The man’s voice echoed in the corridors of Keinan’s mind. His words seemed so random, so purposeless. Yet, Keinan couldn’t help but wonder if they were profound.

“Why was he out there?” Keinan thought. “What did he mean?”

As he conversed with himself, Keinan’s trembling shook the leather haversack in his left hand as he threw various items in it with his right. He knew the Praetor would make an example out of him to the rest of the province if caught. He had to flee. Jerusalem and the surrounding towns, like Emmaus, were crawling with centurions.

Keenan placed his hands on the door and paused. He looked back one last time as tears filled his eyes. He spotted the clay water basin the family had used for feet washing. His tears of sorrow turned to joy as he remembered the time his father helped him make it as a gift for Keinan’s mother a year before she got sick. He missed his parents deeply. They would not be happy with what he was about to do, but Keinan felt he had no other choice.

After a deep breath, Keinan once again faced the door. He pushed gently, peering out the small opening to see if any of Drusus’ men were in the marketplace. Scanning the crowd, he smirked when he didn’t notice the glistening metal of a Roman galea. Keinan tip-toed out and then, finding a gap in the flow of traffic, swiftly joined the crowd.

Keeping a low profile, Keinan’s eyes darted around looking for centurions as he walked. If spotted, his intentions would be no mystery.

As Keinan approached the countryside, the herd of people on the path dwindled. He stared down at his sandals, pressing on towards the southern gate of Emmaus. He silently rejoiced as the prospect of escaping town seemed closer to reality with each step. Suddenly, his jubilation turned to horror. Five fingers dug into Keinan’s right shoulder and before he could blink, Keinan’s back clapped against the parched soil.

Chapter 4: Romans 6:23

“Drusus’ quarters are north, not south Jew,” the centurion barked out.

A crowd gathered at the sound of shouting as the soldier bloodied his fist on Keinan’s face.

“You really thought you could skip town on us?” asked a second centurion as he delivered blow after blow to Keinan’s side.

“Your miserable life isn’t even worth enough to cover your debt, but it will have to suffice.”

Keinan’s tears raced droplets of his blood to the ground as he cried out in agony. “Please – just a little more time! I will get it to you!”

“You’re out of time,” shouted the first centurion as he picked Keinan up by the tunic. “You’re Rome’s now.”

The silence of the crowd was suddenly shattered. A voice piped up, “Aren’t we all already? Let the boy go.”

The two centurions surveyed the group of onlookers. As their eyes turned, the heads of those in the crowd dropped. Nobody would have dared speak to a group of centurions in such a way. Yet one man kept his gaze on the soldiers as he made his way to the front of the group.

“Are you out of your mind old man?’ the centurion asked. “One swing from Rufus here would send you to the tomb.” The two soldiers chuckled.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” the old man laughed. “Will I have to pay Rome property taxes for my grave site?” The crowd snickered as the centurion released his grip and Keinan collapsed on the ground.

Rufus shoved the old man from the back as his fellow officer grabbed him by the neck, raising him into the air. “Your wish is my command you dog,” muttered the centurion as he reached for his dagger.

“It would cause quite an uprising, Emilian…” mumbled Rufus.

Emilian looked over at Rufus, then glared back at the old man. He tossed the man to the ground and turned around once again facing Keinan.

A rough twine pulled tight against his wrists as he moaned. Just as Keinan was about to let out his final plea for mercy, the old man coughed up some dust and asked, “How much?”

Emilian stood back up and slowly raised his head to the sky. Turning aside to Rufus, he murmured, “you sure an uprising wouldn’t be worth it?” Then the two centurions pivoted and stared at the old man still laying on the ground.

“How much does the boy owe?” said the old man as he continued to clear his throat.

The centurions looked at one another and then back at the man. “What’s it matter to you?” Emilian responded.

“I would like to pay his debt.”

Keinan’s vision came back into focus as he stared across the dirt at the onlooker’s sandals.

“You what?” asked Emilian.

“I will pay this man’s debt.”

Rufus scoffed. “I don’t think you can afford it, Jew. He owes Drusus 10,000 denarii.”

The crowd turned their focus to the man with mouths agape.

He smiled. “That’s it?”

Rufus’ head swiveled back to Emilian who continued to stare at the man.

Emilian opened his mouth to speak but before he could utter a word the old man said, “the house right there,” as he pointed. “There’s a large cedar chest right when you walk in. Take it.”

The crowd gasped. Keinan propped himself up off the ground and turned towards them.

Emilian looked at Rufus who tilted his head and rose his eyebrows.

“If it’s not all there, you both will be food for the birds,” said Emilian. As the two soldiers walked over to the house, Keinan’s line of sight was no longer blocked. His eyes met the old man’s. Keinan’s jaw dropped. The old man smiled.

“You didn’t let me finish what I had to say last night. Maybe now you will.”

Keinan was speechless. His battered face gazed in shock as the crowd murmured.

Everyone’s faces turned as the soldiers reapproached. Emilian looked first at the old man then at Keinan. His Adam’s apple bounced as he swallowed before speaking. “Get out of here, Jew. Guess it’s your lucky day.”

The crowd cheered and jeered at the centurions as they walked past. Keinan slowly propelled himself up with his arms as his knees shook.

His swollen face quivered as he continued to stare at the man who still sat on the ground.

“Who are you?”

Chapter 5: Colossians 1:27

The crowd began to dissipate as Keinan reached out his shaky hand to the old man. The old man squeezed Keinan’s hand and rose to his feet quickly brushing off his tunic with his calloused hands.

“Walk with me.” Keinan nodded as the unlikely pair set out on the northern trail.

“Who are you?” Keinan asked again.

“It doesn’t matter who I am,” said the old man bluntly. “You will understand why soon.”

Keinan wagged his head. “Wh-what do you mean?”

“Do you remember what I said last night?” the man asked.

“When you rattled off those Torah stories?” Keinan replied.

The man laughed. “Yes, exactly!”

Keinan spilled his thoughts. “I used to feel so clear about what the Torah was about, but as I’ve gotten older, it all just seems like a bunch of stories somebody made up to describe our history. God makes all these promises but never seems to keep them. I apologize that I ran off, but if you’ve been through what I have, you’d know where I’m coming from.”

“So, you don’t believe them?” the man asked.

“Well, no.” Keinan responded. “It all seems like a big mystery with no real answers. It can teach good lessons to kids and is well-crafted literature, but it’s nothing to base one’s life on as so many of our people do. Look at all the empty promises!”

“Hmm, I see,” the man responded. “What is it that you base your life on?”

Keinan looked down. “I – uh,” Keinan paused. “I don’t know, just trying to stay alive, I guess.”

The man patted Keinan on the back. “God’s word was once a mystery to me.”

Keinan looked at the man and then back at the trail. “And it is no longer?”

The man lifted his twinkling eyes to the sunset sky. “No.”

Keinan stayed quite for a moment. “Well, what happened?” he finally asked.

“The stories I told you about last night, from Jeremiah, Habakkuk, and of course Abraham. Have you ever thought that God’s word may have been a mystery to them?” The old man’s words were as gentle as they were stern.

Keinan looked at the man and then back at the path in front of him.

“They were a mystery to them,” the old man softly asserted.

“Because what God promised hadn’t happened yet.” Keinan’s eyes opened wide as he reasoned this to himself.

The man rapidly nodded his head. “And what ultimately ended up happening – even if they didn’t happen to see it in their lifetime?”

Keinan stopped walking and turned towards the man. “Exactly what Jehovah said.”

The man raised his feeble arms into the air and smiled ear to ear. “We are Abraham’s descendants, aren’t we? We are walking through Judah without any Babylonian control, right? God delivered on those promises and those mysteries have been revealed!”

Keinan smiled as he nodded.

The man laughed and posed another question. “And if that’s all made up, then why would the author make us constantly look so bad? After all, don’t most fiction works showcase the character’s strength and minimize their weaknesses? The Torah certainly doesn’t do that for us!” The two bellowed in laughter together.

Regaining his composure, the man asked, “As you spoke last night, you brought up a bigger mystery than you realize, son.” Keinan’s cheek muscles rested.

“You brought up the Branch of David. The King who will rule with justice and righteousness.”

Keinan’s face fell serious as he bobbed his head up and down.

“You were right about Herod. He certainly isn’t from David and he most definitely doesn’t reign executing justice and righteousness. We all know that.”

Keinan dropped his head and wagged it back and forth.

“Our people cry to be free from the Romans, but do we ever cry to be free from our sins?”

Keinan looked at the man and questioned him, “free from our sins?”

“Yes, son. Remember Jeremiah’s words regarding the new covenant the Messiah will bring? Jehovah said, ‘For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.’”

Keinan’s eyes shifted back to the trail in front of him as a soft wind blew against his confused face.

“Your debt. The one I paid the Romans. The same is true of our sin’s before Yahweh. A debt so large, none of us, not even King David could pay. Nobody keeps the law perfectly! And as the law says, the payment for its violation is death – right? Yahweh graciously provides us the death of lambs, bulls, and goats so we can still live. But blood must be shed, just like that first Passover in Egypt.”

Keinan turned back to the old man. “Well, if I can’t pay it, then who does?”

The old man let out a joyous shout, “Hallelujah!” “My son, you ask the best question of all – the most majestic mystery in all of Torah.” The old man looked up and said softly, “He does.”

“Who does?” Keinan questioned.

“Isaiah’s words, son! The suffering servant. He who was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him. Yahweh’s ultimate promise, the one the Lord laid on the iniquities of us all, even gentiles!”

“Even gentiles??” Keinan retorted. “Who is he?”

“The hope of glory, my boy! The Son of God!” exclaimed the man as he gazed back into the dusk sky.

Keinan looked at the man and followed his eyes into the sky. “I don’t understand.”

“Keinan, son of Shahar,” the man replied. “I have waited all my life for the consolation of Israel. Yesterday, before we chatted on the trail, I held Him in my hands. They were in Jerusalem, at the temple. I held the Savior, the delivered promise, in my hands. God’s offer of salvation, the suffering servant. The grand mystery of our Torah has been revealed. He is here, Immanuel!”

Keinan’s head spun. “What does this mean?”

“Remember the exodus of our people from Egypt and the first Passover? Those families that applied the blood of the sacrificial lamb to their doorposts were spared the death of their first born. This baby will be the sacrificial lamb for all who receive Him by faith! We will be made right with God, as it was in the beginning. The wrath for our iniquities will be dealt with once and for all. No longer will we need to constantly offer lambs, bulls, and goats.”

So many years of pain and sorrow seemed to not matter in this moment to Keinan. Something was taking place in him that he had never experienced. He didn’t understand all that was being said but he had the sense that it carried far more significance than he could ever realize. He knew true joy as he considered the words of the man and the faithfulness of God despite his personal faithlessness. God had kept His promises all along and this baby was the ultimate delivery.

The man smiled. “Soon, you will meet Him too.” He placed his hand on Keinan’s shoulder as the two walked past another trail junction, making their way in the direction of the signpost labeled “NAZARETH.”

“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

– Luke 2:29-32