Is Harry Potter a Christian Book?

I was a cheerleader for four years when I was young.  And at heart, I'm still a cheerleader; I'm always looking for something to get excited about.

During our lock down months, I started watching the Harry Potter movies.  There's a lot of story in these movies, and I was confused.  So I gave up trying to watch the movies and started reading the books.

When these stories first came out, several Christian writers and radio hosts said the books were evil and anti-Christian.  I don't recall the reasoning behind this, other than that the story's setting is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - a school for young witches and wizards to learn how to use magic and spells.  

When I was reading the books, I kept it in mind that they might have an anti-Christian message.

So I thought it odd that part way through the first book, the students celebrate Christmas. 

Then later in the story, the students have an Easter break.  

Now Christmas and Easter are both Christian holy days, but they're also holidays that are observed by non-Christians - think Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.

However at this point, I got excited.  And I started to deliberately look for Christian references. 

- Harry has a godfather, and Harry's godfather is mentioned as singing Christmas carols.

- "O Come, All Ye Faithful" is sung at Hogwarts.

- An angel is placed on top of a Christmas tree.

- Harry's parents are buried in a church cemetery.

- A wand maker's shop was built in 382 B.C.

I think that's a decent list, especially the church cemetery and Harry's godfather.  But still, these references could be considered as cultural and aren't necessarily any indication of the Christian faith.

But then, in the final book, I got really excited.

One of Harry's teachers and protectors is tragically killed.  Later in the story, Harry finds this man's famous, magical eye.  And Harry buries the eye and marks the spot...

...by gouging a small cross in the bark with his wand.

Harry marks the grave with a cross.  

Now I know that Harry Potter is a fictional character, and that his eternal destiny doesn't rest with me finding out that he's actually a Christian. 

And I know that our culture is saturated with Christian references, traditions, and symbols.

But I keep pondering, "Why did the author have Harry mark the grave with a cross?"

In Christianity, the cross says it all.  It's at the cross that Jesus died for the sins of the world.  It's at the cross that Satan and death are defeated.  When we tell someone about our faith, it's the cross that takes center stage.

But when Christ appeared as a high priest he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. Hebrews 9:11-12

I'm cheering because these references to Christianity, along with the major theme of the book, that loving and dying for those you love, can defeat evil - these ideas encourage me in my faith, and even possibly introduce others to this faith.  

Whatever the author's intent in mentioning the cross...

Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice.  Philippians 1:18

Seeing UFOs

Saturday was a dreary day, and a disappointing day for watching college football, as every team that I was cheering for came up short.  At one point, I walked into the kitchen to start dinner, and I happened to look out the window at the cloud-covered sky.

And I noted three red objects, in a triangle formation, coming from the north and moving south.  I called my husband, and together we saw a line of red objects following the first three.

We're guessing we saw eight to ten objects total, traveling together.  Through binoculars, they each looked like a big red light, with no visible profile or shape, and no sound.  As the objects went behind a leafy tree, they either disappeared in the clouds or turned east, and we lost sight of them.

Now I'm not one to believe in alien abductions or conspiracy theories.  But what I saw on Saturday gave me pause and made me reflect on my faith.

First, seeing something possibly "other-worldly" is a scary and humbling experience.  I confess that I felt a distinct sense of there being something credible "out there" - a physical and emotional feeling that I don't often have regarding my faith or my God. And I felt convicted that my faith isn't as strong as it should be.

Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”  John 20:29

I ask myself, "If I could see, would my faith be stronger and more real?  Would my mindset be more fearless and more forward thinking?"  And I pray, "Lord, increase my faith."

Second, as if in answer to that prayer, I got a boost in my faith.  I know that the Lord uses my encounters with His Word, with His creation, and all my daily experiences to increase my faith.  Encounters with the unexpected, the other-worldly - they change your perspective and your very self.  I love this passage about Peter and John testifying before the Jewish leaders:

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.  Acts 4:13   

Third, the cares of this world don't seem as big or ominous as I previously thought.  In fact, seeing those "UFOs" made me realize that if this Christian faith is real, as I believe it is, then life here is just a shadow of the life to come.  Because of Jesus's death and resurrection, and the steadfast love of God, I'm no longer condemned in my sins.  I don't have to fear this life or the one to come.

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:38-39

 

 

"You Can't Handle the Truth"

Lately I've been revisiting some old movies with my youngest son.  He's seeing these movies for the first time, and I'm enjoying "watching him watch" the movies.

We recently saw A Few Good Men, about a Navy lawyer who questions a Marine Colonel during a court martial.  Since then, at least once a day, my son sort of sneers at me and then repeats that famous line:

"You can't handle the truth!"

I started going to a baptist church when I was eight.  I learned that there was a God who created the world, that He gave us rules to follow, that Jesus died and rose again, and that the Bible is full of history, miracles, and teachings.  

And then I went to college.  From my Christian classmates, I heard about: evangelism, purgatory, speaking in tongues, healings, and so on. 

All during my college years and for years afterwards, I frequented Christian bookstores looking for the truth and trying to find out what this Bible really said and what the Christian faith should mean to me.

A lot of the books I read, even those that purported to be Bible study books, were actually "How to" books:  how to raise children, how to manage time and money, how to pray, how to get the Holy Spirit.

I also listened to Christian radio, and I regularly read my Bible.  Like Tom Cruise's character in A Few Good Men - I just wanted the truth!  

Now, when I think about all those teachers and writers, I'm sure that their intent was and is to help people.  But I wonder, "Do they know the truth?"  Or maybe it's that they think their readers "can't handle the truth."

The truth of the Christian faith is, I sin, and I'm dead in my sins.  We all are.  Because of our sin, we're like zombies, the walking dead.

And it's hard to hear and it's hard to handle that truth.  I want to think of myself as good, as honorable and hard-working.  But I know that I'm just like Paul.

For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.  Romans 7:15 

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?  Romans 7:24

This truth that's often lost, even in Christian circles - it comes in two parts.  God's law convicts me of my sin, tells me how bad I am.  When I hear that part, of how bad my sin is, my tendency is to make excuses and to justify myself.  

But when the gospel of Jesus, that He paid the price, died for my sins on the cross, and freely gives me forgiveness - when that Truth is given to me, right on the heels of God's convicting law, it's then that I know the Truth.  That Truth comforts and assures me.  It gives me hope.  It's a Truth I can handle.

Martin Luther is known for saying that he preached the gospel to himself every day, because he was prone to forget it.  And the more I hear the gospel, the Truth every day, the more evident and precious it becomes to me. 

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.  1 Timothy 1:15b

What's Your Agenda?

I enjoy watching Star Trek shows, but not to see the science fiction and special effects.  I like that Star Trek's writers take our human condition, our everyday issues and cultural problems, and highlight them in a distinct way, in a different environment, and in a way that makes me think.

Lately I've been re-watching episodes of Star Trek - Deep Space Nine.  Deep Space Nine is unique in that it portrays an alien culture's religion as an integral part of the story line.  

And I'm also intrigued with some episodes where characters talk about agendas.  It goes something like this:

Your agenda will color how you perceive a situation and how you respond.  Everyone has an agenda.  So what's your agenda?

I keep thinking, "Everyone has an agenda, so what's my agenda?"  

I guess I have a two-fold approach.  I want to look back on my life and have no regrets.  And I want other people to have a good experience with whatever I'm involved in, whether it's at work or serving a meal or just having a conversation.  It's probably part of my military training in preparing for the unexpected. 

And to me, that all sounds good and honorable.  But when dealing with the human condition, with my condition and my sin, I know that my selfishness abounds.  Insecurity abounds.  Wrong perspectives abound. 

I know that part of my approach is based on self-protection, as in I don't want to be the cause of problems.  I don't want to worry about hurting other people.  But living in this sinful world, I can't escape problems and bad feelings.  And I hurt people.  So much for my agenda!

But Jesus had a different agenda, to glorify His Father.

I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.  John 17:4

While on this earth, Jesus taught and preached, and spoke truth about God.  He loved people, He healed them and fed them, and He even raised some from the dead.  

But His agenda was clear; He came to do the work of His Father, to save people from their sins, to give them peace with God.

When the days drew near for him to be taken up, [Jesus] set his face to go to Jerusalem.  Luke 9:51

Jesus set His face to Jerusalem, where He would die the death of a prophet, die as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

In fulfilling His work, His agenda, Jesus frees me from my own selfish ways.  He frees me to know His love and forgiveness and to love other people.   

And it's not easy, but His help and His Word are always available to strengthen me and to bring me back.  

My prayer is that, in the midst of this world, the troubles I face, and my own sins...my prayer is to remember Jesus's words to His disciples and to make that my way of looking at the world.  Jesus's looked at the world and tells us to...

Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.  John 4:35

On the Death of a Friend

This week, my classmate and friend Danny passed from this life and this death into eternal life.  I met Danny 40 years ago in July 1980, when we both entered the United States Naval Academy as members of 2nd Company.  

When I picture Danny, two visions come to mind.  First, I see him in uniform, seriously relating an issue, an Academy event, or some 2nd Company happening.  But I also picture him sitting and talking, with that comforting and familiar grin on his face.  

Last fall, Danny and I reconnected at our class reunion.  We talked about our lives, our family, and our faith.  Afterwards, we exchanged several e-mails as he updated me on his struggles with leukemia.  The last line of a message he wrote in April, before he was hospitalized, was:

Please keep the prayers coming, thanks for thinking of me, and stay healthy – I think your walk is a fantastic idea.

Our Second Company journey began in 1980 with 35 of us; and, in 1984, 25 of us graduated.  We lived together, seeing each other all the time - having 3 daily formations, eating meals together, having classes, parades, sports, and just too much to remember.  We were and are family.

And as I think of Danny and my reunion, I have regrets.  College life is a challenge with many facets.  And life at the Naval Academy, it's crazy - totally new, tiring, always too much to think about and do, and to keep up with.  I became good at two things - time management and sleeping whenever possible.  

After graduation, when I was a 2nd Lieutenant and a Battalion Supply Officer, one day I looked at my Marines, and I unexpectedly realized how much I loved and valued them, that I even liked the quirks each one had.  Each of them was a unique person made in the image of God.  

Thinking back to 2nd Company, I regret that back then I didn't have that understanding or love for people.  I regret that I was sometimes too busy to sit and listen, or to go out to lunch and just relax and share.  

When Jesus was on earth, people were attracted to Him; some loved Him, some hated Him, but all were intrigued by Him, by what He said and by how He treated them.

Jesus saw and knew what was in man's heart, yet He still loved the people.  And that love is what drove Him to the cross, to die for the sins of the world.  

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.  In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  1 John 4:9-10

Likewise, we are called to love people, to spend ourselves on them.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  1 John 4:11

And it's not easy.  It's not easy to serve, love, help, encourage, listen, and care - to selflessly spend ourselves.  And it's something I fail at a lot.  But I know that, after my faith, it's the only thing that matters.  

Danny, you are and will be missed by us.  Until we meet again, Fair winds and following seas.

Take Heart...

After months of staying-at-home, our church small group has finally been able to meet.  And our current topic of study just happens to be the book of Revelation. 

I've always thought that the popular approach to interpreting Revelation, the process of trying to fit Biblical scenes into what's happening in the world today, is off base and badly mistaken.  So I've been contemplating how best to study this book.  And I have a plan. 

First, Revelation is addressed to the seven churches in Asia, similar to the New Testament letters that Paul wrote to various churches.

Paul's letters are applicable to all churches throughout history, and therefore his letters are also relevant for all Christians of all times, including us today.  As Paul writes to Timothy:

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.  2 Timothy 3:16

Even though Revelation has a lot of symbolism and references to Old Testament prophecy, it's still to be read for the comfort, the encouragement, and the edification of the church.  It's relevant for us, today, in this way.

Second, one of the commentaries I've been reading points out that, in the midst of plagues, disasters, and all sorts of "bad stuff happening" Revelation has "interludes."  

The whole idea of "interludes" has taken me a while to digest.  And then I remembered Jesus's words... 

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.  John 16:33

When John wrote Revelation, bad stuff was happening, especially persecutions and tribulation for the Christians, just as Jesus said it would happen.  But in the midst of relating this vision of "bad stuff" John suddenly sees and hears a great multitude singing praises.

Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb! Revelation 7:10 

And throughout Revelation, God's temple in heaven and other heavenly scenes function as a backdrop to all the bad stuff that's happening. 

The message to the churches of Revelation facing tribulation was, "Take heart.  Have peace.  Jesus is on the throne, reigning!"

And that's the message for us today, for right now.  Don't despair - whether we face racism, civil unrest, viruses, restrictions on our liberty, economic uncertainty - don't despair.  "In this world you will have tribulation.  Take heart.  I have overcome the world."  

The Lamb, Jesus, is on the throne! 

 

On Behalf Of...

Last fall, I joined the York County Veterans Honor Guard, a local group that provides honors for veterans' funerals.  To date I've served at over 70 funerals, and I've done just about everything: serving on the Color Guard, firing with the Rifle Squad, playing Taps, and assisting with the flag presentation.  And on three occasions, I presented the flag to veterans' family members. 

Two of the flags I presented were for families of Navy nurses, and I started those presentations with, "On behalf of the President of the United States and the Secretary of the United States Navy..."

Recently, as I was with the Color Guard and holding the Navy flag, I heard those same words, "...and the Secretary of the United States Navy..." and I smiled.

The new and current Secretary of the Navy is Ken Braithwaite, a Navy Admiral and Pilot, the former Ambassador to Norway, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Class of 1984 - and my classmate.

Presenting a flag on behalf of the Secretary of the Navy takes on a new meaning when you know the man!
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In the book of Acts, Paul visits the city of Athens and he addresses the people:

For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: "To the unknown god." What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.  Acts 17:23

Paul takes this opportunity to tell the Athenians about the God that he knows, worships, and serves.  

The God of the Bible, the God that Christians worship, is not a God who's far off.  He isn't one whom you just read about; He's knowable. 

...let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.  Jeremiah 9:24

He's a God who cares about and for His creation.  He cares so much that Jesus, the second person of the Holy Trinity, became a baby, one of us, and lived among us.  Our God allows us to know Him in a very personal and intimate way. 

He also promises to be with us, and to hear our prayers.  And He gives us other Christians to encourage and strengthen us in our faith.  Martin Luther said this about our God:

Now, if someone has Him who fills all things, he has more than the whole world...when a man has Him who has more than He can give away, then his heart knows that he has a gracious God and all things in Him.  What could such a heart ever lack?

And when I hear my pastor say, "As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I forgive you all your sins," I know that he is speaking on behalf of Jesus, of someone he knows and I know, of the One whose Word is sure and true.

May each of us grow in faith, know Him better, and always know His peace.

Why Are You Afraid?

In many places, the Bible says, "Don't be afraid."

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.  Deuteronomy 31:6

...fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  Isaiah 41:10 

The Christian life is a life that's meant to be lived unafraid.  The gospel message brings peace and comfort to the anxious soul.  Yet I've heard messages recently that could and probably were meant to make me afraid.

I've heard that this pandemic is being used to bring us to a one-world government that will further control our lives.  I've heard that soon we'll all be required to get an identifying tattoo or an embedded chip that contains information about us.  

The message is a warning to Christians.  And that message is, "Beware.  This is the mark of the beast.  It's coming."  

Now I don't discount that there's evil in the world, that demonic forces are at work, and that governments want to control how people live and think.  But this is just fear-mongering, because it's an incomplete message.

First, our Lord has given us governments and rulers to keep order in society.  And we have to live and navigate within that realm.  Often the rule we live under is unfair, oppressive, and hard for the Christian.  But again, the Lord is in control; He's not oblivious to this, and He gives us faith to make it through.

But second and more importantly, my salvation doesn't hinge on my being able to figure-out the "mark of the beast."  In my baptism, I was marked and sealed as a child of God.  That's my mark.

And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22

My salvation is secure with the cross, the empty tomb, and the risen Jesus - my Lord, the One who's ascended to the throne of power.  That's my faith, my hope, and my comfort.

This whole tattoo/chip idea reminds me of years ago, when entering a theme park, how you'd get an invisible ink stamp on your hand so that you could reenter the park.  And this "mark" didn't and doesn't affect my soul or change my heart. 

But faith in Jesus has and does affect my soul.  Jesus referred to the Jewish leaders as "white-washed tombs."  On the outside, they looked good; but on the inside, they had a heart of stone.  It's their heart that was marked.

And my Lord looks at my heart.  It's a sinful heart that He's taken and pierced with His Word of truth, with the reality of my sin and the comfort and the reassurance of His forgiveness and love.  He's taken my heart of stone and given me a heart of flesh.  And He's said, "Fear not."

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.  John 14:27 

What's "the New Normal" for Christians?

It's called "the new normal" - life during this pandemic.  And when the stay-at-home order is lifted and everyone starts venturing out, then we'll have a "new, new normal."  

And although "new normal" is a fitting phrase, I don't like it, because it implies something "not so good" - something that I'm going to have to adjust to. 

So I've been thinking about another "new normal" - the one that matters to me.

For the Christian the "new normal" actually began in the Garden of Eden.  It began when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, broke their relationship with Him, and were thrown out of the garden.  But here's the thing, God promised them that One would be born who would restore that relationship and fix everything, fix what sin, Satan, and death had taken away.  

All throughout the Old Testament, God's people lived this "new normal" - looking for and waiting for the Messiah, the One who would restore their relationship with their God.  It was reiterated to Abraham and spoken of by the prophets.  It was on their minds, and the people were reminded of it in how they lived and especially in their many sacrifices.  Until...

...when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.  Galatians 4:4-5

Another "new normal" - a better one.  With the birth of Jesus, the Messiah, the kingdom of God had come to earth!  And the realization and the significance of this "new normal" first became clear when Jesus's empty tomb was discovered and then later with the coming of the Holy Spirit.

And that's the Christian's "new normal" - a treasure that was given to each one of us when we were baptized and given faith.  It's a "new normal" of forgiveness of sin, of receiving the Holy Spirit, of faith and hope in salvation and eternal life. 

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.  For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. Romans 6:3-5

And when this pandemic is dying away, when people are out working again, shopping, socializing, no matter how weird or difficult it may be, I'm praying that my "new normal" will be to "walk in newness of life" and to know that the "new normal" of being a Christian surpasses every other "new normal" and every situation I face.  

Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.  The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."  John 4:13-14

 
 

The Lord's Provision and Worship

I hate to shop.  During my homeschooling years, my middle son and I would go on a grocery shopping trip every three weeks.  We each had a list, we'd get two carts, and we'd go off in opposite directions, zooming through the store and filling our carts.  About 10 minutes later, we'd meet up and check out.  On the drive home, we'd always share a cherry coke or iced coffee. 

These days I'm shopping once a week, I'm alone, and I'm wearing a face mask.  And because of "social distancing" I can't even zoom through the store.  Fortunately my grocery store hasn't been crowded, and I've always found the items I needed...until yesterday.

Yesterday, the meat section was practically empty.  No chicken and no beef except for ground beef.  

Now we are in no ways starving or lacking for food.  But when I see empty meat shelves, I start to think, "What if this continues?  What will I fix?"  

It reminds me of how the Israelites, God's people, felt when they were in the wilderness, concerned that they weren't going to be fed.  The Israelites knew the Lord provided for them, they'd seen His provision, yet they still doubted.

Most of us, in this land of plenty, have never faced a food shortage.  I recall gas shortages and lines in the '70s, but that's about it.

And I can't help comparing this possible lack of food and daily supplies to my inability to attend Sunday worship.

My weekly "Ten Commandments - Prayer and Confession" devotion says this:

Help me to worship knowing that all is a gift from You.

Being able to attend weekly worship services, to hear God's Word, to hear His forgiveness of sins, to "take and eat" the Lord's Supper, to be encouraged by fellow Christians, to pray together - it's all a gift from the Lord.

Like the empty meat shelves, I'm deprived of seeing this site on Sunday mornings and of participating in worship at my church, of receiving God's gifts.

This week, I noted this prayer from Psalm 60 in the Lutheran Study Bible. 

When we face defeat, O Lord, keep our eyes on Your promises.  When we experience loss, keep our hearts filled with Your peace.  When we don't understand Your plan for us, keep the cross of Christ always before us - the depth and breath and height of Your love for us.  Amen.

 And as I pray, Psalm 43 comes to mind:

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
        and why are you in turmoil within me?
    Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
        my salvation and my God.  Psalm 43:5

 

Are You Sick?

Yesterday I woke up feeling cold.  Now that doesn't necessarily mean anything, since I often feel hotter and sometimes even colder than normal.  But I started thinking, "Am I getting sick?"  

My husband felt my head - nothing.  I took my temperature - nothing.  Yet I'm still thinking, "I might have that virus."  

And that's the way it is when there's a chance of illness.  My physical well-being becomes my focus, occupying my thoughts, and affecting everything I do.  Every little body twinge is a cause for concern.

About a month ago, just as we went into this stay-at-home mode, I happened across John Donne's Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions - meditations relating to sickness, death, and trusting in the Lord during trying times.  

These writings include the well-known phrase "never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

Donne writes these devotions as he's experiencing some type of sickness; he also relates how he does all he can to avoid getting sick.  Nothing wrong with that.  We do the same.

But Donne then compares his concern for physical health with his concern for spiritual health.  

Why is not my soul as sensible as my body?  Why hath not my soul these apprehensions...these suspicions of a sin, as well as my body of a sickness?...I fall sick of sin...and all this while have no presage, no pulse, no sense of my sickness.

Donne recognizes that he isn't on the look-out for dangers, for temptations and the sin that may harm his spiritual soul.  

And I'm convicted.  I know God's Word and His commandments.  I'm aware of my sinful heart.  And yet I don't wear a "spiritual mask" to protect myself.  I'm not careful in that regard.

Now I have two options here:

1) I can totally ignore my spiritual health and be unconcerned about my sin, which is my tendency; or...

2) I can overreact and become legalistic and obsessed with personal holiness.

Of course, neither one of them is the correct choice.

So I turn to option #3.

Jesus came into this world, died on the cross and then rose again.  Because He came, I call God my Father, and I neither ignore my spiritual health or obsess over it.  

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  Galatians 2:20

There's freedom and love in being a child in my Father's house.  It's okay that I'm the prodigal son, always returning, always being forgiven, always loved.

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.  For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."       Galatians 5:13–14

Looking for Something to Read?

It was in college that I was first introduced to The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis.  Narnia is the name of Lewis's fantasy land in which a group of children have various adventures.  The Narnia books also "paint pictures" of the Christian life and understanding.

One of my favorite pictures is of the outdoor climate, the elements in Narnia.  In The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, when the children initially enter Narnia, it's dismal, cold, and snowy.  One character describes it as "always winter and never Christmas."  

Now it took me awhile to "get" that idea, since in our culture the ideal Christmases always come with snow.

But in Narnia, Christmas was never coming, or so it seemed.


However, midway through the story, Father Christmas (Santa Claus of all people!) arrives.  The snow starts melting, green grass and flowers appear, and birds begin chirping.  Spring has come to Narnia!

And the reason for the thaw, for the new growth, the new life - Aslan, the story's Christ figure, has arrived.

In the Bible's Old Testament, the Lord promised His people that a Messiah, a savior, would come, to make things right in this world.  The people looked and waited for, and trusted in this promise.

"Behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord, "when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land."  Jeremiah 23:5

I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day.  Zechariah 3:9b

But for the Old Testament people, the Bible says...

These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.  Hebrews 11:13

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.  Galatians 4:4-5

Once Jesus was born, things were different.  The promise of hope was that a Messiah would come to free the people, to bring them back to the Lord; and with Jesus, that hope was fulfilled.  The long winter was over; spring was here.

No matter how bad things in this life are or how bad they get, we enjoy the privilege of living in this time period, a period that Jesus has entered into.  He came and died for the sins of the world, He defeated death and rose from the grave, He sent us the Holy Spirit, and now He, Jesus, rules and reigns.

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness.  Isaiah 61:10a

Crushing the Trash

I was taking a walk around the neighborhood early this morning, and I noted all the bags and containers of trash waiting to be picked up.  I waved at the trash collector when he drove by, but the Marine inside me wanted to salute.  Thank-you to all our waste disposal workers who remain on-the-job!

We're a people with a lot of stuff, a lot of junk, and a lot of trash.  We're constantly throwing stuff away.  

Not only that, but we have a lot of trash on the inside of us, a lot of sin, struggles, hurts, temptations, guilt, covetousness, sloth, envy, pride.  The list goes on.  We have a lot of trash.

And this "inside trash" we like to hide it, and just carry it around with us.  It's on the inside, so nobody sees it or knows what we're bearing or what our insides actually look like.  Even carrying this "inside trash" is more trash - our shame - that we also bear.

Paul puts it this way...

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh...Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Romans 7:18 and 24

And David prays...

Have mercy on me, O God...my sin is ever before me...Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.  Psalm 51:1, 3, and 10

Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, the Son, was born into this world as a baby, as one of us.  He lived among us.  He fed people and healed them; He taught and loved them.  

But He also came to save them.  And He came to save us, to rid us of that trash inside of us, to crush it.  That's why He went to the cross.

He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.  1 John 2:2

But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.       Isaiah 53:5

And just like that faithful trash worker, Jesus takes my "inside trash" again and again and again, as many times as I need Him to take it, He takes it.  And He forgives my sins and makes me clean and sets me free. 

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.  John 8:36

To Whom Do You Pray?

A friend recently tried to convince me that "we all pray to the same god."  His argument included the fact that "there are other religions that also pray to the god of Abraham."

Okay, he's correct, sort of. 

Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you."  Genesis 12:1 

And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.  Genesis 17:7

There are other religions that use these verses to trace their origins back to Abraham.  But that's not the whole story.
 
Yesterday I made a quick trip to the store, and I happened to see a sign on a display stand - "Celebrate Easter, April 12, 2020."

I was glad of that reminder.  It gets to the heart of the difference between Christianity and other religions that claim to "worship the god of Abraham."

Abraham was also told:

...and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. Genesis 22:18a

Christians believe that this offspring that blesses all nations is the promised Messiah; that He's Jesus.  

And this Jesus is God incarnate - God who took on flesh, the little baby whose birth we celebrate during Christmas,  and the servant leader we read about in the New Testament who taught and healed people.  

This Jesus is the One who bore the sins of the world, who died on the cross for those sins, for my sins.  And He's the One who rose again on that first Easter morning.  He overcame sin, death, and Satan to be that blessing to all nations, to me.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.  John 1:14

...but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:23–24

And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:30–31

I know it's not Easter yet, but, Jesus is risen, and He's on the throne.  Our God.

"Chariots and Horses?"

I love this verse:

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.  Psalm 20:7

In the Old Testament, during the times of the kings, people trusted in their nation's military strength and power.  And chariots and horses were "state-of-the-art" military equipment. 

These days, our "chariots and horses" are:
- comfort and health
- money and success
- relationships and popularity
- entertainment and leisure

As this virus has progressed, and people are wandering what to make of it, I keep thinking about plagues and where we put our trust.

Most people are aware of the ten plagues that happened in Egypt during the time of Moses.  But there's also an incident recorded in Numbers.  

In this account, the Israelites have been living in the wilderness for many years, and all this time the Lord has provided for them.  But they forget His provision and start complaining about having no food and no water.  And the Lord sends...

fiery serpents among the people, and they [bite] the people, so that many people of Israel died.  Numbers 21:6

But it's what happens next that's significant.  The Lord tells Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole.  When anyone who was bitten looked at the bronze serpent, he would live.

Now I don't know the reasons behind what's happening in the world today and I wouldn't dare to speculate.  But I do know where to look and what to trust, or rather Whom to trust.

About Himself, Jesus said:

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.  John 3:14–15

In the midst of this uncertain life, and life is definitely uncertain these days, it's the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus that's absolute, undeniable, and the one thing to trust.  Look to the crucified and risen Christ.

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.  John 16:33