Veiled in Obscurity

Had there been a newspaper in Jerusalem on the day Christ was crucified, His death would not have made the headlines.  After all, the Romans were constantly crucifying someone.  Causes around Israel and specifically Jerusalem, were not in short supply.  Some zealot, religious or not, was always trying to defy Rome.

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, reporters would have disregarded the story as well.  Had sleazy tabloids existed in Nazareth, perhaps they would have disclosed a rumor – that one of the town’s teenage girls was pregnant.  The rumor mill would also have included something about angels appearing to several unsuspecting shepherds. They knew nothing about a supernatural plan that was in progress.

God has always operated in obscurity among the naturally oriented and spiritually blinded of the world.  That is why solid biblical preaching is so vital.  The Bible reveals God’s heart on any given matter. 

Pastor and author, David Crabtree wrote, “The world that crucified Jesus was a barbaric world, a world where the life of the commoner held no value.  One born in a stable, the Romans concluded, could only be an animal.  As the cross was raised and tamped into place, it was just like a thousand others crucifixions on a thousand other hills. 

The mighty Roman Empire was just taking out its trash – nothing more, nothing less.  What would it matter?  He was just one peasant Jew, a bit of dust in the world.”

Records for the crucified dead were non-existent.  Most of them died in obscurity.  They were placed in the tombs of the unknown.  Surviving family members, if any, were usually given permission to claim their dead.

Crabtree continued, “Today, however, the crucifixion of the man between two thieves is remembered on every continent and in every nation.  All of time looks back to a moment immediately forgotten by its executioners and forever remembered by its benefactors, the moment of ultimate grace.”

Some years ago a theologian summarized the death of Jesus in this manner:  “Jesus was crucified on a Roman cross – this is an historical fact.  Jesus died for the sins of the world – this is a theological premise.  Jesus died for MY sins – this is personal salvation.” 

The historical, crucified Jesus to the world at large was just a good man.  “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness” (1 Corinthians 1:18a).  But to those of us who know Him personally, “it (the preaching of the cross) is the power of God” (verse 18b).  How I love the obscure man of Bethlehem, then Nazareth, then Galilee, then Calvary!  My Jesus!

Do you know Him personally? 

The Dash

None of us are going to get out of here alive, unless the Rapture occurs!  One day, as surely as the sun rises in the East and sets in the West, we will “go the way of all the earth” (1 Kings 2:2a).  When our time comes, it won’t matter how much money we have in the bank, what kind of home we live in or the make and model of our car.  Someone said, “I’ve never seen a hearse pulling a U-Haul!”  Only one thing will matter on that day:  A personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

The following poem was written by an anonymous writer, which beautifully conveys what’s really important when we leave this earth.

I’m Glad You’re in My Dash

I read of a man who stood to speak

At the funeral of a friend.

Her referred to the dates on her tombstone

From the beginning to the end.

He noted that first came her date of birth,

And spoke of the following dates with tears.

But he said what mattered most of all

Was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time

That she spent alive on earth…

And now only those who loved her

Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not how much we own…

The cars…the house…the cash.

What matters is how we live and love

And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard…

Are there things you’d like to change?

For you never know how much time is left,

That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough

To consider what’s true and real,

And always try to understand

The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,

And show appreciation more

And love the people in our lives

Like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect

And more often wear a smile…

Remembering that this special dash

May last only a little while.

So, when your eulogy’s being read

With your life’s actions to rehash…

Would you be proud of the things they say

About how you spent your dash?

Remember, life is not as much about how many years you live, but how you live your years.  What stories will your dash tell?  As for me, I choose to give my years to Jesus, and touch as many lives as I can.

Regardless of how many years I’m given, I want always to “look to the rock from which I was cut, and to the quarry from which I was hewn” (Isaiah 51:1b).  I’ve learned that an occasional glance backwards helps me keep today in a balanced perspective.  However, I dare not look back too long, as I may get stuck in the past!  Some traditions are good, but generally speaking, tradition is where God was.  I want to be where God is!

Why not take a few moments to reflect back over your life?  Who has touched you in amazing ways?  If they’re still around, let them know!  What events and places have shaped you?  Re-visit them, if only in your mind.  In the near future, I plan to drive by my childhood home on Maple Road in Jefferson; and then to my maternal grandparents’ home on Anderson Road in Pierpont.  Two places that shaped my life!

Suddenly!

Have you ever noticed the “suddenlies” of God recorded in the New Testament?

Here’s a few:

“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel praising God and saying ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests’” (Luke 2:13-14).

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.  Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:1-2).

“As he (Saul of Tarsus) neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him” (Acts 9:3).

These times of God’s intervention reveal His modus operandi, or His way of responding to people.  Have you ever experienced this aspect of God’s intervention in your life?

Often, life tends to rock along and we are required to wait and to endure.  Answers to prayer seem slow in coming.  Miracles evade us.  Then, all of a sudden, God shows up and brings a “suddenly” into our life.  “Suddenlies” constitute breakthroughs!

“Suddenlies” usually preclude a new season of God’s purposes in kingdom life.  For example, an angelic host suddenly appeared in the night skies over Bethlehem to “sing” earth’s greatest birth announcement.  This host had waited centuries to serenade unsuspecting shepherds!

Wind and fire suddenly filled an upper room in Jerusalem and 120 men and women were filled with the Holy Spirit, thus inaugurating the birth of the Church.  This group had been required to wait several days before their “suddenly” manifested. 

A light brighter than the noonday sun suddenly overwhelmed Saul of Tarsus; and Jesus Christ spoke from heaven, forever changing the life of this Jewish hatchet man.  That day in the dirt, God’s “suddenly” transformed a persecutor into a preacher!  Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, would later write two-thirds of the New Testament.  God’s “suddenly” was followed by a heavenly assignment!

But wait.  We usually don’t experience “suddenlies” every day.  Sometimes we are called upon to wait.  However, remember that God’s delays do not constitute His denials.  His delays do not signal His deliberate attempts to withhold His help we so desperately need at times.  When His purposes in our life have been worked out, He shows up with a “suddenly” and kingdom plans are set into motion. His timing is perfect!

Do you need God’s intervention in a situation today?  Remember, He is at work on your behalf this very moment and when His kingdom purpose for your life comes to fruition, your “suddenly” will come forth.  His modus operandi hasn’t changed!

I Hate to Wait!

I don’t wait well.  Do you?   And I have a theory:  The acid test of patience is how we deal with delays in the drive-thru lines of our favorite fast-food restaurants!

I hate to admit it, but often I act like the children of Israel. On one occasion they failed miserably in the “waiting department!”  They were required to wait on Moses, who had climbed Mt. Sinai to hear from God.  Moses’ delay sent them into an angry frenzy that ignited their rebellious and lustful natures.  The outcome was a golden calf – an idol!  

God’s unique purpose in our waiting is to renew and equip us for service.  “Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary” (Isaiah 40:31).

What a revelation!  This is one reason why event-oriented Christians become impatient.  They hate to wait!  Furthermore, what they want, they want immediately.  They’re like the Christian who prayed, “Lord, give me patience, right now!” 

And often, event-driven Christians bounce from church to church, looking for the spectacular without ever giving attention to their need for solid Bible-based teaching and preaching and the need for participating and serving in a healthy community of faith.

What’s my point? While walking with the Lord, we tend to magnify events and downplay the process.  We often hear comments like, “Wow, can you believe that service?” or “I wish it could be like that every time we have church.”  The Children of Israel enjoyed their camp meeting on the opposite shore of the Red Sea following their deliverance from Pharaoh’s army.  Later they despised having to wait for Moses to descend the mountain.  However, it’s the process that makes us like Jesus.

In Psalm 95 we read this indictment against Israel:  “They tried Me, though they had seen my work.  For forty years I loathed that generation, and said they are a people who err in their hearts, and they do not know my ways” (verse 9-10).  Psalm 103:7 reminds us that “He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.”  While miracles are wonderful (and should be expected), it is God’s overriding desire that we assume His nature.

King Saul, on his way to battle, grew impatient and became incensed when the prophet Samuel delayed his coming.  It was solely the prophet’s responsibility to offer the sacrifice (the event).  However, Saul despised the wait (the process), took matters into his own hands and paid dearly for it.  His anger turned to hate, which turned to bitterness, which turned to mental instability.  By the time he fell on his own sword on the battlefield, while the Philistines were closing in, he had been reduced to a psychopathic killer.

So, instead of becoming angry at God’s delays, do like Charles Swindoll says and “enjoy the view from Mt. Perspective.”  Understand that God is “producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17).