Whatcha' Doin'?

The overall theme of the Bible is about God’s passion to keep His people in a close relationship with Him and He has gone to extraordinary lengths to make that possible. Even though God made a covenant in the Old Testament with His people and demonstrated His love in many ways, they wandered off the path like sheep that didn't want to follow their shepherd. They didn’t seem interested in keeping the relationship going. Still, God kept trying to bring them back to Him. The way God’s people behaved then and the way you and I behave now, makes one wonder why God didn’t just forget about this project a long time ago rather than make all that effort to bring us back to Himself. The point is, that a relationship with God requires effort, not just on God’s part, but on ours. It is a two-way relationship and God has come toward us more than half way. So, my questions for you are, “Whatcha doin'? How far have you come?” When I began to study the chapters in Zachariah, I really didn’t see how I could ever make sense out of them or even write a blog about them. But as I read and prayed, I began to see that these passages are rich in images and truth. The only problem I have now is how to share it with you in 4 short paragraphs! But, I want to challenge you to take a radical, new step towards growth.

Regardless of how far you have wandered away, regardless of how messed up your life is, regardless of how weak and inadequate you feel you are, God has a recipe for transformation and renewal. Some of you are struggling with challenges. You may feel like you are spinning your wheels in ruts you can’t get out of. You may be going through deep waters that threaten to drown you. You may feel like (as I have on many occasions) that you are surrounded by so many filthy, violent, and desperate people you don’t know where to turn. You may feel trapped in some kind of secret sin that you can’t let go of. I don’t know what you are up against, but whatever your challenges are, the verses in Zachariah offer hope. The first thing to remember is that even though it may not seem like it, God is looking out for you. By that I don’t mean that you will always find a parking space at the mall when you need one or that you will never have a bad hair day. That is not what this is about. We all know that God does provide for us in unexpected and undeserved ways. If I asked for your testimonies about unexpected blessings you have received, several of you would have something to say. But the picture I’m painting today is bigger than that. As the description of Jerusalem begins to unfold in Zachariah Chapter 12, it sounds at first like bad things are going to happen: heavy stones, frightened horses, flaming torches. But with each one, some action is added that makes clear that God will save and protect his people, making it possible to live victoriously in the midst of turmoil and threats. God looks out for his us. These verses assure us that when God has a plan, He will carry it through. When He makes a promise, He keeps it. When He offers victory, He means it. Regardless of the circumstances of our lives,  we can be assured that God will carry out his purposes. As Zachariah says in Chapter 12:8, the Lord will shield His people so that even the most feeble among them shall be like King David. That is more than we could humanly hope for. And Rom. 8:31 says, "If God is for us, who is against us?" That is the first thing to remember. God looks out for his people and He is looking out for you. Have you claimed that promise? 

The second thing to remember is that we don’t measure up to God’s standards, so we need to face up to our sin and repent. I have talked with people who know they have violated God’s intentions for them and they are ready to recognize it, repent, and let God change them. I have talked with others whose sin is as plain as the nose on their face, but they maintain they have done nothing wrong in God’s eyes. They say they are as good or better than anyone else. But as we all know, God doesn’t ask us to compare ourselves with the guy next to us. It is God’s standard that counts. Through the prophet Zechariah, God reminds us to face up to our shortcomings and recognize sin for what it is. When you read these verses, you can detect an underlying tone of sorrow and sadness. Something has gone awry. In Chapter 12:10, for example, we read about weeping bitterly and mourning. What is that about? It is a recognition that the way people have treated the God of the universe should cause them to weep because of their sins and wrong doings. We don’t know what the historical circumstance is behind verse 10 when it says, "When they look on the one whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for Him." Scholars have all kinds of theories about martyrs, assassinations, and betrayals. Whatever it was, the people of Israel had messed up in a big way. And so have we. But the sadness about our sin gives way to healing and hope. No amount of weeping alone can remove our sin. It takes a supernatural act of God to cleanse us from sin. Right after the verses about mourning, we read in Zachariah 13:1 that a fountain shall be opened to cleanse us from sin and impurity. If there is anything the human heart needs, it is forgiveness of sin and cleansing of our stained souls. And once again, even though Zechariah couldn’t have known, God had a plan to make it possible through the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ. In His sermon on the mount, Jesus said, Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Weeping over our sins is not a sign of weakness. It is the first step toward wholeness. And when Jesus came, he opened a fountain, permanently available, to wash away our sins. The thing to do with our sin and wrong doing is to face up to it and repent and accept God’s cleansing. That is why the Bible commands baptism, to symbolize God’s cleansing. And if you haven’t taken that step, God is calling. God not only looks out for us, He invites us to repent.

As I read on in verse 7, I asked why would God want his sheep to be scattered? Why would God put his people through hardship? It didn't register with me. And why would He end up with only a portion of the total number? The answer is found verse 9 where we read about the testing and refining of silver and gold. And in order to accomplish that, these kinds of precious metals need to go through the fire. Usually we think of fire as a bad thing. But, in the Bible, being put into the fire is not always bad. Remember the three friends of Daniel who were put into the fiery furnace? As the gospel song says, They didn’t bend, they didn’t bow, they didn’t burn. But they were in the fire. And Zechariah compares spiritual trials to the way gold and silver get refined. Not everyone responds the same to fiery trials. You have probably known people, who, when they experienced hardship, became bitter and may have even turned against God. And you probably have known others who became more thoughtful, humble, and repentant.  James 1 says, "Whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance and leads to maturity. Finally, the third thing to remember is that God wants to refine us, to make us pure like precious gold. Don’t let anyone tell you that following Jesus is a piece of cake. Yes, God provides blessings in abundance, but once you set your feet on the path of obedience and discipleship, you will likely run into challenges and obstacles and temptations that you didn’t know were possible. You will be tested. You will be tried. Does anyone reading this blog know what I mean? One of the most comforting Bible passages I’ve found is Isaiah 43:1-3. God knows what He is doing. He knows what we can take. In I Cor. 10:13, He has promised not to test us beyond what we are able to bear. God will not drop us or abandon us. He invites us to repent, to be refined, and renewed.  So my challenge to you is, get back in the game even if you have drifted due to laziness, being uninterested, too busy with daily tasks, overwhelmed by problems, because you were overcome by some sin, etc. It's never too late to repent, pray for strength, and return to your Father.  Make the remainder of this year one closer with God by reading and  studying His Word, growing spiritually, and gratefully doing His will. 

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

Spiritual Maturity Takes Time

So many of the most beautiful things in life and in nature for that matter, don’t move, grow, or develop with great speed. Instead, their movements are slow and gradual.  Part of the wonder of nature,  is getting to see the different pieces gradually unfolding according to an order and time frame established by GOD--like a bud that opens into a flower. Flowers don't bloom overnight once planted. It's a waiting game. Another example is a tomato plant. In my experience, growing from seedling to harvest takes around 2 months. What about things that happen in us when the "seed" of Word of God has been planted in us? Do we suddenly become a perfect person? I say not. Spiritual growth is also like the growth of a plant--slow and gradual: from seed to sprout, to green vegetation, to budding, flowering, then fruit with various ripening stages.

Have you ever wish that your own spiritual growth could happen faster? That the interpretation of scriptures was as effortless as some seem to have mastered? That Satan's temptation were easier to resist? That controlling your tongue was as effortless as turning off a switch? What the Lord is telling us in His Word, right from the opening chapters of Genesis, on through the story of the Exodus, by the wanderings of the Children of Israel in the wilderness, in the many battles that they had to fight in the land of Canaan, on through the time of the prophets, and finally by way of the Lord’s own thirty-three years of life on earth …what the Bible is telling us by all of these things in their chronological order, and explicitly in Exodus 23, is that spiritual growth and rebirth, and also the growth of human relationships, are slow…and gradual…and seasonal…and majestic.

 Like the change of the seasons,

And the turning of the tide,

And the growth of a tree,

And the opening of a flower.

He’s telling us that we can’t expect to break out of dysfunctional ways of thinking, destructive tendencies, hurtful attitudes, or habits and vices of life in an instant. There is a tendency of the followers of Christ to believe that somehow any bad habit within us can be changed within a heartbeat and we suddenly become flawless.  As with ourselves, we learn about destructive forms of anger and opposite forms of love, and we don’t want to be angry people; we want to be loving people instead. And so we may begin to act like we "aren’t angry” (…and that’s a good start!) we might even think that because of our new outward behavior, that suddenly we aren’t angry any more. But does acting like we aren’t angry and thinking we aren't angry really take anger away--remove it (finger snap) in an instant? Often it doesn’t, and we end up just kidding ourselves and our anger goes on burning. The truth is, human nature can't be changed in a moment, but only gradually--as we daily learn the truth of orderly living from the Lord and then with the Lord’s help and power put that truth to work in both the inner and outer parts of our lives, refusing to do what is hurtful or "evil" to other people because it is against the Lord’s will and good intentions, and then acting on the goodness that presents itself to us as an option for our lives. “ He or she who has My commandments and lives them,” the Lord says, “ he it is who loves me; and I will come to him or her and make My home with him” John 14:21. “Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you become fruitful and inherit the land" Exodus 23:30.  It's in keeping with this Scripture that the teachings of the New Church suggest that spiritual growth is not hurried; rather, it is slow and gradual. Everything that we have ever thought; everything that we have ever intended in our hearts; every word that we have ever spoken; and every action that we have ever done--from our earliest childhood on through to the present moment--becomes part of the composition of our lives. It helps form the fabric of who we are. Ultimately, we know that each one of us, having operated in the flesh has certain destructive tendencies and dysfunctional ways of thinking that we bring into our spiritual DNA when becoming "Christian." Though are sins are forgiven, the tendency TO SIN is still there.

So what’s the point? The point is that the growth and development and rebirth of the human spirit, isn't something that happens (finger snap) all at once. Instead, the Lord’s mercy is constantly at work with us--every moment, throughout the entire course of our Christian journey--guiding us and gently moving us with all of the love, patience, wisdom, and majesty that we see

in nature—

 In the change of the seasons;

 In the turning of the tides;

 In the growth of a tree;

 And in the opening of a flower.

God has given each believer "POWER TO BECOME THE SONS OF GOD" (John 1:12.) The life and journey of a born-again Christian is a long, day by day, month by month, year by year process

of growth, error, sin, forgiveness, hope, growth, error,  knowledge, slipping,  forgiveness, understanding, obedience, comprehension, maturity, and wisdom! Don't allow yourself to give up your Christian walk if you struggle to maintain a spotless record. No one stops cursing overnight, harnesses a bad temper, or doesn't get tempted to give into physical lust, etc. The more you read and plant the seeds of Gods words in your heart and mind for spiritual guidance and knowledge, the more you'll learn and receive power to overcome temptation and committing offenses and sins. Some of us are just a seedling. Others have vegetation and growth. There are others blooming and coming into maturity, while the remainder are producing fruit. Wherever you are in the link walking with Christ, be encouraged to continue growing, despite weakness, doubt, hardship, or failure. Just know, true repentance is more than acknowledging sin, it is turning away from sin and to God. It is not simply saying ‘Lord, I repent’ and while still seeking sin out. If you find that your desires are sinful, pray ‘Lord, create in me clean and pure desires. Take out these sinful desires in my heart.’ Be honest with yourself. You won’t get past sinful desires if you never admit that they are there. The bottom line is,  Christian living is all about glorifying God by enjoying Him and being with Him. It’s not supposed to be about trying to not sin. I’m not trying to lessen the seriousness of sin, but I am trying to magnify the importance of the pursuit of enjoying God. When you enjoy God, you obey Him more consistently because it’s based on love. And love produces a powerful kind of obedience.

Until He Comes,

-Pat-