Several years into the Babylonian captivity, after God has made His name known and revered in the whole Babylonian and Medo-Persian empire, Daniel recalls the prophecies of Jeremiah and is moved to tears, confession and repentance. Daniel gave long days to fasting, sack-cloth and ashes and heart-wrenching prayer. And he said, "Give ear, O God, and hear; open Your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears Your Name. We do not make requests of You because we are righteous, but because of Your great mercy. [9:18 NIV]"
Amidst judgment and punishment, Daniel was aroused to say that Jehovah is merciful. With the city and the holy temple in ashes, with his people scattered to the four winds and he himself a eunuch in the court of heathens, Daniel calls God a God of great mercy. Daniel knew that his people were brought low by the hand of God. Conversely, they would be rescued and made to stand by the that same Hand.
God's grace is a consistent theme in Scripture. As is our salvation on the basis of that grace alone.
Daniel says, "We make requests of you, not because we are righteous but because of Your great mercy." Not because we are righteous. Not because we consent to our punishment. Not because we have confessed our sins in total. Not because we have repented. Not because we are withered from fasting and shamed in sackcloth. But because You are merciful.
While Daniel decried the evils of Israel and committed to godliness through repentance, he knew that those things had no inherent saving power. He knew that in the end, all men must declare their filthy rags to be filthy and acknowledge that their rescue and forgiveness came solely on the basis of God's mercy.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Monday, September 11, 2006
Blessed are the Peacemakers
Since I have been meditating lately on the Beattitudes, perhaps God decided to test me on a point or two.
Last night, I was returning home from B&Q with the family. I was in the front seat of the taxi, the family safely tucked away in the rear. As we stopped at a red light, the driver of the taxi in front of ours, got out of his car and began to yell at two men in an adjacent black car. After a few seconds, the occupants had had enough jawing and they jumped out of their car and began to pound the 50-year old taxi driver.
The sight of this prompted my dear wife to exclaim, "Honey!" Which in our marriage, means "Do something!" I exited the taxi and ran to pull the biggest beater-downer away from the taxi-driver. I put myself in the middle of the fracas and fore-armed the biggie and pushed the taxi driver back.
In my best adrenaline-induced, loud, broken Chinese I repeatedly screamed "That's enough!" The main aggressor cooled it and his passenger backed away, content just to offer obscenities. Alas, the taxi driver was not as smart. He held his grip on the big guy's shirt sleeve. As much as I tried to coax him to let go, he wouldn't. Apparently the shirt was made out of Lycra or something similar because (just like in the movies) the entire shirt ripped right off the other man's body! The taxi driver stumbled backward, regained his balance and stood there holding the shirt. The finger popped right out of the hole in the dike. There was no holding back the tides at that point. The two men went right after the driver again!
But almost out of the sky, two policeman appeared and wrestled the men apart. Unfortunately, not before each got in a few parting shots on the hapless driver. When the Calvary arrived, I returned to my taxi and had quite a lively conversation with my own driver on the way home.
After I got home, I thought about the situation long and hard.
We are called to be peacemakers. I think it was good to make peace. Or try.
On the other hand, I have seen in my lifetime a couple dozen fights and have even been in a little scrap or two myself. (Not in 14 years though.) I have watched my share of UFC and other combat-oriented events. Most fights - in fact a huge percentage - end with just a little blood, sore knuckles, a black eye or a cracked rib. Few end in death or dismemberment. Especially in China.
So I was also considering this notion. Is it right for a man to get out of his car, go over to another car and scream and yell? Isn't there part of us, that says, "You know, that's not right."? If I had just let him get wailed on, (as it was, the guys got in a good 8-10 licks), would he ever yell and scream again? I would hope not. Maybe he needed to learn a lesson. 50 is not too old to learn how to behave.
Hopefully, both ends were served. The older taxi driver learned not to confront two men in their thirties by himself and I saved him from a more serious butt-whooping.
In the future (as this type of thing seems more common), I will probably just let the men go at it. However, where there seems to be some gross injustice (like man versus child or woman or old man), I would have to step in. That also is more and more common.
Anyway....interesting night.
I think there is a lot of peacemaking on the horizon.
Last night, I was returning home from B&Q with the family. I was in the front seat of the taxi, the family safely tucked away in the rear. As we stopped at a red light, the driver of the taxi in front of ours, got out of his car and began to yell at two men in an adjacent black car. After a few seconds, the occupants had had enough jawing and they jumped out of their car and began to pound the 50-year old taxi driver.
The sight of this prompted my dear wife to exclaim, "Honey!" Which in our marriage, means "Do something!" I exited the taxi and ran to pull the biggest beater-downer away from the taxi-driver. I put myself in the middle of the fracas and fore-armed the biggie and pushed the taxi driver back.
In my best adrenaline-induced, loud, broken Chinese I repeatedly screamed "That's enough!" The main aggressor cooled it and his passenger backed away, content just to offer obscenities. Alas, the taxi driver was not as smart. He held his grip on the big guy's shirt sleeve. As much as I tried to coax him to let go, he wouldn't. Apparently the shirt was made out of Lycra or something similar because (just like in the movies) the entire shirt ripped right off the other man's body! The taxi driver stumbled backward, regained his balance and stood there holding the shirt. The finger popped right out of the hole in the dike. There was no holding back the tides at that point. The two men went right after the driver again!
But almost out of the sky, two policeman appeared and wrestled the men apart. Unfortunately, not before each got in a few parting shots on the hapless driver. When the Calvary arrived, I returned to my taxi and had quite a lively conversation with my own driver on the way home.
After I got home, I thought about the situation long and hard.
We are called to be peacemakers. I think it was good to make peace. Or try.
On the other hand, I have seen in my lifetime a couple dozen fights and have even been in a little scrap or two myself. (Not in 14 years though.) I have watched my share of UFC and other combat-oriented events. Most fights - in fact a huge percentage - end with just a little blood, sore knuckles, a black eye or a cracked rib. Few end in death or dismemberment. Especially in China.
So I was also considering this notion. Is it right for a man to get out of his car, go over to another car and scream and yell? Isn't there part of us, that says, "You know, that's not right."? If I had just let him get wailed on, (as it was, the guys got in a good 8-10 licks), would he ever yell and scream again? I would hope not. Maybe he needed to learn a lesson. 50 is not too old to learn how to behave.
Hopefully, both ends were served. The older taxi driver learned not to confront two men in their thirties by himself and I saved him from a more serious butt-whooping.
In the future (as this type of thing seems more common), I will probably just let the men go at it. However, where there seems to be some gross injustice (like man versus child or woman or old man), I would have to step in. That also is more and more common.
Anyway....interesting night.
I think there is a lot of peacemaking on the horizon.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
My Legalist Mind Pt. 1
I was reading Matthew 5. Jesus sat down. He opened His mouth,
"The poor in spirit are blessed because the kingdom of heaven is theirs."
Stop.*
Hmmm.
I kept reading. I saw Jesus say:
You have heard it said, "The rich get richer and the poor get nothing" but I say, "The kingdom of heaven belongs to the poor."
You have heard it said, "Pursue pleasure, reject sorrow, turn sorrow into gladness and be happy" but I say, "Do not be afraid to mourn, there is comfort for the mourner."
You have heard it said, "Survival of the fittest, Dog eat Dog, Might makes right" but I say , "The gentle will inherit the earth."
You have heard it said, "You are good enough; Love you for you" but I say, "Hunger for righteousness and you will be filled."
You have heard it said, "Truth, Justice and the American Way" but I say, "The merciful will find mercy."
You have heard it said, "You need to experience the world and you can't be blind to sin" but I say, "Pure hearts clearly see God."
You have heard said every slanderous, gossiping, back-biting, murderous comment, but I say, "God's sons are peacemakers."
You have heard it said, "Watch your rep, watch your back, get yours and stay true to your colors" but I say unto you, "Take the Big One for Me and you'll get a big reward."
---------------
* For some reason, I have always read this passage this way: Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. My mind has said to me, "You are blessed and will be blessed because you are poor in spirit." Something is inherently wrong with that. Are we blessed due to an intrinsic value or characteristic? Or are we blessed because we receive a blessing? In other words, are we in a state of "blessedness" when we are persecuted or when we a rewarded?
"The poor in spirit are blessed because the kingdom of heaven is theirs."
Stop.*
Hmmm.
I kept reading. I saw Jesus say:
You have heard it said, "The rich get richer and the poor get nothing" but I say, "The kingdom of heaven belongs to the poor."
You have heard it said, "Pursue pleasure, reject sorrow, turn sorrow into gladness and be happy" but I say, "Do not be afraid to mourn, there is comfort for the mourner."
You have heard it said, "Survival of the fittest, Dog eat Dog, Might makes right" but I say , "The gentle will inherit the earth."
You have heard it said, "You are good enough; Love you for you" but I say, "Hunger for righteousness and you will be filled."
You have heard it said, "Truth, Justice and the American Way" but I say, "The merciful will find mercy."
You have heard it said, "You need to experience the world and you can't be blind to sin" but I say, "Pure hearts clearly see God."
You have heard said every slanderous, gossiping, back-biting, murderous comment, but I say, "God's sons are peacemakers."
You have heard it said, "Watch your rep, watch your back, get yours and stay true to your colors" but I say unto you, "Take the Big One for Me and you'll get a big reward."
---------------
* For some reason, I have always read this passage this way: Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. My mind has said to me, "You are blessed and will be blessed because you are poor in spirit." Something is inherently wrong with that. Are we blessed due to an intrinsic value or characteristic? Or are we blessed because we receive a blessing? In other words, are we in a state of "blessedness" when we are persecuted or when we a rewarded?
Friday, September 01, 2006
How Deep the Father's Love for Us
Can
I just stumbled across this. It touched me. I watched it again and it moved me more. Cody...this is for you.
This is a music video about a father and his son. Over twenty years ago Dick Hoyt ran a 5k while pushing his disabled son, Rick, in a wheelchair. They have since competed in over a hundred triathlons and marathons together.
Visit Team Hoyt
I just stumbled across this. It touched me. I watched it again and it moved me more. Cody...this is for you.
This is a music video about a father and his son. Over twenty years ago Dick Hoyt ran a 5k while pushing his disabled son, Rick, in a wheelchair. They have since competed in over a hundred triathlons and marathons together.
Visit Team Hoyt
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