The first curses--Gen 4-6

The theme of Genesis 3-6 is the burden of the curse and hope for release, particularly in connection with the ground itself.  That may be a new concept to you, but understanding it holds great power for those of us who take our responsibility as stewards of this world seriously and know the joy of praying for our world's redemption and healing.  Let me walk you through a few of the highlights (yes, it will be a little longer than usual, but it's good stuff):

In Gen. 3:17, the ground is cursed because of their disobedience.  This brings with it the beginning of death, which they have brought on themselves.  God told them their disobedience would cost them their lives. The curse is written as if our kindred dust resents our disobedience and opposes us with thorns and toil. 

In Gen. 4:10-11, the ground cries out to God for having swallowed up Abel's blood.  Cain is then personally cursed for the death of his brother and the offended ground will no longer bear with him.  He who was the first farmer becomes a wanderer.

In Gen. 5:29, we see the birth of Noah, whose parents prophetically hope that he will bring relief and comfort from the cursed ground.  In Gen. 6:8-9 we see that Noah walks blamelessly with and before God while verses 11-13 tell us that the violence of the rest of mankind had filled the land with decay.  The tone of verse 13 is that of a courtroom judge executing sentence: 

¹³ And God said to Noah, `An end of all flesh hath come before Me, for the earth hath been full of violence from their presence; and lo, I am destroying them with the earth.

One cannot fathom the horror of that statement, for both the judge and the unwitting accused.  Noah does go on to release them from the curse on the land, but his parents don't get to see it.

If you think I'm making up this connection between these sins and the land, look at Jeremiah 23:10: 

For the land is full of adultery, and it lies under a curse. The land itself is in mourning--its wilderness pastures are dried up. For they all do evil and abuse what power they have.

So why am I telling you all this?  Two reasons: 

First, those who decry the destruction of the planet are missing God's point of view.  It is our sin that makes creation groan (Romans 8:19-23).  One of the best examples of this in modern times is shown in aerial photographs of the boundary between Haiti and the DR (Haiti on the left).  There were and are specific policies that have aided the deforestation and subsequent desert creation within Haiti, but many of those policies are the result of the corruption and poverty that has been so rampant within a country that had literally covenanted with the devil.  Those covenants were publicly renounced by the country's leadership after the earthquake.  There are even missionary groups are now actively working to address the social patterns that cause this deforestation, wrecking both the land and its people. 

Second, as we pray for missionaries and other countries, it is important to understand how the sins of the people have impacted the place they live both ecologically and spiritually.  While he was in captivity in Babylon, Daniel recognized that the exile of his own people reflected their failure to obey God's command for a Sabbath rest in the land every 7 years.  God ultimately told the people that the land will have its rest, even if I have to take you out of it for that to happen.  As he saw the time for that rest coming to an end, he began to repent on behalf of his people, associating himself with their sins, even though Daniel had not committed those sins himself.  In the same timeframe that Daniel prayed, Cyrus released the Jews to return to their homeland with resources to begin rebuilding the temple. 

In the same way, we can pray for repentence to come to lands that have experienced sins that carry with the land.  From our study of Genesis 3-6, the first two sins that lay a curse on the land are violence and idolotry, which was the root of Adam's disobedience (You shall be as gods...)  As you pray for other countries, keep an eye out for these issues and ask God what He desires to do for those places so that you can pray more effectively for them.  This theme of the land as an active spiritual indicator comes up again in scripture, so keep an eye out for it.  There is more to this than we have covered so far...

Welcome!!--Gen 1-3

My dear friend, Christy Watson, has created a facebook group for going through the Bible in a year together.  If you'd like to be included in the group, let me know and I'll send you an invitation.  I'm going to try my best to stay a day ahead so I can have a blog post for the day ready for you early in the morning each day. 

So much is in Genesis 1-3:  creation, commissioning, sin, and curses.  The core reason for prayer is contained in this passage and I want you to see it clearly.  Genesis 1:27-28 tells us:

^"27 So God created human beings in his own image.  In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. ²⁸ Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”

This is our commission from the Father.  We were created in His image for the purpose of executing His rulership over His creation.  The word used for image has the connotation of a "magic trick."  It conveys the sense that all of creation would need a double-take to tell the difference so that we could carry out the rulership job He gave us. 

When mankind fell, (in Genesis 3) it is striking that our commission wasn't recinded.  The curses indicated there would be a growing distrust between the sexes and difficulty in fulfilling our commission, but we were still God's primary representative on the earth.  Romans 11:29 tells us: "²⁹ For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn."

Because that authority was granted to us to rule over the earth, God chose from that point forward not to do anything without our request.  A review of the scripture confirms this.  God will not and has not directly intervened in human history without our request.  Bill Bright did the homework and he only found two direct acts of God that did not come at our request: creation and redemption, which were both planned long before we existed. 

Indeed, it could be argued that one of the reasons for the incarnation was that God needed to become a man to fully reign without going back on the call He issued to us.  It gives entirely new meaning to Jesus' words when He told us that all authority on heaven and earth had been given to him--the only man to perfectly represent God's will here on earth, even to death. 

We need God to intervene on our behalf.  Jesus lives to intercede for us and the Holy Spirit teaches us what to ask, but we still have to ask--it is the way God has chosen to act in our world. 

As you reign alongside the ultimate King of Kings, what are you asking God to do for you this year?

Generosity or Manipulation??

Multiple choice:  Do I give to the homeless family at the shelter because:

A.  It's a tax deduction
B.  The head trustee for the shelter is in my line of business and will think well of me
C. I get warm fuzzies
D. They need it
E.  God will see and reward me
F.  God has already given me so much and it's my privilege to use it for His purposes

Here's a few hints:

⁸ And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. II Corinthians 9:8

The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that. Proverbs 29:25

Acts 4:36-5:11


As you might have guessed, the answers get better as you go down the list, and the best answer is the last one.  Jesus gives partial credit for E--He never seems to criticize the disciples when they ask Him, "What's in it for me?" 

Even need alone is not sufficient motivation for our generosity (answer D).  When Mary anointed Jesus' feet with costly perfume and Judas complained, Jesus responded that the poor will always have needs.  It's easy to fall into a trap of over-helping and further handicapping those who already have issues. 

The difference between codependency and Godly generosity is in the motivation.  Staying connected to the vine--dwelling in His presence--will provide enough gratitude to give sacrifically.  Anything less is going to result in a selfish motivation, manipulation and disappointment. 

If you can only get to answer D, then you probably should still go ahead and give, serve or help, knowing that you still need to get further down the list.  He can do better through you...

Where do you set your mind?

Tonight, the pastor mentioned Romans 8 and during the sermon, I copied a good chunk of it in my journal.  I need to do that more often.  I see different things that way...

My reading of late has focused on keeping the presence of God and His will in my mind in a state of continual worship.  A couple of verses caught my attention:

^"5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace."

My son, PJ, often has an issue with perseverating.  Perseverating is when your mind, thoughts and talk all get stuck on one subject, over and over again.  For PJ, it could be a video game, could be legos, or how much he hates school, but everything always comes back to that one topic.  If this passage is to be believed, it's not what your mind naturally moves toward that matters--it's where you choose, over and over again, to set your mind.  And where you choose to set your mind makes a big difference in outcome. 

As we finished the service, we had communion.  When it came to the cup, PJ and I talked about what it is and why it's important.  See, God said that the Israelites were never to drink blood because the life of the animal is in the blood.  Yet, Jesus gave his disciples the 3rd cup of passover to represent His blood that we take within ourselves as a symbol of how His life comes into us and becomes a part of us.  Romans 8 goes on to say:

¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ¹¹ If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

The Holy Spirit is there to give life to your mortal body by bringing your thoughts back to Him--to life.  The mind set of the flesh leads to a life of death and hostility, while the Spirit sets our minds on the pathway to life and peace.  

PJ pointed out that it's grape juice (not blood) that we have in our little cups.  As I flipped through the scripture, the passage where Jesus tells us that He is the vine and we are the branches flashed in front of me.  The life of the vine is in the sap, which becomes the juice within us, just like the blood is our life, within the vine, the juice is it's life and produce.  The point of that passage is that we can do nothing--we have no life within us--unless we are connected to the vine.  Setting our minds on the things of the Spirit is the way we stay connected continually to the vine.  

So what are you thinking? 

A disturbance in the force...

Ok, I have to admit, the new-age gobbledygook that came with Star Wars is fun to play with sometimes...

"I love you..."  "I know."

"May the force be with you."

"He will bring unity to the force."

Only the truly geeky among us will recognize all of these. 

As Christians we can laugh, even mockingly at this silliness.  The Holy Spirit that lives and moves within us is no impersonal force--he is personality incarnate.  One of the most powerful arguments for God is the argument from personality and relationship.  Randomness is by definition impersonal.  How can a vibrantly personal human being emerge from an impersonal system?  It's like trying to watercolor with only black and white.  One could hint at color, but it would never become the vibrancy we see within the full spectrum.  The classic framing of this argument is that you could posit the existence of water from the design of a fish, even if you had never seen water before.  The fish himself would cry out for water even he had never experienced it and had been kept alive in some other way because he was made for it.  In the same way, we were made for relationship with something transcendent and even if we never directly experienced that relationship, we would cry out for it instinctively. 

Back to the disturbance...This weekend, I was forced to admit the difficulty of the personal situations in my life right now.  It was unsettling to do so but I need his help with the repercussions of what's going on.  The pain of the admission made it difficult to worship Saturday night.  It was difficult to re-enter into the joy of the Father's presence and trust Him for His merciful provision in the middle of my pain.  I have often told others that God will not speak over the screaming in our own hearts and I still believe this is true.  It took time to calm myself but like David said, "I am confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." (Ps 27:13).  Settling into that confidence can be challenging at times.  This morning, the Father reminded me of how hard I had worked to refocus on Him that night and encouraged me for the effort.  Practicing the Presence of God is difficult, particularly when circumstances are hard. 

I want to remind you (and myself) that He is there with us in the struggle, even before we feel Him.  Just because you are disturbed doesn't mean He is.  Of course, the opposite is true as well--just because we excuse ourselves doesn't mean He is pleased.  We have to continually go back to Him to get His evaluation of us.  Even in His disappointment, there is joy for Him and for us in running back to Him. 

Timing...

It seems like at the beginning and end of the day I feel so close to my Father.  Things get quiet and it's easiest to hear His heartbeat.  That quiet time with Him throughout the day is so critical to me.  It's not generally planned, but it usually includes a lot of talking together with an open Bible. 

I'm working so hard to feel His closeness throughout the day as well.  It's hard to get that kind of focus on Him, but when I spend the time with Him in the morning and evening, it's easier to understand His perspective throughout the day.  For me, I don't spend a lot of time interceding for others during my quiet time.  Most of the time I spend praying for others is throughout the day.  He brings people to mind at times and I immediately rest them before Him.  We talk about it together and He shows me what to ask about. 

I have other tools that help me pray consistently over a long period of time, but even for those, I want for Him to guide what I request.  Keeping Him close all day keeps my heart in line with His heart.  I have found that I really can't pray very well for things He doesn't want. He just doesn't give me the power to pray that way.  The Holy Spirit really does pray through me when I don't know what to say, just like scripture tells us He will. 

A lot of people that want to intercede for others.  In the end, the power to see God's work come to pass horizontally comes from the quality of that vertical relationship.  This includes the desire to obey and walk in His character as dearly loved children do.  It begins with a consistent pattern of seeking Him morning and evening. I can't say I'm perfect at it.  I do miss Him more often than I would prefer, but the effort pays big dividends. 

What can you do to make that a reality? 

What does "praying without ceasing" look like?

I'm still working on the Prayer Lab workbook.  I'm doing background research on several historical figures that have really tried to pray continually.  This is so cool and inspiring.  Over the last few days I've been reading the journals of Frank Laubach, a lingust from the early 1900's.  Take a look at a few quotes:

"But this year I have started out trying to live all my waking moments in conscious listening to the inner voice, asking without ceasing, “What, Father, do you desire said? What, Father, do you desire done this minute?”

I am feeling God in each movement, by an act of will—willing that He shall direct these fingers that now strike this typewriter—willing that He shall pour through my steps as I walk—willing that He shall direct my words as I speak, and my very jaws as I eat!

I feel simply carried along each hour, doing my part in a plan which is far beyond myself. This sense of cooperation with God in little things is what so astonishes me, for I never have felt it this way before. I need something, and turn round to find it waiting for me. I must work, to be sure, but there is God working along with me. To know this gives a sense of security and assurance for the future which is also new to my life. I seem to have to make sure of only one thing now, and every other thing “takes care of itself,” or I prefer to say what is more true, God takes care of all the rest. My part is to live this hour in continuous inner conversation with God and in perfect responsiveness to His will, to make this hour gloriously rich. This seems to be all I need think about.

But why do I constantly harp upon this inner experience? Because I feel convinced that for me and for you who read there lie ahead undiscovered continents of spiritual living compared with which we are infants in arms. And I must witness that people outside are treating me differently. Obstacles which I once would have regarded as insurmountable are melting away like a mirage. People are becoming friendly who suspected or neglected me.

I feel, I feel like one who has had his violin out of tune with the orchestra and at last is in harmony with the music of the universe. As for me, I never lived, I was half dead, I was a rotting tree, until I reached the place where I wholly, with utter honesty, resolved and then re-resolved that I would find God’s will, and I would do that will though every fiber in me said no, and I would win the battle in my thoughts."

Laubach, Frank (2007-12-31). Letters by a Modern Mystic (p. 10). Purposeful Design Publications. Kindle Edition.

If this doesn't encourage your heart to try it,  I can't think of much more that would.  Check him out.  It gets even better.  Laubach is well known in literacy circles because of his "Each one, teach one" literacy method.  It has literally taught millions around the world to read.  His work was amazing in its own right and flowed right out of his relationship with God. 

There are a few others that I'm including as well, like Brother Laurence and Madame Guyon.  All three Christians are amazing examples.  Jesus lived this way and so few have really even tried it.  It's about time to take that command seriously--It's hard, maybe impossible, but I'll die trying.