Tough Choices

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

So the Lord told Abraham, “I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant.  I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard.  If not, I want to know.”  The other men turned and headed toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham.  Abraham approached him and said, “Will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked?  Suppose you find fifty righteous people living there in the city—will you still sweep it away and not spare it for their sakes?  Surely you wouldn’t do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked.  Why, you would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same!  Surely you wouldn’t do that!  Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”  And the Lord replied, “If I find fifty righteous people in Sodom, I will spare the entire city for their sake.”  Then Abraham spoke again.  “Since I have begun, let me speak further to my Lord, even though I am but dust and ashes.  Suppose there are only forty-five righteous people rather than fifty?  Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?”  And the Lord said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five righteous people there.”  Then Abraham pressed his request further. “Suppose there are only forty?” And the Lord replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the forty.”  “Please don’t be angry, my Lord,” Abraham pleaded. “Let me speak—suppose only thirty righteous people are found?” And the Lord replied, “I will not destroy it if I find thirty.”  Then Abraham said, “Since I have dared to speak to the Lord, let me continue—suppose there are only twenty?” And the Lord replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”  Finally, Abraham said, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me if I speak one more time.  Suppose only ten are found there?”  And the Lord replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”  When the Lord had finished his conversation with Abraham, he went on his way, and Abraham returned to his tent.  Genesis 18:17-33

It was a tough decision all the way around.  For Abraham the problem was his nephew, Lot was living there.  For the Lord God, there were perhaps more than 100,00 of his loved ones, including Lot.  Abraham made his case, narrowing the decision from 50 righteous people to 10, probably equal to Lot’s family.

For the Lord, the difference between destroying a city, and even one person, did not change the ethical dilemma.  Ending a life is exactly opposite of the creative character of God; he gives life.  Yet, choosing against God’s ways of life-giving (we call it sin) is that dangerous freedom known-as free-will.  I’m as certain as a human can be that God, looking down on Sodom and Gomorrah, was torn with grief over what He knew would end in their destruction. 

The rest of the story tells us that God didn’t give up on them.  The Lord sent angels to Sodom, giving the entire city a chance to repent; they didn’t.  Every retelling of this account ends with God as the destroyer.  But that’s not the full story.  Destruction came upon the citizens of Sodom, because they used God’s gracious gift of free-will to choose their evil wickedness over God’s righteousness.  God had warned, and given them every opportunity to be saved; they wouldn’t, and the tough choice brought fire from above. In the end they committed eternal suicide, rather than confess their evil choice. 

That same thing has never ceased happening from the moment Cain lifted a rock against Abel, and it happens every day man draws breath.

For You Today 

The Holy Scriptures are often referred to as The Good News, because God’s mercy and grace gave us a Savior on a cross, taking our punishment so we could be saved.  But the “Good News” is only “good” because there is also evil.  The very definition of either good or evil is the dividing line between the two.  Hear and consider what Jesus said about all of it, and the choice we have:

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.  My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.  John 10:10

Satan, the thief, or Jesus, the giver…we all have that choice.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO (read by author)

There are about 2,500 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper explore some of these:   Pyxis Points  and  De-Railed  and  Fifteen Minutes of Spotlight – at What Cost?                                        

 

Title Image:  via Wikimedia Commons   Images without citation are in public domain.

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©   

 

I Believe in ME

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Friday, November 23, 2018

When the king heard what was written in the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes in despair…. So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to the New Quarter of Jerusalem to consult with the prophet Huldah.  She was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, the keeper of the Temple wardrobe.  She said to them, “The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken!  Go back and tell the man who sent you, ‘This is what the Lord says:  I am going to bring disaster on this city and its people.  All the words written in the scroll that the king of Judah has read will come true.  For my people have abandoned me and offered sacrifices to pagan gods, and I am very angry with them for everything they have done.  My anger will burn against this place, and it will not be quenched.’  2 Kings 22:11, 14-17(NLT)

Josiah became Judah’s king in when he was still a child.  This chapter records that he was a very godly man all his life.  When he was only 26 the scrolls of God’s Word were discovered during a renovation of the temple. 

(Hear that again:  God’s Word … hidden … in God’s House!).

The king was mortified and began an investigation as to how to make things right; he’d discovered (by reading this hidden Word of God) the whole nation had forsaken their LORD and were in danger of the mother of all woodshed experiences.  God was not pleased with a nation that worshipped themselves.

I’m pretty sure nothing has changed in that department!  When God says His anger will burn, and it will not be quenched, there’s nothing to doubt about how God sees the sin of paganism.

That said, we must take a look at ourselves; there is a neo-paganism in the land.  Current surveys show the largest, and fastest growing demographic in our land is aptly-dubbed the nones.  These are people who self-identify as atheists or agnostics, as well as those who say their religion is “nothing in particular….[2]

While the surveys include atheism, the “belief” that there is no god, no “higher power”, that is the smallest part of the problem, and always has been; atheism is whistling in the dark, hoping there isn’t a god who’s really in charge!  Scripture tells us God has imprinted His image on our souls, and so we know He is there, and we are accountable to Him.

When it comes down to the rest of the demographic, besides atheism (which amounts to around 3.1% of Americans[3]) the other 24% who have left church in the rearview mirror are unsure, or disenfranchised.  The most common and rising explanation you hear these days is:  I’m very spiritual; just not religious.  

Understanding what that buzz-phrase really means is:  I’d rather worship myself; I believe in me, my rights, my personal self-esteem, my time, my choice.

And that’s pretty much it; the new-paganism in the land is worshipping other than the one-true-living-God – it’s the god-within.  This is not anything new; in fact, it’s rather ancient (so old as to be quite boring when you hear it again):

“How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning!  You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world.  For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars.  I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north.  I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’  Isaiah 14:12-14(NLT)

Of course, Scripture is giving us a peek into Lucifer’s mind (and his eventual fate, fallen!)  

Choosing to turn your back on God’s prior claim on your life is a matter of sin.  Any attempt to explain why a person chooses to reject worship is a further compounding of that sin.  I am not saying it is wrong to question, or even to leave a group because there is a lack of worship, or faithfulness inherent in that group.  However, it is sinful to decide to just delete from your life assembling with other believers for worship, prayer, fellowship, witness and supporting the mission of Christ, when Scripture clearly indicates that is counter to God’s will for all humans.  It is neo-paganism at its worst!

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.  Hebrews 10:25(NLT)

In a culture gone a little bonkers over the human rights thing, we have managed to confuse the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, as the right to think we’re in charge; and that isn’t right …                    

For You Today

I have a little prayer I say at the beginning of the day; join me?

God, YOU are God, and I am not.  Amen.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

Go to VIDEO 

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[1] Title Image: Courtesy of Pixabay.com

[2] Why America’s ‘nones’ left religion behind

[3] 10 facts about atheists – Pew Research

The Argument

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Wednesday, June 24, 2015

A debate broke out between John’s disciples and a certain Jew over ceremonial cleansing.  So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you identified as the Messiah, is also baptizing people.  And everybody is going to him instead of coming to us.” John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven.  John 3:25-27^(NLT)

Reading arguments is a Facebook™ staple!  The warnings from years ago have proven true; the anonymity of social media – at least the lack of face-to-face (and isn’t THAT ironic on Facebook) – has provided a medium which dehumanizes humans, and allows much more boldness (read that:  crude, cruel and no-consequences interaction). Opinions – both considered, as well as flagrantly hip-fired – volley back and forth in the posts and comments.  

And great is the carnage of friendships and character!

And there is no such thing as a “winner” or even an end to these debates arguments; the comments roll-on into the internet stratosphere, multiplying until Jesus returns.

Irony persists – certainly on this page; a blog, this Rocky Road Devotional is little more than an extended comment for the social media pot.  (Thought I’d go ahead and admit that before anyone has a chance to comment).

The debate between John’s disciples and others was Facebook for the first century; ego and vitriol are not new.

The Baptist’s ministry was winding-down and Jesus was the new face to follow in the crowd.  His Facebook account had more hits than Madonna, and Twitter was blowing up with Jesus sightings.  Pinterest couldn’t get enough of the new preacher.

John’s disciples couldn’t handle it.

But John could; he simply let his followers know that the salvation they were proclaiming was walking in front of them now.  The Kingdom of God was here.  The advertising season was over, the debate closed, and their campaign victorious!  Now it was time to step aside and let Jesus be seen.

And that is our set of marching orders…let Jesus be seen.

The biggest set of irony here is the debate over which is greatest, the sign pointing to the Kingdom, or the Kingdom itself.  From our perspective twenty centuries later, it seems ludicrous that the Baptist’s disciples would confuse that point.  But we’re not much different, arguing over contemporary music or traditional, King James or Revised Standard, or (my favorite) Wesley over Calvin.

We are good at straining-out gnats and swallowing camels!

For You Today

What useless arguments have you allowed yourself to be drawn into lately?  Did anyone see Jesus in any of it?

If the answer is “yes” then God be praised.

If the answer is (as most often it is) “no” – what did you learn about your response the next time the bait of an argumentative post looks just too delicious to pass up?

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[1] Title Image:  By Klaus with K (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons

Fifteen Minutes of Spotlight; At What Cost?

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

He must increase, but I must decrease.  John 3:30 (NRSV)

John the Baptist dressed like Bigfoot and did strange things.  If a community was going to hold an area-wide gathering of Christians, the Baptist would have been invited to be the keynote speaker, not Jesus.  John, after all, was the popular anti-hero, thumbing his nose at Herod and the Roman Empire. 

But the point about our hypothetical keynote conference speaker has nothing to do with who got invited; John would not have accepted.  He knew his time was over, and the time of Messiah, Jesus was at hand.  It was time for John to get out of the way of Jesus.  John refused to be the “star” in the spotlight; his calling was to point to Christ, not build a following for book signings and movie deals.

Which is somewhat different from Frank Schaefer’s saga.

Frank Schaefer was defrocked last December by a United Methodist panel of judges, when a church trial unanimously found him guilty of violating his vows under the Book of Discipline.  He was stripped of his credentials and his appointment in a Lebanon, PA church for officiating at his son’s same-sex wedding six years ago.  Yesterday, the UMC appeals panel reinstated Schaefer (with back pay) due to a legal irregularity in the way the penalty phase of his defrocking was handled.  Read the NY Times article here

Progressives – those in favor of full inclusion of LGBTQ persons in ministry are heralding the decision as a great victory for Schaefer and the church, while on the other side, conservatives are crying “foul”.  My friend Drew McIntyre wrote neither ‘side’ won here. 

I think Drew is right!

Drew also held up the specter of this being a “pyrrhic victory” where the so-called winner uses up so much of his strength/resources in the fight he loses much more than he won.

I think Drew is also onto something here!

And that would be true no matter what “side” won today; the cost is colossal.

In the long run it is right to stand up for issues in which you have strong conviction.  I have no doubt that Schaefer and the pro-LGBTQ lobbyists, as well as the “hold-the-line-conservatives” AND all the “middle-of-the-roaders” have attempted to earnestly contend for what they perceive as the faith once-delivered to the saints.

But, at what cost all this fighting?  I see no resolution in sight. 

If the consistent “push” of the left against right finally “wins” and ordination for homosexuals becomes church law for United Methodists, along with every other “open door” that brings, there will be a mass exodus of those who hold the traditional view. 

It happened in the Episcopal Church in 2003, and just last week in a close vote the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) voted to accept LGBTQ clergy.  None of these churches have remained unscathed in the wake of such infighting and rancor.

You HAVE to ask the question:  What is going on?

I believe what is happening is John the Baptist in reverse.  Jesus must decrease if we are to have our way and our day – our 15 minutes of fame comes first!

Those of you who know me understand I am not a “date-setter” for the return of Christ.  But, if I was, the temptation to preach every sermon from now on about watching the eastern sky would be overwhelming. 

And my prayers?  They almost always end with “even so, come, Lord Jesus”.

For You, Today…

It is recorded in the Gospels that Jesus told his disciples the last days would be marked by incredible evil.  Frank Schaefer’s name is not listed in those passages, but neither is mine. 

We must all be careful to honor God with not only what we do, but the way in which we do all things.

Keep this before you – HE must increase; WE must decrease.