But I'm a good person...

Today: Ezekiel 31-33

Have you ever heard someone say, "But I'm a good person..."?

I have.

Most religions are based on the idea that, "If you're good enough, then you can get into Heaven/have a great life/be healthy and prosperous/yada yada yada." :) But God isn't the God of good enough--and He's not into religion as much as He's into relationships with us.

I thought this passage (surprise: from the Old Testament!) was really interesting. Take a look at God's words to the prophet Ezekiel:

"There's more, son of man. Tell your people,

'A good person's good life won't save him

when he decides to rebel,

and a bad person's bad life won't prevent him

from repenting of his rebellion.

A good person who sins can't expect to live when he chooses to sin.

It's true

that I tell good people,

"Live! Be alive!"

But if they trust in their good deeds

and turn to evil,

that good life won't amount to a hill of beans.

They'll die for their evil life.
"'On the other hand, if I tell a wicked person,

"You'll die for your wicked life,"

and he repents of his sin

and starts living a righteous and just life—

being generous to the down-and-out,

restoring what he had stolen,

cultivating life-nourishing ways that don't hurt others—

he'll live.

He won't die.

None of his sins will be kept on the books.

He's doing what's right, living a good life.

He'll live.
"'Your people say,

"The Master's way isn't fair."

But it's the way they're living that isn't fair.

When good people turn back from living good lives

and plunge into sin,

they'll die for it.

And when a wicked person turns away from his wicked life

and starts living a just and righteous life,

he'll come alive.
"'Still, you keep on saying, "The Master's way isn't fair."

We'll see,

Israel.

I'll decide on each of you exactly according to how you live.'"

There are a few very important things about this passage that we need to talk about:

1. It's from the Old Testament...which means Jesus hadn't entered the scene yet. Sin separated mankind from God and there really wasn't a way for people to have eternal life beyond trying to follow God's law...and sacrificing animals as token payments for their sins (thank goodness we don't have to do this today--Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice).

2. Is it possible for good people to plunge into sin? YES! Is it possible for people to be perfect in every way? NO! The main point of this passage (and one of the key points of the entire Bible)? Goodness doesn't save you or me--God does.

3. God saves "bad" people who ask for His forgiveness. (And guess what? All of us are sinners, unworthy of Heaven and a relationship with God.)

4. God's way of doing things doesn't seem fair to most people. Perhaps it's because that by definition, grace and salvation are not based on fairness. It's not about what we deserve. At all.

5. Salvation in the Old Testament, New Testament and today is based on faith in God--and a commitment to follow Him. We are saved by grace, through faith. Yet at the same time, the Bible also teaches that, "faith without works is dead." Does God expect His people to be perfect? No way!!! But when we really love God, we start to live life God's way--it's putting faith in action.

* For more on this topic, see Romans 3:21-28, James 2:14-25, and Galatians 2:15-21.

Tomorrow: Ezekiel 34-36

Sin-eating disease

Today: Ezekiel 23-24



Tonight I visited my Dad in the hospital. He has an infection on his leg--which he scraped while snorkeling amidst the coral reefs of Hawaii. This being the 21st century and all, I went online to research the different kinds of bacteria that could be causing his infection...and I started squirming in my seat. I won't go into graphic detail, but I will say that infections are just plain nasty. (And luckily, Dad is on several antibiotics and his infection has responded well to them.)


Today's passage was pretty graphic as well. God painted a gruesome picture of the perils of sin. At the end of today's chapters, the prophet Ezekiel became a painful lesson to God's people--when his wife died and God instructed Ezekiel not to mourn or carry out traditional funeral rituals. Take a look at Ezekiel's words here:

So I told them, "God's Word came to me, saying,

'Tell the family of Israel, This is what God, the Master, says:

I will desecrate

my Sanctuary,

your proud impregnable fort,

the delight of your life,

your heart's desire.

The children you left behind will be killed.
"'Then you'll do exactly as I've done.

You'll perform none of the usual funeral rituals.

You'll get dressed as usual and go about your work.

No tears.

But your sins will eat away at you from within

and you'll groan among yourselves.

Ezekiel will be your example.

The way he did it is the way you'll do it.
"'When this happens you'll recognize that I am God, the Master.'"

The wording of this passage was interesting to me, especially when you think of sin as an infection that eats away at you from within.



You see, my Dad went to his doctor because his leg started to get red and achy and painful. Too painful. I wish (and Dad probably wishes this, too!) that he would have gone to the doctor days ago, but luckily, Dad caught his infection relatively early. If left untreated, infection can seep into your blood stream--it can damage vital organs or even kill you.



Sin is like that, too. I pray that you and I will notice sin as soon as it's like a tiny scrape on our skin--that immediately, we'll ask God for His forgiveness and turn away from it. I hope and pray that we don't become calloused to disobedience. I pray that we do not have to experience the pain of a major sin infection that hurts us, others and most importantly, God Himself.



However, it's important to remember that God is the Healer of our bodies and our hearts. Thankfully, no one has to face eternal death in Hell because of sin-eating disease--God is able to forgive and give us the gift of eternal life in Heaven. We just have to ask.


Tomorrow: Ezekiel 25-27

Stone to strong-soft hearts

Today: Ezekiel 9-12

Have you ever been driving and had a moment when you ask yourself, "How did I get here?"

I realize that may sound a little scary, but most people drive certain routes--to work, school or home--on autopilot. We are so familiar with these trips that we drive them in a semi-conscious awareness. When you think about it, that's pretty scary.

The autopilot approach impacts how many of us drive--but how else does it affect our lives? And more importantly, how we view--or even act--in sin?

In today's passage, God gives Ezekiel some prophetic visions of hard times for His people, but He also gives glimmers of hope--how He planned to help them change and overcome sin:

True, I sent you to the far country and scattered you through other lands.

All the same, I've provided you a temporary sanctuary

in the countries where you've gone.

I will gather you back

from those countries and lands

where you've been scattered

and give you back the land of Israel.

You'll come back and clean house,

throw out all the rotten images and obscene idols.

I'll give you a new heart.

I'll put a new spirit in you.

I'll cut out your stone heart

and replace it with a red-blooded, firm-muscled heart.

Then you'll obey my statutes

and be careful to obey my commands.

You'll be my people!

I'll be your God!

I love the way God gives so many word pictures to Ezekiel and to us. When we live in sin and are far from God, it's like we have stone hearts--or like we're driving on autopilot, unaware of the people, dangers and harm that we're causing to ourselves or others. Sometimes when we live in sin, we think we're being strong and independent--but we're not. A heart of stone isn't strong--it's a dead, lifeless heart.

When we allow our hearts and our lives to be transformed by God, He promises to give us "red-blooded, firm-muscled hearts." What does that really mean?

I think what God's describing is a strong-soft heart. That may sound like a contradiction, but hear me out. Muscle tissue is softer than stone--the heart in your body lives, beats and feels. Yet at the same time, God describes the heart He gives as "firm-muscled." I like that. It seems like He's saying that having a heart sensitive to sin is not a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength. God gives people strong-soft hearts so that they passionately feel when they sin, love and live. People with strong-soft hearts are not boring, lifeless or wishy-washy nice: They're fiery, dynamic and contagious, yet they are not manic roller coasters of emotion.

Here's a question to think about: What does a strong-soft heart look like in real life?

I think part of the answer is living with a conscious conscience. It means living life with awareness and feeling--recognizing sin in your life and absolutely loving God and people deeply. That means that you'll be hurt, but it also means that you'll feel the love, joy and peace of God and people in your life--and that instead of missing or ignoring those amazing blessings, you'll treasure them with gratitude.

Today I pray that God will give you and I those strong-soft hearts--that we'll see people, sin and situations through His eyes. That we'll hurt when His heart hurts and love what He loves.

Tomorrow: Ezekiel 13-15

Tripping up on money

Today: Ezekiel 5-8

There are a lot of TV shows that celebrate people who are rich, famous, or just want to be--everything from "Cribs" to "The Real Housewives of...(well, a bunch of different cities now!)" to entertainment news shows that talk about celebrities buying new homes, cars and the latest designer fashions.

Despite their shiny exteriors and wealth, it's interesting to see that many people who chase after fame and fortune are...well...pretty miserable. In today's passage, God is prophesying to Ezekiel about His people (before their eventual captivity). These verses about money and sin were interesting to me:

'They throw their money into the gutters.

Their hard-earned cash stinks like garbage.

They find that it won't buy a thing

they either want or need on Judgment Day.

They tripped on money

and fell into sin...

Interesting, right? In their love of money, God's people fell into sin. They chased after things instead of pursuing God and His purpose for their lives. And ultimately, He prophesied, they realized that the things that matter most in life aren't really things at all.

Is it wrong to have money? Of course not--we all need it not only to survive, but to help others by supporting churches and non-profit organizations. It's not wrong to have wealth, but it's wrong to allow wealth to have you--to run after wealth, trip up on it, and to fall into sin.

Tomorrow: Ezekiel 9-12

Blessings at a distance

Today: Jeremiah 4-6

I'll be honest: In today's chapters, God is NOT happy with His people. They've turned away from Him and are blind to His goodness. Check out what He said here:

It never occurs to them to say,

'How can we honor our God with our lives,

The God who gives rain in both spring and autumn

and maintains the rhythm of the seasons,

Who sets aside time each year for harvest

and keeps everything running smoothly for us?'

Of course you don't!

Your bad behavior blinds you to all this.

Your sins keep my blessings at a distance...

Whoa. It's interesting that God hadn't stopped blessing His people--they just didn't recognize the blessings or fully experience them.

How can you and I make sure that we're not blocking ourselves from God or His blessings? The answer's in this passage, too. We have to first ask for His forgiveness--and then choose to submit to His leadership, asking, "How can we honor God with our lives?" That sounds simple, but it requires a heart of humility, love and perseverance--to continually desire God and pursue the purpose He has for you.

Tomorrow: Jeremiah 7-9

"Easy street" faith

Today: Job 35-37

"When you leave here today, you're going to have the same eye color. You'll be wearing the same clothes. You're not going to be perfect. You're not going to stop facing challenges. But you're making a fresh start...and God's going to be with you."

Every weekend my pastor says something like this at the end of each church service. He says it to people who have just decided to believe in God and ask Him to lead their lives. I'm really glad he does--because there are a lot of people who have what I'm calling today "easy street faith." In today's passage, Job's long-winded friend Elihu (yes, the same guy we heard from yesterday) seems to hold that philosophy. Here's what he said to Job about people who follow God:

If they obey and serve him,

they'll have a good, long life on easy street.

Hmm...interesting theory. Too bad it's wrong. I'd love to say that since I've believed in God and served Him, that I've had a perfect life. Don't get me wrong--my life is better because God's in it, but it's far from perfect.

If we look at Jesus Himself (perfect God in flesh), it's clear that loving God and following what He says doesn't lead to easy street. It lead Jesus to Calvary, a cross and a painful death (though not to cut the story short, it also lead Him to resurrection and eternity in Heaven!).

For all of us that are simply human, we make mistakes that have consequences. Even when we don't necessarily mess up, the people around us might--and that could have a major impact on us. On top of that, we're human beings--we eventually die (and so do people we love). We feel pain and sickness and heartache.

I know that last paragraph could sound like a major downer--it's not meant to! I'm trying to actually take pressure off anyone who feels that because they love God, their lives should be picture-perfect...and they're not.

I'm also trying to encourage anyone who's mad at God because of their not-so-easy street lives. God's not to blame for that. And here's the really cool thing--in the midst of whatever you and I face (good and bad), God's there. He wants to listen and help. Mostly, He will always love.

Tomorrow: Job 38-39

Spring cleaning

Today: 2 Chronicles 28-31


It's spring and some people get REALLY into spring cleaning. I'm not one of those people...but I do try to at least clean out my closet seasonally. :)

Today's passage actually talks about cleaning. King Hezekiah cleaned house (so to speak) by encouraging priests to clean out God's House...and encouraging people to clean out their lives. Take a look:

"Levites, listen! Consecrate yourselves and consecrate The Temple of God—

give this much-defiled place a good housecleaning.

Our ancestors went wrong and lived badly before God—

they discarded him,

turned away from this house where we meet with God, and walked off...

Children, don't drag your feet in this!

God has chosen you to take your place before him

to serve in conducting and leading worship—

this is your life work;

make sure you do it and do it well."

The priests started from the inside and worked out;

they emptied the place of the accumulation of defiling junk—

pagan rubbish that had no business in that holy place...

I love how these verses describe the inside-out cleaning of the Temple. In the New Testament, Christians are described as temples (see 1 Corinthians 6:19)--because similar to the Temple in the Old Testament days, God can live in us and transform our lives from the inside-out.

I love that in this passage, Hezekiah said, "Clasp God's outstretched hand." It's a beautiful picture of how God reaches out to humanity. He does the cleaning--we just have to invite Him and let Him get to work.

Some people find it hard to admit that they have junk in their hearts--they feel embarrassed to let God see it or clear it up. But the fact is, God already knows about your messy house and your messy life.

Others think that they can clear out all the junk in their lives themselves...but they forget about the random trash under the bed, the forgotten filth in the hall closet and the microscopic bacteria that lies in their carpet fibers. Junk is still junk even if it's hidden or undetected by human eyes. God sees it--and He's the only one who can get rid of it all.

Maybe your heart and your life need some spring cleaning (heck, we all need some clean-up every single day!). Just ask for God's forgiveness and help. Aim to stop making habitual messes in the first place. When your heart has been dusted with a even a few pieces of junk or if it looks like a tornado has wrecked havoc on your life again, just ask for help and forgiveness again. God's cleaning abilities aren't limited to spring, but beautifully timeless.

Tomorrow: 2 Chronicles 32-34

When sin is a stalker

Today: Numbers 31-32

When my sisters and I were growing up, our parents always encouraged us to be honest and open with them by saying things like, "The truth always comes out." At moments while growing up, I thought it was a Christian parent's way of saying, "I have eyes in the back of my head."

But I think they were right: The truth always comes out...eventually. If it doesn't happen on this planet, God knows the truth and, for better or worse, it will come out in heaven.

In today's passage, Moses had an interesting discussion with a few tribal leaders who wanted to settle outside the Promised Land...but promised to fight and help the rest of God's people take possession of it. Here's what Moses said to them:

"If you do what you say,

take up arms before God for battle and together go across the Jordan ready,

before God, to fight until God has cleaned his enemies out of the land,

then when the land is secure

you will have fulfilled your duty to God and Israel.

Then this land will be yours to keep before God.
"But if you don't do what you say,

you will be sinning against God;

you can be sure that your sin will track you down.

So, go ahead. Build towns for your families and corrals for your livestock.

Do what you said you'd do."

Moses' words saying, "...your sin will track you down" are interesting. It's makes me think of sin as a stalker--a type of ninja detective on the hunt to capture people. Although through Christ's forgiveness, we can be free from the sin's eternal consequences (e.g. we can escape Hell), I think sin's ability to track people down does impact Christians.

One of the primary reasons is because there are natural consequences for sin. For example, if I lie to my parents, God still loves me and forgives me, but my parents may be hurt and have a hard time trusting me. If you had an addiction to drugs, God may still have a place for you in heaven, but you might have to overcome some challenges (rehab, relationship issues, physical effects) as a result of that addiction.

Another reason the stalker nature of sin impacts Christians? Guilt. I've met some people who carry guilt from sin they were involved in years ago. They asked God for forgiveness and He forgave them and forgot that sin even existed, but they continue to live in a guilty kind of fear, stalked by their past mistakes. I believe God would say to these people, "Shame off you!"

Lastly, sin can stalk our lives by throwing temptations at us. Luckily, we all have the power to say no to those temptations and/or we can try to avoid them entirely.

Although sin may be a stalker, it's important to know that for those who simply believe in Him and accept the gift of salvation, Jesus overcame the eternal consequences of our sin once and for all. And to top it off, He can help us to fight against sin and its power over our everyday lives--if we simply ask Him for help. God can help us walk in freedom and wisdom, doing our best to make decisions and live in a way that honors Him. We'll never be perfect, but at least we can try to knock out our stalker. I'm off to practice ninja moves... :)

Tomorrow: Numbers 33-34

Sin, kidneys and animal fat

Today: Leviticus 5-7

If you like read about sin, kidneys and animal fat, you found the right place!

Seriously, those were some of the topics addressed in today's passage. Did I mention how thankful I am that gory animal sacrifices are no longer part of our relationships with God? :) Instead of writing about the kidneys and animal fat, I thought I'd write about some of the interesting things this passage has to say about sin.

First of all, sin is sin. (Note that's not in the passage, but evident in Scripture.) All people sin. One of the hard things for us to wrap our minds around is the fact that to God, a sin like murder is as bad as lying. All sin can separate us from God--but obviously, different sins have different real-world consequences.

We sin by doing some things and we sin by NOT doing others. Here's an example from today's passage:

If you sin by not stepping up

and offering yourself as a witness

to something you've heard or seen in cases of wrongdoing,

you'll be held responsible.

I really like this verse, actually--because it's a call to action for people to stand up for what's right and against injustices. If I've seen or heard about something wrong (like human trafficking, unethical behavior at work or hungry kids in South Africa), it's my responsibility to speak up and to do something about it.

The hard thing? That's a lot of responsibility! Doing all the right things and not doing all the wrong things is impossible for human beings. The good thing is that God knows you and I could never handle it--we weren't meant to handle the weight of sin ourselves.

Tomorrow: Leviticus 8-10

Following the directions

(Originally written November 7)

Today: 2 John – Jude

Today I put together something I’d never put together before. I’m attending a conference where my company is a sponsor with a booth…a booth with a large display I had never set up before. At first it was a HUGE overwhelming struggle. One of the boxes I needed was locked…and I didn’t have a key (luckily I realized it would open with the flathead screwdriver in another box!). There were about 12 metal plates that seemed to have no purpose whatsoever. It was like a giant Erector set gone wrong (and I never even played with those!).

Luckily, after struggling for 15 minutes or so, I found a piece of paper that saved the day…the directions. :) Once I had them, putting the display together was pretty simple.

The Bible has a lot of instructions (as we’ve already seen) and today’s passage is no exception. The section that stood out to me today included directions for dealing with sin, people who haven’t yet accepted Christ and people who have turned away from God. Take a look:

Go easy on those who hesitate in the faith.
Go after those who take the wrong way.
Be tender with sinners, but not soft on sin.

These seem like relatively simple instructions. But I think the hardest to wrap my mind around is the idea of being tender with sinners, but not soft on sin—it’s not exactly easy to practice.
I may not be a master at it, but I think this is one direction that works. Let people know how much you care about them…really. Take an interest in them as people. Be there for them as a friend. When sin issues come up, let them know what you think and why in a kind, unpreachy way. And continue to care about them, even when you learn about sin issues in their lives. We all have sin issues—but accepting the love and forgiveness of Christ is probably the best direction we could ever follow.

Tomorrow: Revelation 1-3

You are who you are...

Today: Romans 1-3

"It is what it is."

"You are who you are."

I can't tell you how many times I've heard words like these. They're not always directed at me, but most frequently used to excuse behavior--like individuals are wired a certain way that they can't break away from. As in, you are (and always will be) a coffee addict. Selfish. Stubborn. Materialistic. Poor. Foolish. Angry. Debbie Downer. (You get the point, right?)

Have you ever thought about how hopeless that perspective feels? (Just watch the Debbie Downer clip...you'll get it.) When it comes to people, the Bible teaches that some things are unchangeable...but sin and sinful attitudes can always be changed through the power of Jesus, His forgiveness and our choices to move in a different direction.

I love how today's passage said:

You are who you are

through this gift and call of Jesus Christ!

Wow. How can we get so off track? How can people live feeling like they don't have purpose? I think the passage explains this situation, too:

What happened was this:

People knew God perfectly well,

but when they didn't treat him like God,

refusing to worship him,

they trivialized themselves into

silliness and confusion

so that there was neither sense

nor direction left in their lives.

They pretended to know it all,

but were illiterate regarding life.

They traded the glory of God

who holds the whole world in his hands

for cheap figurines

you can buy at any roadside stand.

How true is that?!? How many people do you know who have rejected God and the truth of His Word (that really includes all of us at times!) and believed lies like, "You don't measure up," "You can do whatever you want to do," "You're just not good enough," "You don't need God or anyone else to help you...you can do it all by yourself" or "You'll never beat this addiction/habit/poverty"?

If we believe them, the cheap lies and imitations of truth can ruin us. We need God. We need His Word and His guidance for our lives. I love what this excerpt from today's reading says here (note that these are from separate sections of the passage, but I think they're definitely connected):

God is kind, but he's not soft.

In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand

and leads us into a radical life-change...

Out of sheer generosity

he put us in right standing with himself.

A pure gift.

He got us out of the mess we're in

and restored us to where he always wanted us to be.

And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.

That's pretty incredible. Yes, you are who you are...through Jesus. You and I can live freely...to be the people we're meant to be...when we live outside of lies, mess and sin, instead choosing to be led by God.

I should clarify that when you choose to be led by God, you won't be perfect. And while you're still breathing, you'll face the messes, lies and sin of this world. But it will be different because when God sees you, He sees the perfection of Jesus and His forgiveness over your life. One of the best things? You won't be alone, stuck in the mess. God will be with you, leading you to walk through it with His strength.

Tomorrow: Romans 4-7