​Luke 24:1-12 NASB
(1)  But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.
(2)  And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
(3)  but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
(4)  While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing;
(5)  and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, ”Why do you seek the living one among the dead?”
(6)  "He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee,
(7)  saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again."
(8)  And they remembered His words,
(9)  and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.
(10)  Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles.
(11)  But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them.
(12)  But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he *saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.
 
What an incredible experience for these women! A mother, and friends, loved ones, those who were close to Jesus, those who loved him, and experienced deep and meaningful relationships together came to perform rituals offered to those who have passed on. Imagine the worry, fear, and sadness to find he was not in the tomb. It only takes seconds for so many emotions to flood our hearts. These are the emotions I read into “perplexed”. They were blessed to have added to these emotions even more when two men, angels no doubt, appeared and gave them comfort.
 
These angels gave the loved ones of Jesus a similar response to their shock and surprise as Jesus gave the two later in the story on the road to Emmaus. “Don’t you remember?!”. Jesus added in all the scriptures, places that prophesied of his coming, suffering, death, and resurrection. There are many places in the scriptures we could reference, probably others that we don’t even realize are talking about our risen savior. Like the women at the tomb, and the disciples after, we don’t see everything, and we often lose sight of who Jesus is and what his resurrection means today.
 
The resurrection is about the future, of course it is, but that is just part of it! I was just listening to a song that said something like, “while I wait for heaven, I won’t wait for heaven because heaven lives in me”! How very true. Even Jesus said that the kingdom was in us, I think its just another way of saying that we ARE the kingdom. When we read words like “kingdom”, and “inheritance”, we should immediately think of right now, today, as well as of the future. The most important and meaningful existence as a believer is right now! If it is any other way, of future only, then I believe we are missing the life which is in us, Jesus Christ.
 
In Ephesians 5:14, the apostle Paul says to “Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you!”, exclamation added by me because I think that is how it should be read. With exclamation! Wake up! Wake up believer! Wake up church! Wake up child of the living God! Get up and live like you are alive. Elsewhere in 2 Corinthians 6, Paul says to come out and be separate. Let’s see these proclamations, taken from the Old Testament, the scriptures, as a call for us to leave this world behind every day. It is interesting that Paul, according to commentators and bible references, takes these proclamations for at least a few different sources. Paul is trying to get us to see the bigger picture.
 
Isaiah refers to the coming Christ and our lives in him, in life, causing others to see his salvation. Isaiah is saying, shouting, the very same things that Paul was many years later. The Lord is coming, and he will make you alive, so wake up and shine! The Lord has already come!
 
Isaiah 26:19 NASB
Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, For your dew is as the dew of the dawn, And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.
 
Of course, Isaiah is speaking to a nation that left their calling, Israel, but as Paul takes such proclamations and brings them to others for the purpose of rousing them up from the dead, from the world, so should we. The Lord has come, and we are alive in him. When Isaiah says their corpses rise, it can be taken as metaphor, as Paul uses it. The dew that waters the ground is the believer alive letting the love of Jesus pour out into the dry and parched earth to water dry and dead bones to life! Like Ezekiel’s valley of dried bones that in a wild vision assemble themselves into a great army of bones that he witnesses come to life! When will the Lord pour his spirit into us? It is already done! What are we to do with this? Wallow around in the dust of this dead world until we die, awaiting a resurrection where everything will be made better…nope! With this amazing life we have been given, we are to rise above the death that world brings, because that is what it brings, speaking of the world as the ordered systems that exist (yes, your government, your country, whatever or wherever that may be), and stand firm in the Kingdom, under the King’s banner which is Love (the banner, our only flag), and water the ground, let the light bring those still trapped to life. This is the resurrection.
 
Ezekiel continues later in the same proclamation that a King will reign over us, He will be our shepherd, and that we will walk in his law. We have a covenant of peace with our King and that this covenant is everlasting. The King’s sanctuary will be in our midst, and as Paul says, we are that sanctuary! The nations, read the world, will know Him through us.
 
So, wake up! We are the resurrection today! Celebrate and sing it out! Seek the Living One among the Living!

If you were to Google "Samson as a type of Christ", you would find many pages of material by many different folks, maybe even some books. I really do get the connections that people are making, but only to a very small point. Honestly, in my own opinion, the Samson story shows us what not to do if you want to be like Jesus the Messiah. Samson was born for a special purpose. Samson was at times filled or clothed with the Spirit, even mightily and this gave him incredible strength, but I question how Samson used that power. In this post I will endeavor to explain my thoughts on Samson and his incredible feats.

Samson, in Judges 14, is setting up for a wedding feast or as some called it, a drinking party, debauchery likely to follow. He is marrying a Philistine girl. This would be problematic of itself but I would give him the benefit of past and future Israelites who marry outside of Israel. He is at least equal in his choices to other well-known biblical men. Some commentators note that this was a moral issue on Samson's part and that the LORD simply used this character flaw for good. What good came of this attempted matrimony? Samson gives the Philistines who are friends and family of the bride, a riddle. Should they be able to solve the riddle Samson would award them with fine linens and garments. The garments were expensive and desirable, so the guests try awfully hard to arrive at an answer. They have just seven days of wild drinking and partying to figure it out. The story goes on to say how his fiancée is pressured by her friends and family to pull the answer out of Samson which she finally does after nagging him to death. Samson is given the answer and he immediately suspects foul play. The resulting situation is highly questionable for a man who is a type of Christ. Samson leaves the party in a rage, goes to Ashkelon, and as the NET bible says, murdered thirty men. It is now apparent that Samson had no fine linen or festal gowns to award anyone so he must go to another town and murder other men to rob them of their possessions which included fine linens and festal gowns. Not only does the story say he murdered thirty men, who I contend, were likely innocent bystanders and probably were at least well to do, but Samson was, so the story says, filled with the power of the Spirit of God and used this power in a very unfortunate way.  

The story does not get any better. Samson, sometime later, goes to see his bride so he can bed her. When he finds out that she was given to another man, he catches three hundred jackals and ties their tails together so they can hold torches and run frantically through Philistine farm fields and burn down their crops. Poor jackals! The Philistines respond by burning the father and the bride to death. This is quite a story for a type of Christ so far, lies, theft, murder, animal cruelty, destruction of property, with the resultant hideous murder of two people in retaliation to all the above.  

In chapter 15 we read that Samson kills another one thousand men. At least these were men of the Philistine military who had taken Samson. At the end of this episode, we read that Samson judged Israel for twenty years.  The next chapter begins with Samson spending half of a night with a prostitute in Gaza which is quickly followed by his final showdown with the Philistines via Delilah who gains his trust which results in Samson's hair being cut off, his eyes gouged out, and imprisonment. When Samson becomes a showpiece for a Philistine party at their temple, he goes out with a spectacular feat of strength as he takes down the temple and kills all those who were in it. 

Samson's story is filled with all of the things that we would imagine a type of Christ would not be. Yes, there are some interesting parallels with the defeat of enemies and such. As I said before, you can easily look these up from a variety of resources. But I wonder if rather than being a type of Christ, which to me is one who exemplifies everything that Jesus was and did in his life and through the cross, Samson is a type of Israel and even the Jewish leadership of Jesus' day. He started out as a person who could have been an excellent type but decided to follow his own road instead and in his story covers many of the bases that we would call the "world", senseless murder, theft, sexual immorality, drunkenness (maybe he did not really drink but based on the rest of life I wonder, as do other commentators), and does not seem like a good person in general. Is Samson one that should be held high then?

Samson is mentioned in Hebrews 11:32 as one of the people of great faith. My own view of several of these in this chapter of faith is that they become an amazing picture of God's grace. Yes, some of them stepped out in faith to follow God, but as a human being I read their stories and see the similarities to fallen humanity and that God chose instead to show them as examples of faith rather than detail how they did not follow faithfully. Abraham is said to have believed God even though we read several times that Abraham did the opposite and acted in ways that showed maybe he was not so sure of God. Thankfully, God is faithful to his promises and did bless all of humanity from a child given through Abraham's seed. David is mentioned alongside of Samson as well, David who murdered a man to gain this man's wife as his own. Gideon who doubted God a few times and asked for signs, God had to work hard for Gideon's faith. Moses led the fledgling Israel to the doorstep of their eventual land but could not enter himself because of his own raging disobedience. Yet, they are all included by the writer of Hebrews as people of faith, a certain act of God's grace for all of them and as such, for all of us. But I believe that Samson really stands out from the rest. 

Samson is mentioned in Samuel as one who rescued Israel from oppression. This seems true enough, but does that make Samson a type of Christ? Maybe in the narrow sense that he is listed among the Judges who rescued the people and kept them in safety and peace while the Judge lived. Barak is listed as well, even though he shrunk away from his duties and a woman, Deborah, was the real hero of that story. You probably get my point here, I hope. 

I struggle to see Samson as a type of Christ. I see him as a sad story of defiance. I see him as a type of all of us. We are all people who were made for a purpose, to worship, to live, and to love God. We were made to love each other. In these two acts we display the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Of course, we all experience moments of these two primary acts of being, but we also experience and chose to live outside of these primary acts. We, like Samson chose to live contrary to our purpose. But, as with those noted in Hebrews 11, we are seen by God through his son's cross, as people showered by grace, mercy, and kindness. So, to Samson, I am sorry that I see you in such a light, but to God I am forever thankful for the full story made available to me of those who went before me and how you, God, have chosen to present them in the end. I realize that I am in the minority and that most of you reading this will disagree, possibly strongly, but I felt the need to write it down so thank you for reading. 

Ephesians 6:12 NRSV 
For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

How seriously do you take this verse? It can not be easily passed over. It carries great implications for the follower of Jesus Christ in Paul's day. I believe it also carries great implications for followers even in our modern times. Is our struggle against flesh and blood? There are a few other places were Paul makes it clear how we must treat others, even our enemies, with love. Today the larger population of believers, who are citizens of God's kingdom, would say that we are struggling with enemies of flesh and blood, every day. They would be correct, at least in the false reality that is the narrative of our worldly system. We are continually at war with one nation or the other without going into facts and figures which can easily be found. We know that we are. We struggle on every level of human existence in every conceivable way either physically, verbally, or otherwise. Such struggles seem to be at the very core of humanity. It seems inconceivable that we would ever just rest in peace apart from death.

As "new creatures in Christ", are we right in our struggles? Are we justified? The answers seem so complex but perhaps they are too much so. I can not answer for you or anyone else and many, if not most, would think I am incorrect and for various theological reasons would disagree with me. I take the words, "For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh" to mean that I have no struggle, whatsoever, against any human being anywhere on this planet. This has not always been my thought but it is now and I take it more seriously with each passing day. 

It is hard to see this when much of Christianity is wrapped up in the politics of the worlds system more than they are in Jesus. Violence is an accepted means of resolving issues on every level of our society from abortion to the mass destruction of other nation's peoples. We always find reasons to justify our actions on each violent level. We are very good at this, it comes with cold, hard, efficiency. Not that we do not have second, third, or even fourth thoughts and various types of planning, but when it comes down to it, we act with singular purpose. Perhaps we really are not ready for true discipleship at any cost. Many that have come before us were prepared, at any cost, and many paid it for the sake of the light.

What about the verses that follow? Paul describes the weapons of war against cosmic powers as weapons that were used in his time. The mention of these weapons is not in some way condoning their use, but are to offer some idea of the seriousness of the battle being waged. Paul had no thought of the reader picking up a sword and fighting a corresponding earthly enemy that mirrored a celestial beast. No, Paul had in mind that they dropped their weaponry, of any kind, right then and there and pick up weapons of light to fight the real battle. For me, it is absolutely certain that this is the case today as well.  

Faith, the gospel of peace, salvation, truth, and righteousness, these are weapons of light. They are weapons of offense and defense as are a sword and shield. Light overcomes darkness. How does this happen? Darkness was found in Genesis 1 and God overcame it with a word, "let there be light", and it was defeated. A picture of this is given in creation, the spinning of our world to bring day and night. The Psalmists reflects that the night is sorrowful but joy is coming with the rising sun. Throughout the bible we find the play between light and darkness. I believe this battle was at it's peak in Jesus and Paul's day; about to come to a dramatic conclusion.

Romans 12:20-21 The Passion Translation  
And: If your enemy is hungry, buy him lunch! Win him over with kindness. For your surprising generosity will awaken his conscience, and God will reward you with favor.  (21)  Never let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good.

When you fight evil with evil, sword against sword, then evil wins, always. I know this translation might sound simplistic, but isn't that the idea? The road to conflict has early beginnings, opportunities that must not be squandered. It would be mistaken to expect, as a human being, that evil will never be used to fight evil in the world. It is our duty as followers of Jesus Christ to be different than the world, it is our duty to fight evil with good. The duty is serious, it is hard, and it is expected.

Paul relies on the Shema in the next chapter of Romans, 13:10. 'Love my neighbor as myself'. 

Romans 13:10-12 The Passion Translation
Love makes it impossible to harm another, so love fulfills all that the law requires.  (11)  To live like this is all the more urgent, for time is running out and you know it is a strategic hour in human history. It is time for us to wake up! For our full salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.  (12)  Night’s darkness is dissolving away as a new day of destiny dawns. So we must once and for all strip away what is done in the shadows of darkness, removing it like filthy clothes. And once and for all we clothe ourselves with the radiance of light as our weapon.

What urgency! The time running out! Wake up and shed the darkness, stand against it clothed in light. In the NRSV and others Paul tells them to take up weapons of light. Walk in the light. Shine as lights in the world. The old ways are quickly coming to an end, embrace the new ways. Only light could defeat the failing darkness, not swords and shields. If we are still in such times, as most of Christianity believes, then why are we still using weapons of death and destruction? Have we lost our nerve? If the times Paul described in Romans 13:10-12 are past, then why are we yet again taking up with weapons of darkness? Why are we, as believers, still using evil to defeat evil? Of course the unbeliever will use darkness, they have not come to the truth of Jesus Christ. But we have and therefore we should stand out of the darkness. God forbid that we would even dare to use scripture to justify such actions. 

The cost of true discipleship can be very high. Jesus showed us how high it could be. Jesus walked the path before us and many others after him followed in obedience. We must cut the ties that bind us to the ways of the world in darkness, on every level. May the cross always be before us, not in the way the world might use it but always in the way that Jesus did making the ultimate sacrifice, in love for every other human being he laid down his life. The very character of God on display for all the world to witness. The very character that is ours to make known.

I believe that God created us, as I mentioned before, to have a fighting spirit in our very core. But not a fight with words or weapons of death and darkness. God gave us a desire to fight injustice, hunger, sickness and disease, unrighteousness, sorrow and sadness, and every other form of darkness. We must fight though, as Jesus did, with light. 

Often, I wonder if I really know who God is. Do I know him, can I know him? So many times God is thought of as mysterious, beyond total knowledge. When bad things happen it is often said that we just need to accept that it is all part of God's bigger plan. But is this correct? Is this how God wants it to be? Does God want to be known? I believe God does want to be known and that there is a way by which we can know him.

John 14:7-11 NRSV 
If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."  (8)  Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied."  (9)  Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?  (10)  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works.  

"Show us the Father". I wonder if you have ever prayed in asking God to reveal himself to you. Many have. I have read of peoples desire to know God. I am fairly certain that I have heard people pray this way. It is definitely an excellent request. We should desire this, just as Philip did. Jesus responds to him then, and the Father might be responding to us now, "do you still not know me?". They did not. They had yet to see the greatest work that the Father, through the Son, would perform. It is in that work, coupled with the body of work performed during the life of Jesus, that we truly know the Father, know God. That work was the cross. Through the cross we know God.

John 14:19-20 NRSV 
In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live.  (20)  On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

Philip, and everyone else that comes to the Father, through Jesus and his cross, will be in Jesus the Christ who is in the Father. Jesus the Christ will be in them, in us. Does this give new meaning to God "all in all"? On that day you will know. On that day you will know me, you will know the Father. That day was coming "in a little while". It was coming very soon and they would know it and experience the reality that is the Father, the reality that is true life. We can know.

We can know God through our experience as children of God on this earth. I believe we can know God today if we could only put the cross before every experience, no matter how small or inconsequential we think it might be. Paul thought of teaching nothing else than Christ and the cross to the Corinthians. Paul spoke in Philippians about being able to know Christ and his sufferings and resurrection. Knowing Christ means knowing God. We can know God, through Christ, just as he said to the disciples in John 14. 

Philippians 3:10 The Passion Translation  
And I continually long to know the wonders of Jesus more fully and to experience the overflowing power of his resurrection working in me. I will be one with him in his sufferings and I will be one with him in his death.

To be one with him in his death means life as it was meant to be lived (read Philippians 2:5-11). This perfectly illustrates the Shema (Hear O' Israel). Love of God, to be experienced through every part of life. Love of others, to be experienced in every relationship, in every interaction. God is our reality. We are in God. God is in us. So, I think asking God in prayer that we might know him is not asking for a mysterious revelation, it is asking that God would make himself known to us in our everyday experience by showing love through us. That, I believe, is the reality set before the believer and follower of Jesus Christ. Not easy for sure, but those moments we are in the reality of knowing God we will know it and will want even more. That is what Paul was saying, "I want to know him". That is what Jesus wanted us to understand, a simple reality.

    Our love of God can be measured. We can reflect on our lives each day and try to assess how much we love God. The way we love God, our Abba, can be seen and experience by others. Abba is probably the best word we can use to describe who God is to us more than any other. Abba is father and it is the way Jesus addressed his Father frequently and during the Sermon on the Mount Jesus called Abba, "your Father" and 
"my Father". I believe Jesus is attempting to get his hearers to understand the God, the God who sits in heaven in majesty and with great power, the one who commands deep awe and respect, is not just God, but is also their Father. Jesus is trying to bring them to a place where God becomes someone more to them, God becomes someone with whom they share a deep relationship. This is Abba.

​    A man asked Jesus a question in Mark 12, "what is the greatest commandment"? The man, a scribe, is looking for the shema as found in Deuteronomy 6 where God commands that Israel shall love God and Him only. In the Old Testament passage it declares, "hear o Israel", or "shema o Israel". But Jesus answers with something even further, he says their is a second commandment attached to the first which is to love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment than these. The scribe agrees, even though I am quite sure he was only looking for the first, and even steps up the conversation one more. The scribe not only agrees but adds that these are even more important than the sacrificial system. Perhaps Jesus answer recalls for the scribe Malachi 2 where the question is posed as to why Judah has been unfaithful to even its own. Maybe he is even thinking of Isaiah prophesying that coming judgment was not only for following after other gods, but because there was no justice. Justice meaning no care for widows, orphans, poor, sick, and the alien in the land. Elsewhere God found only bloodshed rather than justice and righteousness. God said that he was tired of their sacrifices and festivals. The scribe must have known these scriptures. 

   John, in his first letter, chapter 2, gives a "new commandment". This new commandment is not really "new", it is only new to his readers. New because John might have seen or heard that they were making wild claims about loving God while they still carried hatred for the brothers and sisters. John might be intending to limit this to certain group of believers, but we find more on this topic elsewhere. Paul also recited the Shema more than once, in different ways, but the intent is always the same, love others, all others. The song found in Philippians 2, about Jesus, is the shema of Jesus. Both Jesus and Paul declared that we are to love our enemies. How are we to love our enemies? The same way Jesus loved his, he went to the cross for them. Paul says we are living sacrifices for our Abba. We are not living sacrifices to atone for ourselves, we are such so that we can love as our Abba loves us. How does John say that we know who loves God, or is in the light? By their love.

   So, I can examine, or reflect, on each situation in my daily life and can know, how much do I love my Abba? According to Jesus, John, and Paul, I will know how much depending on how much I love others. Some might say it is easier to love God because of what his son accomplished, the love and therefor the gift. Even John says this, Abba was first, Abba initiates and we respond to him. This is a very important part of the believers life, the shema. Hear o child of Abba, he is one, and we love him with all of our heart, mind, strength, and all of our being, and we also love our neighbor in the same way we love Abba, completely. The shema accomplishes Abba's will on earth. I believe it is important for us to recite the shema everyday to remind us that we are chosen as separate from the world, we are lights that shine the love of God, of our Abba so the world might see him in us. The shema was not just for Israel, or Judah, or the Pharisee, it is for everyone. It is just what the world needs always, but especially wherever you are. 

​Shine!
 
    Do you shine like a light in darkness? Are we like a city on a hill, a shinning city that is so bright and desirable that others are drawn into the light? I often reflect on this, did I shine today, did I shine while I was talking to so and so? When I went shopping today, did I shine? This is important, we need to check ourselves against what is being asked of us. Am I asked to shine? Yes! We are asked to shine by Jesus, and the apostle Paul.
 
Matthew 5:14-16 NRSV
"You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
 
    Jesus, as he gives the sermon on the mount, does more than ask us to be lights, I believe Jesus is telling us, as a command, to shine. A city on a hill can not help but be seen at night as the collective light from each home and business are shinning as one. Flying at night was always fascinating to me because at 25,000 feet in the air it is dark. But as you look down and see some dark patches, mostly you will see were cities, towns, and villages are because the are very bright. If you fly over the ocean at night this is even more spectacular. In Jesus day it was even darker away from a city making the city even brighter. Jesus wants his hearers to shine. What is it like in the Kingdom of God? It is bright!
 
    There is something more to shinning. Jesus might have said shine so you can spread my message of repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand. We might say Paul tells to shine as lights in the world to magnify Jesus, the savior of the world. Some might say we shine with good works, brining light to sin or immoral works of the world. All of these are correct but there is more.
 
John 1:3-5,9 NRSV
All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.…The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
 
    Jesus life was the light. His life is what was shining. When Peter, James, and John saw Jesus glorified, shining incredibly bright, they were seeing more than bright light, they were seeing his life as it was beyond the fleshly body. Remember when Paul says later that we do not remember Jesus in the flesh any longer? I believe that Paul is recalling his own encounter with Jesus as a light so bright that he was blinded. That was the Lord Jesus Christ! This is the true light that came into the world, so bright that darkness could not wrap it up. Jonathan Mitchell’s New Testament translation brings out a wonderful idea about what this light was.
 
“Furthermore, the Light progressively came to be the life known as "humanity," and was for human beings…” -JMNT
 
    In Genesis 2, a man was created. That man, Adam, should have stayed around the garden a little longer. If he had, eventually, I believe, he would have been able to show us what being a human was all about. Instead, Adam and Eve chose to try and skip ahead of God and missed the rest of their growth. The results were staggering. Jesus came as a light to the world. Jesus light did not become progressively brighter. What is progressively revealed is that Jesus life was true humanity. I say “is” rather than “was” because I believe this progressive revelation is on-going, even today. Jesus came to show what it meant to be human, all the way to the cross. All of us arrive to this conclusion at various times in our lives, and we show it, shining bright, in various ways.
 
    The life of the cross was the pinnacle of what human existence should look like, perfectly self-giving.   

Psalms 46:8-11 Brenton LXX 
(8) Come, and behold the works of the Lord, what wonders he has achieved on the earth.  (9)  Putting an end to wars as for the ends of the earth; he will crush the bow, and break in pieces the weapon, and burn the bucklers with fire.  (10)  Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.  (11)  The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our helper.
 
    Be still and know. The Psalm is praising God for all that He is and has done. God is our fortress, a theme that recalls war and conquering armies of heaven. To the ancient Israelites God was called on for help in battling enemies and protecting their lands. This is what I find so amazing about this Psalm, it begins with God as a powerful protector against angry waves and shaking mountains, and nations in chaos. In most English translations God is said to have wrought great scenes of desolation and at his voice the earth melts. The scene is different in the Septuagint, the selection I chose. In this translation God has achieved wonders, miracles, things to look on and make the heart glad and still. Be still, have peace and comfort in who God is. God put an end to wars and broke the weapons used to sow chaos.
 
    God has taken the chaos surrounding Israel and brought peace to their hearts. This is a miracle. The word “miracle”, as used in the Septuagint, is found many other times, and was often used to describe the wonders that Moses and Aaron did before the Pharaoh in Egypt. God performed these miracles through two faithful men. Moses was in constant contact with God and expressed worry and self-doubt. Moses made it through with God’s mighty help, a refuge for Moses to get him through. Hebrews 11 tells us that Moses was faithful, he followed his Savior, he communicated with his Savior for strength and peace.
 
    When I read such passages I stop and wonder, at times, why I do not do the same? God is with me, always and yet I do not always call on Him for peace. Things around us are often chaotic and seem hopeless, strained, and impossible. It seems there is so much going on around us and it is too easy to forget that God is with us. The world takes over and we slip into the frenzy. God can do miracles. This is what Israel found out and what the Psalmist reflects on. Did the mountains literally shake? Was the water in an uproar and foaming? Did God cause them to cease their roaring and rumbling? No, this is all poetic prose. Israel had real enemies and fought very real battles. They suffered casualties and death, and lost land, and homes. But they sought help from their LORD, and according to Psalm 46, he brought them peace.
 
    Be still and know that God is with us. No matter what we are going through, God is our refuge. For us, the miracle might not be a dissolution of our situation, it might be as simple as finding a little peace and confidence. The Message Bible by Eugene Peterson offers a different take on verse 10; "Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything." This is perfect, “step out of the traffic”. Sometimes stepping out of the traffic is exactly what we need. Step out and pray, for anything, just talk with your savior, your refuge that is within you, the bringer of peace. There is some terribly busy traffic in the world today and rather than letting the traffic overwhelm us, we should take some time and shut it off, or shut it out. Rather than merging with the traffic or opening a new path for it to flow, stand against it and stand firmly, with the peace of God. This is what we are called to do as believers today. The Kingdom of God asks us to stand in peace against the tides of chaos. So, not only should we get out of the traffic and pray for our own sanity, we should do it because it is our responsibility, and the way God wants us to conduct ourselves in the world. A people who shine bright in the traffic, full of joy and peace. 

Do you ever wonder how to pray? Have you ever been discouraged after hearing a sermon on prayer, so you kind of stop praying? Not that you don't pray, but your prayers become short and meaningless. Maybe you have become so confused by the many different "biblical fact" based opinions on how to pray. These, and more, describe my "prayer life" over the past several years. It was up and down, how often, how long, what should I pray for, when should I pray? I stopped praying for anything physical and started praying only for spiritual growth and the strengthening of my my faith. So, what is the answer?

I have spent a lot of time reflecting on these questions. This year, 2020, has not been kind to any of us. We have COVID which has caused all kinds of chaos in our basic, daily lives. COVID has been the cause of many tragedies and loss of life. Here, in the U.S., we have had much civil unrest over the excessive use of force by police, and systemic racism. Wild fires in parts of the American west are disrupting peoples lives as they lose their homes and businesses, and food supplies across the country have been interrupted. I have also learned of some life altering personal health issues that I must face, these could cause disruption to my future by way of family and work. It seems that there is a lot for me to pray about. So, how do pray? Many would say I should pray for physical healing, others might say to pray for mental strength to get me through my physical problems. But what about the problems that are facing the nation or other people? If I pray for peace and stability will God grant it? Are not all Christians and other "people of faith" praying for all of these situations, all the time? Why then do such things constantly happen? Is God not at work in the world today (this is another topic). Can I pray for one who does not believe in God for anything other than their salvation? What are the rules? Are there any rules?

There are many scriptures that address prayer. How do we apply them to our lives and the lives of those around us? How can we be "effective" in our prayers? We hear of some people being "prayer warriors"; what does that mean? Is a "prayer warrior" someone who prays so effectively that God hears them and acts on their requests more than others? The most famous prayer I can think of is the one Jesus suggests in Matthew 6 which asks that the Fathers will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus also tells the disciples and others that they can ask for whatever they need and it will be given to them. The apostle Paul tells Timothy to pray for leaders so that believers, who lived in a very tough political environment, could have peaceable lives and that all men would be saved. In the book of John, Jesus prays for his followers before his Passion. If you take into account the parallels of the gospels and the mention of prayer, Paul, in his writings, mentions prayer more often than does Jesus in the gospels. Paul gives various admonishments regarding prayer that range from women covering their heads while praying to praying for his strength during his journeys and while imprisoned. Paul frequently tells the churches that he prays in thanking God for them. In the Old Testament, using the NRSV, the word occurs close to 400 times with prayers to God for deliverance, healing, and the removal of sins and the guilt associated with those sins.

It is easy to see that prayer is very important to God and to Jesus Christ. It is one way that we can communicate with them. It becomes obvious that prayer should be a major part of our relationship with God and his son. Thankfully, I have come to realize that I should not worry about how or when I pray any longer. I do not believe it really matters how I address God, what questions I ask or what requests I make. I can just talk to God or Jesus anytime I want, about anything, just as if they were standing, sitting or working right next to me, because they are with me, all of the time. I used to think that football players were out of place if they pointed skywards after scoring a touchdown as they might be thanking our praying to God. I would think, "God does not care about your touchdown", or "God did not give you that touchdown, as if God likes your team better than the other". Now I think, "good for them and good for God!".

In Philippians 4:6-7, Paul says that we should pray for anything, and that God would give our minds and hearts peace in his son. I believe that the idea of prayer like this is to simply talk with God about what is bothering us, or what we are thankful for, no matter who, or what it is. It is to share our concerns with him, like we would with a friend. When we chose to share ourselves with someone, it can take some of the burden away and it might serve to ease or minds even when we know that the other person can not possibly change our situation. A friend, or even a counselor, is someone we lean on to ease pain, suffering, or anguish. The relief might be brief, but it is needed and very important to our health. God desires to be that friend who is there with us through anything. God wants to share in our pain, suffering, and anguish. God wants to share in our joy, happiness, and thankfulness. So, yes, God is happy with the football player's elation after he scores a touchdown. God is sorrowful with us after tragedy happens as well. God wants us to experience peace, not turmoil and chaos.

The apostle Paul gives the best explanation of prayer I can think of which applies to my life as one who believes that I have a meaningful relationship with both God, and Jesus Christ. In Romans 8, Paul writes,
"...the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." To me, this means that I can simply talk with God and that I do not need to worry how my prayer sounds, or what words I use, or what the topic is, or how long my prayer is, or when it is. I just can, like I am taking with a friend. God hears exactly what I need him to hear. My Lord Jesus Christ, who is my brother, hears exactly what I need him to hear. Just talk, scream, cry, whatever you need to, wherever you need to, as often as you need to.

Since coming to this understanding of prayer, I pray far more often, about far more things than ever before. I pray, or talk with God with no other expectation than that he hears, and that he is sharing in my conversation, and that I might have some peace in that moment. I have become much more thankful. Some might think this is a disrespectful way to approach God, but that does not bother me, to each their own, and maybe they are right, who knows. I now know it does not matter what opinions anyone has regarding prayer, because I now know that God makes sense of all my words.


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    “They just need Jesus”, a phrase, or one like it, is often said when everything goes wrong. When a person commits a terrible crime. When a person is experiencing deep sorrow. When the world is a mess, like in the United States right now. When someone is an addict. “If they only had Jesus”, what? If they “had Jesus” would things be so different? Maybe, it depends on so much, on so many people. Am I saying that Jesus does not make a difference? Not at all. Follow me here before you label me as a heretic.
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    We must not think of Jesus as a miraculous answer to all our problems, to all the world’s problems. Jesus is the answer, but not how we generally think or wish. Knowing or having Jesus is only the first part of the equation albeit a particularly important part, because as Paul says, Jesus is the foundation of our faith. Jesus is the foundation, not the building. I, and you, are the buildings and how these buildings are constructed is important and will have direct and lasting effects on our lives, and the lives of those around us.
Jesus is a miracle, but just calling on his name will not suddenly solve our problems. Problem solving takes work, effort, blood, sweat, tears, and time, often a long and hard time. Jesus can help you through problems, but not by just making them disappear.

    Near my home, there is a city in turmoil. It is not pretty, people are angry, and when a mass of people act out in anger, or sorrow, things can look chaotic and not peaceful.  I will not turn this into a political discussion or talk about my feelings on the matter because my aim here is much different. I am quite sure that some, if not many, of the protesters are Christians, or believers in Jesus Christ. I am also sure that some police are also the same, as well as some on the city consul or government. Many criminals have Jesus. So, I must ask, has their belief in Jesus, their being Christians, changed anything?

    As I try to answer this question, please do not assume that I do not believe in protest, because I do. People have the right to make their voices heard. This goes much deeper than what is currently happening. The problem goes back much further than the birth of the United States. See, the world has had Christians in it ever since Jesus walked this earth, yet, the world always seems to be in chaos in some part, or in whole. So, if Jesus is in us, why are all the problems not fixed? Why don’t they just miraculously disappear? The answer is not that Jesus is not in all of us, that would be too easy.

    The answer is found in the writings of Paul where he says that we must endure with patience and grow in character. The character we grow into is that of Jesus our savior, and the savior of the world, it is of Jesus in action. Part of the problem is that most of Christianity believes that God is control of everything, and in that line of thinking nothing can be done, so why try? We do try, but our trying is usually limited and once it gets too hard, we stop and “put it in God’s hands”. That will not do if we want to live in peace and justice. We might say that we can change the world, but are we? Some are trying, without a doubt, and some are trying hard and giving it their all, but most of us are not. Most of us give a little, and sometimes only occasionally. We need to give more, much more.

    I will say that God is control because I believe God is at work in the world, drawing people to Jesus. God has a goal and in the book Isaiah it is said that those goals will be accomplished; this is echoed by the apostle Paul. In his letter to Timothy, Paul said that God desires, wants, wills, and will see the salvation of all. But what is happening now, while God is working? If God is truly working why do things often seem a mess? The initial answer is easy, God has us. God has placed his spirit in us, God is in us. We are God’s temple. So, what does God want us to do? Knock on doors and try to get people to be “saved”? Stand on the street corner screaming at people that they are “lost”? These are the means that Christianity have been trying, largely, to save the world, at least in the United States. We have massive churches with tens of thousands of members, TV preachers that reach audiences of millions, and fill football stadiums with thousands during “crusades” and tours. Yet the world continues with problem after problem. Worse, we place our trust in faith in the government and politicians thinking that they will set us right. No, we live in a kingdom, and this kingdom has one king, he is Jesus.

    So, do they just need Jesus, yes, and no. Why, no? Because many already have Jesus. The others do need Jesus but why would they want Jesus if those that have Jesus do not look like it? What does it look like to have Jesus? Read the Sermon on the Mount. Read the Gospels. Read Paul’s moral and spiritual edifications. Read the prophets and learn what God means by justice. Read Philippians chapter 2. The reason we have problems is not because we do not have Jesus. The reason we have problems is because we do not live like we have Jesus; we do not live like we are in his kingdom. Jesus said the kingdom was at hand, it was, and it showed up in full soon after his resurrection and ascension. The apostle Paul said we are transferred into the kingdom; we are in it; we are its citizens. We are not transferred to a kingdom in the sky or heaven, we are here, on earth, in his kingdom. The kingdom is right here on earth, as it is in heaven. The kingdom is here now, not coming. We need to stop longing for the future and focus on the present. The present focus is not trying to convert people; the present is to show who Jesus is by working with him in the world. “In the world” is the key; stop trying to pretend like at any moment you will be whisked away in the clouds and start acting like every moment we live matters. Paul also said it would be hard work, that we would suffer with Christ. People do need the gospel, but believers living the gospel rather than speaking it will lead to less problems in the world.

​    Live the gospel, this is the answer. Life is the answer. Life in Christ is the answer. Jesus is the answer, not only in word or prayer, but Jesus in action. Yes, people need Jesus, but having Jesus is not enough, they need to live like they have Jesus. We need to live like we have Jesus and it starts not on the state or national scene; it starts with you and those in your immediate reach as you interact with them not by clobbering them over the head with bible verses, but by living out those verses. Let them see and experience and they will someday be showing, and so it will spread, and then we will have less problems. 

Exodus 17:1-7 NRSV
 
(1)  From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. (2) The people quarreled with Moses, and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?"
(3)  But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, "Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?" (4) So Moses cried out to the LORD, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me." (5) The LORD said to Moses, "Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. (6) I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink." Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. (7) He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?"
 
        Israel has been traveling for some time now. They are tired, hungry, and thirsty. They left a place where, though they were slaves and oppressed, it was all most of them ever knew. At least they had some access to food and water, the necessities. Now they find themselves wandering the wilderness, to them not much different than being in Egypt, a sophisticated nation and ordered society. They still felt oppressed but instead of man it was nature, the wilderness they traveled through was unforgiving, hot, arid, and dusty. It is easy to read this and say we would feel different, the thousands of years removed quarterbacks! I spent a short time in Saudi Arabia while in the Air Force and I can tell you that is extremely hot, in September and October. It is sand and rocks, lizards, spiders, and scorpions. I had regular access to all the modern amenities of food, water, and shelter with air conditioning. It is still hard for me to imagine such a large group of people, an entire nation, traveling as they were, with everything they owned. How many times would we have reached our ‘last straw’? The outcome seems natural, tempers grew hot, distrust became the norm, and they wanted answers.
 
        Moses is becoming the scapegoat. They vilified Moses. I imagine Moses was intensely afraid. Again, he is being questioned as to the purpose of this journey. Why are we here? Where are you taking us? They accuse him of having no plan, no idea to why they were in such an inhospitable land and position. Death is all that awaits us! They have no peace, no security, no hope. Have you ever wondered how much of God they even knew or understood? Obviously, there was something, but after years of slavery in a pagan nation there is no doubt that many did not know much about their God, Yahweh. They cried out from Egypt and were heard; Moses appears on the scene and great wonders and works were seen and heard of. Then finally they were free, and though they had God to follow, when something went wrong, it was Moses who they came to.
 
Trust Issues
 
        That was the error. They were relying on a man, a human being who existed in a broken human nature. A man who was still learning about their savior. Moses lost his composure with the people and in anger struck out against God. A defining moment in his relationship with Israel as a leader. A defining moment in his relationship with God. It is times like these a leader can lose leadership. Can you hear Moses in leaders that today begin to try and make sense of what is going on? They say things without thinking, they make themselves sound guilty and the more they talk the worse it gets. Moses, and Israel, are lost in the moment and there is not much that will ease the situation.  Can you hear them chanting against Moses? I am not sure how many they were, but it was in the high six figure range. Scary! Moses is truly frightened! He begins to try and appeal to their fear of Yahweh, it does not work.
 
        This is an important lesson we believer’s need to listen to. The mob mentality that seeks for someone to blame, at all costs. The threatening attitudes united in anger and hatred. Placing our trust and hope in another human being can lead to trouble, extreme trouble. Such situations lead us away from our Lord and into the state of the broken human nature (called the “flesh” by the apostle Paul) which readily takes over. Reason flies out the window and dangerous emotions take over. All of this can happen in varying degrees, whether the outcome is emotion or psychological pain, or physical harm and damaged property and communities, even death. On all levels, it is violence and chaotic, it is the opposite of the Spirit of God. We need to really on or savior and the Spirit given us for guidance and direction; this will always lead to peace and contentment, and any changes that need to take place will happen with trust.
 
They do not know God  
 
        After all the fledgling nation has seen of God, the miracles and wonders, the defeat of Egypt’s army, they still do not know who their real leader is. They still believe their leader is a man and not Yahweh. Moses was a great man, chosen by God to represent and lead them to their eventual home. Moses is similar the future judges, someone who calls out to the LORD for intervention and the people wellbeing. They lash out at Moses, and though they ask him where the LORD is, why isn’t the LORD here with us and taking care of us, Moses is the one in immediate view and the one who is about to take the brunt of Israel’s anger. If they knew their God, they would have approached Moses in a different way, with faithfulness and trust that God would provide. Instead it was in anger, and anger that transferred to Moses in his response.
 
The Response
 
        God responds, notwithstanding the anger and mistrust of His people, and provides them with water. The rock God used was a massive chunk of stone, it was no small boulder. Some believe today that a rock in the Sinai Peninsula, the rock at Horeb, found in the same wilderness that Israel was traveling through, is the rock that God made water to flow from. This might be possible, but I would not say for certain. The rock in question stands at 12 feet tall, 15 feet long, and 10 feet think. Moses struck it as instructed, and it split, pouring out water in quantities enough to water every person and animal.
 
        This situation should serve as a picture of Jesus and the future cross he was to bear. God told Moses that He would be standing before the rock. Just as God stood with His son on the cross. From that cross flowed streams of living water, just as would happen from the throne described in the book of Revelation. Jesus called to the festival goers in John 7.37, “all who are thirsty, come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink…”. At this point Israel had little belief, yet God showed grace and gave them living water.
 
The Cross
 
        Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10.1-4, that God feed them, guided them, and watered them. Paul says the rock followed them as they went and that the rock was Jesus. This was the second view of the cross in providing water, the first being at Marah, the bitter lake which Moses threw in a dead tree, and the water became sweet. This is how our Lord works, from the beginning of creation, with grace, mercy, and love. The book of John gives a few references of Jesus as the living water that humanity longs for and need. It is Jesus that we need. To the woman at the well Jesus said the water he gives
“will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life." Water that we need not search for, it is always there, gushing in us.
 
        We need to search for Jesus throughout the entire bible. This is what Jesus told the two walking on the road in Luke 24, all the scriptures spoke of him. Jesus started with Moses and I have no doubt that this story was in their conversation.
 
God is with Us
 
​        God is with us, always. Jesus is with us, always. When do we quarrel with them? When we decide to join the mob (a mob of one, or a mob of many, the mentality is the same) and leave the water of life in the background. The way of the cross is the better way, always. This is what Israel never understood, even when the living-water stood in their midst, in physical form, as a man. They felt alone and abandoned, full of anger and resentment that was aimed at Moses. But God responded with grace, not anger. This was a missed sign; Moses would strike another rock, twice, in anger, for the same reason, in Israel’s near future. How could you do that Moses? The question should be how can we do that? Live in remembrance, drink from the gushing spring of Jesus, let him pour out of you to strengthen and draw others. Let us be who we are meant to be