EmmDev 2021-02-26 [Lent2021] Perspective (2)

Perspective (2)

The second God-perspective that Isaiah leaves us with has to do with the world around us. In Isaiah's case this is best typified by the nations. The Israelites had survived the Egyptians, the Philistines, the Amalekites, Hittites and Perrizites. When the Assyrians became a dominant world power they barely survived; and then only because God drove the Assyrian army off when they were encamped on Jerusalem's doorstep. Then came the Babylonians and Israel succumbed to their might and power.

The thinking of the day was that "If my nation conquers yours, then my god is greater than your god!" And so, for Israel the devastation of Jerusalem and the temple was a national blow, a political hit and a religious wrecking ball!

But Isaiah would beg to differ...

The ebb and flow of nations and power is not in the same league as the might and permanence of God. God's majestic power and might over creation also extends over the nations. Look at how Isaiah repeats the imagery of God measuring: drops in buckets, dust on scales, islands weighed, wood for the altar fires and animals for offerings.

Nations come and nations go.
Let's say that again: nations come and nations go.
Even dictators come to the end of their reigns and have to face the levelling power of death.

Sometimes we are overwhelmed by the apparent power of nations, philosophies and systems... We read, hear and see the news and we feel oppressed, intimidated and disempowered by it all - but God is eternal and He holds time itself in His hands.

CHALLENGE: Sometimes we can't see the wood for the trees. Zoom out a bit and see how God's love and faithfulness is bigger than all the crises that shout in our ears... Worshipping Him with other believers on Sunday will help too.

Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust. 16 Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires, nor its animals enough for burnt offerings. 17 Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing      (Isaiah40:15-17)

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EmmDev 2021-02-25 [Lent2021] Perspective (1)

Perspective (1)

Isaiah has introduced God as the bringer of Justice and the Gentle Shepherd. The next two strophes provide valuable perspectives on our views of God. We'll look at the first today.

Have you read the last part of the book of Job? Where Job, who was innocent but suffered greatly lashes out and demands His day in court with God? It's a beautiful section where God takes Job and a tour of the wonders of creation and asks Job what his contribution was... Isaiah does a similar thing here....

What a beautiful picture of magnitude of God!!
Watch as He measures the world with His hands!!
Gasp as He weighs mountains and quantifies the earth!!!
He doesn't need our advice or input and there's no-one who can teach Him!

It's in our nature to try to domesticate God.

We like to bring Him down to our size and make Him in our image.
But Israel's God is not like the gods of the nations.
He doesn't need us, but He loves us and we need Him.

Sometimes we allow our picture of God to shrink.
When this happens in the church, we tend to become a moralistic do-gooder's club, but when we remember His majesty and greatness then we start to tune into what He is doing instead of what we think He needs to do or what we want Him to do.

This changes everything.

In the powerful story of the New Testament Church, we read this in Acts 2:42-43: "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles."

Amazing things happen when we let God be God!

CHALLENGE: Is your view of God too small? Have you lost your sense of wonder? Maybe part of faith rejuvenation is to see His might in nature and history and to right-size our worship again!

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? 13 Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed him as his counselor? 14 Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding?       (Isaiah40:12-14)

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EmmDev 2021-02-24 [Lent2021] Three Voices (3)

Three Voices (3)

If the first voice called us to repentance and the second voice called us away from hubris and towards humility, then the third voice introduces God to us.

And what an introduction it is!

There are three amazing things about it:

Firstly, the triumphant introduction "Here is your God!" is placed in our lips - we are the third voice. The news we have is a "good tiding" and we can proclaim it from high mountains to the towns of Judah. It implies that we have tasted and seen that God is good.

The second aspect is that God is introduced with two ends of an important continuum: On one end is His omnipotence and justice which is seen in v.10 - God is able and capable. He is not limited or ineffectual in the light of injustice and brokenness. He is "mighty to save." He is able to reward and recompense - He is able to balance the scales.

The third aspect takes us to the other side of the continuum in v.11: He is not only a powerful, capable and able judge, but he is also a tender and gentle shepherd - able to pick up the broken and wounded and young. He is a COMPASSIONATE God and the hope of nations!

What a magnificent picture: God is coming!

We're to make straight paths for Him but He helps us.
We're to leave behind our hubris and remember our frailty.
But His might and majesty and His kindness and compassion are such that we will be the ones who can shout of His goodness.

You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, "Here is your God!" 10 See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. 11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.      (Isaiah40:9-11)

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EmmDev 2021-02-23 [Lent2021] Three Voices (2)

Three Voices (2)

The first voice called us to "make straight paths before the Lord, but it also indicated that we would not be able to do it on our own.

The second voice reminds us to be humble...
Hubris (Self-importance, arrogance, and pride) is one of the most dangerous qualities for a society to afflict itself with. It happened at the tower of Babel. In Jeremiah's time the Israelites believed that Jerusalem was unassailable because the temple was there. Rome believed that they were indestructible. Recently analysts have suggested that the 2009 economic meltdown is attributable to societal hubris.

Hubris is to think of ourselves too highly - to consider ourselves so very very important, to believe that we will live forever and to behave as though our needs are paramount.

Isaiah's second voice warns us against this.
We are grass and flowers.
Grass withers and flowers fall.
God ordains our coming and our going.
Humility is needed.

It's like Job who, although innocent, becomes so sure that he can "have his day in court with God" that the Lord spends four chapters revealing His glory to Job and asking him - "So where were you when I did this?!?" And Job responds by basically saying "I got too big for my boots - I shot off my mouth and I'm going to shut it now."

John Ortberg said: "There's good news and bad news: The good news is that there's a God. The bad news is that it isn't you!"
I differ slightly: I don't think it's bad news that I'm not God. It's actually a relief to realise that it isn't all about me..."There's good news and good news: There is a God and it isn't me!"

It's God's Word and God's work that stands forever...

A voice says, "Cry out." And I said, "What shall I cry?" "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. 7 The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever."      (Isaiah40:6-8)

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EmmDev 2021-02-19 [Lent2021] Three Voices (1)

Three Voices (1)

A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. 5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."      (Isaiah40:3-5)

From vv.3-11 there are three voices, we'll look at each in turn...

The first voice is very appropriate at the start of Lent: It is the voice that calls to us in the wilderness. Israel found itself in the wilderness of exile - but God lovingly offered them hope - He would come to them.

The right thing to do when preparing for the Lord's coming is to make a highway for the Lord to come to us. Righteousness and repentance are the straight paths that God likes to use.

But Isaiah's call for straight paths takes on epic proportions: entire valleys are raised up and mountains and valleys are made low and rugged places become a plain. What started out as being in the realms of what people can do (straight paths) has become something that more appropriately fits in the realms of what only God can do.

This is a good picture for Lent.

There is always the danger that Lent becomes legalism and salvation by works - that we're out to impress God by our hard work. But as with the little boy's loaves and fish (trying to make straight paths) God is able to take the little we give and turn it into more.

Lent is not so much that we resolve to return to God, and then work hard at it so that we earn His favour. Lent is about hearing God's voice and then seeing what He does when we respond.

It is significant that Matthew sees this passage as fulfilled by John the Baptist. John baptised people who were repentant. He also baptised Jesus who had no need to repent, but Jesus' baptism (in which He identified with our sinful state) put Him on our road and He turned it into a highway.

CHALLENGE: Are you doing well with your Lent commitments? Remind yourself that these are just small acts of grateful devotion, we couldn't build the highway - Jesus did.

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EmmDev 2021-02-18 [Lent2021] Rejuvenation

Rejuvenation

My friend, Andries Combrink, called Lent "a season of simple rejuvenation..." This accurately captures my longing for this Lent in my heart and yours...

Isaiah 40 is a much beloved chapter. Thematically it marks the transition where the prophecy moves from rebuke for rebellion and idolatry to a pronouncement of hope and restoration. Historically it moves from Israel's exile in Babylon (and why it happened) and moves to the promise of a return. Spiritually it describes the human predicament and exile in brokenness and offers us a God-given restoration!

This magnificent chapter offers hope, it describes God and invites us to a place of intimacy with God. We're going to plumb its depths for the first few days of our "season of simple rejuvenation."

The chapter begins with assurance of Comfort...

Historically it addresses the consequence of their rebellion: Israel had ceased to rely on God and this led to a moral and spiritual breakdown that allowed a another nation to defeat them.

But God has seen their brokenness. (They have received "double" for their sins - in Hebrew idiom this simply means "enough".)

God's love and consequences for sin are difficult concepts to hold in tension until we factor in the dynamic of free will. Free will allows for wrong choices and wrong choices have consequences (that's what makes them wrong choices!) And God, who gives free will, also allows the consequences of wrong choices.

But God sees our pain - He wants to comfort and heal us.
And so begins the journey of restoration - anticipated by Isaiah, inaugurated by Jesus and fulfilled at Calvary and the Empty Tomb.

Join with me over the next few days as we unpack the rest of the chapter and the nature of restoration and the God who brings it.

CHALLENGE: Yesterday we confessed our sins. As you think through the consequences of our brokenness, ask God to comfort and restore you. Invite Him to begin a process of restoration in you over the season of Lent. Know that God wants to "Comfort" you.

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins.      (Isaiah40:1-2)

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EmmDev 2021-02-17 [Lent2021] LENT: Repentance, Return and Renewal

Hi everyone
I am sorry there has been such a long gap in the EmmDevs... We have been through a challenging time as a family. At the end of Nov my Dad was diagnosed with a form of pre-leukaemia that involved hospitalisation and chemo. This happened over Dec which involved daily trips to the hospital and then the Covid19 second wave hit us and he was locked down in hospital. Then just before new year we were able to bring him home for two weeks and I moved in to help my Mom. Then he had to be hospitalised and we were not allowed to visit. Then his condition worsened dramatically and we were able to get him discharged to hospice and we could gather around him as a family. He passed away a few hours later on 20 Jan. I conducted the funeral service on the 27th. It was a very intense 8 weeks and while we are sad, we are peaceful... I have been easing my way back into things and it feels right to resume EmmDevs on Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent.

I hope you did not miss the devotions too much, but I do hope you missed them a little (wink)... Please keep my Mom and our family in your prayers - that we might grieve and heal well.

The first devotion for 2021 is down below...

GodBless,
Theo

LENT: Repentance, Return and Renewal

The Israelites had used the Ark of the Covenant as a good luck charm and it had fallen into the hands of the Philistines, but the Philistine's idols kept falling down whenever the Ark was near and so they returned it to Israel.

For twenty years the Israelites did nothing about this! Eventually true repentance entered their hearts and they sought the Lord again.
Notice how Samuel checks their hearts, asks them to take concrete action and then leads them in an act of repentance.

We have more than the Ark of the Covenant. We have the Gospel: Jesus came, died and rose again and the Holy Spirit lives in our hearts. But so often we are like the Israelites, we live as though He isn't there.

Ash Wednesday is an act of repentance, return and renewal.
It calls us to:

• Come with all our hearts.
• To rid ourselves of foreign gods
• To re-commit ourselves to Him

The Israelites poured out water before the Lord (a symbol of dedication) and they fasted and confessed.

Ash Wednesday uses different symbolism but the purpose is the same.
We come to God recognising how far we have drifted from Him. We put things aside, fast and confess because we know we need Him more than anything.

In Samuel's account the Philistines attack Israel while the nation is busy with this act of repentance and we read that God routed them. The beauty of Ash Wednesday is that we anticipate Easter where Jesus defeats sin, death and Satan.

In these Corona Times we repent, return and renew in the presence of the enemies of illness, death and a battered economy and trust the He will be at work in our midst too.

It was a long time, twenty years in all, that the ark remained at Kiriath Jearim, and all the people of Israel mourned and sought after the LORD. 3 And Samuel said to the whole house of Israel, "If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines." 4 So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only. 5 Then Samuel said, "Assemble all Israel at Mizpah and I will intercede with the LORD for you." 6 When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, "We have sinned against the LORD."      (1Samuel7:2-6)

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EmmDev 2020-12-24 [Luke's Advent] Transformed

Transformed

I'm going to finish this series on Luke's Advent with the account of the shepherds and three thoughts:

1. Shepherds were the "ragamuffins" (In South Africa we'd call them "skollies"). They were rough diamonds, reputed to have dishonest tongues, long fingers and coarse hearts.

And yet it is to these rough shepherds that the angels bring the announcement of Jesus birth! From the very outset it is clear that Jesus came for everyone. They say that Santa only comes to the kids that have been "nice" and not to those who have been "naughty". Jesus makes no such distinction: He comes to all:
- To barren Zechariah and Elizabeth via John
- To young working class couples like Joseph and Mary
- To shepherds in spite of their dodgy reputation
- And to sages from pagan countries and distant lands.
- To old Simeon and Anna in the temple forgotten by society.

As a fellow "naughty" and "ragamuffin", I am so grateful that I don't believe in Santa, but Jesus.

2. Look at the message of the Angel:

• "Don't be afraid" (not in those tough times and not now in these Corona Virus Times)
• "I bring Good News of Great Joy" (And even some 2020 years later it remains Good News that God stepped into our broken world so that we are not alone.)
• "In the town of David a Saviour has been born to you: He is Christ the Lord" (He may be in our world - but He's God-with-us and able to save us.)
• The sign of a "baby wrapped in cloths lying in a manger". (He's already experiencing the brokenness of the world and He can make it holy.)
• "Glory to God and Peace on Earth" (The only fitting response is worship and the outcome will be peace - because God has shown us His favour.)

3. The shepherds were transformed by their encounter. I can just imagine the emotion in the face of a burly shepherd cradling Jesus and touching a soft cheek with a calloused finger. They rush around the town waking everyone up, and the people aren't irritated or mistrustful - they are amazed at what has happened to the shepherds.

May we also be transformed as we reconsider Jesus' coming into our world!

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.      (Luke2:8-18)

This brings our Advent Series to an end... I hope it has been a blessing to you.

I want to wish you a blessed Christmas and New Year. We celebrate in tough circumstances, but we have an opportunity to dig deeper and celebrate on principle instead of just because it is a holiday. I pray that you'll have the faith, hope and love to make the best of the circumstances and let your light shine!

With much love,
GodBless,
Theo

(EmmDevs will re-start in the middle of January...)

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EmmDev 2020-12-23 [Luke's Advent] Under the Circumstances

Under the Circumstances

This year many people will celebrate Christmas under tough circumstances. People have lost loved ones, lost jobs, lost income, endured loneliness in lockdown, experienced massive stress and felt the ongoing uncertainty of a changed world - especially with the arrival of a second wave of infections. This is real for our family too as my dad has been in hospital for 4 weeks with an aggressive form of leukaemia and we are now not allowed to visit him in hospital.

It seems hard to think about "peace on earth and mercy mild..."

But the truth is that Jesus was born in the midst of very very difficult times and circumstances:

• He was born under the oppressive Roman regime that ruthlessly taxed, ruled and punished its subjects. Life was cheap and tensions ran high.
• His parents were forced to travel to a distant down to register for a Census - and, in spite of Mary's pregnant state, they were forced to go. They were bullied by bureaucracy and powerless to withstand it.
• According to scholars, Bethlehem was a "little town" and was overrun by census-visitors. Mary and Joseph could find no accommodation and even her impending labour could not get them any preferential treatment except a shelter for cattle. And so Jesus was born into the kind of poverty where one has to depend on the kindness of strangers who will have to come up with a makeshift plan with the little they have...
• Even the gifts he received (myrrh) spoke of His destiny - that he was born to die. Shortly after His birth, an assassination attempt was made on His life and He had to become a refugee as they fled to Egypt.

So Jesus comes into a painful, hurting and broken world and even before He was born, He was bullied by bureaucracy and then He was the target of violence and experienced the reality of fear and flight.

We've had a year where we've felt oppressed by lockdown and bullied by rules (some of which were wise and necessary and others which were senseless and maybe even underhanded). We've lost loved ones and experienced financial, emotional and societal strain as never before.

But... Maybe this year, more than ever, we should recognise that His coming is not ivory tower stuff, but the relentless determination of a God who comes to find us where we are - in the midst of our gritty and grimy circumstances to offer us:
- understanding (I know where you are)
- guidance (I've walked this road too)
- peace (I will be with you)

May this be a Christmas in which you experience God's closeness more than ever...

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.      (Luke2:1-7)

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EmmDev 2020-12-22 [Luke's Advent] And you my child...

And you my child...

After 400 Silent Years (it had been that long since the Israelites had someone come and say "thus says the Lord") an angel appeared to Zechariah to tell him that he and his elderly wife Elizabeth would have a son who would be the forerunner of the Messiah.

The angel also told him to call their son "John" which means "The LORD is gracious" but Zechariah was skeptical and so he was deprived of the ability to speak until their son was born.

When their son was born, the family wanted to name him Zechariah after his dad but Elizabeth was insistent that he should be called John and so they asked Zechariah... When Zechariah indicated that it would be "John" his tongue was loosened and he burst forth in praise and prophecy.

In his praise Zechariah recognises God as a God of strength and rescue who delivers His people - a God who keeps His promises and allows us to serve Him without fear. It is beautiful praise.

He also recognises a significant destiny for his son, John who would be the prophet of the most High.

What is significant is how Zechariah saw the work of the Messiah...

There's a line from "Hark the Herald Angels" that I really like. It reads: "Peace on Earth and Mercy mild - God and sinners reconciled." But there are three lines from Zechariah's song that capture a similar sentiment: "to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God."

Doesn't that so aptly describe Jesus' Mission and the purpose of Christmas?

And then one more thought: The birth of Jesus into our world makes the birth of every child even more special, because God chose to share in our birth. We see this preemptively in John's birth as his father lovingly prays over him "And you my child..." Just as John's birth became special because of the coming of the Messiah, so our birth and the birth of our children is made special by Jesus' coming.

When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John." They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who has that name." Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, "His name is John." Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, "What then is this child going to be?" For the Lord's hand was with him. His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us-- to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.      (Luke1:57-80)

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