An Unsafe God and his Unsafe People

"...in order that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will find in the book of the records and learn that this city is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces, and that sedition was stirred up in it from of old. That was why this city was laid waste." (Ezra 4:15)

They are trying to rebuild the city and the temple and the people who are around Jerusalem are not happy. So when there is a new king they write to him and inform him that these people (Israel) cannot be trusted to rebuild their city because they are dangerous. The accusers tell the king to search the records and they find this is in fact true. 

Gods people are a dangerous people to the world and that past will catch up to you when you endeavor to join God in what he is doing. Is your God too safe? Cause this God of Israel doesn't seem to be... and that is why the king commands a stop on the building (for now). 

What kind of God do I believe in? What kind of person do I believe God is making me? I think a dangerous one. One that is dangerous to the world in the way that I love; the way that I stand for those who no one stands for; the way that everywhere I go the ideals of the world seem to collapse. That is a dangerous person to anyone who has their security in the ways of this world and they will do anything to stop you, but our God is greater and will never be stopped.

Follow the unsafe God and you will overthrow kingdoms cause God is in the business of doing so. Only one kingdom will truly stand, His. 

Why do Whales jump??

One of my favorite things too see here on hawaii are the humpbacks jumping around..they are EVERYWHERE. It is crazy. But one may ask, "Why do they jump? Seems like a lot of work to thrust a 40 ton body out of the water...." There are many theories to why humpbacks jump and do displays, some say for sexual display, some say for fun, some say to look at their surroundings...but I have my own theory. They jump for the glory of God, to praise him! To praise the one who brings them peace and life in this world. The one who gives them life and gives new life as they birth new calves and start new lives through mating. They sing songs underwater (which scientist also have no idea why) to sing of the God who gives and takes and is worthy of all praise. The sing and jump for the years of great schools of fish in the north, and warm waters to bring rest in Hawaii. They praise God because they know that you are worthy of praise.

They study but do not know why the whales jump, I pray it would be the same in my life, that people would wonder why I jump, why I raise my hands. "It does not make logical sense..., they will say, "Is it cause he is crazy? Maybe he is stretching from his long day?" But I will know... its for the glory of God. To sing and display my praise for the God who saves brings peace, purpose, and hope to idiots like me. And unlike the whales, those who wonder can ask me, and I will tell them. It still may not make sense, but for those whom it does, I think soon they will be jumping too.

God's Secret Family Recipes

"Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord..." Isaiah 1:18

When Jesus commands us in Matthew 18 to go to our brother if he has sinned against us and tell him his fault that he might listen and you may gain a brother, that isn't some new way of dealing with people...its been God's way since the beginning.

God is the first example to us this. He has just listed off all the people's wrong yet he does not pour judgement first. No, first he says let's get together and talk reasonably about it and not continue in ignorance of where we stand with each other. He then promises forgiveness and blessing if the repent and turn back to Him. He comes to us and says, "Hey, here is what you have done, lets see it as it is and move forward in grace and forgiveness." Which is exactly what we are to do with each other. To come together and see ourselves and our actions for what they are (not what we want them to be or how we want to see them) in relation to each other so that we can acknowledge, repent, forgive, and move forward together in love and grace. 

When God asks us to do the same in Matthew, remember that he exampled it first. He is not asking us to do something cause he decided its what is best for us (which in theory would be a good enough reason), but actually he lets us in to his world, into his secret family recipes, and says "Hey, let me tell you my secret to reconciliation...it works every time."

Honesty...is such a lonely word.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7

God, knowing all that we need even better than we do, still has us ask him. You do not have because you do not ask (James 4:2) Clearly, we do not ask because God needs to know what what we need but because it is how he designed us to be...to be honest. Asking is honesty, its admitting to ourselves and to someone else what we need. This is the way God wants us to be...

So if God asks us to ask in order to receive, how much more do we need to ask each other when we need something? We so often expect that people should just know what we need and expect them to answer our needs, even God who knows all and can do all says thats not how it works, yet we expect it of each other who are so far less knowing and able than God almighty. We need to learn to ask each other, to be honest with each other and with ourselves when we have needs.

God can promise that when we ask anything in his name we can receive it because he can do all things, and though we cannot promise that of each other, I think we would find if we asked more, we would have a lot more...and judge a lot less.