SAVED, SAFE, SATISFIED

In John 10:7 and 9 we find the third of the seven "I Am" statements. Jesus says, "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture."
I noticed on the web that one preacher a few years ago identified three affirmations that Jesus is making in this verse.  After repeating that He is the gate or door for the sheep, Jesus tells us that in Him we find salvation. We enter through Jesus and our past: our guilt, shame, failure and loss are all dealt with. We are forgiven and restored to a right relationship with God for now and for eternity.
Second, in Jesus we find safety. Sheep are free to enter in and out of the sheep pen only if it is safe. Our Shepherd guarantees safety. Millions of believers have testified to experiencing a sense of wonderful safety in the midst of great difficulty. Faith that our Shepherd is in full control and will bring ultimate good to us brings peace in the face of pain and death. Jesus has taken the sting out of our ultimate enemy - death - and we know that we are "safe in the arms of Jesus."
Third, having entered into our relationship with God through Jesus, we find pasture. Good pasture results in satisfied sheep! That takes us back to the first of the "I Am" statements where Jesus says "I am the Bread of Life". Unlike everything else in this world, a relationship with Jesus satisfies our deepest soul longings. Everything else, whether an abundance of superficial stimulants or the most fulfilling things in life such as meaningful work, humanitarian service and family life, cannot fully satisfy. But in Jesus we are saved, safe and and can be satisfied for ever.  

BIBLICAL HEROES

Some parts of the Bible I usually read quite quickly: genealogies, description of land allotments to the twelve tribes, chapters delineating OT laws. I sometimes will even read familiar OT narratives very quickly. But when I read the narrative passages quickly, I don't feel them and I lose most of the power of the story.
When I read those familiar stories slowly - as I did this morning with the story of Gideon in Judges - I pause and marvel. I enter into the story and it grips me. I marvel at God's grace. Here God goes again, stepping in to provide special help for people who have been rejecting God and worshipping idols and living in direct disobedience. Amazing grace!
I smile at the hints of irony or humour that seem to be in the text. For example, the angel of the Lord greeting Gideon as a "mighty man of valour" while he threshes wheat in a wine press, hiding from the enemy. This "mighty man of valour" obeys God's direction but does so at night so no one will confront him. Then it appears Gideon's father has to face down the townspeople who are ready to kill Gideon for what he has done. Valour?
But what struck me again today was how some of God's people really are amazing heroes, rising above and beyond what many of us could ever imagine doing. Read slowly how God leads Gideon to prepare for battle against an enemy whose forces seem overwhelming. A military general who has never led an army before would surely want as large an army as possible. Yet Gideon trusts God as he is instructed how to reduce his military force from 32, 000 men down to 300 men. This is a singular occasion when God seems to cause decimation of the army before they even begin to march on the enemy.
I know Gideon asks for "his fleece" twice to confirm that God is with Him and ready to do miracles. Yet still; what would you have done when God says in effect: I know you are outnumbered 3 to 1, but I'd like to increase the odds against you to 300 to 1? I imagine myself in Gideon's sandals as best I can and I wonder: would I have simply quit? failed the test? asserted that I must not be hearing God correctly?
I say Gideon is indeed proven to be a "mighty man of valour" and a "mighty man of faith". A true hero. A man who provides for us a wonderful example of obedient faith.
"Thank you God for the teachings of Scripture. And thank you for showing us examples of people like us, who because of your grace and power coupled with their obedient faith, provide us with realistic, very human, yet marvellous biblical heroes."  

PROOF OF LOYALTY

How do we know someone is a winner if there is no competition? How do we know if someone is the best if she is the only? How can you be sure that you are the chosen one, if you were the only choice available? How can you be sure if the love someone expresses is true loyal love if it has never been tested?
God wants each of us - all of us - to love Him with our whole heart. He offers us loyal, steadfast love and asks the same from us. God knows us better than any social scientist can ever know humans. Because of this, from the very beginning with Adam and Eve, through Abraham down to the nation of Israel, God tested the loyal love of His children.
We read at the end of Joshua and in the beginning of Judges that the nation of Israel has taken possession of the Promised Land of Palestine. Although some of the conquered peoples were still living in the land, Israel was in the dominant position. God had given them victories as they fought their way through the land. But at times they were not passionate enough to pursue complete victory or to obey God fully.
Therefore God said:
I will no longer drive out the nations that Joshua left unconquered when he died. I did this to test Israel—to see whether or not they would follow the ways of the LORD as their ancestors did.”Judges 2:21, 22
God determined to provide an ongoing test for Israel. They would continually be tempted to borrow moral standards and objects of worship from the ethnic groups who lived among them.Their loyal love would be tested: faced with choices, would Israel consistently choose the God of their fathers? Sadly as we read the biblical history of the next few centuries, the answer is a recurring "no". Israel found it often too easy to join in pagan practices and pagan worship, ignoring the God who had brought them out of Egypt into their "homeland."
Many people claim to believe in and to love God. The proof of our loyal love is found in the times of testing. God has many "fair weather" friends. The issue is: when the weather is "foul", do we still love and obey God? It is in the hard times that loyal love is proved. May each of us pass the tests God allows to come our way!

WALKING WITH A CELEBRITY

Our daughter Jeannie, husband Chris and 11 month old Amara are visiting with us for nine days. Yesterday Jan and I with our visitors were at a large Vietnamese restaurant for lunch. To provide a break for Jeannie and Chris, mid-meal, I took Amara for a stroll through the restaurant. All of a sudden I was swarmed by all of the young female servers who wanted to kiss princess Amara's hand, cheek, hold her, get a picture with her. We had a hard time leaving the restaurant as greeters and others wanted a little touch from Amara. Funny thing, nobody paid attention to me on the way out - her Dad was holding Amara. We knew and now experienced that Vietnamese love babies - and are drawn of course to foreign babies.
In fact as we walked down one street of small stores, one woman came running out to see Amara, then ran back inside to get a camera. So this is the life of a celebrity. We will see if it happens again this afternoon when I meet up with the family.
Warmth and sun have returned to Hanoi. Today I walked the scenic last 300 meters to the church office - along Hanoi's largest lake. I watched about 15 young kayakers who were "sprinting" beside me. Suddenly a motorbike went by me with a woman shouting out across the water on a megaphone. Evidently she must be their team coach. Maybe we will get to see kayak races later this year!
Life feels a little better today with 24 degrees C., sunshine and the sound of birds coming through the open office window. (I apologize for mentioning this to anyone in Edmonton reading the blog. I heard they received half a meter of snow last week.)

NOT A SINGLE ONE

In God's very first conversation with Moses at the "burning bush", God spoke of what He would do for Israel. God promised to bring Israel, under the leadership of Moses, "into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey." Exodus 3:8
Following that conversation, many promises were made by God through Moses. All of them were centered on the land God would one day give them, where they would live and honour God. Under the leadership of Joshua Israel finally, after 40 years, enters the Promised Land. They have to fight for it, confronting many small city states, or battling several allied city states at one time. As God had promised, He guides and empowers Israel so that they are consistently victorious.
Their work is not done, but by the latter part of the Book of Joshua, the land has been essentially occupied by the Twelve tribes of Israel. At that point, the author makes a great statement - echoed through the centuries by many of God's people.
"Not a single one of all the good promises the LORD had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true." Joshua 21:45
We may sometimes struggle with God's timing when we pray. We may wish He always answered "yes" when we ask, instead of often seemingly saying "no, that is not best" or "not yet, be patient". But we are convinced that God is totally reliable. He always keep His promises. We need to be careful not to claim thoughtlessly biblical promises made to an individual or an individual group as though they were made to each of our specific situations. However the promises, both OT and NT are  given to those who trust and obey.
It is good to trust the Lord. In a world of broken promises and shattered vows, He alone has the power and the will to keep every promise He makes to us. "Everything he has spoken will come true." You can count on that.

WHOLEHEARTED AT ANY AGE

Caleb is a great role model for any of us who are over 60. Actually he is a great role model for all of us. Only he (age 40) and Joshua, of the twelve spies, believed that God would guide and protect the infant nation of Israel if they followed His command and invaded the Promised Land. (See Numbers 13 + 14) Because of their faithfulness to God, they alone of all the men of their age lived to enter the Promised Land, 40 years later.
After a number of battles as Israel was conquering the new country, at age 85, Caleb was still in great shape and feisty enough to be "looking for a fight". Actually he was looking for what was promised to him by Moses - that he would would walk on the land that he and his children would have as their inheritance in the Land. So at age 85 he asked Joshua to designate "this hill country" as his. He reminded Joshua of what they had experienced together four decades before.
What I notice in this passage, more than Caleb's age, his energy, faith or vision, are the words used to describe him several times. Depending upon the translation, Caleb himself, Moses and the author of Joshua, describe him as a man who: "followed the Lord wholeheartedly" or "followed the Lord fully" or "followed the Lord with his whole heart". (Joshua 14:8, 9, 14)
What a great description for any woman or man who claims to be a Christian, a Christ follower. It is too easy to be "1/2 hearted, or 3/4 hearted" in our obedience or loyalty. It is too easy to slip back from a full commitment to Christ to an easy, half-hearted attitude. Without even noticing it, we can develop the lifestyle of: "I will serve and obey Him unless it becomes uncomfortable or too demanding."
God is looking for those who at age 40 and at age 85 are following Him "with their whole heart."
"Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33

"Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.” (Joshua 14:12)

BUILDING CONTINUES

It seems you cannot travel for more than 3 or 4 blocks in this city without seeing some sign of construction. It may be something small like a new entrance way. It may be something larger like adding two more storeys to a small building - we are watching them put the roof on the fourth floor of one, just 100 meters from our building.
It could be a significant project like the one next door and 19 floors below us. We are not sure what is happening but it is interesting to watch. The elementary school was built as a quadrangle with a large uncovered space in the center. That space was used as parking for parents' motorbikes when collecting their children; as the outdoor gymnasium, as the assembly hall, etc. However over the past two weeks crews have knocked down two of the quadrangle walls. We are waiting to see what will replace them. Work goes on 24 hours a day. Fortunately with ear plugs we hardly hear the machinery at night. :)
Then of course there are the large office and apartment towers across the street that had been built before we arrived. We have watched the painting of walls and balconies and other finishing work being gradually completed.
Often as I look over these and other building projects, I also look over the city, and am reminded that Jesus is building his church here in Hanoi. It is not as visible as all of this construction. In fact as I have related in an earlier blog, there are only two Protestant church buildings (as far as I can discover) in this entire city of 6 million people. But buildings are not needed for Christ's church to continue to grow. The stones for His building are people, and each week His church is becoming larger here.
"As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house ---." I Peter 2:4, 5
Spiritual construction is going ahead, one life, one family at a time. This city and country will be blessed in wonderful ways as Christ's church is built. Thanks for your prayers.