The Forgotten Factor

“In the succeeding generation rulers will be appointed who have lost the guardian power of testing the metal of your different races, which… are of gold and silver and brass and iron. And so iron will be mingled with silver, and brass with gold, and hence there will arise inequality and inequity, which always and in all places are causes of hatred and war. This the Muses affirm to be the stock from which discord has sprung…” (Plato’s Republic, 8.547.e).

Inequity, inequality, and all the other disparities of life have always been with us, but there are now new calls for swift, concerted, corrective action. But what can I, an old Duffer, do?

Some would suggest that I chant, tweet, march, or spray paint slogans on a wall. But all those expedients, though ofttimes well-intentioned, seem pointless to me. Are there no other measures?

The Apostle John applies Occam’s Razor to the question—the simplest possible answer—in the very last book of the Bible.

First a word of explanation: The Book of Revelation, is a picture book, a graphic representation of human history, but it surpasses all other efforts to understand history by revealing (hence the name of the book) the unseen spiritual forces that drive many of the geopolitical events of our times. It opens our eyes to first causes and ultimate reality, and In that sense it is the most “woke” book of all time. 

In one chapter John sees a harlot dressed in scarlet sitting astride a powerful beast. The beast, in John’s day, represented the Roman Empire and all subsequent manifestations of political power. The harlot represents Satan and his minions, manipulating the beast at will (Revelation 17).

This is not to say that the state is entirely evil, but it explains why evil is so hard to eradicate from the state. The moment one form of evil is vanquished the devil takes up another. Old Satan is too canny for old David. What am I to do?

By way of an answer, John is given a vision of cosmic war—the saints in pitched battle with the devil: “And they (the saints) overcame him (the devil) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to death” (Revelation 12:11). 

John’s emphasis lies first in the proclamation of the gospel, the good news about the blood-soaked Lamb and his self-sacrificing love. This  does not deny the efficacy of certain forms of political action, and certainly the Church is called to acts of compassion for the disadvantaged. But it does deny the ability of mere beneficence to bring about eternal good. 

Unfortunately, many of us have been caught up in the politics of the moment and have forgotten that our primary task in this world is to point people toward Jesus and his love. Failing that, we may fill their stomachs (or their pockets) but we will leave their hearts empty and sad. Worst yet, they will be eternally separated from joy. 

Secondly, our power to overcame evil is the power of sacrificial love. “They did not love their lives to death.” In John’s day that could mean martyrdom. In our day it calls for self-effacing, self-sacrificing love for one another. This, and not our politics—left or right—is what defines us as followers of the Lamb.

The primary message that the Church has for the world is the good news of God’s redeeming love. “Preach the word,” Paul insists, to his young friend in Ephesus, a politically corrupt outpost of an evil empire, “Stay on task, whether you feel like it or not” (1 Timothy 4:1). That is our first order of business.

“Make the most of every opportunity because the days are evil,” Paul wrote in another place (Ephesians 5:16). Evil days are days of opportunity. You and I were called on stage in this particular period of human history to proclaim the Good News that Jesus, and Jesus alone, has brought salvation to the earth. “We must play well the scene in which we’re ‘on,’” C.S. Lewis said.

David Roper

6.30.20

The One Who Dwells in the Bush

“The one who dwells in the bush…” (Deuteronomy 33:15b)

Moses was trudging across the wilderness of Midian, leading a little band of sheep, when he spied a bush that was on fire, “but it was not being consumed.” So “he turned aside to see this great sight, why the bush did not burn” (Exodus 3:1-3). 

God spoke from the bush: “I am going to send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:10). 

Moses, diminished by repeated failure, demurred: “WHO AM I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (3:11). “Who am I?” Moses was a discouraged, old drover.

God spoke again from the bush: “It doesn’t matter who you are, Moses. I will be with you” (3:11).

“Well then who are you?” Moses asked. And God said, “’I AM.’ That’s who I am. That is my name forever. Never forget it.”

I AM”—the first person singular present grammatical form of the verb “to be.” An active verb. God’s personal name forever.

“I AM”—whatever you need this day, whenever you need it. Do you need strength to hold it together when everything and everyone is going to pieces? Do you need courage to deal with a challenge in your family this day?  Do you need wisdom to know truth from error in the present confusion? Do you need faith to believe that God is in control? Do you need patience and love for the folks with whom you are sheltering? Ask and it will be given. Not all at once, but in due time.

“I AM,” the God who dwells in the bush, is with you. “I AM” is his name forever. 

David Roper

6.28.20

To Win the Prize

"Do you remember how, on a racing-track, every competitor runs, but only one wins the prize? Well, you ought to run with your minds fixed on winning the prize! Every competitor in athletic events goes into serious training. Athletes will take tremendous pains—for a fading crown of leaves. But our contest is for a crown that will never fade" (1 Corinthians 9:25, 26, J.B. Phillips).

I ran track in high school—the 100 and 200 meter hurdles. When I got to college, however, I realized that everyone in the Southwest Conference—even the equipment managers—could run faster than I and turned in my spikes. 

One thing I learned about competing at the highest level: "Every competitor in athletic events goes into serious training."

That analogy—running with your mind fixed on the prize—is often applied to the Christian life with inducements to establish a set of dreary disciplines—rising at 4:00 a.m. to pray, a chastisement that only made me grouchy. Thankfully, however, that's not how Paul applies that phrase.

Paul argues that though we have been endowed with certain rights, we can, out of our love for Jesus, impose limits on ourselves—discipline ourselves, if you will—give up those rights in order to bring others closer to him. That's what Paul means when he writes, "I run the race with determination. I am no shadow-boxer, I really fight!" (9:27). (Here Paul uses a technical boxing term that evokes memories of  Mammy Yoakum's fabled "Goodnight Irene" knockout punch.)

Stern discipline indeed: To “knock ourselves out” to gain the greatest prize—the spiritual good of another. It's what Jesus did when He set aside his rights as Almighty God and humbled himself to bring salvation to us. He was willing to give up his throne in glory and every other right as God to seek our highest good. There is no greater discipline. There is no greater love.

David Roper

6.24.20

Father’s Day

Father’s Day is the day we set aside to honor our fathers, though I suspect, these days, it best serves the interests of the merchants.

Nevertheless… Father’s Day is upon us and as such is an appropriate time to take note of something God said: “Every one of you shall honor… his father” (Leviticus 19:3).

Actually, God said something even more significant: “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. Every one of you shall honor…his father” (19:2,3), thus establishing a connection between holy living and paternal honor. You can’t have one without the other.

Few men my age have living parents, thus we can honor them only in our memories. But most of us have living children. We, as fathers, cannot insist that they honor us, but we can do something even better: We can, by God’s grace, become the kind of men and fathers that our children find easy to honor (Ephesians 6:4).

David Roper

6.20.20

"Hang A While"

Where'er Thou roam'st, one happy soul, we know,

      Seen at Thy side in woe,

   Waits on Thy triumphs—even as all the blest

      With him and Thee shall rest.

   Each on his cross; by Thee we hang a while,

      Watching Thy patient smile,

   Till we have learned to say, "'Tis justly done,

Only in glory, LORD, Thy sinful servant own."

—John Keble

Old John Keble’s poetry is difficult to parse, but worth the trouble when done.  

He writes of “one happy soul,” thinking of Dismas, the repentant thief, hanging on the cross at Jesus’ side, suffering woe, but waiting for Jesus’ triumph. 

Keble sees us crucified with him (“each on his own cross"), as we "hang a while” at Jesus’ side  until we have learned to say “’Tis justly done”—patiently accepting our measure of sorrow and suffering in this life, as Jesus did (“Thy will be done”)—clinging to his promise: "Truly I say to you, you will be with me in Paradise."

Jesus, for the glory set before him endured the cross. Thus we “watch” and wear his patient smile and “hang a while” until he takes us with him into glory.

David Roper

6.19.20

Frog and Toad Together

by Arnold Lobel: An "I Can Read Book"

 

Frog was in his garden. 

Toad came walking by. 

"What a fine garden you have, Frog," he said. 

"Yes," said Frog. "It is very nice, but it was hard work." 

"I wish I had a garden," said Toad. 

 

"Here are some flower seeds. 

Plant them in the ground," said Frog, "and soon you will have a garden." 

"How soon?" asked Toad. 

"Quite soon," said Frog.

 

Toad ran home. 

He planted the Flower seeds.

"Now seeds," said Toad, "start growing."

Toad walked up and down a few times. 

The seeds did not start to grow.

 

Toad put his head close to the ground and said loudly, 

"Now seeds, start growing!" 

Toad looked at the ground again.

The seeds did not start to grow.

 

Frog came running up the path. 

"What is all this noise?" he asked. 

"My seeds will not grow," said Toad. 

"You are shouting too much," said Frog. 

"These poor seeds are afraid to grow." 

 

"My seeds are afraid to grow?" asked Toad.

"Of course," said Frog. 

"Leave them alone for a few days. 

Let the sun shine on them, let the rain fall on them. 

Soon your seeds will start to grow."

 

That night Toad looked out of his window. 

"Drat!" said Toad. "My seeds have not started to grow.

They must be afraid of the dark." 

 

Toad went out to his garden with some candles. 

"I will read the seeds a story," said Toad. 

"Then they will not be afraid."

Toad read a long story to his seeds.

 

All the next day Toad sang songs to his seeds.

And all the next day

Toad read poems to his seeds.

And all the next day

Toad played music for his seeds. 

 

Toad looked at the ground. 

The seeds still did not start to grow. 

"What shall I do?" cried Toad. 

"These must be the most frightened seeds; in the whole world!"

 

Then Toad felt very tired, and he fell asleep.

"Toad, Toad, wake up," said Frog. "Look at your garden!" 

Toad looked at his garden. 

Little green plants were springing up out of the ground.

 

"At last," shouted Toad, "my seeds have stopped being afraid to grow!" 

"And now you will have a nice garden too," said Frog. 

 "Yes," said Toad, "but you were right, Frog. It was very hard work"

 

Some folks work very hard to be good, but like garden flowers and other things that come from God, personal righteousness is a gift that God wants to give you. He will bring it to you little by little and in due time if you keep asking him for it. “For as a garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring up; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up...” (Isaiah 61:11).

 

David Roper

6.17.20

Better Than My Best

I prayed for strength, and then I lost awhile 

All sense of nearness, human and divine; 

The love I leaned on failed and pierced my heart, 

The hands I clung to loosed themselves from mine; 

But while I swayed, weak, trembling, and alone, 

The everlasting arms upheld my own. 

I prayed for light; the sun went down in clouds, 

The moon was darkened by a misty doubt, 

The stars of heaven were dimmed by earthly fears, And all my little candle flames burned out; 

But while I sat in shadow, wrapped in night, 

The face of Christ made all the darkness bright. 

I prayed for peace, and dreamed of restful ease, 

A slumber free from pain, a hushed repose; 

Above my head the skies were black with storm, 

And fiercer grew the onslaught of my foes; 

But while the battle raged, and wild winds blew, 

I heard His voice and perfect peace I knew. 

I thank You, Lord, You were too wise to heed 

My feeble prayers, and answer as I sought, 

Since these rich gifts Your bounty has bestowed 

Have brought me more than all I asked or thought; 

Giver of good, so answer each request 

With Your own giving, better than my best. 

—Annie Johnson Flint

The Criminal Under My Hat

We all want to put an end to injustice, but where shall we begin? What evil needs to fall?

Alessandro Solzhenitsyn wrote, “If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.” 

That being true, before I speak to others about the injustice in their hearts, “I must first catch the criminal under my own hat” (G.K. Chesterton’s Father Brown).

Which is what Jesus meant when he told us to first pluck the beam from our own eye.

David Roper

6.12.20.     

Dear IMM Friends,

As I have been thinking of you and of some of the things you're personally facing, I have also been thinking of our country and the turmoil and struggles we are in the midst of. As I have prayed, read and processed with God some of your situations and some of mine, and these times we are living in, I had the opportunity to write some of the thoughts God gave me to a friend whom I love dearly.

This is a difficult time for all of us as we walk under COVID 19 and the unrest in our country, plus as we deal with our personal situations which are on our minds daily. So how do we think about the things we are going through?

I keep thinking of the word TOGETHER. It’s in that overused verse in Romans 8:28. With this word—“TOGETHER”— being central I can ask God to make the truth of the verse real in my mind. “All things work TOGETHER for good.” Not all things are good. I am asking God to help me camp on the fact that He has a plan for me, for you, for those you love, for our country and our world. All the while knowing that Hill Difficulty must be traveled in the here and now.  Do I understand how this works? No. But I take it by faith because of the cross and the resurrection. And you know we can never really project into the future. But it’s hard not to try.

As you know God gives strength for today and for what we are going through today. He will be there for each of us whatever comes next. Like manna I cannot stack up His grace for what will be, but I can remember His track record that got me through back when it was hard the last time. And, sweet friend, we have an enemy who plays us like a fiddle with either the world, the flesh or evil. We also have a Redeemer who is fierce in His love for us. Stuff will happen. But no matter what. Nothing can separate us from that love. Nothing within me and nothing without can separate me from God’s love. (Romans 8 again.)

We’re still in the middle of the story. But we know Who wins in the end. And we know the good He has laid up for us with an extravagant celebration and reunion that will never end. All the good things I long for the most or have tasted here will be magnified there. Nothing good will be lost but redeemed and amplified.

I may not be ready to wear my dancing shoes today (there is still weeping), BUT I do need to keep them polished. And I need to look at them often with hope so that I can endure like Jesus. For the JOY set before me.  (Hebrews 12: 1,2.) And we know all things work TOGETHER for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

With love and prayers,
Carolyn

“Reversed Thunder”

“An angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake” (Revelation 8:3-5).

I’ve heard it said—indeed, I’ve said it myself—that those of us who are backbenchers can at least pray, as though prayer is something we can do if we can do very little, a consolation for the elderly and the ungifted, an award for participation.

No, John’s vision tells us that prayer is much more: It is “reversed thunder” to use poet George Herbert’s luminous phrase—an action here on earth that resounds in Heaven and brings down the “woes” and repeated blows that shatter the proud City of Man and usher in the City of God (Revelation 8:7-9:21).

Prayer is not just something we can do if we can do nothing better, but a titanic force by which we, in concert with Almighty God, can move the course of human history to its denouement. Thus Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven”

Perhaps this is what Peter meant when he insisted that we can “hasten the coming of the Day of God” (2 Peter 3:12). 

David Roper

6.7.20

The Father of the Winds

Oh, Father of the Four Winds, fill my sails,

Across the sea of years... —Led Zeppelen

The author of Hebrews encourages us to leave the baby steps of the Christian life and, as some translations render the phrase, “go on to maturity” (Hebrews 6:1). 

Actually, the mood of the verb translated “go on” is passive and would be better translated, “(Let us) be borne on to maturity,” a small grammatical difference that puts the emphasis on the activity of God. 

I’ve often written that we make progress toward god-likeness solely by asking for it. Goodness is not the product of human effort and ingenuity. It’s the result of prayer. 

So... I can huff and puff to fill my sails, but I will make no progress at all. Or, I can ask the Father of the Winds to fill them.

David Roper

6.1.20

The Winds of God

Oh, Father of the Four Winds, fill my sails,

Across the sea of years. —Led Zeppelen

The author of Hebrews encourages us to leave the baby steps of the Christian life and, as some translations render the phrase, “go on to maturity” (Hebrews 6:1). 

Actually, the mood of the verb translated “go on” is passive and would be better translated, “(Let us) be borne on to maturity,” a small grammatical difference that puts the emphasis on the activity of God. 

I’ve often written that we make progress toward god-likeness solely by asking for it. Goodness is not the product of human effort and ingenuity. It’s the result of prayer. 

I can huff and puff to fill my sails, but I will make no progress at all. Or, I can ask the Father of Winds to fill them.

David Roper

6.1.20