Going to war with God

     Sometimes in war countries will use subterfuge and trickery to make it look like they have a larger army than they really do in order scare off would-be invaders.   Take for example in World War II when the Allies were planning the D day invasion.   They needed to keep Hitler guessing as to where they were going to invade from and so they needed to make it look like we were mounting an invasion in the northern part of England.   Because metal was already scarce, the military couldn’t afford to just put tanks and planes out in an open field and not use them.   So the employed the help of Hollywood.  They were able to create inflatable tanks, airplanes, trucks, jeeps, armored personnel carriers and much more that looked very real even when you were standing just a few hundred yards from it.  This fooled Hitlers spies  and reconnaissance planes and helped give us an edge on D day.

     In Luke 14:25-31 Jesus says,

Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said:26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ 

31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

   Here Jesus uses the example of a king who is being invaded by another king who has twice as many soldiers as he does.   He reasons that if he doesn't think his smaller army can hold down the castle, that he should surrender and come to peace with the other king.    In most modern Bibles today, this story will come under the section of "The Cost of being a Disciple".   These titles were not in the original texts of the authors, but were put in by biblical scholars to help the reader understand what is being said.    While it is true Jesus is being brutally honest with the people around him that being his disciple might cost them their very lives,  I don't think Jesus' words here are directed at those who have decided to follow him.  Instead, I think his words are directed at those who have NOT decided to follow him or were on the fence.   Jesus is reasoning with the people and getting them to take a census of their lives much like the king in his story.    I think he’s giving them a rational look at the situation that they face.  In reality, mankind has joined Satan's war against God.   Jesus is showing them the reality of the situation and the other king (God) has a much larger army than you and it’s not even close.  You’re going to be going up against this king and you better take a good look at your situation and decide whether not you can do it or not.   God is coming with all of your sins in tow behind him to condemn you.  Now take a good look at your so-called good works that you’re so proud of and then match them up against the host of sins.  Do you have it in you to fight that fight?  Jesus presses for them to send an ambassador to negotiate the terms peace before it's too late! 

    But the good news that we have is that our king from the other side already knows that our military is just full of hot air that there’s nothing there.   They’re much like the inflatable trucks, planes and tanks the Allies used in WW2.   He knows our resources are completely decimated and we will lose.   So he sends his own envoy, Jesus Christ, to not just negotiate peace but to win our peace for us. God does not want to be at war with man he wants to be at peace.

Glass half empty or full?

     Most people are familiar with the question about how they view a glass of water filled like that shown below

    Do you see it has half FULL?                                              Or do you see it as half EMPTY?

    The answer to that question dictates whether you are more of an OPTIMIST or a PESSIMIST.

     It's all about how we perceive something.  There is no right or wrong answer here.  Both are simultaneously correct in their own right.   We don't know what makes one person more optimistic than another person.  In our world we need BOTH kinds of people to balance things out.   We need the pessimist to tell us to save our money because we don't know what tomorrow will bring.  Maybe a job loss or an injury/sickness or maybe even death.   We also need the optimist to use and spend our money because what is life if all we do is hoard our money and never enjoy it.

     When we view God's word,  the same optimist/pessimist views are often applied without us even knowing it.  I think that most people who study the Bible already know at some level they are sinners and in need of forgiveness.   We carry this view with us as we read the Bible and sometimes miss out on what God is really telling us.

    Take for example this verse from Leviticus 19:2

‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.    

   How does that make you feel when you read those words?

   Does it strike some level of fear into your hearts?

   Maybe it makes you feel a bit uneasy maybe even angry because it seems to be an achievable demand by God upon you.   Me??  Holy?

    But when we look at these words in context of the Bible these words seem less like a demand and more of a declaration by God on us.    Take for example, Genesis 1:1,  "Let there BE LIGHT, and there was light".    God calls for light to be created and it is.  Another example is when Jesus calms the storm

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves,  

 “Quiet! Be still!”Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” 

     Jesus words to the wind have effect.   When Jesus speaks, things happen.  His words change things immediately.   In another story, Jesus heals a man with leprosy (Luke 5)

12 While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.[b] When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.

     Jesus words of "Be clean!" changes the man immediately.  No fancy incantation or magic words.   Reality is what Jesus says it is!

     Yet Jesus, being the very Word of God, is the same person speaking the words of Leviticus 19:2 to us.  To me, God's words of "Be Holy" are not so much a demand but more of HIM declaring US to be Holy.   What God speaks happens.   We are HOLY because God declares us HOLY.    God can only do this because he will be the one picking up the tab of all of our sins on the cross.

    Prayer: Thank you God for declaring me HOLY in your sight and changing my life forever.