When the Rooster Crows

Verse: Because of the increase of wickedness the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. - Matthew 24:12-13

Topic: How can I move beyond the past?

Personal Piece:  This past week, well really this past month, but this week especially has been quite the struggle for me.  Last week I wrote about Jacob wrestling with God and challenged you to have your own wrestling match with God.  Well I have been wrestling God for close to 4 months now and I feel like I'm finally starting to reach the breakthrough.  For those of you who don't know me well I have worked for a restaurant chain called Chick-fil-A for nearly 7 years now.  Though initially a southern chain it has been slowly making its way into my northern state of Wisconsin and the store I currently work at has been open for little under a year.  I'll admit that after 7 years of working for this company the transition to this new store has been a VERY difficult one for me and God has really been breaking my pride in a lot of ways.  Unfortunately, I don't think he's done yet but I know that when he's through the struggle will be worth it.

Thought of the Week:  A couple weeks ago I told a story about Simon Peter facing a storm on the sea of Galilee.  This week I'm going to return to Peter's story as he faces a darker kind of storm.  It was the night of the Passover, a time of somber remembrance for the Jewish people.  A time when the people would gather together and share a quiet meal in remembrance of a time thousands of years earlier when the blood of a lamb on their doorposts spared them from the angel of death and brought freedom from the slavery they had endured in Egypt.  But this particular Passover the blood of a different lamb would spare them.  They sat around the table and shared the meal just like they had every year but this year when the teacher blessed the bread and the wine he told them that he was the bread and his blood was the wine.  What could it mean?  Peter had no idea.  The teacher always said strange things.  He said he wouldn't drink wine again, what foolishness!  He said one of them would betray him, yeah right!  He even said Peter would deny knowing him, as if!

Later that night the teacher led them to a place called Gethsemane where they made camp for the night.  Peter was ready to turn in, he was exhausted from travelling and ministry and Passover preparations.  But then Jesus said he was going off to pray and asked Peter and the Zebedee brother's to join him.  He was tired but how could he pass up a request from the man he had long since declared to be the Messiah.  As they walked Peter noticed that Jesus was not himself.  He was normally a man filled with joy and peace, but tonight he seemed to be in great turmoil.  "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow" he finally admitted but would say no more, then after a moment, "Stay here and pray for me."  Peter did as the teacher asked but soon could keep his eyes open no longer and drifted to sleep.

For years later Peter would wonder how that night might have turned out differently had he been more determined to stay awake.  Would he have seen Judas sneak away from the camp to do his dirty work?  Would his eyes have been opened to the spiritual realm before he had a chance to draw his sword?  Would he have stood by his master's side when all else ran?  Peter would never get the answers to these questions and neither do we in our own lives.  We spend so much time stirring over and over our mistakes, turning over the what-ifs.  For Peter the sound of a rooster would have reminded him every day of his failure.  But what-if Peter really had stayed awake?  Yes it was a mistake and he responded out of emotion when he cut off a man's ear but if he had seen Judas leave would he have stopped him?  If he had gone with Jesus would he have died too?  He couldn't have stopped Jesus from dying and he was the only disciple other than John who is even mentioned in these last moments.  Without the mistakes of these days Peter would not have become the rock on which Jesus built his church.

We all make mistakes but we can never make a mistake that is so big that God didn't see it coming.   Jesus knew that the disciples would sleep, he knew they were exhausted and that their physical bodies would overcome their spiritual determination and he didn't condemn them for it. Instead, he took the opportunity to teach them a lesson that would stick with them for the rest of their lives: "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26:41) They were words that would bring them to their knees night after night for the rest of their lives as one by one each of them (and many others) would follow Jesus into death.  If Peter hadn't experienced that dark night, if he hadn't denied Jesus then he would not have had the strength of character he would need to build the church.

I have made many mistakes in my life but I have no regrets.  Were those moments hard?  Yes!  Would I want to live through them again? Absolutely not!  If I had another chance would I do things the same way?  Probably not exactly.  But knowing what I know now I can see how God was working in each of those moments to bring me to the person I am today.  Those moments and those struggles, those all-night wrestling matches that sometimes become necessary, and yes, even our failures are all tools that God uses to fashion us into the strong and beautiful vessels he wants us to be.

It takes a lot of work and a lot of times the pain deters us from going through the process.  Like Peter, our flesh overcomes our spiritual determination.  But what I have found to be hardest of all, is looking myself in the mirror after I've messed up.  It's one thing to know that mistakes are part of life, it's another to live through them.  It can be hard to look in the mirror and know that all your promises came to nothing because you just went off and messed up again anyway.  How can we possibly expect God to like us when the one and only person on the planet who should always be on our side can't even look themselves in the eye?  And yet he does.

That took me a long time to understand.  To truly understand the concept of God's forgiveness (and forgetfulness) is truly mind-blowing.  When you grasp it, it will change everything.  If Jesus could take Peter by the hand and call him to be the catalyst of a world-changing movement then he can forgive your betrayals.  If he can speak to a socially awkward man through a burning bush and call him speak in boldness then certainly he can give you the same boldness.  If he can use a young boy rejected by his brothers to save the entire eastern world from plague, then he can fulfill your impossible dreams too.  If he can put a shepherds call on a woman who has cursed his name too many times for her to count and sit with her and speak words of healing and forgiveness over her in the moments of her deepest despair, if he can lead me out of the darkness of depression and the burden of anxiety then he can do the same for you.  He doesn't want you to be overwhelmed by the failures of yesterday (even if they were literally yesterday) instead he wants you to focus entirely on the present. He sees you for what you can be and he wants to make what you can be in the future,
who you are in the present.  You just have to let him.

Digging Deeper:  The story of Peter during Passover week can be found in Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22 or John 18.  Peter's restoration and calling can be found in John 21:15-25 and Acts 2-4.

Other stories mentioned in this entry include Moses' burning bush experience found in Exodus 3-4 and Joseph's dreams and their fulfillment from Genesis 37 and 42-45.

The story of the first Passover can be found in Exodus 12.  For more about the Passover celebration and what it has to do with Jesus check out "Celebrating Jesus in the Biblical Feasts" by Richard Booker.

The title of this entry comes from the prophesy Jesus gave to Peter concerning his denial and it's fulfillment found in Matthew 26:33-34 and 74-75.  In this case the "rooster's crow" represents the sinking feeling of realizing that you have failed.  It can also be a term used to describe something that reminds a person of a past failure and hopefully the redemption that followed.  Mark Batterson's book Wild Goose Chase dives deeper into this idea in his chapter on Peter.

I know this can be a hard topic to apply so if there is any way I can pray for you please share in the comments.

Challenge:  This past week God has been challenging me to remember what he has brought me out of.  It is not bad to remember our pasts as long as we don't get lost in our mistakes.  I want to challenge you this week to take some time to write down your testimony.  It doesn't have to be long or go through every minute detail of your life just choose 2 or 3 significant events that led up to your life changing encounter with God.  If you were raised in a Christian home than take the time to determine when the moment was that you decided you wanted Jesus for yourself or choose 2 or 3 of the significant encounters you had with him that convinced you that he was real.  Most importantly paint a picture for yourself of who you were before the encounter and who you are now that he's become a major part of your life.  Don't feel like you have to have been delivered from some horrible life of sin to have a good testimony.  Many people wouldn't see freedom from depression as a huge deal compared to freedom from drugs but to me it's everything.  It's your story and no one should tell you it isn't a good one.  It's important to realize that God didn't make a mistake in writing yours.

What's in a Name?

Verse: Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed...Some trust in chariots and some in horses but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. - Psalms 20:6-7

Topic: How can God be love when there is so much pain in the world?

Personal Piece:  Just last night I was browsing through a variety of old files that I've saved on my computer over the years.  Different book ideas, exercises and assignments.  A large collection of characters and scenes that had long since been forgotten and many of which will never make it further than my forgotten archives.  But there are a handful of files that I often find myself coming back to when I want to be reminded of how far I've come.  One of these is a poem I wrote last May and it tells about a 7 year period in my life when life was far from perfect.  I grew up in a Christian home but what I heard at church didn't always seem to line up with what my life was telling me.  I expected things to be perfect but they weren't.  I felt betrayed and angry and I questioned how God could possibly be love.  This is what he showed me...

Thought of the Week: Have you ever been struck by the complexity of Jesus.  He is fully man and fully human.  He loves but he's also judge.  He is natural and supernatural, physical and spiritual. Trying to understand him is like trying to dive to the deepest parts of an endless ocean.  It's impossible and dangerous but also thrilling and exciting.  There is so much of God that we will literally NEVER know everything about him.  Not even when the veil is removed and we are living in our new bodies.  If we can't even know everything there is to know about him in all of eternity, what makes us think that we will know everything about him in the mere 80+ years we will be on this earth.

I think a lot of times we get this idea of a super sensitive God who needs us.  Whether it be to boost his ego, or protect his name, or change the world we get this idea that God is as limited as we are. The truth is God doesn't need us, he wants us.  He wants us to worship him because he is worthy and holy yes but also because he knows how he created us and he created us to only find wholeness in unity with him.  He doesn't JUST want worship for his sake but for ours too because he loves us and wants us to be whole.  He doesn't need us to protect his name, he's big enough to take it and not above striking people dead for their blasphemy.  But it does his fatherly heart proud to hear one of his precious children defend him.  He absolutely loves partnering with us.  It's why he created us.

Throughout the Bible we see story after story of people who followed God closely, some even walking side by side with the Messiah himself and yet there were moments they struggled to fully understand what God was doing because ultimately they didn't understand what God was.  He is and always has been love.  Everything he has ever done has been love.  In the midst of our trials and pains we might look and say "it doesn't look like love from here" but that is only because in our limited understanding we cannot even fully understand love.  If we understood love then we would understand God and if we can't understand God then we will never fully understand love.

This sounds discouraging, many people might read this and think, "then what's the point?  If I can't ever find the answer then what's the point of trying?"  Those who ask this question are missing out on a serious adventure.  A relationship, any relationship, isn't about making it to some end goal and then moving on (although the divorce statistics seem to say otherwise).  A real relationship is about achieving goals and completing milestones together.  Some are big and some are small but the idea is that you did it together.  And when you complete one you create another, constantly going from goal to goal with no intention of it ever ending.  And that's what makes it exciting!

With God it is no different, except it really will never end (apart from us walking away) and just think how boring that would be if there was a knowledge cap to who God is.  If we could reach the end of him then eternity wouldn't sound very exciting.  Thousands of years ago a man named Jacob got into a physical wrestling match with God himself.  This story has always been encouraging to me because it reminds me that God is not above getting into a little bit of a wrestling match.  He could have won easily, could have pulled the typical parent "Because I said so" line, but he didn't.  He had a plan but he wasn't going to force Jacob, but rather invite him.  And Jacob wasn't ready to just accept his calling without asking some questions

Something new struck me reading this story this week and that was Jacob's renaming.  After all that struggle, after pushing through a long and exhausting night and refusing to back down until he got an answer (or was blessed), God gave him a new name.  In ancient times getting a new name was equivalent to getting an entirely new identity.  Jacob means deceiver and he surely lived up to that name.  He stole his brother's birthright and blessing and through deceit and cunning he siphoned his father-in-law right out of his flocks.  But then God gave him a new name, Israel, a name that would tell any who came in contact with him that he wasn't afraid to challenge God and would stand his ground until he got an answer.

Bad things happen, we can't get away from that.  A lot of times it can seem like God has forgotten how to love.  That's never the case (remember there's an enemy out there too).  He wants to partner with us, he wants to answer our questions and he's not afraid to be challenged.  He's not afraid to come down to our level and wrestle with us all night long if that's what it takes.  Many give up, many don't want stay up all night to get an answer, many don't want to go through the labor pains.  But those who do are never the same, when we receive new revelation of God, we receive a new identity to go with it and if God is endless just imagine how many new names you will receive throughout not only this life but the eternity to follow.

Digging Deeper:  The story of Jacob struggling with God is found in Genesis 32:22-32.  A few other stories of people who struggled with God are the stories of Peter rebuking Jesus (Matthew 16:21-28), The parable of the unmerciful servant (Matthew 18:21-35), and Joseph in Egypt (Genesis 39-41)

For more about Jewish naming check out "Breaking the Jewish Code" by Perry Stone.  In addition to Jacob (Israel), both Abram (Abraham) and Simon (Peter) were also renamed by God in addition to others.

For more about the enemy of God check out my first entry on this blog "Your place in His-story"

I just want to drop this sentence here again because it was a revelation that came to me literally as I was writing the words and it blew my mind: "If we understood love then we would understand God and if we can't understand God then we will never fully understand love."

For those interested in the poem testimony I referenced above here it is:

The Year May Finally Brought Spring

April showers bring May flowers at least that’s what people say.

But for me it always brought kisses and tears and a love gone far, far away.

May is supposed to bring sunshine and warmth and the promise of a summer day.

But for me it was always dark and cold and a summer somehow turned grey.

Seven years have come and gone since that first May brought me such bliss.

I had loved him since nine but was surprised to find that I had become someone he missed.

As the passion grew stronger and our hearts became fonder it became harder and harder not to kiss.

Then the day came and our hearts played no games on that bench where convictions called quits.

The guilt overcame me, three years had unmade me, and I slowly fell into the abyss.

The next May was no different, though our hard summer had restored us anew.

We had hoped we could do better, my guilt I bid not to enter and instead we gave love its due.

But in a dream God had warned me, this boy’s love was not for me but instead to our love I was true.

Our plane had crashed once but I couldn’t care less the second would have to come too.

He had promised a dance but prom wasn’t our chance instead I was left feeling blue.

2011 brought life started fresh as I left behind that great mess, in college I arrived safe and sound.

No parents, no rules, I didn’t even need Jesus, instead a false sense of freedom was found.

And then someone new came along, his words drew me in and in pain I accepted a rebound.

He couldn’t compare, I knew that fair and square but to his lust I soon became bound.

When his kiss left me empty and he couldn’t get more he dropped me alone on the ground.

May of 2012 brought heartbreak brand new but this one caused not by a man but a thing.

My school was now dying, what horrible timing, I felt numb trying to hide from the sting.

That May brought more pain but still not any rain as the tears refused the relief they would bring

Once I had dreams but those were starting to fade as my hope fell away with the spring.

And if that weren’t enough, life would do me one better by putting a wall between me and my King.

In ’13 I was still hurting from a death I had never expected.

How could he take her? Couldn’t he see just how much we’d be affected?

But I couldn’t even mourn her for my school was still torn here and so my tears were neglected.

Our school was no more though they tried to assure it was obvious we weren’t really respected

Then I came home and she was still gone and I knew it for sure then, my pain they never suspected.

May 2014 should have brought some relief and it did to a smallish extent.

Graduation at last, I couldn’t believe I had passed but far from the day I had dreamt.

Still I had found family at work and at church and my suitemate had become someone to vent.

Saying goodbye was still hard and going home was much harder, no one could know my descent.

“God, it’s getting harder, please tell me how much longer!  Don’t you know that I’m totally spent?”

Then came ’15 the worst year of them all, my parents had determined to move

Then I was fired and became even more tired as I slowly fell out of the groove

Life became darker the pain became sharper there was no reason to believe life would improve.

Death looked much better, life had lost to the pressure perhaps it would be better if I was removed.

God seemed even farther, my hate became larger for both him and for those who demand I improve.

Then came a summer I will never forget, they left that couldn’t be stopped.

But God had some plans I could never expect, of them I was left completely shocked.

My heart couldn’t take it so battered and bruised, from his love my heart had been locked.

He wanted me I just couldn’t see it, so much pain had left my soul blocked.

But then a new dream was placed in my heart of a life I could never concoct.

He led me through darkness and through winding halls until into new freedom we walked.

The tears sprang anew for the first time in ages, the losses once buried now unlocked.

He wanted to bring healing, I never imagined how much, it was time to open up when he knocked.

Another May just passed I never thought it would be different but for once my heart’s not afraid.

Love’s come and gone and my heart’s still been broken but his love will never betray.

Seven years of loss it can be hard to let go but I’m fine when I’m in God’s embrace.

He’ll never let me down, on him I can lean, spring has finally come and my heart is truly ablaze.

Challenge: We all go through struggles and hit moments where we're not sure where God is leading us.  So what are you wrestling with right now?  If you haven't done so already, dedicate some time to really sit and struggle through the issue.  Tell God that you won't move on until he has blessed you (given you an answer).  And keep in mind that he is giving you a new identity and a new name (it doesn't matter how many names he has given you before) and don't stop until that identity is made clear to you.

When Fear Conquers Faith

Verse: Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. - Psalms 9:10

Topic: How can I have faith when God keeps letting me down?

Personal Piece: I recently learned an interesting fact: We are only born with TWO innate fears. Only two! The fear of falling and the fear of loud noises.  Meaning ALL the rest are learned from people or circumstances.  For me (and for most people) fear has always been a very real issue in my life.  For 22 years I was so wrapped up in social phobias that I would hardly step out of my room let alone initiate a conversation.  The friends I had were those who reached out to me and some of them were good, some of them not so much.  I was so terrified of rejection that I would take whatever or whoever I could get, even if knew they just wanted to use me. Then Jesus broke in...but that's a story for another time.  The bottom line: I won't be controlled by fear anymore and you don't have to either and that's what this entry is all about.

Thought of the Week: Nothing but water surrounded them.  They had left the shore hours ago and now there was nothing but water and their little boat.  After weeks of being surrounded by nearly hundreds, sometimes thousands of strangers, it was good to just sit in silence surrounded by their closest friends.  The last few weeks had been such a whirlwind for Simon.  It had happened right here on this very lake.  He had practically grown up on its shores and when he was old enough, he had joined the men in their boats to fish.  He knew these waters as though he were a fish himself and his brother Andrew had been at his side as long as he could remember.

Simon stood at the helm of the boat watching the sparkle of the moon as it glittered and danced on the dark surface.  James was sitting nearby with a net draped in the water taking the advantage of the calm night to catch his fish.  Simon briefly wondered if he missed his old life as a fisherman as much as Simon did.  Missed his family and the life they'd had before.  He could see the contemplative look in James' eyes and knew it mirrored his own.  They had all left something behind.  They had gained something too but there were days when they couldn't help but wonder if it was worth it.  There were whispers, rumors that the teacher they followed was a false prophet who was leading them away from God.  His own wife had said those same things when last he had seen her.

Laughter flitted toward him from the back of the boat and he looked to see that the others joking about some antic that the teacher had pulled on the way back from Capernaum.  He had only known these 12 men for a few months and already he felt like he knew them better than his own family. They were like brother and whatever was to come he would be glad to face it with these men.  The boat jolted suddenly as if struck by a wave but that was impossible, it was a clear night surely not the type of night for a storm. When she boat shook again he knew they were in trouble.  Where was the teacher now?  Where was the man who had healed so many people just last week?  Why was he not there helping them regain control of the boat?  Was he just going to let them drown?

Far too often we get caught up in the same thought patterns of Simon Peter in this story.  When we first start following Jesus everything seems pretty good.  Like Peter we are filled with new revelations of Jesus and we see amazing things happen (Peter himself saw countless miracles including the healing of his mother-in-law just prior to this event).  We fill our days with Jesus. Sunday service, Monday prayer, Wednesday small groups, Friday events, Saturday outreaches not to mention personal study and prayer.  But then comes that moment when everything slows down. We get in the boat and get to breathe in the fresh air.  It's refreshing to slow down and contemplate just how far we've come, to partake in fellowship of like-minded individuals.  Those are some of my favorite moments...but they can also some of my darkest.

Have you ever had a moment when you forgot to invite Jesus into your thought life?  That happens to me ALL THE TIME!  Life is going so good that I forget that I need him.  That's when the doubts start to creep in.  I think of the things I've lost following Jesus and wonder if it's worth it.  I think of what people say about Jesus and wonder if it's true.  Sometimes it's even the people I'm closest to who put those doubts in my mind and that makes it twice as hard.  That's when the storm comes in.  I find it interesting that a storm this huge was able to sneak up on the disciples when at least four of them had been fishermen on that very lake.  You would have thought they would see the signs and yet too often it is the things that we are most familiar with that take us off guard.  And when those storms roll in it is hard not to wonder if Jesus has abandoned us, fallen asleep like he did then and left us to our own devices.

What's amazing though, is that Jesus tells his disciples that their fear is revealing their lack of faith. Why was Jesus so calm in this moment?  How was he able to sleep when everyone else was in a panic?  I think it was easy.  Jesus had said "we're going to other side of the lake" (Matthew 8:18) and that's exactly what he intended to do.  He had talked to his father and knew that there was something important waiting for them on the other side.  What was a simple act of nature in comparison to a promise from God himself.  When God gives his children promises he fully intends to bring them to fruition and the storms of this life can't get in the way.

Jesus doesn't turn his back on those who are truly searching for him.  The more you seek him the more he'll reveal himself and the more he reveals himself the more you will learn to trust him.  Look at Abraham who had been promised a son and a great nation but when those doubts started creeping in he found his own solution.  It was Esau's birthright to have a part in those promises but his flesh overcame God's word and he turned his back on what God had given him and the anointing was placed instead on his brother.  Jesus himself said that a kingdom divided will not stand (Matt 12:25). We cannot stand together if we are standing in fear.  Fear has no place in the kingdom of God and it is the desire of Jesus to deliver each of us from all fear so that his kingdom can stand united. Fear cannot be fought without faith and faith is only found by keeping our gaze on the only one who can calm the storms.


Digging Deeper: The full story of Jesus calming the storms can be found in Matthew 8:23-27 and Luke 8:22-25.  To see what happened to Peter the next time there was a storm read Matthew 14:22-34, Mark 6:45-56, or Luke 6:16-24

The story of Abraham's struggle with God's promises can be found in Genesis 15-18 and 21-22

The story of Esau giving up his birthright is found in Genesis 27 and 28

This entry was inspired by a recent sermon I heard by Mike Bickle from his sermon series "Studies in the Life of Christ".  That specific sermon can be found here.

Three songs came up on my Pandora while writing this entry that really tied into the theme of choosing faith over fear.  I encourage you to check them out.  These songs are:

One Thing Remains by Passion













I Am Yours by Lauren Daigle,













and King of the World by Natalie Grant.













As always feel free to leave a comment or a question.  I'd love to hear from you.

Challenge:  This week get to know the God that calms the raging storms in your life.  Ask God what stage you are in. Are you 1) so busy doing things for him that you haven't had time to get to know him, 2) in a time of peace where you're just enjoying your life and maybe letting your guard slip, 3) Right in the middle of the storm and wondering where God disappeared to, or 4) Through the storm and needing to prepare for the next one so hopefully next time you can walk on water. Talk to God about where you're at and what he wants you to be doing in your current stage.  Ask him what fears are taking your eyes off him and set up an action plan to face those fears head on.  Ultimately remember that if God has given you a promise in his word then he intends to keep it and no storm can get in the way.

Pearl of the Time

Verse: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. - Matthew 6:33

Topic: Sin - Where's the line?

Personal Piece:  Happy 2017!!!  It's crazy to think that another brand new year is beginning, it's a new start, a new chance to be the person I've always wanted to be.  I myself just returned to work after a 6 week vacation which I spent travelling between Wisconsin, South Dakota and Missouri, man what a ride, but so refreshing too.  See, I had reached this point in my life where I was starting to feel a bit lost, working food service wasn't what I had in mind when I graduated with my Master's last December, my foundation was starting to tremble and I wasn't sure if I was where God wanted me. So I took some time to do some soul searching.  I spent some time with my family and friends, but most importantly I literally ran away for an entire week to seek the face of God.  Sometimes that's what it takes.  Sometimes life gets far too hectic and the only thing is to take a sabbatical and remember who you are and, even better, who he is.  That's what I did, and I'm more ready than EVER (6 weeks of driving through snow storms will do that to you) to return to this job that God has placed me in and be the best that I can be, even it wasn't in the plan.

Thought of the Week:  As we head into a new year, a single thought keeps stirring through my mind: How can I make 2017 different then the 23 other years I've lived?  Most people will agree that 2016 was a rough year, if not on a personal level then on a national/political level.  Morality is constantly being attacked and grayed to the point that even Christians are seen making questionable decisions.  Throughout the year I have had numerous "discussions" with people who have claimed the Christian label and yet defend things such as abortion, partying and sexual immortality (of all kinds).

Since the start of the 21st century (or at least that was about the time I started noticing it), people have fought for tolerance.  "It's my body, my life, I can do whatever I want to it"  Anything goes as long as it's not hurting someone else.  As the Wiccan and New Agers say "do no harm".  That's all well and good, even Jesus told us to "do unto others as we would have them do unto us." But as Christians we are to live a life that goes beyond simply not hurting people.  Jesus didn't tell us to mind our own business he told us to "go into all the world" he gives firm instructions of what his kind of life looks like and it's not slavery, it's freedom.  It's not judgment, it's love.  The love of a man who cared so much he gave his own life.  I think he has every right to request our lives in return.

This week I read the story of Noah and I was reminded of how difficult it would have been to live during that time.  Imagine with me for a moment.  Noah's great great great great great great great grandfather was Adam.  That's only 9 generations since humanity had walked side by side with God in perfection.  His great-grandfather, Enoch, was so close with God that one day he just walked right into heaven without even dying.  This was only about 70 years before Noah was born.  His grandfather Methuselah, is known to be the oldest person to ever live...EVER!  He was nearly a THOUSAND years old when he died and would have well-known the teachings of his father, Enoch.  It is clear those teaching were passed down to his son, Lamech, and grandson, Noah, before he died.  Interestingly he died within a year of the flood's beginning and I like to imagine that he was his grandson's greatest cheerleader during what may have been the most difficult period of his 100 year call.

Now the Bible doesn't say how many people were on the earth at that time but after 9 generations with no known means of birth control it is probably safe to say that there were a few million people on the planet.  And out of of millions of people there was only one family that God looked down on and was pleased with.  Imagine that for a minute in your own life, imagine going to school and work and having no one who understands your beliefs and I mean NO ONE.  There's no church for you to escape to on a Sunday morning, no articles online to get encouragement from, no Bibles to read, no Christian bands to listen to, and no free country to make a run for...literally NOTHING.  Just you and your family gathering around the hearth every night and talking about God, just your own determination to be obedient, just His gentle voice leading you through the day.  Many of us can't even make it to a church service every week, let alone live so faithfully that God chooses us to save mankind.

We don't know exactly what the world was like, or what kind of sins the people were committing.  Some people think that the world today is just as bad as the world back then, others believe we still have a long way to go.  People love to theorize about what kind of people the nephilim were (see Gen 6:4) and what science and technology might have been like living in a world with brains only nine generations removed from perfection.  There are some intriguing historical fiction stories out there that will get the mind racing.  But I think there's a reason that the evil of that time is summed up into one little sentence.  The fact of the matter is that what the people did doesn't matter nearly as much as the fact that they did.

As humans we love to tow the line, we love to see how close we can get to the edge without falling off.  We rank sins in our minds to feel better about ourselves because, "watching pornography in the privacy of my own home in not NEARLY as bad as so-and-so's homosexual lifestyle".  Yet, God sees it as exactly the same.  I know, mind blowing right!  The people during Noah's time didn't need to do some specific sin to acquire God's wrath they just needed to take their eyes off of him and turn their focus to something else.  It always starts small.  Even from the start it began with selfishness, with Eve's desire to gain something without thought of the cost.  She saw what looked pleasant, she dwelt on it and rationalized it until she could think of nothing else and then when she could take it no longer she reached out and she took.  That's how it always begins and it's always followed by shame and separation from God no matter how small it is.

So where do we go from here?  Jesus tells us in Matthew chapter 6 to stop worrying and just dwell on him.  When our minds start to wander, focus on him.  When we're tempted, turn to him.  When we feel alone, he's there.  When the call is too hard, he guides us.  When all this arguing about right and wrong is overwhelming, remember that he is all that matters.  When you focus on him, everything else becomes clearer and moral debates seem petty.  Don't waste your time on people who just want to argue (Matthew 7:6) instead take it to God, press into him, read his word, and hear HIS opinion.  Let's make it a habit as we go into this new year to bring a little of his peace wherever we go.  To be the church that Jesus called us to be - one that is overflowing with his love and is doing its part in the community to put a stop to racism, inequality, rape, violence, homelessness, and poverty.  As we go into 2017 let's make a commitment to open our hearts and our homes to what he might do.  Let's be the hands and feet of Jesus this year.

Digging Deeper: The story of Noah can be found in the book of Genesis chapters 6-9.  The genealogy from Adam to Noah is found in chapter 5.

For more information and scientific theories concerning the time that Noah lived, visit answersingenesis.org/answers and type "Noah" or "Nephilim" in the search bar.

For historical fiction based in that time try "Noah" by Ellen Gunderson Traylor or the "Origins Trilogy" by Keith A. Robinson (the third book specifically focuses on Noah and the flood).

This author does NOT recommend or support the Aronofsky film "Noah" as it is blatantly contrary to what is written in the Bible and the loving God that is shown there.  Visit this site for a Christian review of the movie and why it is anti-Christian.

The title of this entry comes from Matthew 7:6 (do no cast your pearls before swine) and 13:44-46 (the kingdom of heaven is like a fine pearl) and is also a reference to Genesis 6:9 where it says that Noah was "blameless among the people of his time"

Challenge: As we start the new year dedicate some time to spend with God and learn who he is again (or maybe for the first time), ask him who he is calling you to be, and what might be getting in the way of you fulfilling that calling.  Then ask him what part you have in making a change in 2017.  This might take an hour and it might take 6 weeks the point is don't go into 2017 without him.  Be a part of the change, not a part of the problem.