Abundant Life "...I came that they may have life abundantly"

Over the last few weeks one cannot turn on their television without seeing something on the news about Egypt. A place most often thought of for its pyramids and mummies is now front page news for its politics. This got me thinking about the important roll this country has played in the stories of the Bible. The Old Testament is inundated with stories from this land of pharos. Egypt even plays an important roll in the birth narrative of Jesus.

During the time of the Old Testament, Egypt was a world super power. So it is no wonder that it would receive so many mentions throughout the Bible. Like all stories in the Holy Scripture, Egypt is much more than a geographical location. There is spiritual meaning behind the stories that can apply to our lives today. A closer look at the word Egypt itself reveals a number of spiritual meaning. The Hebrew word for Egypt the country is the same word used in other verses in scripture to mean besieged place, defense, fortified, and fortress. It comes as no surprise that the Jewish people would refer to the place of their once captivity as the besieged place.

Our first encounter with Egypt comes in the story of Abraham. God promises to make a great nation out of him and orders Abraham to leave Ur (somewhere in modern day Iraq) and travel to Canaan (modern day Israel). On his way Abraham ends up in Egypt. Talk about going out of your way! Next Joseph will be sold into Egyptian slavery, Moses will leave the luxury of a palace to exit Egypt, and Mary and Joseph will hide out in Egypt.

Like Abraham, our journey’s often take us through the land of besiegement. Sometimes or friends and family will, like Joseph’s brothers, sell us out into a moment of beleaguer. Like Mary and Joseph there are times in our life that, out of fear, we will take refuge in a fortress of loneliness and emotional slavery. Perhaps God may even call us, as he did Moses, to leave our palace of comfort and help others find their way out of their personal besieged places.

No matter where we are on the journey of life, it is clear from scripture that while we may spend time in our own personal Egypt’s, God never intended for us to live a life of slavery and besiege. Live the life of abundance that God has called you to and begin today your own exodus out of Egypt.

(a personal aside for those who keep up with my blogs. I was accepted into the Divinity Program at Vanderbilt University. Pending financial aid I will start this fall)

If you follow my blog you know last week I was having issues with obtaining financial aid to attend seminary in the fall. My first reaction was to panic. But I got into God’s word and prayed. With one ordinary phone call the extraordinary happened. Something that the Department of Education loan program just does not do occurred. God had removed a road block.

This is nothing new for me; I think I was one of the most impatient children ever. If my parents planned something I would drive them crazy until it occurred. I know most children are like this, but I took it to a whole new level. Even an overheard discussion between my parents about the possibility of painting a room drove me to bug them about when it would be started. It got to the point that my parents had to be sure I was not around when things were discussed. I was not informed about family vacations until it was almost time to leave. If not, my poor mother would have been driven mad with my nagging.

I still am impatient, not as bad as I once was, but I still tend to get way ahead of myself and God. When I apply for a job my mind goes a million miles an hour with ideas of what I am going to do when I get the job. I have a file on my desk full of ideas and plans for jobs I never got. I am really trying to work on this, after all, the Psalmist tells us to “be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10). I do not think I am alone in this struggle, I think impatiens is as old as humanity. God is always chasing us because we are always way ahead of ourselves.

The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. God provides everything we need, but we seem to run ahead of God not truly believing He will bless us. God knows we are going to chase blessings to the point of exhaustion that is why He has to “restores our soul”. After we stop and catch our breath we realize that “our cup overflows”. Even still we don’t rest long. Soon we are off chasing after those blessings again so God’s goodness and mercy have to chase after us. I do not know about you, but I for one am glad God never tires of chasing after me. We live a truly an abundant life for we remain in the shelter of God now and forever.

If you have followed my blog for the last month or so you know that I have recently decided to apply to seminary. My application is in and I now await the results. I have also applied for financial aid and hit my first road block. To be honest I was a little taken back. I had to take a step back, take a deep breath, and get into the word. Here is what I discovered…

One of the strangest stories to come out of the Old Testament is the story of Balaam’s donkey. We read in the book of Numbers that King Balak request diviner and prophet Balaam to curse the Israelite's so that they may drive them out of the land. Making three attempts, the result is a blessing instead of a curse. On the third attempt Balaam is riding his donkey when a road block is placed in front of him. He does not see the angle in the middle of the road so he beats his donkey. Continuing down the road he encounters yet another road block. Again he does not see the angle and beats his donkey for stopping. On the third attempt to travel down the road meets another road block. This time the donkey sits down. Out of anger Balaam beats his donkey for the third time. This time the donkey has had enough and speaks asking Balaam why he is beating him when he is simply stopping because there was an angle in the way.

Finally Balaam see’s his road block for himself. The angle speaks to Balaam and says “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.” In the original Hebrew; your path Yarat before me or your path has push headlong before me. Putting it more simply The Message words it this way, “I have come here to block your way because you're getting way ahead of yourself.

How many times have we barreled down the road of life ignoring the road blocks and beating our way down the road? God clearly has plans for us; “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 But sometimes we get ahead of the plans that God has for us. He needs us to stop on our journey and wait for Him. “Those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.” Isaiah 40:31.

When life gives you a road block, stop and wait. Maybe you are getting ahead of the plans God has for you. In order to live an abundant life we have to learn to “Cease striving and know that I am God”. Psalms 46:10

I recently posted an article on my facebook that quoted Jay Baker, the son of Jim and Tammy Baker. In the article Baker argues that Evangelical Christians should be open and accepting of Gay Christians and backed up his ideas with scripture. The post brought a few positive comments as well as a lengthy post by my brother-in-law who pointed out that scripture can be twisted to fit anyone’s needs. Quoting scripture he wrote:

“For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain.” Titus 1:10-11

I wondered why those who disagree with the idea that you can live life as a homosexual and be a Christian seem to always point out that even Satan can quote scripture. Why do they not stop and think that they could be the one who is twisting scripture?

It is not for us to decide who has the correct interpretation of the Bible and who does not. God speaks to us all in different ways as we read His word. We do not depend on others to tell us what God wants for our lives; rather we are all called to be priest.

"You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ … But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" 1 Peter 2:5-9.

Paul tells us in Philippians 2:12 to “work out your own salvation…” This may seem like a huge responsibility. How could we ever know that what we read and believe is the truth, how can we ever be sure of our eternal destination? Jesus said, “…you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32. How do you know what is truth? If it untangles your life, if it unshackles your depression, if it breaks the chain of addiction, if it leads to an abundant life then you have discovered truth.

There will be those who tell you that your freedom is dangerous. Some will quote scripture at you and tell you that your abundant life will bring death and destruction. They will try to bind on you the straitjacket of the law and place on you rules and a life God never intended for you. Remember the words of Paul in Galatians 5:1 “Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you. “ It is when we are free that we live an abundant life.

I remember being a child and getting in trouble. My mom would correct me and I would be heartbroken. She would send me on to my bedroom where through my tears I would yell, to be heard across the house, “YOU DON’T LOVE ME ANY MORE!” Every time the same gentle response came back. “Honey, I don’t love you any less.” It was a lesson that would sink in over the years. No matter what my behavior was, my parents never would love me any less. It was impossible for them. From the moment they first held me they would love me as much as they ever possibly could. They could not love me anymore than they did at that moment and they would never love me any less.

How much more so is this true for God, our heavenly parent? The moment of our creation, God loved us so much that there was no way to love us anymore. From that moment on there was NOTHING that would make God love us any less. Paul puts it this way in Romans chapter 8,”… If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NIV)

Take a look how this is paraphrased in The Message, “Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture… I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love…”

For some explicable reason we fear this verse. We like to add a “but” to it. Some ministers turn to the book of James and tell us, yes but you still need to do good works. Many ministers will call Romans 8 absent from James 2:20 as cheap grace. However, James never teaches that people do good works as a way to earn the love of God. He argues the contrary. It is those who are flooded with the overwhelming love of God who does good works. You cannot earn God’s love. There is no way for God to love you more or to love you less. When you grasp even just the hem of the garment of grace you can’t help but to react to this love by living out the love in your own life.

Let go of the guilt and relax. God loves you. Things that bring death and destruction will not cause God to love you less. Things that are life giving will not make God love you more. There is no good work that will make God love you more. There is no lack of good work that will make God love you less. There is no stupid mistake of your past that makes God love you less. There is no future greatness that will make God love you more. There is no depression that will cause God to love you less. There is no good day that will make God love you more.

When we start to understand that there is nothing to fear and that it is impossible to lose the love of God we begin an abundant life.

The recent Arizona tragedy, the shooting of U.S. Representative Gifford and others, has brought out the worst in us. Articles covering the story on internet liberal news site refers to the shooter as a “right-wing extremist” while internet conservative news site calls the shooter a “left-wing pot smoker”. When the unthinkable happens we demand an explanation. The easiest way to explain the unexplainable is to point the finger at the thing we fear most. We take comfort that the monsters among us are not “one of us”. If we are a Democrat we say he was a Republican. If we are Protestant we say he was a Catholic. If we are straight we say he was gay. If the monster among us is not one of us, then we can hate him easier and feel better about ourselves.

Each one of us deep down knows that we too have a monster. Our monster probably is not going to open fire on a crowd of people, but our personal monster exists none the less. We prefer not to battle our own monster. It is easier to point out the monster in another. If we can bring attention to their monster we can ignore our own. If we can just get others to agree that other peoples issues are horrible, then ours are not so bad.

Jesus tells us in the Matthew chapter 7 "Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor….. Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. (The Message)

Next time something happens and you feel the need to place blame, stop and think about how you want others to react to your faults, and then act accordingly. When we lend a hand instead of pointing a finger, when we offer love instead of condemnation we live the abundant life.

Coming out experiences vary as much as the people who experience them. For some it is full of pain and loss, for others it is a time of joy and acceptance. My coming out experience was a little of both. I often describe it as the worst day and the best day of my life. The event was full of tears and some yelling. There were some hateful things said. Once my parents knew, there was no going back. I left my parents home and arrived back at mine. I collapsed on the living room floor and burst into another round of tears. When I could not cry another tear I laid there in the silence of the room and felt relieved. Emotional I was poured out. My heart was broken. I was free.

There is something holy about being broken. We feel close to God when we are poured out. Mark records in his gospel the story of a woman (Mary according to Matthew’s version) who went the home of Simon the Leper and anoints Jesus with nard. Those who were present were furious, nard was expensive and the amount she poured out could have been sold and used to care for the poor. After all, they were in the city of Bethany. Bethany, the home town of Mary of seven demons, Simon the Leper, Lazarus who would die from his illness only to be brought back again. The cities name itself means city of poverty, believed by some Biblical scholars as a city set aside for the poor and sick.

This woman brings the nard in an alabaster jar. The value of the jar and its contents was equal to a year’s wage. In first century Israel this was probably her dowry. A woman was a burden to her father, another mouth to feed. She was the property of her father and would be given in marriage to a man whose burden she would become. As an enticement to marry, she would come with something of value; property, herds of sheep, or other gifts. This alabaster jar of nard represented her value. Without it she was worthless.

There was something in Jesus that she saw that caused her to give him everything she had. She could have opened the jar and poured some of the perfume on Jesus. In doing so she would preserve most of her dowry and securing her value to society. She could have been extravagant, opened the jar and poured it all out on him. At least she would have had the jar. Surly its value would have gotten her a poor husband. Her position in society would have been secured. Her future would be ok. She would have a roof over her head and food in her stomach. Yes, this woman could have, but she didn’t. She broke the jar, she poured it all out. There was nothing left. There was no going back.

We all carry alabaster jars. They are the things we feel give us value. Our jobs, our cars, our family name, our perceived holiness, our religion. But to truly live an abundant life we must break open our alabaster jars and empty ourselves of our ego. We must give it all to God. It is when you are broken and empty you can discover the God who dwells with in you.

Mark 14:1-9

Our Jewish friends and neighbors have already celebrated the New Year. According to their calendar the New Year falls sometime in what is September on our calendar each year. The Chinese will not celebrate the New Year until after we do. The Chinese New Year falls usually at the end of January on our calendar or the beginning of our February. The reason our New Year’s differ is because our calendars were set up differently. Both the Jewish and Chinese calendars are based on the phases of the moon and start the New Year based on when they believe was the first day according to their creation stories.

Today we use a calendar based on the earth’s trip around the sun. Instead of counting how many trips around the sun since the birth of creation we count how many trips the earth has made since the birth of Jesus. (It should be noted that this date is now believed to be off by 3 to 6 years.)

Whenever it is celebrated, New Year’s is typically a time of reflection, promise, and hope. Each year we celebrate the ending of another year and often say things like, “I sure hope this year will be better than last.” The truth of the matter is that each year is full of blessings and heartache. It is part of being human. This year I encourage you to embrace your humanity and celebrate it. This year when you toast in the New Year celebrate it by saying “May I recognize and celebrate my blessings in the New Year and learn from my setbacks.”

While the year winds down I am mindful of the words of Paul in his letter to the Philippians when he says, “…forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Or as the Message renders this passage, “I am off and running and I’m not turning back.” Paul recognized his humanity. He knew that the journey was as important as finish line. If we are to live the abundant life that is our high calling, we must stop fretting the heartaches and longing for the blessings and start embracing each day for what it is, a gift from God.

It took just a moment, a moment just like any other moment. Perhaps the moment was just like the moment it will take you to read this. There was nothing extraordinary about this moment. It came and passed and most took no notice of it. This moment was just another in the long strings of moments in a life. But it was in this moment that everything changed. An exhausted young Hebrew teen, dripping in sweat, squatted in a manure filled sable. She yelled out in pain and gave a final push. The creator arrived into his creation. God became flesh. He was among us.

When Jesus arrives, everything changes. His entry into the world would bring about a religion that over a third of the world’s population adhere to. Even those religions that do not see him as the messiah recognize he changed the world. Those who practice Judaism see him as a great Rabi. Believers of Islam see him as a great prophet. Historians that have no belief in God cannot deny he lived, and his life changed everything. It is his birth that the world marks time. Things occurring before his birth are called B.C. (before Christ). Events after his birth we call A.D. (Ado Domini, the year of our Lord).

Each Christmas we celebrate this moment. We rejoice in knowing that his arrival changed history. The arrival of Jesus changed everything. There would be no more need for sacrifices at the temple; access to God was not just for the chosen few. The arrival of Jesus still changes everything. He has invaded the lives of the alcoholic and made them sober. He has appeared to the broken hearted and made them whole. Jesus has entered the GLBT community and acceptance has been discovered. He has meet the depressed and brought them peace.

Christmas will come and go for another year. After the presents are unwrapped and the meals are eaten, after the gifts are exchanged and you are rested and everyday life sets in. Take time for Jesus to come. When he arrives in your ordinary day everything changes. It is in the everyday advents that we find an abundant life.

A few years back my sister spent some time following our paternal family tree from my father back eleven generations to Hugh Williamson, a Scottish immigrant to the United States. This makes me the eleventh generation of Williamson’s in the USA. There is something comforting about knowing where you came from. Looking backwards helps us look forwards. I now know that Hugh settled in Virginia and his son moved to eastern Appalachian Kentucky. The Williamsons would remain there for eight generations until my father ventured north to Michigan.

I come from a long line of loggers and coal miners. Hard working men and women that helped shape a nation and shape all that I am today. In the same way we can learn about who Jesus was by looking backwards at his family tree. Matthew records for us the lineage of Jesus. Ancient Hebrew people chose the names of their children carefully. Names were full of meaning and spoke of the family’s stories and the hope for the family’s future. Below I have listed the family tree of Jesus along with the meaning of each name. I hope during this Christmas season you will take a moment to meditate on the family tree of Jesus and what his ancestor’s names said about his family and who he was. It is in knowing Jesus better that we live the abundant life.

Abraham = "father of a multitude"
Isaac = "to laugh"
Jacob = "heel-catcher or supplanter"
Judah or Judas = "he shall be praised"
Pharez = "a breach" {Zara = "a rising (as the sun)" (twins)}
Esrom or Hezron or Hesron = "enclosed"
Aram or Ram = "high"
Amminadab = "one of the prince's people"
Nahshon = "enchanter"
Salmon = "raiment: a garment"
Boaz = "in him is strength"
Job = "the cry of woe" or "I will exclaim"
Jesse = "wealthy"
David = "beloved"
Solomon = "peaceful"
Rehoboam = "enlarger of the people"
Abijah = "my father is Jah (Jehovah)
Asa = "physician, or cure"
Jehoshaphat = "whom Jehovah judges"
Jehoram = "whom Jehovah has exalted"
Uzziah = "strength of Jehovah"
Jotham = "Jehovah is perfect"
Ahaz = "possessor"
Hezekiah = "the might of Jehovah"
Manasseh = "causing to forget"
Amon = "skilled workman" or "master workman"
Josiah = "whom Jehovah heals"
Jeconiah or Jehoiachin = "whom Jehovah establishes"
Shealtiel = "I have asked of God"
Zerubbabel = "born at Babel
Abiud = "my father is majesty"
Eliakim = "God raises" or "God sets up"
Azor = "helper"
Zadok = "righteous"
Achim = "the Lord will establish"
Eliud = "God his Praise"
Eleazar = "help of God"
Matthan = learner
Jacob = "heel-catcher or supplanter
Joseph = "Jehovah has added" Mary or Miriam = "their rebellion"
Jesus = "Jehovah is salvation"