christianity – Pens and Picks

Bigger isn’t always better

This passage reflects on the struggles of the Jewish exiles as they returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple after 70 years in captivity. Despite the new temple’s inferiority compared to Solomon’s, God reassures His people of His presence and strength. Their courage and work are rooted in the promise that God is always with them, emphasizing that true glory lies in this divine relationship rather than in grandeur.

It was an uncertain, dangerous and discouraging time for the people of God. More than 70 years had passed since Judah was taken captive into Babylon and the city of Jerusalem – including the temple – had been destroyed. After surviving multiple regime changes and oppression in captivity, King Cyrus finally allowed the Jewish exiles to return to rebuild Jerusalem; and during the reign of Darius the Mede the Jews laid the foundation of a new temple.

After a few years and the Jews had finished rebuilding their homes, the temple project was left undone. Haggai the prophet was then sent by God to command the people to actually get about the business of rebuilding of the temple, which they did. However, this new temple was inferior in size and grandeur to the one Solomon built, a fact which the Lord even points out in Haggai 2:3, where He says through Haggai to the people, “Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes?” This seems like a discouraging word from God as the people labored to build a place to worship Him. Why this seeming insult?

The Lord was not trying to crush the spirits of His people and belittle their work. Rather, He was making a point in these verses that we all would do well to hear. Right after the Lord asks the rhetorical questions in verse three, He immediately follows it up with command that’s also an encouragement – and one that harkens back to the words spoken many hundreds of years earlier to Joshua as he was about to lead the people of God into the Promised Land – “be strong and courageous.” Now, after Israel and Judah had suffered greatly at the hands of the Assyrians and Babylonians because of their disobedience, God again commands His chosen people to “Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord.” But, God doesn’t stop there with a hearty, “You’ve got this!” There’s something else that’s an absolute necessity in order for the people to “be strong.”

Why can and should the leaders and people be strong and continue working on an inferior structure? The Lord continues, “Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of Hosts, according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt.” Thus, in spite of the current temple being “nothing” compared to the glory of Solomon’s Temple, the covenant-keeping God is saying that His presence – which is true glory that far outshines any temple made with hands – is not only there with them, but that His presence is not dependent on having a majestic temple like that of Solomon’s. Rather, His presence with them – or anyone else – is His divine prerogative to be their God, and for them to be His people.

Thus, the reason why the people of God who were rebuilding the temple could be strong, and the reason why Joshua and the Children of Israel could be strong and courageous is for the very same reason. The famous verse in Joshua 1:9 does’t end with the command, it ends with the promise “…for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go,” just as Haggai 2:5 ends with, “My spirit remains in your midst. Fear not.” In the same way, Jesus declared to his doubting and anxious disciples as He was commissioning them to go into all the nations to teach and make disciples at the end of Matthew’s Gospel, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

There are two main points to take away from all this today. The first is that we can be strong and unafraid because the Lord is with us. There are so many verses that speak to this truth that I cannot list them all here, but a few are:

– Romans 8:31b: “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

– Zephaniah 3:17: “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.” (emphases mine)

– Isaiah 41:10: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (emphases mine)

God – who is our ever-present help in time of need – is with His people. We don’t have to ask for Him to be present with us, because He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. Furthermore, we don’t have to strive harder in order to bring about more fulness of His presence.

The second point is exactly that – that God’s presence is not dependent on if we’re in a massive church with elaborate stained glass windows and a full pipe organ and 40 foot cross that you can see from the third balcony, or setting up and tearing down each Sunday in an elementary school gym. God is present with His people because His Holy Spirit dwells within us! This is why Jesus said with such confidence that it was better that He “went away” back into heaven so that the Holy Spirit would come. If we are sons and daughters of God, adopted into His family and sealed with Spirit that enables us to cry out “Abba! Father!” as Paul says in Romans 8:15, then we can rest in the assurance, hope, joy and strength conferred by our status as the Children of God. His presence is with us, and the measure of faith He has given us and the good works He has prepared for us to do are His to give and ours to receive and participate in.

Thus, it doesn’t matter if we build Solomon’s temple or the inferior post-exile temple. It doesn’t matter if we are called to the mission field of China or our suburban home. It does’t matter if we serve in a church of 5000 or 50. The point is that the greatness of our all we are and do is founded in the surpassing greatness of the God who calls and enables us to be and do anything. Jesus said, “Whoever abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5b)

Do you want to experience the presence of God? Do you want to do great things for the Kingdom? Then the real question is this: Are we abiding in Him? James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God, and will draw near to you.” Are we content to sit as Jesus’ feet and stop worrying about the size of the temple we’re trying to build? Is the “good portion, which will not be taken away” enough to satisfy us? I believe if we taste and see that it is, we will be able to work in strength and joy, for He is with us.

The art of giving

Is it really better to give than receive? What do the Bible and history teach us?

Examples of the generous giving of resources – such as time, talents, money, homes (for the gathering of Christians or housing of “strangers and sojourners”) – for the worship of God, the spread of the Gospel and caring for people is all over the Bible, and we have the privilege of being a part of that ongoing legacy in a variety of ways.

However, for many people, the first thing that comes to mind when the topic of giving in church is brought up is a metal or wooden plate, or maybe a velvety felt bag with wooden handles being shoved in their face as the pastor or an elder elucidate the importance of giving until it hurts and how, as Americans, we have so much comparative wealth; and, this recollection often elicits feelings of guilt or anger, or even distrust in the people/organization they are giving to, or distrust in God to “keep His end of the deal” with financial blessings. There’s also, I believe, a widely-held misconception that the amount we give must be a hard and fast 10 percent every month of the year, every year, until our eulogy is read.

While faithful, predictable giving is certainly helpful to a church when it comes to setting an annual budget (which allows for paying and hiring staff, purchasing equipment and consumables, paying rent or a mortgage, funding other ministries, etc.), that “sustained” giving is not the only way we can give. Another way is “specific” giving, such as when there’s a particular need brought up – like a building fund, a sound equipment refresh or a functioning TV for the kids’ ministry. This type of giving can be in addition to sustained giving, but it can also be a way for people who don’t give on the regular to help meet a clear need.

Sustained giving is probably the most common (and helpful) way to see your local church thrive, but there are pitfalls to avoid. If your “tithing” has become so automatic that you don’t even think about it anymore – rather, it’s just a line item in your personal budget like your internet or cell phone bills – or if you’re doing it grudgingly, then it’s probably not even healthy for your soul or truly an act of worship. Similarly, specific or sporadic giving is great to meet tangible needs and help train our hearts to hear and obey the prompting of the Lord, but we have to be sure it’s coming from a heart of worship and not from coercion – either you being guilted into emptying your wallet, or trying to force God to rain money down on you from heaven because you “sowed a seed of faith.” As God’s Word says in 1 Corinthians 9:7, “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Some people have taken this verse as a “get out of giving” card in that they claim they cannot ever give because it would not be done with a right heart, or that God has never prompted them to do so. We have to see though that the Apostle Paul, when writing to the church in Corinth, said “Each one must give…” The implication is that Christians will all give, but it can look different for each of us “as we have decided in our hearts,” and it needs to be done with joy and willingness.

As with many aspects of our Christian faith, doctrine and theology, there’s a good middle road that’s sometimes hard to stay on, and we are at risk of falling into a legalistic or liberal ditch on either side. This is true of giving in that we can look at verses such as Malachi 3:6-12 (testing God by giving, and then Him pouring down blessings from heaven) and 1 Cor. 6:9 (sowing sparingly vs. bountifully) and come to an understanding that too closely resembles false “health, wealthy and prosperity” teaching. However, those verses are in the Bible, and there are many Christians out there, myself included, who have “put God to the test” in this way and, over time and are walking in what we believe to be obedience to Him, have seen God bless us in very real ways, including financial.

The point is this: the Bible is clear – Jesus Himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” and the giving of our “time, talents and treasure” is nothing short of an act of worship and obedience that trains our hearts to trust in and depend upon God. Finally, and practically, generous, sacrificial giving is the way in which the people of God have been able to conduct worship (from the times of Tabernacle to the present day), spread the Gospel, and care for widows, orphans and others in need for thousands of years. The question for us today is this: how are we being called to join them?

Jesus knows

What does it mean to “know” someone or something? Have you ever thought about the word “know” and how our modern use of it has become lazy and overly broad? Let me explain what I mean by that.

If someone were to ask me, “Hey, do you know the song ‘Africa’ by Toto?” I’d answer, “Sure, I know that song. It’s like, “….something something something … down in Africa.” Now, I can certainly recognize a few aspects of the song – its intro, melody, the singers voice – but my “knowing” of the song is limited more to recognition or awareness. I can’t recite more lyrics than I did above; I don’t know when it was written, or what it’s even about. Sure, I could look all that info up on Wikipedia and work to memorize all the lyrics and melody so I can belt it out on karaoke night, but to be perfectly honest, I don’t want to take the time to do all that.

It’s exactly that lack of caring that is the difference between “knowing” and “knowing.” We have robbed the meaning of the word “know” of a critical aspect by using it almost exclusively as a synonym for “aware.” Think about it for a moment. How often do you simply mean “I’m aware” when you say “I know”? Futhermore, how many times do we even say “I know” dismissively, like when someone informs you of something that you’re aware of, but don’t care about? We would be better off, I think, if we stopped using “I know” when what we really mean is “I’m aware.”

Why am I saying all this? Because I’m concerned that our misuse of “know” can cause misunderstanding of how Jesus relates to us. It’s true that Jesus, being fully God, is omniscient (He knows all things), but when we think about Jesus knowing us and our thoughts, words, deeds and needs, we often settle for Him simply being aware of them, but not caring about them. This is the real difference and why it’s so important not to diminish the meaning of the word. To truly “know” is at the very least to be both aware and to care. This fuller meaning of the word matters a lot when we contemplate how Jesus relates to us.

In the second and third chapters of the book of Revelation, Jesus commands John the Apostle to write letters to seven churches that existed in the first century in what is now western Turkey. While each letter contains specific commendations, warnings and encouragements for each individual church, there is a common refrain that ties them all together – Jesus says to each of them “I know…” He knows their suffering, their needs, their sins, their future; and it’s not just an aloof awareness of those things, Jesus cares about them. He cares deeply about His Church, His bride, and just as he cared for those seven churches 2000 years ago, He is aware and cares about His Church today. Let’s take that a step further and acknowledge that Jesus is aware and cares about every one of His children who comprise the Church. He knows us – our thoughts, words deeds and needs.

What does this mean for us practically?

With regard to our sinful thoughts, words and deeds, Jesus has proven He is aware and cares by coming to die on the cross for our sins so we don’t have to. He has proven He is aware and cares because His Holy Spirit has come to convict us of sin and empower us to live obediently “in the Spirit” so that our thoughts, words and deeds are pleasing to Him.

With regard to our needs – including suffering and pain – Jesus proves He is aware and cares because He has both given us the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, and has established His Church – the family and people of God – who are called to support, comfort and love one another. Jesus proves He is aware and cares because He has given us His Word, the Bible, to teach, correct, encourage and equip us to live hope and joy-filled lives in the midst of trials and tribulations as we await the promised return of our Lord and Savior with whom we get to spend eternity because He has reconciled us to Himself through His blood.

Finally, may we all “know” – be aware and care – that “Jesus knows,” and live accordingly in gratitude, love and obedience.