"These searched for their family records, but they could not find them...." (Nehemiah 7:64a, NIV)
The quarter is near a close; hence, I'm near the end of my "first-half," Old Testament reading. Our text has an application to humanity in general. Now I'm not attempting to give a historic exegesis of our text, but I don't think what I see here is "proof-texting."
Mankind has been, "search[ing] for their family records," ever since the Garden. Even psychiatrists tell us that central questions of humanity are: "Where did I come from? Why am I here?" Philosophers and religion-inventors have written and spoken about this since the time of Job. We humans rejected the Family of God, Father, Son Jesus, and Holy Spirit, and decided to build our own family, then kingdom (Genesis 11). God judged that "search," and in Jesus' Blood and Cross, the Blessed Trinity revealed his Eternal Purpose. "His purpose was to create in Himself one new humanity out of the two (Jew and Gentile), thus making peace" (Ephesians 2). The Church of Christ is, in reality, One Big Family. Rejection of, "His purpose," is the rejection of Life Himself--------- and the search will never end.
I read today of a man who killed his wife and four children, then set their house on fire; heartbreak. It is difficult to know what goes on inside a person which drives him/her to such desperation. Sin, Christless culture, loneliness, fear, anger, hatred, utter despair--- the list could go on. Life without Jesus is not "life." Without Jesus Christ, what people call "life" is really death in disguise. People without Jesus will just continue the, "....search[] for their family records."
Over the years, not just as a pastor, but as a fellow human being on Planet Earth, I have noticed things for which religious pundits, e.g., pastors, teachers, "ministry" heads always seem to have an answer. I have fewer and fewer. Of course, the "tragedy" of humanity all goes back to our beginning, viz., the Garden; we just chose a very wrong path. Our genetic make up is that of disobedience, which leads to, "I'll do it my way." Anyone who offers an alternative life style, "just doesn't understand me." As long as mankind continues to be driven by the Adamic genes, he is nothing but doomed. Men and women will continue the futile, "search[] for their family records."
History is one tragedy after another, with one exception. It is what some theologians call, "The Christ Event." In the middle of the most powerful of ancient empires, appeared Jesus. The Cross of Jesus, Jesus' death, Jesus' resurrection, Jesus' ascension, Jesus' soon Second Appearing enables all who surrender their lives to Jesus, not just at an "altar call," but every moment of every day to find, "their family records." Those of us, "who follow the Lamb wherever He goes," have our names in, "The Book of Life," the Great, "Family Record[]" of the Redeemed of our Lord Jesus Christ. The word, "searching," should never be in those who are Followers of Jesus. In Jesus Christ the, "search[] for their family records," is over.
Father, in Jesus' Name, "For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world." Amen.
***********************
If you have never let us know that you are still reading the devotionals, we would love a, "still reading," note from you.
The quarter is near a close; hence, I'm near the end of my "first-half," Old Testament reading. Our text has an application to humanity in general. Now I'm not attempting to give a historic exegesis of our text, but I don't think what I see here is "proof-texting."
Mankind has been, "search[ing] for their family records," ever since the Garden. Even psychiatrists tell us that central questions of humanity are: "Where did I come from? Why am I here?" Philosophers and religion-inventors have written and spoken about this since the time of Job. We humans rejected the Family of God, Father, Son Jesus, and Holy Spirit, and decided to build our own family, then kingdom (Genesis 11). God judged that "search," and in Jesus' Blood and Cross, the Blessed Trinity revealed his Eternal Purpose. "His purpose was to create in Himself one new humanity out of the two (Jew and Gentile), thus making peace" (Ephesians 2). The Church of Christ is, in reality, One Big Family. Rejection of, "His purpose," is the rejection of Life Himself--------- and the search will never end.
I read today of a man who killed his wife and four children, then set their house on fire; heartbreak. It is difficult to know what goes on inside a person which drives him/her to such desperation. Sin, Christless culture, loneliness, fear, anger, hatred, utter despair--- the list could go on. Life without Jesus is not "life." Without Jesus Christ, what people call "life" is really death in disguise. People without Jesus will just continue the, "....search[] for their family records."
Over the years, not just as a pastor, but as a fellow human being on Planet Earth, I have noticed things for which religious pundits, e.g., pastors, teachers, "ministry" heads always seem to have an answer. I have fewer and fewer. Of course, the "tragedy" of humanity all goes back to our beginning, viz., the Garden; we just chose a very wrong path. Our genetic make up is that of disobedience, which leads to, "I'll do it my way." Anyone who offers an alternative life style, "just doesn't understand me." As long as mankind continues to be driven by the Adamic genes, he is nothing but doomed. Men and women will continue the futile, "search[] for their family records."
History is one tragedy after another, with one exception. It is what some theologians call, "The Christ Event." In the middle of the most powerful of ancient empires, appeared Jesus. The Cross of Jesus, Jesus' death, Jesus' resurrection, Jesus' ascension, Jesus' soon Second Appearing enables all who surrender their lives to Jesus, not just at an "altar call," but every moment of every day to find, "their family records." Those of us, "who follow the Lamb wherever He goes," have our names in, "The Book of Life," the Great, "Family Record[]" of the Redeemed of our Lord Jesus Christ. The word, "searching," should never be in those who are Followers of Jesus. In Jesus Christ the, "search[] for their family records," is over.
Father, in Jesus' Name, "For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world." Amen.
***********************
If you have never let us know that you are still reading the devotionals, we would love a, "still reading," note from you.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
