Silence is Golden

The prophet Zephaniah (1.7) said, "Be silent before the Sovereign Lord, for the day of the Lord is near." Being still is quite a challenge for us today. We're always on the go, going from this event to that job, to do a certain errand or picking up kids, grocery shopping or a Costco run. We are a people on the go. And on the way we listen to the radio or talk on the phone. Silence seems to be a golden luxury that few enjoy. There are times when we are silent. When we gaze upon a beautiful sunset or a forest surrounding a mountain lake, it can take our breath away. I spoke with someone today who was spewing hatred towards Israel and made comments that there is no history of the Jews being in Palestine, nor in all of Europe. I began to engage him and realized nonsense is nonsense no matter where you find it. I simply kept going. There was just nothing to say to him. His mind was made up and I kept quiet. But Zephaniah enjoins us to be silent before the Sovereign Lord. There is something about the Lord- His presence, His Sovereignty, His majesty. The Lord is an awesome God. What an incredible thing it is to be silent and consider the ways of the Sovereign Lord. 600 years before the birth of Jesus, Zephaniah was given a vision of the future and the nearness of the Lord's return. 2600 years later, we are on the edge of His return. Things are rapidly changing. No, escalating. Earth is moving towards the day of the Lord. In Revelation 8.1 the Apostle John said, "When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about a half an hour." The angelic choirs pause their praise, the chants of the elders around the throne stop their worship, the angels proclaiming the holiness of God stop mid-sentence. Total silence in heaven for 30 minutes. Silence in heaven tells us something. The judgment that follows is breathtaking. The day of the Lord is near. We are to be silent as we contemplate all that it means. We also notice a specific time mentioned. 30 minutes. Half hours are important to God. Perhaps a half hour can be our goal, to be silent before the Lord for 30 minutes. To simply contemplate His wonder and majesty. To mediate on His Sovereignty and holiness. To consider His return which is near. Prayer: Lord, help me to be silent before You, my Sovereign Lord. Help me to recall Your glory and holiness, wonder and majesty. May my moments with You prepare my heart for Your return. Amen.

Time To Be Real

A few weeks ago President Obama took another oath of office for his second term. I find it amazing that President Obama stood in our nations capital, placed his hand on the former President Lincoln's Bible, and swore to fulfill his duties as President of the United States. All this on the same day that we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King. A black President being sworn into the highest office in our country, on a national holiday honoring another black man who cared and died for the civil rights of all people. Among the many festivities of the ceremony, Beyonce sang the national anthem. God has gifted her with such an incredible voice. As good as it was, rumors began to fly that she lip-synched the national anthem. On the news today, Beyonce confessed she did lip-synch, and then proceeded to sing the national anthem acappella. Beautifully done, once again. Besides it being a slow day in the news room, I wondered if this isn't a cry from the masses for the authentic. They want it real. Genuine and with raw talent. There is something about a live performance, with all the different pressures working against you, from the weather, to the orchestra, to the large crowds gathering close to hear. I remember shortly after I began a second job driving fork lift that one of my co-workers got in my face. All day long he bumped his fork lift into mine, he cut me off, raced around me, got in my way and in my face. I didn't say anything at the time, but wondered why he was doing it. The next week I asked him, "What's up with last week?" He replied, "Oh, I was just testing you to see if you got angry or not." Knowing I was a Christian and a Pastor, he wanted to know if I was real or a fake. He knew the difference. Jesus calls us to authenticity. It begins with an honest response to God, acknowledging our sin and our need of His forgiveness. At that moment, in complete humility, we find acceptance, love, grace and forgiveness. It is the moment we put our faith in Jesus. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us to be real and authentic, in our character, in how we influence others, in how we practice our faith, in our relationships and in what we ask for in prayer. In his sermon, Jesus compares the hypocrite with the authentic follower. The hypocrite puts on the show. The authentic Christian seeks to do that which is honoring to the Lord, whether or not others see him. James says (2.26) that faith without expression is no faith at all. We can talk about faith all we want, but if we are not living it, then somehow we have transitioned from the real to surreal. Prayer: Lord, help me to be real, beginning with my honesty with You, and help me to live the life You call me to, one that is godly and genuinely based upon my faith in You. May I not play the game of religion, but honestly seek to live out my faith everyday. Amen.