Friday, November 09, 2007

The Triple C crew chillin' at Cades Cove...



Watch and Learn

Last night Christy and I were watching a movie that had a middle school science fair in it… remember the middle school science fair? Why is it that they always have the same exhibits? You know what I mean… dioramas of the pre-historic earth complete with dinosaurs eating each other, foam board diagrams of the water cycle and of course, the mini-volcano. When I look back on middle school science class, all the projects and experiments we did were kind of like that min-volcano… small and manageable versions of something you can’t really get too close to, in order that you might understand it better.

Lately during my time with the Lord I’ve been reading about prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel... boy, talk about a tough job! Those guys had it rough! I remember hearing stories about some of the terrible things they went through when I was a kid, but I always assumed that all of those things happened because certain people who were in power didn’t like the prophetic message and punished them as a result. Now, this definitely did happen to them… like Jeremiah being chucked into a cistern filled with mud for a few days, but as I’ve read their stories, I’ve discovered a surprising thing: Tons of the really awful things those guys experienced were at the command of the Lord!

Those guys were kind of like science fair projects… their lives were living examples of what would happen to the entire nation if they didn’t turn and walk with the Lord. At certain times the prophets were like actors living out what would soon be for all eyes to see. It’s why God told Isaiah to take off all his clothes and walk around naked for three years in Isaiah 20… now, I’ve seen shocking and even awkward ministries, but nothing like that! This week I was reading Ezekiel 12 and the Lord gave him a strange ministry… “And the word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, eat your bread with quaking and drink water with trembling and anxiety.”

What kind of ministry is that? Can you imagine holding your double cheeseburger and just working up a good tremble before taking a bite? Before slamming a milk shake, Ezekiel would have to have a good bout of the shakes himself! God said that when people asked, he was supposed to tell them that he was a sign to them… a warning sign that troubled times lay ahead when meals would be eaten with fear and anxiety.

You know, we don’t have prophets quite like those guys anymore, but in a way, we can be like them. Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” We are supposed to live our lives in such a way that we are like signs pointing not to impending destruction, but to the possibility of a joyful, hope-filled, beautiful life. When you walk with Jesus, just trusting Him for your stuff, thanking Him for His grace and love, you’re gonna look way different than most folks! I want to be like that… like a science fair project... an observable example of what life can be like when you trust in the love and mercy of Jesus, and how you really can have a sweet marriage, a peaceful home, a content heart and clean conscience before God.



Here's a video of Joe and Robert being... well, Joe and Robert. (with a little help from John Williams)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

dang i saw the cades cove pic and for a second i thought you were going to write about when you got hit in the face by brian......but that was way better

hey remember that time you got slapped in the face

hannah

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