Building My Own Kingdom

Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”
-- Genesis 11:4

When you search the internet for advice on making it as a writer, one of the things that will come up again and again and again is the importance of building your platform. Finding an audience. Making a name for yourself. I can feel the pull of these deeply ingrained values within me--the desire to build my own kingdom.

I have to pause to ask, What does the Bible say about this? It's easy to jump to one side or the other either embracing our culture because it's "common sense" or totally rejecting it because it "clearly contradicts" Scripture. But what does the Bible actually say? Here's a few things I found--feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

Do not hide what God has given you

When God approached Moses and told him to go speak to Pharaoh, Moses tried humility. It earned him a healthy rebuke. "Who made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?" (Exo. 4:11).

I put this principle first because all too often when we think of humility, we think of diminishing ourselves and our talents, not realizing that by doing so we are diminishing our Creator. He has given each of us talents for a reason. Not to be buried beneath a veil of false humility, but to be used according to His purpose to further His Kingdom. When God gives you a task, it is not right for you to say no. Rather, acknowledge your dependence on Him to complete the task, and do so with all faithfulness and love. Which brings me to principle #2:

Acknowledge the Creator in all things

Proverbs 3:1-10 is one of my favorite passages about leaning on God and walking in humility. In verse 6 we are told "In all your ways acknowledge Him" followed by the promise "and He will make straight your paths." Give credit where credit is due. Acknowledge the one who created your hands, who taught you wisdom and placed in your heart a song.

Again, in Deuteronomy 8, as God promises blessing, He warns us against arrogantly saying to ourselves that our own hand brought us this prosperity. The truth is that it all comes from God. The command is simple: "And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land he has given you" (Deut. 8:10).

Accept everything in God's timing

John tells us that "a person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven" (John 3:27). This is something we must come to terms with--it is not within our power to determine our success. God sets the seasons, both for increase and decrease.

A few verses down, you may recognize the verse "He must increase, but I must decrease." I want to point out that this is not an absolute statement as many have taken it--before this time John's ministry increased. Rather, it is about recognizing that everything has its place in time and we are each only one small part of God's greater plan.

Lift up others

Philippians 2:3-4 instructs us to count others more significant than ourselves. We must realize that this is not a one-man show. We are each like one instrument in an orchestra or one page in a book. If all we do is toot our own horn, the result is nothing but noise (similarly, if we refuse to play at all, the song is left lacking). Watching the Conductor, each of us accents each other in season, together producing one magnificent song.

I love Romans 12 in this. It begins by instructing us not to be conformed to this world, realizing that the culture around us does not define us. Instead we must walk in God's instructions, according to the role assigned to each of us. And then he goes on to instruct us on how to work together as one body--loving one another, outdoing each other in showing honor, contributing to the needs of the saints, being one in spirit when our brother rejoices or when he weeps, living peaceably with all.

Set your eyes on His Kingdom

As mentioned earlier, all of this is for the purpose of furthering His Kingdom. In Matthew 6, Yeshua tells us to store up our treasure in heaven. A little further down, He explains this by telling us not to worry about the things that the world worries about. God will provide. Rather our focus should be on seeking the Kingdom of God.

"Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established." -- Proverbs 16:3

Remember, your Father delights in you

Lest this become a burdensome list of rules, I want to remind you of this simple truth: God loves you. Isaiah 62 compares the Lord's delight in His people to that of a bride and bridegroom--"as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you."

This is not about trying to be super-righteous or becoming a better rule follower. There's pride in that too. This about your relationship with your Father. It's about not letting anything come between you and Him. It's not about putting down yourself, but about lifting up others as our Father has done for us. It's about pursuing our Father's heart as He pursues ours.


"Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." -- Psalms 37:4

Reflections on NaNo

I know what you're thinking. "It's still November! How can you be writing reflections on NaNo when it isn't even over yet?" (for those of you wondering what in the world I am talking about, click here). The fact is that I finished my novel. Sure, it only came up to 39,868 words. But you know what? That's 39,868 words more than I would have had otherwise.

Besides, 50,000 words isn't really the point of NaNo. Gasp! You mean the whole goal they have you set up is actually just a motivation tool to spur you on through the journey and that the journey is where the real reward is? You know, I couldn't have said it better myself =P. Some arbitrary number of words isn't the point. Writing is. Pursuing your dream of writing a story is. Becoming a better writer and growing as a person is. And having fun. There's that too.

One of the things I did this year is I invited several friends and family to read along as I write. That was an amazing experience. I would always get so excited every time I opened up my email to find "New Comment on your Google Document" or when I would get a Skype message from someone saying they loved such and such part. And then there was poking fun at my own writing in front of everybody. "Hair like a squirrel's tail"?!? Yes, that line actually made it in there. Have no idea where it came from, but it's there.

It's exciting to see how far I've come in my writing since last year. My novel last year came to a screeching halt at 10,000 words. That was the first time. I then rewrote the whole thing in first person, giving me closer to 22,000 words. The rest was filler. Bonus scenes, alternate timeline, character interviews...18,000 words of filler. This year? After going back and deleting all the impromptu discussions with characters and complaining to myself, I still have 36,000 words of solid content. First time. Detail is still very much my weak point, but I would call that an accomplishment.

I experimented with a slightly different kind of story this year--more of an adventure story. At least the first half. The second half was more like my first novel with everything taking place in the same location. The first half had slightly better planning than the second half, but went much better. Dividing the story into distinct and well-defined chapters proved very effective. With the second half, I fell back onto my old habit of trying to stretch what is more of a single scene idea into a full chapter--not so effective.

A few other areas I noticed that still need improvement: Character descriptions. I am absolutely terrible with these. Getting my characters into trouble. I cringe every time one of my characters is about to do something they know is wrong (with the exception of villains--I love my villains). I've noticed that I tend to put a lot more attention on action, on what the characters are doing, than on description and making use of the five senses. This could use a bit more balance. That being said, there are a few descriptions I am particularly proud of. And I very much enjoy weaving symbolism and spiritual lessons into my stories.

The question is now, Where to go from here?

I now have two stories drafted. Both are still in need of some revision. But as I go about writing and rewriting these stories, I need to remember to stay true to myself as an author. I'm not writing to please anybody else--I'm writing because I have a story that needs to be told. And if that story happens to touch another life, all the better. But the most important thing right now is to tell the story faithfully.

Politics of Fear

As I scan through my newsfeed on Facebook, I notice a that there are a lot of political posts popping up. Especially now, during this government shutdown. Most of the posts are fairly predictable. The conservatives are blaming the liberals. The liberals are blaming the conservatives. And most of them take a step further--inciting fear that the other side is out to destroy America. Frankly, I'm tired of it.

Some time ago, Brant Hansen posted this excellent schematic of how we process ideas: http://www.air1.com/blog/brant/post/2012/04/16/New-Idea-Processor!.aspx

I think this is pretty accurate. Anytime we see a news story or some study that agrees with our preconceived ideas, we tend to take it as truth. And if it stands in contradiction to our beliefs, we immediately dismiss it as false. This is human nature. It's called pride--and it's really hard to let go.

Compounding this problem is fear--the fear of rejection. I know this because I feel it every time I think to go against the flow of what my friends and family may believe. I was raised in a conservative family. Doesn't that make me legally obligated to side with the conservative opinion on all issues? That's what it can feel like sometimes.

Take a step back for a moment. Why do we let the opinions of other people and the politics of this human government get us all riled up? Why do we always feel the need to correct everyone that we perceive as "wrong"? Why are we so hungry for control?

I tell you, the way we argue and fight over politics is not Biblical. We are too afraid of what man might do to us instead of placing our trust in God. We would rather complain about what we have no control over than focus on being a light where we are at. We are more concerned with spouting our own political agendas than listening to what others might have to say. And that makes us no better than the politicians sitting in congress.

One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is Isaiah 58. Every time I read it, I have to ask myself, is he speaking to me? Am I the one who "delights to draw near to God" all the while "seeking my own pleasure" and "hiding myself from my own flesh"?

If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. -- Isa. 58:9-10

The thing that struck me about this passage the last time I read it, is that this is being spoken to a people in exile--a people just like us. Israel was under foreign rule (and they didn't have voting rights back in Babylon), the people uprooted from their land, and yet here God was still offering hope if only they would mend their ways. If only they would learn to walk in justice, mercy, and humility.

We need to stop always pointing the finger saying "He did it." We need to start standing for truth even when it runs contrary to ourselves. We need to listen, to put ourselves into the shoes of other people, look through their glasses before judging. They're probably more like you than you think. We need to learn to take up our own responsibility for building this nation and building the Kingdom--focusing on our part instead of dictating to others their part. We need to let go of our need for control, to surrender everything into our Father's hands. And we need to encourage and support each other in this.

Laws don't change hearts. The government will always fall far far short. The only hope for our nation is the light of Messiah--for through His light we are given the instructions of life and a love of kindness, righteousness, blessing, compassion, life, and peace. It's a heart thing, and only God can change hearts. We just have to keep walking in His light day by day.

Post-Sukkot Update

Hello! It's been a while. Going on two months since my last blog post. A lot has been happening over the last few months.

For one, God has been sharing with me a little bit of His heart for His land and His people. It's still pretty hard for me to wrap my mind around, how a specific geographical area can be so important--but it is. It's all over the Scripture: the land promised to Abraham and Jerusalem the Holy City. Even Yeshua showed zeal for His "Father's house."

Then, of course, we had Sukkot. It was a small group as usual, but it was wonderful. Some highlights included: translating Scripture from the Hebrew, playing games, midrash, and Dictator 2013 (our new world dictator has ruled that imaginary friends now have the right to vote). And meeting a new friend. It's amazing to meet other young people with a love for God and a passion for the Word.

What else...? OH! I forgot to mention earlier that this summer I was accepted onto the HarvestMag team. This has been a dream of mine for some time--to be a part of a Messianic magazine for youth. I've been with them for about three or four months now and I love it. The team is wonderful and I get to write Biblical character sketches for the Portraits column. My brother Mark is on the team as well as a graphical artist.

So, for those who may have been worried, I have not died or gone missing. Just been a tad busy. Anyway, I'll sign off with a bit of encouragement--a verse God has put on my heart as of late:

The heart of man plans his way, 
But the LORD directs his steps.
-- Proverbs 16:9

God in a Box

As humans, we are experts at labeling, categorizing, and boxing everything--including God. In effect, we limit God. How do we do this?

Box #1 -- Moralism

According to this box, God is the definition of good behavior. He came to turn us into good people. All we have to do is learn right from wrong, good from bad and do what is right and good and religious. Everything is black and white. Every decision is made by asking "What is the Right decision?"

Box #2 -- Heaven's Ticket

Here we have the teaching that God is our ticket to heaven. We believe in Christ in order to merit the place of "eternal bliss" and avoid the eternal fire. What you do on this planet isn't that big of a deal, just hold onto that ticket. You'll need it when you die.

Box #3 -- Candy Man

Similar to box #2, this one tells us that God is our supplier. He is who we go to when we need or want something--our personal Santa Claus. Whether it be a pony, a new car, or whatever, all you have to do is believe and ask. God is here to fulfill your every desire.

Box #4 -- "God"

Something about the term "God" just seems so impersonal. He's up there in the sky...somewhere. He is the embodiment of holiness, the perfect being. Only our definition of perfection is an emotionless robot. This box says that God is a force or a law. No feeling, no personality, no free will--He is constrained by the laws of perfection (who wrote these laws?).

Box #5 -- The "Spirit"

Have you been filled with the spirit? Have you felt the emotional ecstasy of knowing God? Forget doctrine and obedience and all that dull stuff. Just get caught up in the spirit, cause that's what it is all about.

Box #6 -- Emotionalism

Close cousin of the “Spirit” box, this one often runs deceptively under the title “relationship” (as if relationships were all about emotional highs and how you feel). Basically, if you feel close to God then you are. If you don’t, you’re doing it wrong.

Box #7 -- Christology

Who is your Messiah? Christ. Who is your righteousness? Christ. What is the Bible all about? Christ. What about the Father? Christ is God. What about obedience? Christ fulfilled the law. What about family? Christ is my family. How are you going to pay your bills next week? Christ.

Box #8 -- Torahology

How do we learn right from wrong? Torah. How do we know what is pleasing to God? Torah. What is the Bible all about? Torah. What about God? He is in Torah. What about grace? Grace is no excuse for Torahlessness. Who is your Messiah? The Living Torah.

Box #9 -- Knowledge

The goal is to know God, right? So, the more we know about God and theology and doctrine, the more we know God, right? Maybe?

Box #10 -- Beauty

When I look around at the wonder and beauty of creation, all I can do is stand in awe. It is all so overwhelming—to the point becoming the very definition of the Creator. Even worship becomes an object to itself.

_____

All of these boxes give a glimpse at certain aspects of God. Each one has an element of truth to it. Just enough to be deceptive. But they are all boxes, limiting God. And all of them miss one of the most essential characteristics of God--His desire for a relationship with us. We throw that word around in church so often, do we really know what a relationship with God means?

Four simple words can tell you more about God than all of those boxes combined: Father, King, Husband, Creator. These words describe our relationship with God. And they are concrete--we can relate to them. We know what a father-son relationship is. We know what marriage is. We know the respect and honor due a King. We know how intimately a craftsman knows his creation.

Am I suggesting that God stops here? No. The fullness of God is beyond our comprehension. What I am suggesting is that we start here. Learn to approach God as Father and as King. Fall in love with Him. Our God is caring, imaginative, and passionate. Don't believe me? Read Job 38-41, Ezekiel 16:1-14, Hosea 2:14-23, Deuteronomy 4:24. He is beyond comprehension, but He comes to us in ways we can relate to. We are made in His image--we reflect who He is.

There are so many good things that God has for us and has to teach us. But we must never forget that He is the Living God who loves us--my Father and my King.

Why Yeshua Had To Die (A Kabbalistic Perspective)

For a long time I've asked the asked the question "Why did Yeshua have to die?" Several attempts have been made by various people to answer this question. He had to die to fulfill justice because the wages of sin is death. Or because He walked through the pieces in the Covenant with Abraham and we broke that Covenant. Or in order to remarry Israel after God said her away with a bill of divorcement.

Central to my worldview is the Sovereignty of God. He is the Creator of heaven and earth, the Most High King. He is not bound by any law or any human understanding. We talk of free will--if we who are made in the image of God have any sort of free will, how much more does God who brought forth the heavens from nothing? So, by very definition, I start to have a problem when anyone says "God must do such and such."

The anti-missionaries frequently make the argument that God does not require a sacrifice for atonement--and rightly so. There are numerous examples in Scripture where God forgives without sacrifice. Ezekiel 18 is a favorite. More to the point, why should God be restricted in how He extends forgiveness? Did not God write the Torah and establish the principles of justice? If He did declare that a sacrifice is required, why?

This is where I want to offer some thoughts inspired by the kabbalistic understanding of sacrifice. This won't provide a satisfactory answer to the question of why Yeshua had to die, but I think it will shed some light onto why God may have chosen this method of atonement. To be sure, this is simply one understanding--by no means do I claim it to be the understanding.

The kabbalists cite two reasons for the sacrifices. The first is to move the heart to repentance. The act of shedding the blood of this innocent animal shows the gravity of sin and the importance of walking in God's Torah. This same concept can apply to Yeshua. In order to keep a consistent message, God has to show that sin is not a trivial matter that can simply be winked away. The idea that sin must be punished is not an arbitrary justice system, but rather a disciplinary teaching to keep our eyes on the path--to instill in our hearts how important it is to fear God.

How does one reconcile disciplinary justice with mercy? In the TNK, we see several examples of this. Sometimes the punishment is lessened or delayed. For example, when Moses pleads for Israel over the golden calf, God extends mercy but still promises to visit their iniquity upon them at a later date. The sacrificial system is another example, where unintentional sin is forgiven on the basis of repentance and sacrifice. It is said that a piece of our animal soul is placed on the altar with the sacrifice. It is after this pattern that the sacrifice of Yeshua follows. Mercy was extended, but in order to preserve disciplinary justice and show that sin is no trivial matter, God offered up His Son as payment. But this is only meaningful if we do as Paul said and die to ourselves in Yeshua--if we place a part of our soul upon that cross so that our hearts may be moved to repentance. Otherwise, it is to us as the vain offerings that Isaiah speaks of and we find ourselves guilty of trampling upon the blood of Yeshua. I will return to this idea of dying with Messiah, but first let's go on to the second principle.

It seems the kabbalists are never satisfied with such a simple explanation as that put forward above, so they also claim that through sacrifice the soul of the animal is elevated in holiness. I find this curious because we find exactly the same idea being taught about Yeshua. In the last section of Isaiah 53 we find that because the suffering servant poured himself to death for his people, he earned himself a position of honor. This is echoed in Revelation 5:9-10 where it is stated that only the Lamb is worthy to open the scroll, not simply because of who He is, but because of what He did on the cross. This is the kabblistic principle that to go up you must first go down, to become refined you must pass through fire.

In doing so, Yeshua set an example for us. Over and over, Yeshua taught an upside down Kingdom where the one who would be first must make himself last, the one who would be greatest must make himself a servant, the one who would save his life must lose it. The one who will be a part of the Resurrection of Messiah must take part in His death. This is the command to take up our cross daily, deny ourselves, and follow Him.

One of the fundamental misunderstandings of Christ's atonement that I frequently see is that "Christ died for my sin so I don't have to." While in a sense this is true--He did take away the full punishment of sin--it is incomplete for we are still required to die to self. Romans 6:3, "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?" This is where other explanations for Yeshua's atoning sacrifice fall short and why I think the ideas presented here are important. The matter is not purely academic; there are practical implications. If Yeshua was simply a substitute, then what is our role? But if He was also the firstfruits, the forerunner setting the example for us all, then it is for us to follow in His footsteps--Fearing God and denying our own selfish desires; taking on the form of a servant that we might be raised with Him in glory.

Puzzle Pieces

I've heard it said that each of us holds a piece to the puzzle. I believe that each of us *is* a piece to the puzzle. Torah is all about bringing those pieces together, about teaching us to look outside ourselves and create real connections with other human beings.

The adversary opposes this. He will tell you that you stand alone as the whole in yourself. Or that you are misshapen and unfit for the Creator's masterpiece. He will try to force you into holes that you do not fit to dishearten you. He will point out how different everyone else is and tell you that they must conform or that you must conform. He works with fear and pride--fear that you are mangled and do not belong; pride that you exist for yourself or as head of the puzzle. This is the lie.

Torah teaches us to Shema, to listen. To hear another for who they really are, to understand them. To walk in their shoes as Messiah walked in ours. To identify with their struggle, their pain, their joy, and their dreams. That means that sometimes we have to be still and listen. We have to stop talking like we know it all and admit that we can never completely understand the journey of another. We have to stop judging each other because we do not look alike, do not act alike, do not believe alike. The truth is that each one of us has a unique role in the story that our Creator is painting across the canvas of life--a role inseparable from the lives of others.

Torah is about relationship. The opposite of Torah is self-centeredness. Torah is about reaching out, courageously taking the hand of another and recognizing the signature of divine within that person. This is love.