NO DUMPING

As jack and I walk through our quiet neighborhood each day, the only sounds are natural ones: blowing evergreens, bird-songs, crickets, Lake Michigan’s waves. Lately, however, the tranquility has been overwhelmed by buzzing chain saws and roaring wood chippers.

Lotsa wood

Tree trimming experts are moving through the area “following the dots” that were painted on tree trunks over a year ago. (Do I understand?) They’re widening air space around electrical wires in an effort to keep them out of harm’s way when storms and high winds cause limbs to fall.

In some cases, entire trees have been brought down but not in the old fashioned way. Although arborists used to shout, “Tim-berrrr!” to warn of a long-falling trunk, today’s workmen take trees down chunk-by-chunk from the top, using sky-high cherry pickers, miles of rope, and men who aren’t afraid of heights.

NO DUMPING PLEASE

Gradually monster-size piles of wood have been left here and there around the neighborhood, waiting to be removed later. This one was humorously deposited at the base of a NO DUMPING sign.

God has a few of his own NO DUMPING signs, hoping we’ll read and heed them, but sadly most of us don’t. One of those is written in especially big letters so we’ll be sure to see it, and it has to do with dumping on ourselves.

Jesus says, “Your sins are absolute trash. Just as garbage that’s left too long in your home gets really vile, sins do the same. They need to be regularly discarded to keep your inner self clean.”

What often happens, though, is we work to clean up all we know is wrong, get ready to give it to God since he offers to haul it away, but then throw it right back into our soul-houses instead. He holds up his NO DUMPING sign, but that doesn’t usually stop us from dumping back into our lives.

Most of us have a desire to obey God’s signs, trusting him to permanently dispose of our sins once we ask for forgiveness. But feeling guilty makes us want to pay for what we’ve done rather than concede that Jesus has already done that for us. To dump it all on him rather than ourselves seems too easy.

Forgiveness of sins ought to hurt more, we think, but therein lies the measureless value of our salvation. Jesus did the hurting for all of us beneath a dumped load of unimaginable weight. For us to continue re-dumping those same sins back onto ourselves again and again is, in a way, refusing to acknowledge what Jesus accomplished on the cross.

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Having watched the tree-cutting activity in our neighborhood for several weeks now, I know the men will be back to remove the pile of wood in the NO DUMPING zone. But am I as diligent in dealing with the sin-debris in my life? And when I am, do I heed God’s NO DUMPING sign or dump it all back to where it came from?

“All the prophets testify about [Jesus Christ] that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” (Acts 10:43)

Well…. we’ll see.

Recently all of us followed developments of the Boston bombings, sometimes having to turn away from the shocking images in the news. There was one photo, though, that fascinated me. It was the x-ray-like picture taken from a hovering helicopter over the boat in which police finally found the younger brother hiding.

Infared technology

That picture, taken with an infrared heat-sensing camera from above clearly showed the 19 year old’s body, though he was hiding beneath a heavy boat tarp. Police said they even saw, through the camera lens, that he was moving, which told them he was still alive and might be aggressive toward them.

The fact that the heat-seeking camera could do such an accurate job identifying him was astounding and also thought-provoking. As he lay there thinking he wasn’t visible to anyone, the whole world was watching him.

Scripture tells us that everything will eventually be spotlighted, and it doesn’t mean just tangible things like bodies. The secrets we’re keeping will also be exposed, as well as thoughts we might rather have kept under cover.

According to news web sites, the heat-seeking camera used in Boston is able to “strip away the cloak of darkness or the cover of fog or smoke” because, as the Massachusetts State Police said, “It picks up the heat signature of the individual.” The young man ran, but while he was still alive and warm, he sure couldn’t hide.

The same goes for us, though God doesn’t need a special camera to see what’s hidden. When the time comes for him to make an assessment of each individual, nothing will be out of sight. Actually, it’s not really about “when the time comes,” since it’s true already.

Hebrews says, “The word of God…. judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (v.12-13) That’s written in the present tense, so in a way, we’re in the same boat at the bomb suspect.

What can be done about it?

The Lord lets us know about his x-ray vision ahead of time so we can make a conscious choice to clean up our acts, including thoughts. He knows we’ll make an effort to live by a higher standard than we might have, if we thought no one was looking. And apparently he believes we are capable of making positive improvements, or he wouldn’t challenge us to do so.

Bombing Suspect #2 In Custody

Concerning the 19 year old man who thought he was hidden but wasn’t, maybe he’s still hiding some things that the world will soon see. But the more important question is, what am I hiding?

Jesus said, “See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.” (Luke 11:35-36)

Out of Ashes

40Forty is an important biblical number. During the Genesis flood it rained 40 days and 40 nights; Moses grew up in pharaoh’s palace for 40 years, lived in the wilderness for another 40, and led the Israelites through the desert during his last 40; at the time of the Ten Commandments, he was on Mt. Sinai for 40 days.

It took the Israelite spies 40 days to search out the Promised Land; King Saul, King David, and King Solomon each reigned for 40 years; the people of Nineveh repented after 40 days; Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days; and there were 40 days between Jesus’ resurrection and his ascension.

So what’s the significance of this number? Many scholars say the biblical 40 most often references a period of significant testing or struggle, followed by a time of God’s blessing.

Crown of Thorns

Today we find ourselves at another important 40, the days of Lent. As we again consider the horror of the cross, it’s a good idea to carve out time to reflect on all that our Savior endured. Knowing the number 40 represents struggle, 40 days for Lent seems appropriate.

I often wonder what Jesus did during his 40 days of misery in the wilderness. Scripture doesn’t let us in on the details, but we do know a few things: he lived among wild animals during that time; he was tempted by Satan repeatedly, possibly on all 40 days; he ate nothing and grew very hungry; and at the end of this agony, angels rushed from heaven to earth to help him.

Because we’re unable to participate in any of Jesus’ sufferings, whether in the wilderness or on a cross, Lent offers a time to rearrange our lives just a little by offering token participation in what Jesus went through. We willingly force ourselves to give up something we usually enjoy or surrender some of “our” time to do good for others.

Because our congregation was together tonight to initiate these 40 days of thinking about the cross, Pastor Kyle offered a symbolic way for us to recognize it was our sin that put Jesus on the cross to die: ashes on the forehead. Setting aside what little I knew about this Lenten custom, I focused on why I need the repentance Christ made possible and stepped forward for my ashes, a sign of death and grief.

The pastor said, “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord,” a quote from Psalm 130 and also the cry of my heart. “If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness.” (vv. 3-4)

The Cross

May 40 days of small sacrifices shake up our thinking enough to prompt fresh, potent understanding of what Jesus willingly did to bring the beauty of eternal life from the ashes of certain death.

“Put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.” (Psalm 130:7)