The Gospel of IDD

Rich in Faith                Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? James 2:5               What if this is true?             What if those who are rich and powerful and influential and popular and have it all…what if they have already received everything that they are going to get for eternity?               What if those who are poor and those who are outcasts and those whose bodies do not work…what if the poor and despised are the ones who have just not received the best of what God has for them yet?   What if all their riches come in the afterlife?   What if the people who society looks d...

Tamar              About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the whore; moreover she is pregnant as a result of whoredom.” And Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.” As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “It was the owner of these who made me pregnant.” And she said, “Take note, please, whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff.” Then Judah acknowledged them and said, “She is more in the right than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not lie with her again. Genesis 38:24-26                           Sometimes life leaves us with no good choices.   Tamar found herself in that situation.   Her previous two husbands had been killed by God for their wickedness.   Her father-in-...

Skeletons in the Closet              Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,   and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, and Aram the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon,   and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. Matthew 1:2-6             My daughter is working on our family tree for a school project.   There is a lot of family history that we do not know…and there is a lot of family history that we wish we did not know.   There are stories of abuse and divorce and suicide and taking up arms in some of the biggest wars of America’s history…for th...

A Psalm for Sojourners              I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come? My help comes from the  Lord , who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The  Lord  is your keeper; the  Lord  is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The  Lord  will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The  Lord  will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore. Psalm 121: 1-8             Psalm 121 is nestled into a group of 15 Psalms that are known as the “Songs of Ascent,” or the “Blessings for Travelers,” as pilgrims made their way to the Holy City of Jerusalem.   The Psalmist wanders along, looking up at the hills and ob...

Joseph Elevated              Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find anyone else like this—one in whom is the spirit of God?”    So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you.    You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command; only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”    And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”    Removing his signet ring from his hand, Pharaoh put it on Joseph’s hand; he arrayed him in garments of fine linen, and put a gold chain around his neck.    He had him ride in the chariot of his second-in-command; and they cried out in front of him, “Bow the knee!” Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt. Genesis 41:38-43             This is the moment whe...

Joseph Imprisoned              And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; he remained there in prison.    But the  Lord  was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love; he gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer.    The chief jailer committed to Joseph’s care all the prisoners who were in the prison, and whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. The chief jailer paid no heed to anything that was in Joseph’s care, because the  Lord  was with him; and whatever he did, the  Lord  made it prosper. Genesis 39:20-23              Joseph was thrown into prison for a crime that he did not commit.   Actually, he was thrown into prison because he would not betray his master by sleeping with his master’s wife when she hit on him.   ...

The Lord Delights in You              For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,   and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch. The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the  Lord  will give.   You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the  Lord , and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.   You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the  Lord  delights in you,   and your land shall be married. Isaiah 62:1-4             There are several lines and several themes in this passage that I have written about at length.   The Lord will give ...

Given a New Name              “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.   To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.” Revelation 2:17             The book of Revelations begins with letters to seven churches.   To the church in Pergamum the message is sent with a warning and an encouragement.   They are warned to avoid heresy and falling to the temptation and persecution around them.   Then they are encouraged with the passage from above.             “To the one who conquers,”   This is not encouraging the believers to stage a hostile takeover of Pergamum.   This is an encouragement to endure…to choose love over fear...

Wrestling with God              Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.    When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him.    Then he said, “Let me go, for the day is breaking.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.”    So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.”    Then the man said, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed.” Genesis 32:24-28             Sometimes a relationship with God is joyful and peaceful, filled with praises and hallelujahs.   Sometimes that same relationship is overflowing with disagreements and contention and aggression and struggle.   ...