W.W.N.D.? Nehemiah and Immigration Revisited

This post was originally posted in November of 2013, months before some children and many older individuals have been illegally flooding into America with no documentation, highly-communicable diseases, and many with ties to the violent gangs  they claim they are "escaping" from. 

The web of illegal activity that has led to the current crisis is not addressed here.  Biblical immigration is.  One most first begin from a point of understanding that God does NOT leave his people without direction for any sphere of life.  His plan for what we call "immigration" is no exception.
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So much of our current discussion about immigration mistakenly makes the focus racism, materialism and selfishness. Anyone against amnesty must be a bigot, heartless, and clearly not one who loves his neighbor as himself. Any chance at real dialogue is squelched and our nation and the people she purports to serve are weakened. Immigration reform needs to happen, but even Christians are divided as to how, what and why. We have been given a great resource of wisdom to address modern day immigration through Scripture. Let’s practice due diligence and see what God has to say.

Take a look at walls for a moment. Walls were meant to give peace and security to the people of God inside. (Ps. 122:7) When walls were torn down, the nation was ravaged by man and beast.(Ps. 80:12) Armed with swords, spears and bows, guards stood watch and protected the city during the wall’s rebuilding and after(Nehemiah4-7). Walls and gates are to be guarded by diligent and faithful watchmen and gatekeepers. (1 Chronicles 9:22-27; 2Kings 9:17) Before anyone is allowed entrance through the gate, there is testing that takes place: is this person a friend or foe? Where are their allegiances? Are they an alien or foreigner? Are they coming to speak the “language of Judah” and assimilate or to replace or overthrow? (Nehemiah 13:23-25)

Let’s take a look at God’s instructions for his people in how they relate to other people groups. God says in his word for the Israelites to not have anything to do with certain groups, including Moabites. Yet he welcomes Ruth, a Moabite, to be in the blood line of Christ, himself! How can this be? God shows us that while there are cultural beliefs and practices that are incompatible with him, there are individuals from those same cultures who want to make “him their God and his people, their people”.(Ruth 1:16) To know who these individuals are requires much time and effort, but I believe God calls us to responsibly perform this task. To allow a near blanket acceptance of anyone within the walls is not only unbiblical, it is dangerous, naïve, foolish, lazy and threatens our nation as a whole leaving us weak so that we then become a sanctuary for no one- absolutely no one. I’d like to ask anyone who believes in an easy entrance into our borders, do you lock your doors at night or when you are not home? If so, consider the inconsistency in your views and the way you practice them.

Nehemiah wept over the state of the broken wall and burned gates of Jerusalem and what it meant about the condition of God’s people. The people set apart by God, for God had disobeyed God and were experiencing the consequences and yes, punishment for their sins. (Jeremiah 44:13)

We, too, were set apart for God, by God and have left our first love as well. The LORD has, in part, removed his hand of protection. But now we find ourselves at a place where we can turn from our wicked ways and obey him. It is time to rebuild the wall of peace and security around our nation’s borders, then responsibly apply biblical wisdom to offer freedom and safety to those aliens who seek the same.

For more information on biblical immigration, please visit Evangelicals For Biblical Immigration .

A Saved Cynic and a Cheap Bible

I bent the knee to Jesus as Lord 15 years ago.  I say it that way because I didn’t “ask him into my heart.” I don’t even remember if I knew that phrase at the time or not, but what I did was more than that.  I gave Him Lordship. As best I knew how, anyway. 

Fast-forward to two days ago.  A friend and I would be joining others in ministry at the local jail and she mentioned on social media that she forgot her Bible.  “No problem! I’ll bring an extra one,” I tweeted back, forgetting that there would probably be one there for her to use.  As I searched the bookshelf in the guest room, my eyes fell on the first Bible I had as a believer. 

This was no ordinary Bible.  Well actually, it was quite ordinary.  You see, when I got saved I was still very much a cynic.  And cheap.  “Why should a Bible cost $60?! That’s ridiculous!” I purchased the cheapest one I could find.  I think it was five bucks.  Humiliating to admit, but true nonetheless.

Recalling that we were not allowed to take loose papers into the prison, I opened the no-frills Book to find a note on which I had written a long time ago.  Then another.  And another.  By the time I finished flipping through the pages, I had the equivalent of a small pad of post-it’s in a pile on the dresser. I started to read the words written on the little orange and green paper squares.  Almost all the questions or comments I recorded on those sheets were written with a skeptical tone.  Absolutely all of it was written out of a desire to KNOW the truth.   At that point in my life, I had no tolerance for superficial or false hope- only reality would do.  I knew Jesus was real.  I just didn’t know Him. I wrestled with God and unwittingly recorded those matches on sticky notes.  As I laughed out loud, I said to Him, “You really hung in there with me while I struggled for answers, didn’t You, Lord?” 

As the notes began to stir memories of the early days of my faith, I began to weep. 

Because he really did hang in there with me while I asked all my questions-even from a heart new to the transforming process from cynical to sanctified.

The questions seem really silly to me now only because over these 15 years I have gotten to know the One who wrote the Book.  We wrestle differently now because I know and believe He is trustworthy.  He is not going to leave me.  I don’t demand answers from Him like I used to.  God is faithful to give me the answers I need to complete the tasks assigned to me.  Everything else I release to His loving, capable care.

God bless those brothers and sisters who welcome the cynical but honest questions. For some people though, the very process of questioning is threatening.  Ask the wrong person and one could risk raised eyebrows, condemnation, or worse.

Not with God.

Not at all.

 

Sweet cynic, ask the questions of the LORD, dig deep, and seek His heart with all of yours no matter how broken it is-

For your benefit and His Glory!

Discovering Secret Treasure Hidden In Plain Sight

I discovered the secret to being in proper relationship to God.  The biggest discovery was that it isn't such a secret after all, it was hidden in plain view.

Reading throughout Scripture, there are so many commandments and ordinances, so many warnings about obeying God, believing God, remembering his commands,  being holy... it just seems like so much pressure!  Then Matthew records Jesus making it simpler for us by boiling it all down to the Word given in Deuteronomy 6:4- this time face to face: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."  (Matt 22:37-40, emphasis, mine)

Jesus’ focus is not on behavior modification.  Instead, it is about WHO and HOW we love. The obedience will come later.  

The deeper our love for Christ, the more tender we will be to his leading and the more we will want to please Him over our flesh.  To love Jesus more, we can start by recalling how He left glory and the praise of the angels to be with us and save us, you and me, so that we could have what He always intended - everlasting life.  We can recall how he met with the “least of these” (we resemble them more than we realize) and gave them dignity and purpose.  We can know that the One who fulfilled all prophecy in the Old Testament is trustworthy to fulfill His promise of His Return. My heart softens to Jesus whenever I reflect on these things, no matter my circumstances.

Within the commands to love and obey God, we are taught an important spiritual truth.  Here is the secret that is not so hidden:

Be very, very careful WHO you love because you WILL serve and obey them.  

It is the most natural thing in the world for us. We were created to do it.  We demonstrate our love by serving the object of our affections.

Not only should we open ourselves to loving Jesus more, we need to do an inventory of our heart. Who do we love? Do we love people who put our best interests first?  Do they build us up or tear us down? Do they encourage our dependence on God or on themselves? Would Jesus be blessed or heart-broken over our conversations?  Would we be comfortable or ashamed to have Him witness our activities with them? (By the way, He does witness everything.)

I have loved the wrong people before.  I am grateful to say that by the Grace of God and through His Spirit, He has shown me the ones I need to love from a distance and the ones who are safe for my inner circle.

He will absolutely do the same for you.

Want to please God?  Love Him as best you can, with your broken self, right where you are.  When you fail, and you will, remember that you won't be the first or the last.  But our God is faithful to his promises.  When he said, he will remove your sins “as far as the East is from the West”, he proved it in scripture.

Some years ago, I struggled with how Abraham did not fully obey God when he was told to "...Leave [his] family and go to a land [God] would show [him]".  He took Lot (part of his family) and it was a hot mess.  Yet the author of Hebrews in chapter 11 says, "By faith Abraham...obeyed".  The apparent inconsistency really bothered me.  How is it that he who did not obey fully is one remembered as obeying?  That's when the Spirit spoke to my heart and said, "I told you I wouldn't keep an account of the sin.  Not Abraham’s.  Not yours."  How gracious our God is to let us have proof of his forgiveness!

There is no inconsistency with God.

It is hard to love well. But I am convinced there is no greater pursuit.  We are not called to go it alone, we are given a Helper. Should we fall short, let us allow the truth testified to in Hebrews 11 join hands with the promises in Psalm 91, and reach into our hearts and bring us peace:

"...Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.  He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.  With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation." (vs. 14-16, emphasis mine)

The God who loved us first, loves us best.

May we, in turn, love him each day more than the day before.