It has been far too long since I last made an entry here, so I'm taking a few minutes just to think through a few things. I started this whole blogspot with the name Sha'ar -- gate -- and talked about the concept behind it being opening the gate so that the light shines out and pierces the darkness. I don't know why, but in my studies I keep coming back to the topic of light and gates. A couple of months ago I was digging for gold in John 1:1-5 -- a familiar passage of Scripture to most Christians. In case you don't have it memorized, it says: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. (NRSV). I like how the NRSV puts it"...The life was the light of all people." Because it is so important, John immediately states "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it." The light is naturally, Jesus the Christ. Bunny trail here: John is the only one of the four gospels that does not start with the geneaology of Jesus. John starts with the preincarnate Jesus who has always been God and with God at the same time, in very intimate, face-to-face communion. (In other words, God the Son has always existed as God, with God the Father, separate, but fully united as one.) End of bunny trail... What's the darkness? Satan? "The void?" Sin? Jamieson R. Fausset puts it best, saying, in this dark, fallen world, or in mankind “sitting in darkness and the shadow of death,” with no ability to find the way either of truth or of holiness. In this thick darkness, and consequent intellectual and moral obliquity, “the light of the Word” shineth—by all the rays whether of natural or revealed teaching which men (apart from the Incarnation of the Word) are favored with. He goes on to interpret the following phrase, "darkness comprehended it not" saying, did not take it in, a brief summary of the effect of all the strivings of this unincarnate Word throughout this wide world from the beginning, and a hint of the necessity of His putting on flesh, if any recovery of men was to be effected (1Co 1:21). Jesus Christ, the light of the world, has been actively shining in the darkness always, and the darkness has not grasped hold of -- overcome -- the light of God. Wow!

Stay with me now. Let's come back around to the sha'ar - the gates. In ancient days, cities were walled, and the gates were the focal points of life. Judgment was rendered there. Business was transacted there, people congregated and socialized there; and at night, when darkness came, the gates were shut tight to keep out the dangers of the night. Since Jesus came into this world and laid his life down to overcome sin and death, that same light -- Jesus himself -- has lived in everyone who becomes his servant. Therefore, YOU are that light too! That's why he said, "In the same way, let your light so shine before men that they will see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Mat. 5:16 ISV)" Picture in your mind, if you will, Mordor in J.R.R. Tolkein's Lord of the Rings trilogy. Dark, dark, dark... nothing but foul smells, death, and the threat of imminent death all around. That's the kind of moral darkness of man into which the light of Jesus Christ shines "I am the way the truth and the light..." Is it any wonder he spoke those words? Well, try this on for size. He also said, "Truly, truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I am doing. He will do even greater works than these because I am going to the Father." What are you doing? Open the sha'ar of your inner-being... let your light -- the very light of God the Son, the living Word, the one who made all things -- break forth out of you and pierce the darkness of your world!

Lots of confusing things floating around in my mind these days. One of the top items is my son, Matthew. It chokes me up just to sit here and momentarily reflect on what to say about him. He's an amazing young man... one of those you hear about and rarely meet... one of the "X-generation" who fits in with them, but stands out in stark contrast to the crowd at the same time because of his heart and his Lord to whom he submits. Not many people are sold out enough to God to tattoo across their chest, "NOT MY OWN"... and he lives it too. Matt has decided to volunteer for security duty for a minimum of six months in Iraq. An Iraqi friend of mine said very adamantly, "Don't let him go!" Iraq is not a safe place... and Matt knows it. The part of me that is his father says, "NO! Don't go! It's too dangerous"... and I've let him know that too. The other part of me -- the old war horse -- understands part of his motivation - the part that wants to be part of the action, to do what he was trained to do in the Army, to prove his manhood, to be a part of something much bigger than himself. Any one who would volunteer for the reasons he's given (so someone else can come home) deserves respect because his reasons are honorable. Matt goes beyond that, howver. A big part of his decision to put his life on the line is because he knows that many of those there are not Christian, and he wants to buy them some more time to get to know Jesus before leaving this life. That's what I call "sold out to God!"

Matt, you're a good man... one of the best in the world in my not-so-humble-opinion. I stand with you in spirit, and if I was still in the military and they didn't mistakenly think I was too old, I would be doing the very same thing. I've done it before, and would gladly do it again. I admire the man you have become. You make me proud... and humble at the same time. I know it hurt you to hear your mother crying on the phone the night you called to talk with us about your decision. I would have gladly spared you both that pain, but you needed to hear her heart that way too, so I allowed it. If/when you go, know that she will be fearful for you each and every day that you are gone... but don't forget Dr. Bobby Howard's prayer for you -- that you will walk back through those church doors again healthy and whole. I know you're going to see things that will change your mindset for life, and that Carol is concerned about that aspect. I think it will be good for you. Seeing what you will there will bring a correcting perspective to your idealism. I pray it won't make you lose your trust in men, but that the experience will make you wiser in when and whom to trust. While there are many very good people in Iraq - and I pray you get to experience that of them - don't let your guard down for a minute. You will need to look upon everyone as if they are looking at you as a target. Seriously. Do not become complacent or casual. Be alway alert and aware of what is going on around you. That alone will not guarantee your safe return, but it will sure help! (I was amazed at some of the laize faire attitudes displayed by some of our troops in the early days of the war. Don't be that way, Matt... it can cost one his life.)

Freedom always comes at an extremely high cost. It is not free. Go with God, Matthew... and come home safe and sound!!!!

It's been a while, hasn't it? I heard a cute story the other day about a little boy who was praying. He said, "God, you who are infinite, what is a million years?" A voice answered from heaven, "A million years is as a minute to me." The boy pressed, "God, you who are the maker of all that is, what is a million dollars?" The voice replied, "A million dollars is as a penny to me." The boy, brave as ever, asked, "God, you who are most gracious to all of creation, may I have one of your pennies?" The voice answered, "Just a minute." I laughed, but I have now had some time to reflect upon even something so simple as a joke. It amazes me how we puny humans so often try to box God into a corner. The amazing part is we KNOW we can't do it, but we try anyway. It is much easier, and more peaceful, to just let God do what he is going to do, and to rest in the assurance that he will accomplish his will in us despite our weaknesses.

SO... I found myself walking up 21st Ave today praying out loud and probably looking like a certifiable nut case to passing traffic. I had a burden on my heart -- no, it was a fear -- of becoming unemployed again. I began to pray in my flesh, but before very long the Spirit had me asking for his forgiveness and proclaiming that I will trust him, and asking him to be strong in my weakness. Now, mind you, I don't know what tomorrow holds -- who does -- but I know who is in control of tomorrow! Not me, thank God!

That's it for now. I need to get back to work before getting ready to go to class again tonight. Oh yeah... in case you haven't heard, I've completed the requirements for a B.A. in Theology, so I guess that makes me a BS CS, BA Th now.

Shalom!

I was sitting at the kitchen table two Sunday's ago sipping on a cup of coffee before anyone else in the house woke up, just meditating on the Lord when he gave me pretty cool revelation. I'll try to convey it to you. The only light on in the room was from the range hood over the oven. As I sat there I noticed a shadow below the counter top. I could clearly see the path of the light from hood to floor, and the shadow where it knife-edged over the counter. Immediately below the counter was shadow, but where the angle ran from the light bulb to the floor that area was in full illumination. Then the Spirit brought to my mind the Scripture, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning" (James 1:17), and He spoke to me, when you are in the Lord's presence there are NO shadows because the intensity of His light vastly overpowers the darkness." What I saw in the natural contained shadows because the intensity of the light was not sufficient to overpower all of the darkness in the room. Oh, sure, I've known and heard for years the analogy about light driving out the darkeness, not just moving it, but thrusting it away. But here was light and dark in the same place. The light was enough for me to see by clearly, but not so much that the room was awash in it. In God's presence, there are NO shadows, no variations, no "turning". Hmmm... why THAT word? Bear with me here. We speak of heaven, and "the heavens", and often think of our own universe as "the heavenlies." Well, it is ONE of the heavens, but there are LOTS of shadows there. We have phases of the moon due to shadows... to the turning of the earth around the sun. In God's heaven, there isn't even that. God is light! When he is present, shadows can't even exist because of the extreme, indescribable intensity of his light! One day I will go off on a tangent on this thought because I believe when we are in heaven the life that courses through us -- as does our blood today (ooo! that will preach!) -- will be the light of God. I think I'm about to leave most of you in the dust on this thought path, and I don't want to scare you off. I just want you to see that the light of God is SO awesome (check out the Hebrew word yare' if you want to see a bit more about the oft-misused "awesome"...). So, let me close this again with You are the light of the world... pretty fearful commission, don't you think? Well, don't be alarmed... it is the light of God in you... not you who generates the light. But... you have to "let your light so shine before men that they shall see your good works..." '8^)
Shalom!

I'd like to start by explaining the name Sha'ar. Those of you who may be Hebrew or are students of the Hebrew language will know the meaning. I am not Jewish, but I am a student of theology, and in the course of my studies have developed a love for this word. If you read the book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament you will find in chapter 2, verse 13 the following: "And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and by the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire." Dr. Ronald E. Cottle says of this verse, "The Hebrew word for gate found there is sha'ar (shah'-ar). The concept behind the word is piercing the darkness. The visual concept is opening the gate so that the light can shine through and pierce (the darkness). This is what the gate is. The gate of revelation dispels ignorance and opens the door to the mind of God; the gate of faith dispels doubt and opens the door to the miracles of God; the gate of love dispels prejudice and opens the doors to the mercy of God." Sha'ar is the opening of the light of God on the darkness - it is the place of entry and exit where God comes and his light shines into this world. WE are also the gates. That's right... think about it. We are the intermediaries God requires to function on the earth. Well this is a start, and I hope it has given you something to mull over for a while. There is more to the words of Jesus, "You are the light of the world..." than most of us understand! Shalom!