Match Cross

 

This is a knick-knack, or maybe it is a what-knot. I'm not really sure. It is a visual curiosity or a conversation piece. A memory or a lesson.

It has adorned my study desks or book shelves in various churches where I have served over the past 30 or 40 years.

It was given to me by a member of my family and I recall that it came into their possession from a prison inmate. Something made with idle time. A craft of penance  or devotion perhaps.

It is the figure of a Cross, made of burnt matches.

It always makes me think of a very funny prison joke that I have told over the years that I think is hilarious but no one ever seems to laugh at.

A minister was visiting a federal prison, chatting with the inmates, being friendly, and sharing his time and company. In his rounds he saw a singular prisoner with a worn garment in his lap, attending to it earnestly in repair with a needle and thread.

As the minister passed by he asked casually, "Sowing?"

To which the inmate glibly replied, "No, reaping."

Now, don't you think that is the funniest dry-humor joke you have ever heard? Ha!

My match cross makes me think, and it speaks many different kinds of lessons to me.

It is a simple and yet striking creation. The artistic work did not require genius, but it has a flare to it (if you will pardon the pun).

Over a hundred wooden matches were measured, cut to size, the head of the match was fired and extinguished to create the basic materials of construction. All of the cut and burned matches were glued meticulously and carefully to a Styrofoam base.

The Match Cross always starts its conversation with me by asking (non verbally), "Are you going to burn our for Jesus?"

It's like an inventory or check-up question. It needs to be asked every once in a while. It is never an irrelevant question.

I hear someone saying (in my mind), in response to the silent question: "Well, I'd rather burn out than rust out!"

And my response to that is always the same: "Burn out, rust out, either way -- you're OUT."

You see, to burn out is to snuff out from exhaustion, turn to ash from the fires of enthusiasm and/or passion. To become an incendiary offering for the cause of Christ and the Gospel. To work so hard and so long with such dedication that when all is said and done (and a LOT is said and done), there is nothing left but cold charcoal, not even a glowing, smoking ember.

To rust out is to sit still. Do nothing. Sit out. Surrender. Quit. Oxidizing instead of energizing.

Maybe burning out is more respectable than rusting out from inactivity or laziness or neglect, but you're still OUT.

I hope that my life and ministry will always be characterized by fire and energy. Enthusiasm and zeal.

Passion. Heart. Fervor.

But I don't want to wind up as a desktop monument to expiration.

I don't want to be a Match Cross.

A testament to Christ . . . but all of my fire gone.

Not a spark left.

Struck out. Burnt out. Worn out. Done. OUT.

I DO want to fight a good fight and FINISH my course, but I don't want to run out of flame or fuel on this side of forever.

Jesus said, "Come to Me . . . all of you who are laboring and are heavily burdened with your work. I will give you rest. Come work for Me, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Working for me -- is easy." Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus meant, if you are working for Him, serving Him, dedicating your life to Him and His cause and purposes, and you are getting tired, worn out, and burnt out, you're doing it wrong.

Serving God is easy. Living for Jesus is easy. Being the Christian that I was saved to be is easy. If it is not, I'm doing it wrong.

I don't know if this message resonates with you, but it is one that I need often. I'm still learning to lean on Him. To trust in Him and His power and resource. Learning to draw from His strength. From Him. Learning what it means to be able to work and serve and do, in a constant state of rest. His rest.

I'm not a Match Cross.

The Right Paths

This is some footage that I took of a Palestinian Shepherd and his flock at Tel Lakhish near Beersheba in southern Palestine.

I was reminded (as I'm sure all of our pilgrims were) of the Shepherd's Psalm --- 23.

I particularly thought of "He leads me in paths of Righteousness for His name's sake."

Righteousness is a very religious term, it seems to me, but the true meaning of the word comes out in this Psalm about shepherds and sheep. The psalmist is merely saying that the shepherd leads his sheep in the right paths. Leads them where they need to go, where they ought to go. Where HE wants them to go.

Isn't it obvious from watching this video that the "right" path is not always the easy path or the straight path or the shortest path or the path that I would have chosen myself?

I walked down this very same hill myself --- but I came down the gravel road which sloped gently and easily to the bottom. I would never have chosen to march down the treacherous face of the back side of this incline.

And if you will notice in the video --- there IS a path coming down the side that the sheep are being led --- the shepherd (for his own reason) doesn't even use THAT! It's someone else's path, obviously.

I didn't stop the shepherd and ask him why he chose to bring his flock down the way that he did. I was curious but I didn't figure that it was any of my business.

I'm trying to learn not to question my own Shepherd about the paths that He chooses for me. That's not any of my business either.

The Place of the Skull

In Genesis 22 the story of God's requirement of Abraham to offer Isaac is recorded.

There are some phrases in that passage that stand out to me, now that I have seen the topography of the land for myself.

In 22:2 God tells Abraham to go "the Land of Moriah" to "one of the mountains that I will tell you about." I had mistakenly remembered that Isaac was offered on Mt. Moriah, but that is not exactly what the text says.

What would you tell someone about a mountain that would enable them to know that they were in the right place? This question led me to believe that there was something visibly remarkable about the mountain that Abraham would recognize upon first sight of the area described. (22:4 Abraham saw -- and recognized the place -- "afar off."

22:3 says that Abraham "went unto the place of which God had told him." A specific, particular place that Abraham could go to and not doubt that he had arrived. Why couldn't Abraham have performed this sacrifice near his home? What was unique and different about the place that Abraham was taking Isaac to that would be significant?

The descriptive revelatory conversation is not recorded in the Bible. But God obviously spoke to Abraham as he traveled and camped along the three day journey from Beersheeba to the Land of Moriah. He told him something that would allow him to locate the particular spot for the sacrifice.

As Abraham traveled from the south at Beersheba, I believe that he followed the Jordan rift, circumvented the Land of Moriah on the West and approached the mountains from the North. Even when Abraham was miles away from Moriah I believe that this is what he saw in the distance:


This is a photograph taken on the northern face of the Moriahan mountain range in the year 1900. It has eroded over the centuries. How hideous and terrible the sight of this laughing human skull must have appeared to Abraham 2000 years ago as he made his way to perform the most tragic deed of his entire life.

God might have spoken to Abraham in his journey, "Abraham, you will know that you have found the place of sacrifice and death when you see a mountain that I have purposefully shaped into the image of death itself. There is where you will offer your son."

Abraham, no doubt grieved every step of his journey. And the very thought of this deadly image mockingly calling out to him caused his heart to ache. How his heart must have fallen when he caught first glimpse of place of the skull.

We know that God did not permit Abraham to follow-through with his commitment to obedience to God's command --- but the event was a foreshadowing of when God DID give HIS Son --- on this very mountain.

You see, it was on one of the mountains of the Land of Moriah that the city of Jerusalem would be built. Muslims have built one of their most sacred mosques upon the site that they believe is the location of the very stone upon which Abraham offered Isaac (The Dome of the Rock, on the Temple Mount).

But there is nothing visibly remarkably or topographically unusual about the Temple Mount or the site of the mosque.

In 1882 Charles George Gordon, on an expedition to the land of Israel, and the city of Jerusalem in particular was show a place that was known by the Jews as beth has sekilah or "The house of stoning" and revered by many as Jeremiah's Grotto. There was evidence that this location was described in the first century as "Golgotha" Aramaic for "The Place of the Skull." The Romans described it as "Calvary" (latin for "skull hill")

I took the photograph below in April of 2008 of the place that is described today as Gordon's Calvary. A place that many believe today was the hill upon which Jesus was crucified. Even after 2000 years the image of the skull is still apparent.

An Ibex Scheme of Things

This is an Ibex.

It's a small mountain goat whose native land is northern Africa. They have migrated into Eurasia over centuries --- I photographed this one in the Negev region of Israel in 2008.



In biblical times they were very populous in the lower, mountainous regions of the land of Israel but have become endangered as a species in the last few years. Conservation efforts have revived the numbers and it is becoming more common to spot them.

The Ibex is mentioned in scripture as the "wild goat." Deuteronomy 14:5 Psalm 104:18 I Samuel 24:2 Job 39:1

The interesting thing about the Ibex, however is not its biblical reference --- but it's modern day role in earth conservation. Not it's own conservation, but the conservation of the acacia tree in southern Israel.

Acacia wood was used to compose the wooden articles of the desert Tabernacle of God. It was a wood native to northern Africa and in the desert regions that the Israelites passed through on their Exodus from Egypt.

In the latter part of the 20th century Israeli conservationists began transplanting the acacia tree into the regions of the Negev. The temperature and climate and general conditions seemed ideal for this area. 1000's of trees were planted --- but the initial planting failed to thrive.

The problem was discovered. There is a symbiotic relationship between the Ibex and the acacia tree. Without the Ibex --- the acacia trees cannot grow healthily, thrive and reproduce in the Negev. This is God's scheme of things for these particular expressions of His creation.

You see, in order for the acacia tree seeds to properly germinate they have to be eaten and partially digested by the Ibex. When the Ibex defecates many of the acacia seeds that it has ingested are expelled unharmed --- but not without being effected by the digestive enzymes in the animal's colon. The expelled seeds, in fact, are perfectly prepared to fall into the soil and take root for a strong and healthy acacia tree.

If you want the beauty, the shade, the wood and all of the benefits of the acacia tree ---- you are going to have to include the Ibex in the plan. You can't have one without the other.

In John 24:12 Jesus said that the only way that a grain of wheat could grow was for it to die and be placed in the ground. Before fruitfulness could come there had to be preparation --- a process. He was telling his disciples that he was going to have to die before God could empower his Plan to save mankind.

He was also teaching His disciples that they, too, would have to endure difficult preparation, shaping, changing and growth before they could be fruitful, helpful, productive, or successful in their life's purpose.

I thought of this verse immediately when I learned about God's scheme for the Ibex and the acacia tree.

This illustration is a little more base or crude than Jesus' metaphor --- but, forgive me --- there have been many times in my life when I feel that God has applied the Ibex scheme of things to me and my life. And I have not always understood it, appreciated it or accepted it.

Proverbs 14:4 says, "Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox." As Brother Dave Gardner would say, "Let me cut this up for you." You can make a very good living with a good strong Ox --- but don't expect the Ox crib to be clean and smell like roses!

I have expected a fruitful life and ministry --- one of "increase," growth and success --- but I have been unhappy because of the stink, the smell, the waste and refuse, the dirtiness and unpleasantness that is often required as a part of the process to those ends (pardon the pun!).

I'm learning about the ways and workings of God as I walk farther down the road with Him. I'm re-learning to trust Him and give Him the benefit of the doubt. He has judged me in Christ and found me innocent (though guilty) ---- I'm trying to learn not to judge Him so quickly. He may just be applying the Ibex scheme of things to me and my life and my ministry.

Well, I think I made it through this lesson without being too vulgar or profane. By the way, in the King James Version of the Old Testament --- acacia wood is called shittim wood. I'm not kidding. Time to quit.