Half Air On Air – Episode 21: The Lasagna Police

Half Air On Air – Episode 21: The Lasagna Police

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Nowadays, everyone is advertising that they are winning all sorts of awards or being rated the top in their class. But have you ever wondered exactly who is doing the ratings? Don’t worry too much about it, but if you do, stick around for Deb’s thoughts on how to handle worry.

Living Letters

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Music:

Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama 
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Abraham, Isaac, and Jesus

Abraham, Isaac, and Jesus

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Abraham [1] is an important historical figure in several religions, so much so that religious holidays have been established in his honor.  While Abraham’s story might vary from tradition to tradition, all recognize him as an important forefather of their faith.  Furthermore, his story – at least the final parts -- is one of extreme trust and obedience in God. However, the original version relayed by God to Moses and recorded in the Bible (Genesis, Chapters 11 through 15) holds specific significance to Christians in several ways.

CALLING

Despite being known as the father of the Israel nation, Abraham originally did not worship God, at least not exclusively.  The Bible describes him and his family as following the various gods of his day (Josh. 24:2). Yet Yahweh, the God of the Bible, came to Abraham and made him a promise. Through Abraham’s offspring, God was going to bring about a great nation and bless all people (Gen. 12:2, 15:4-5). Even though the promise came from the Creator of the Universe, Abraham still saw one problem with God’s promise: He was old and his wife Sarah was barren, beyond childbearing years. 

Still, the couple tried until Sarah grew tired of waiting and devised her own plan. She instructed Abraham to sleep with Hagar, their younger servant, and father a child through her. Despite the common belief that the man was the head of the ancient household, Abraham deferred to his wife and bore a son with Hagar. They named the boy Ishmael. While you might think Sarah would have been happy, the whole arrangement being her idea, that wasn’t the case. Abraham’s wife grew extremely jealous of the fact that Hagar had been able to conceive when she couldn’t and she ended up treating her servant harshly from that time forward (Gen. 16 and 21).

ISAAC

Life continued for Abraham and his family for another thirteen years before God visited him again.  This visit was to remind Abraham of God’s promise to bless his family and make many nations through him and his children. As if God may have forgotten, Abraham reminded Him that Sarah was too old to bear children. However, that wouldn’t be a problem as Ishmael, the son born to the servant Hagar, could continue Abraham’s line.

But this wasn’t God’s plan. His promise was not to be fulfilled through Ishmael, but through a son that Sarah would indeed bear herself. That son would by Isaac whom Sarah conceived and gave birth to the following year. It was proof that the blessing came from God and God alone, for who else could bring forth a child from a barren woman? [2]

SACRIFICE

Much happens to Abraham over the next several years and eventually, there comes a time when Isaac is old enough to work with his father. It is then that God visits Abraham again and gives him another shock, one more surprising than the fact that his barren wife would have a baby.  God told Abraham to take Isaac, the child from whom was to come many nations, and sacrifice him. At this point, Abraham could have thought he misheard God, or that God had made some sort of mistake. As he did with Ishmael, Abraham could have tried to fix the apparent error and preserve his son’s life. But he didn’t. Instead, this time Abraham followed God’s command.

Abraham led his son to a mountain in Moriah, a three-day journey, and built an altar of wood to the LORD.  He then bound Isaac and lifted his knife. However, before Abraham plunged the blade through his son’s heart, God stopped him. God knew that Abraham held Him in awe.  In place of the child, God presented Abraham with a ram. Therefore, Abraham named the place “The LORD will provide.”

FORESHADOWING OF CHRIST

As I’ve already mentioned, the story of Abraham is considered an example of great faith in God, though many gloss over or fail to recognize the pain and heavy-heartedness Abraham must have gone through when instructed to kill his own son.  (For further insight on this event, I strongly recommend R. C. Sproul’s sermon on Abraham and Isaac.) But this final scene also holds specific significance for Christians. The first, Abraham’s naming of the mountain, is obvious.  Just as God provided the sacrifice for Abraham on that fateful day, He has provided Jesus Christ as the ultimate sacrifice for all mankind.  However, there are two other aspects that are a bit more subtle.

The concepts of “sonship” and “heir” hold a prominent place among the Hebrews. In that time, the firstborn male son was the person slated to receive the family inheritance and all the associated blessings.  However, throughout the Bible this is not always the case with God’s family. For starters, the New Testament writers, when talking about our inheritance from God, use the term “sons” to refer to both genders, male and female, destroying all previous limitations.

But what is more relevant to Abraham’s story is the way God constantly flips the birth order, as He did with Isaac over Ishmael, the firstborn son.  In addition to Abraham’s sons, it also occurs right at the start of human history with Cain and Abel.  Even though Cain was the firstborn, he was eventually cursed while Abel’s sacrifice was acceptable to God. Later, comes Isaac’s sons, Esau and Jacob.  Esau was the firstborn, yet Isaac’s blessing ended up being given to the second son, Jacob. Jacob’s son Joseph, who would eventually gain Pharoah’s trust and save Israel from famine, was actually the 11th child in his family. The first, Reuben, lost his standing due to an affair with his father’s concubine. King David, often considered the most Godly king of all time, was the seventh of his brothers, and so on. Throughout Biblical history, the younger son often receives blessings that should have been reserved for the eldest child.

This occurrence isn’t by accident, or just a throw-away fact about each story.  They are foreshadowing God’s plan for creation through His son, Jesus Christ. The Bible is clear that Christ, God’s one and only son [3], is the firstborn of all creation (Col. 1:15, Rev. 1:5). As such, he is the rightful heir to all of God’s blessings and His inheritance. While called “sons,” Christians are only sons through adoption and unquestionably the lesser children. However, God has a different plan.  He allowed His firstborn son, Jesus, to be murdered on the cross and receive the wrath deserved for us, so that we may also receive the inheritance and blessings. Jesus still retains His place with God (unlike many of the human sons in the Bible) but the concept is the same.  The lesser child receives what should be reserved for the firstborn.

The final way the story of Abraham and Isaac points to the future work of Christ is in its location.  Naturally, the people, culture, and landmarks around Mount Moriah changed over the next several hundred years until eventually the city of Jerusalem was built next to it.

Source: bibleatlas.org/mount_moriah.htm

Many scholars believe that it is on that mountain where the Romans would take prisoners sentenced to die and crucify them.  One of those prisoners was Jesus Christ. In the place where God instructed Abraham to sacrifice his son, the child from whom all nations would be blessed, God also brought His own son to be sacrificed. However, unlike Isaac whom God spared, God did not spare Jesus, so that his sacrifice would truly bring to the world the blessing that was promised through Abraham’s family.

[1] Before anyone calls me out for this, I know that Abraham and his wife Sarah were only given these names late in the story.  However, since the two are more commonly known by their God-given names, I have chosen, for convenience, to only use those.

[2] While not specifically mentioned in scripture, I suspect another reason God intended Isaac to be His child of promise is due to God’s installation of marriage in Genesis 2, verse 24.  There is says, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” In some spiritual way, two individuals become a single person. When God made His promise to Abraham it is a Spiritual Promise. As Abraham’s wife Sarah is included in that promise as the two are spiritually one. On the other hand, Hagar has no such connection to Abraham. They were spiritually two different people and, as such, Hagar was not intended to be part of that promise.

[3] See God’s instructions to Abraham in Genesis 22:2.

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Trash Cans Are Good . . .

Trash Cans Are Good . . .

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Half Air faith article

A tie. Socks. Towels. A mop. You know, practical gifts.  Those things you can use, possibly not even live without, but they’re not exactly what you were hoping for. They’re not interesting or exciting. Sure, you might want a new vacuum for a wedding gift, but who really wants one for Christmas?

Yet practical gifts can sometimes be a big surprise.

My daughter is the master of practical gifts.  Sure, she’s given me some unique and interesting things in the past, but more often than not they are simple tools to use around the house: sliders for my small appliances; a cozi for my wife’s drinks; a trash can. I never look a gift horse in the mouth, especially one from my children, but at first glance, I think, “Well, that was a nice gesture but it’s nothing special.” However, once I begin to use them, everything changes.

The first gift was the sliders. These particular sliders go under small kitchen appliances, allowing you to pull them easily toward you and push them back. I placed one under my air fryer and the other under my coffee maker. The air fryer was the most obvious. I store it next to the wall, but it needs separation from the wall to work properly (not to mention keep from causing a fire).  Prior to this, to move it I had to lift the fryer or force it against its rubber. Now, the thing glides with ease. No struggle whatsoever. Simple.

The other appliance I wanted to slide was the coffee maker.  It was a model that uses coffee pods that are inserted into the top. However, the cabinet right above the coffee maker interfered with opening the hatch to insert the pod. While I worked around this in the past, now with the slider I can pull the whole appliance away from the cabinet, fill it up, and then push it back while it brews. Not only does this allow me to easily insert the pod, but it also saves me the trouble of reaching over the counter for it, making the entire process easier.

Neither of these conveniences are earth-shattering, but I’ve been so pleased with the sliders that, should they ever break, I will not hesitate to replace them.

Next is my wife’s cozy. She already had a metal one that was sized for cans.  She used it all the time because it kept her drinks cold for long periods.  However, many times my wife drinks 20 oz. bottles that are too big for the smaller cozy.  Seeing this, my daughter gifted her a remedy: a larger metal cozy that fits both cans and large bottles. To be honest, we didn’t even know such a thing existed, but now, my wife can enjoy any size drink without having to worry about it growing warm.

The third gift I want to mention is the trash can. When my wife and I married, she brought with her an old, green, thirteen-gallon plastic kitchen trash can.  It had a lid that would open whenever you stepped on its foot pedal. Unfortunately, it hadn’t worked well for years.  Either the pedal mechanism would become misaligned and the lid wouldn’t open, or, if it did, it would pop right off onto the floor.  I grumbled every time it happened (and yes, even cussed a time or two). I hated that thing.

As has become the norm, my daughter knew this and last Christmas, replaced our old can with a new, modern metal can.  By now I was prepared. Her gifts may not look like much, but they always turn out to be some of the best items I receive. The trash can turned out to be no different. Besides having a sturdy lid that stays on, it also has an inner liner to help with emptying and cleaner. No joke, this trash can may have received my most excited response last Christmas.  It’s very possible that no man has ever loved a garbage can more.

It's obvious that my daughter doesn’t always look for flashy. Still, she seems to always know what I need.  The same can be said for the most important practical gift any of us has ever received. It was plain, dirty, and bloody. It was repulsive to look at, a shameful image of failure. It was found among the thieves and murderers. It was something that none of us wanted, but God knew we needed.

It was a man nailed to a cross.

No one thinks they want Christ. What can one man’s death give to us? But it is this death that reconciles us to God. Through his death, all our sins, everything we have done wrong, have been paid for. We are free to approach God as new beings to spend eternity with Him guiltless, shameless, and burdenless. This one practical gift has given us more than we will ever receive from any person or in any box.

Trash cans are good . . .

Jesus is much better!

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Recovering Our Identity

Recovering Our Identity

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Half Air faith article

If you’ve never seen the 1998 movie The Red Violin, I would highly recommend it. Using a series of flashbacks, the movie follows the title’s namesake through key moments in its history up until modern day, when it is being prepared for auction. Appraiser Charles Morritz (played by Samuel L. Jackson) suspects this particular item might be the legendary last violin made by Nicolo Bussotti, a famous luthier. After authenticating its true identity, Morritz desires to own the violin himself and contrives a plan to replace the original with a copy whose identity is significantly less impressive.

Identity is important to us.  We take pride in our identity and do everything we can to protect it.  We create passwords for every account we hold.  We install anti-hacking software on our computers. We sign up for programs that alert us when our identity is used suspiciously. Yet, many of us have let our true identities, like the red violin’s, be swapped for an identity that pales in comparison. More surprising, however, is that the person stealing our identity is ourselves.

A person identifies themself in many ways.  Some find their identity in their nationality or culture.  Others place that importance on family.  A major source of someone’s identity is their job and career. Still, others look to more surface levels aspects of their lives to define who they are, such as which social circle they move in, what hobbies they enjoy, or to whom they are attracted.

Unfortunately, none of these encompass every aspect of a person’s life. In many cases, family and culture matter little when making decisions that may affect your career or the company for which you work. What you do with your money and how you handle your finances often don’t correlate with what you specifically do to make a living. Hobbies only define a person for as long as that hobby holds interest for them and who you date rarely comes into consideration when faced with a moral dilemma.

There is only one identity that covers every aspect of our lives: every decision and action of every minute of every day, month, and year.  That is the identity given to us by God. Regardless of a person’s beliefs, everyone is in some kind of relationship with God, whether amiable or antagonistic. He created us, maintains our lives and the universe we live in, and will one day be the ultimate judge of all. For me and other Christians, our identity is more specifically defined as “In Christ”.  The ramifications of our identity in Christ are innumerable, but I will list five of which I feel are some of the most important.

SINNER

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves . . .” (1 John 1: 8-10)

See also Rom 3:23, Mark 10:18, Isa 64:6, Ecc 7:20, Jer. 17:9,

One of the biggest misunderstandings about Christians, even amongst Christians themselves, is that they don’t sin, or at least do a better job of avoiding sin. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, it could be argued that Christians are worse sinners because they know what God requires, yet still fail to follow His commands.

But what exactly is sin? Everyone knows the biggies – murder, lying, stealing, adultery. But sin is much more subtle than that.  One definition of sin is to trust in anything more than God. That’s could be someone’s own abilities, the latest social movement, a mentor’s advice, or a person’s experiences.

 Jesus put it rather succinctly: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matt. 22: 37-40) Under this definition, the opportunity to sin is opened wide. Do you boast about your own accomplishments (even if just to yourself) instead of acknowledging God’s blessing? Do you share in the office gossip, discussing things about people you would never say in front of them? Do you avoid responsibility for your own mistakes? Do you seek to get even when wronged? Do you fail to offer assistance when someone has a legitimate need? Do you condemn others who don’t believe in God or don’t follow Him exactly as you do? And the list goes on . . .

LOVED

 “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8)

See also John 3:16, Eph. 2:4-5, Psalm 119:76

Another misunderstanding is that God only loves someone as long as they live up to His standard. In effect, a person must earn God’s love. Again, this couldn’t be further from the truth.  God desires a relationship with his creation. Scripture is clear that God loves us even when we fail to show love back.

One of the best Hebrew words to describe God’s love for us is “hesed,” as found in the book of Ruth. Hesed is translated in multiple ways, including steadfast love, mercy, kindness, loyalty, and goodness. The word encompasses the concepts of commitment and undeserved grace. God’s love is all these things rolled into one. [1]

Furthermore, it is unconditional. God loves us despite what we do. This is best demonstrated in the lives of such Biblical figures as Job, Joseph, Abraham, and others written about in the book of Genesis.  These scriptural forefathers lived hundreds of years before God gave the Law to Moses.  They lived by their best understanding of what was right and wrong. It’s not too hard to assume that their choice didn’t always line up with the heart of God.  Yet, God blessed them, promised them great things, and made good on those promises.

God’s love transcends our sin, which brings us to the next aspect of a Christian’s identity.

RECONCILED

“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” (Rom 5:10)

See also 2 Cor. 5:18, Gal 2:16, Eph. 2:8-9

God hates sin.  The Bible pulls no punches regarding that fact (Psalm 5:4). Sin separates us from God (Isa. 59:2, Gal. 5:21). Furthermore, God is just and cannot let sin go unpunished (Rom. 2:6-10). Yet, as we just learned, God loves us unconditionally and desires a relationship with us. So how can God maintain a relationship with us while not letting sin go unpunished?

The answer is Jesus Christ.

Jesus lived a life of perfect obedience to God. Despite having no sin debt of this own, he willingly went to the cross to die the death that we deserve, taking on the full wrath of God’s punishment.  God, as the One ultimately sinned against, is content to apply this sacrifice as payment for sin to anyone who sincerely accepts it.

FREE FROM THE POWER OF SIN

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.” (1 Pet 2:24)

See also Rom. 6:14, Rom. 8:1-2, Acts 13:38-39, 1 Cor 10:13b, John 3:18

Having their sin debt paid, the Christian is now free from sin. Note, I said free “from” sin, not “to” sin. Sin still has consequences in this world, which is why God lovingly gave us His law.  Its purpose was not to burden us with rules and take away our fun, but to protect us from harm and hurt. What freedom from sin does mean, however, is two-fold.

First, the Christian is pardoned from the eternal consequences of our sin.  There is no longer any condemnation for those who have accepted Christ. Instead of eternal separation from God, the way is open for eternal relationship.

Second, the Christian’s very nature is changed so that sin begins to lose its attractiveness.  Prior to accepting Christ, a person’s heart is corrupted by the Fall in the Garden of Eden. Its desires are selfish and self-centered. However, once that person becomes a Christian, their heart is renewed and its desires leans more toward those of God (Eph. 4:20-24). Theologian Jonathan Edwards wrote that a person never chooses contrary to his desire, but always acts according to his desire. [2] If that is true, when a person is under the power of sin, they are slaves to their deceitful desires.  But true faith in God changes those desires.  This doesn’t mean they always choose what is right. However, it does mean the chains of sin have been broken and, as they grow in faith, they will more and more choose what is righteous and holy.

HEIR

“So that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:7)

See also Acts 20:32, Rom 8:17, Col. 1:12, Gal. 4:7,

Earlier I used the phrase “in Christ” to define a Christian’s identity.  Until recently, I had a hard time defining exactly what this meant. However,  my church’s new senior pastor has presented an easy-to-understand way of thinking about this term: What is true of Christ is true of the Christian.

Jesus, the perfect son of God, is the rightful heir of all that God has to offer. That means when someone is “In Christ” they are also heirs of all that God has to offer. They receive His blessings and have a home for eternity with God. They are adopted into His holy family. And this isn’t just for a season or era; it is for eternity.

REAL OR COUNTERFEIT

Where we come from, what we do, and who we associate with are all important factors in making us who we are, just as the sound, mechanics, and color of the instrument mentioned at the start of this article make it a Red Violin. However, it is its creator and history that give the Violin its real identity and value. In the same way, our Creator and His purpose for us give us our real identity. I constantly need to remind myself to stop accepting the counterfeit identity I so often give myself and embrace my true identity, the one that is of true value.

Are you accepting your own Counterfeit Identity? If so, I would urge you to test out your Identity with God and see what He has to offer.

[1] Grossett, Shanté. “What the Book of Ruth Teaches Us about God's Hesed.” Daily She Pursues, February 25, 2022. https://dailyshepursues.com/ruth-and-gods-hesed-love/.

[2] Sproul, R. C. Willing to Believe: The Controversy over Free Will. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group, 2002. Pg. 155.

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Easter 2023: Scrubbing Bubbles Revisited

Easter 2023: Scrubbing Bubbles Revisited

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Life's been a little busy this past month. As a result, it's taking a bit longer to finalize and post my next major article. In light of that, since it's Easter, I thought I would reprint an article I posted for this day in 2018, updating it only to make it accurate for 2023.

SCRUBBING BUBBLE SALVATION

You may be familiar with the bathroom cleaner from S.C. Johnson called Scrubbing Bubbles. When I was a kid this product went by the name Dow Bathroom Cleaner and the Scrubbing Bubbles were its mascot. In the commercial, these cartoon bubbles with brush bristles for legs would race up and down the tub and sink, leaving sparkling porcelain in their wake. When they were done, all the bubbles would circle and exit down the drain, crying out, "We work hard so you don't have to!"

In the past, I have used an altered version of this slogan to share the gospel on Facebook. For Good Friday and Easter of 2018, I created and posted a banner depicting the three crosses on Calvary with the phrase, "Jesus Endured God's Wrath So You Don't Have To!"

Jesus Endured God's Wrath So You Don't Have To!

I think that sentence is the big secret of the Gospel. I doubt many non-Christians have heard this message or, if they have, understand what it means. The view much of the world has toward Christianity is that it is works-based. Works are not necessarily bad if we are talking about caring for the needy, loving our neighbors, and making the world a better place. However, if we are talking about our relationship with God, this view can be very misleading. The image many people have of the church is that God loves us because we do the right things. Furthermore, by doing these things we will earn entrance into heaven. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Further misunderstanding might occur when others are told about Jesus. Typically, the message people hear is, "Jesus loves you and died for your sins." What does that mean to someone without a biblical background? In fact, what does this mean to someone who is familiar with the Bible? I suspect that a significant portion of the church does not fully understand the impact of the cross. I know for myself it was years after becoming a Christian I that I began to understand what Jesus' death truly accomplished. For many, Jesus' primary purpose was to be the ultimate example of how to love others and worship God. As for his death, giving his life for us is akin to jumping in the way of a bullet to save someone else's life. (Or, if you prefer, catching a grenade, throwing his hand on a blade, or jumping in front of a train for ya.)

Yes, Jesus did show us how to love others. Yes, Jesus taught us the right way to worship God. And yes, Jesus died for us. But this is just the surface of what he accomplished. Jesus' death on the cross was not just a simple execution. It wasn't just a painful bloody experience that ended his life. No. What happened on that cross, what we didn't see, was the most intense, excruciating, lonely, soul-tearing experience that goes beyond anyone's imagination.

Scripture attempts to paint a picture of sin's penalty, the eternal wrath of God. Such imagery includes burning flames, unquenchable thirst, complete darkness, heavy chains, devouring worms, wailing, gnashing of teeth, and eternal separation from God. (The reality is probably much worse than what these words convey.) While hanging on the cross Jesus endured all of this and much more so that those who trust in him will not have to.

If you've stolen, lied, or cheated. If you've mistreated someone. If you've bullied someone. If you've harbored anger and resentment. If you've been sexually immoral. If you've been unfaithful in your relationships. If you've remained silent when you should have spoken. If you've chosen your own comfort over another's needs. Even if you've taken a life or done anything else that scripture categorizes as sin. If your faith is in Christ the penalty has been paid! That is the good news!

Doing good deeds. Loving your neighbor as yourself. Fighting for justice. Living humbly. These are all important and will benefit and bless our lives and our world. But they won't save. Man's best effort will always fall short of God's expectations. When it comes to our relationship with God, Christians are not reconciled because we successfully live the life that was modeled by Jesus Christ. Instead, we are reconciled because Jesus endured God's wrath as though he lived the life modeled by us.

* * *

In addition to changing my banner that year, I also posted my definition of a Christian.

Someone IS NOT a Christian because they…

Are kind, loving, and considerate;
Are generous and charitable;
Go to church, pray, and read the Bible;
Refrain from lying, cheating, or stealing;
Practice a code of moral or family values;
Have a certain political view;
Identify with or love a person of a particular gender;
Or educate their children in a certain manner.

Instead…

Someone IS a Christian because they…

Do most things WRONG much of the time,
But trust in the work of Jesus Christ,
Who, despite doing everything RIGHT all of the time,
Suffered and died to pay the penalty for what THEY did wrong,
So that, through faith,
They may be eternally reconciled to God.