Can it be Advent Season already? Where does the time go?!

Today’s theme, HOPE, should be a reminder where our hope lies: not in our bank account, not in our government (or the government some people wish had won the election), not in the apparent resilience of the United States.

No, our hope is in Jesus. Not only our hope, but the hope of the world is Jesus.

May God be gracious to us and bless us 
and make his face to shine upon us,          Selah 
that your way may be known on earth, 
your saving power among all nations. 
Let the peoples praise you, O God; 
let all the peoples praise you! (Psalm 67.1 - 3, ESV)

Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets; a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; and in his name the Gentiles will hope. (Matthew 12.18 - 21, ESV)

Tomorrow is December 1 and the first Sunday of Advent. Pastors (and we blog writers) are struggling to write something original for our constituencies who have heard the story hundreds or thousands of times.

But there are those who have yet to hear about Jesus once. I was reminded of this sad fact by a note from the Come and See Foundation, which is committed to sharing the good news of Jesus through The Chosen. Here’s a snippet from a post by Larry Lundstrom ( I recommend the article in its entirety.):

At the Dunamis Conference in São Paulo, 15,000 students and 2,000 church leaders gathered for worship, and just after a screening of Come and See’s EVERYONE video — with its call to bring the story of Jesus to everyone — the stadium erupted. The Spirit moved, creating new partnerships and opportunities to share The Chosen with the world. Just one example: Bible Society Brazil is committed to sharing The Chosen with 3,200 Amazon River communities this Christmas, bringing the Gospel to some of the most remote parts of the world. And projection systems, translated Bibles, and discussion guides will be left behind, ensuring the message continues to grow long after the screenings.

Image (above) : Ministry boats delivering Bibles and Christmas with The Chosen in Portuguese for 3200 communities.

Maybe that should be our theme for Advent: who hasn’t heard and how can we get the message to them?

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. (Isaiah 9.2, ESV)

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Romans 10.14, 15, ESV)

We looked at Ezra’s confession before Thanksgiving. Confession isn’t a bad thing. It’s simple acknowledgement of where we have gone wrong in the past so that we can change course in the future.

That’s why Chicago Bears’ coach Matt Eberflus’ post game behavior Thanksgiving Day is a mystery.

ESPN reporter Courtney Cronin put it simply:

With 36 seconds remaining, trailing by three points after putting together a furious second-half comeback, the Chicago Bears were in position to tie or defeat the Lions on Thanksgiving Day.

But late-game clock mismanagement assured the Bears would not get the chance to complete a come-from-behind victory against their division rival. – November 28, 2024, emphasis mine

36 seconds and one time out is a lifetime in football. The Bears had the ball in Lions territory. They needed only a few yards to get in range of a tying field goal, and a touchdown would win the game. How many plays did they run in that 36 seconds? One. One play, which they started with six seconds to go. As Courtney said “late-game clock mismanagement.” But what did the coach say?

When asked postgame how the Bears should have managed the final sequence in retrospect, Eberflus doubled down on the team’s late-game operation.

“I like what we did there,” Eberflus said. “Again, once it’s under seven [seconds], you’re going to call a timeout there — actually under 12 and then really you don’t have an option because it’s third to fourth, you have to throw it into the end zone then.

“To me it’s — I think we handled it the right way, I do believe that you just rerack the play, get it in bounds and call timeout, and that’s why we held it and didn’t work out the way we wanted it to.”

“I like what we did there…We handled it the right way.” Really? Letting 30 seconds run off the clock without running a play is the right way?! It’s mind-boggling. Where’s a confession when you need one?

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1.8, 9, ESV)

PS Bears coach Eberflus was fired today.

Enjoy the day! We have family and neighbors coming over.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, 
for his steadfast love endures forever. 

Give thanks to the God of gods, 
for his steadfast love endures forever. 

Give thanks to the Lord of lords, 
for his steadfast love endures forever; 

to him who alone does great wonders, 
for his steadfast love endures forever; 

to him who by understanding made the heavens, 
for his steadfast love endures forever; 

to him who spread out the earth above the waters, 
for his steadfast love endures forever; 

to him who made the great lights, 
for his steadfast love endures forever; 

the sun to rule over the day, 
for his steadfast love endures forever; 

the moon and stars to rule over the night, 
for his steadfast love endures forever; 

...It is he who remembered us in our low estate, 
for his steadfast love endures forever; 

and rescued us from our foes, 
for his steadfast love endures forever; 

he who gives food to all flesh, 
for his steadfast love endures forever. 

Give thanks to the God of heaven, 
for his steadfast love endures forever. (Psalm 136, ESV)

We’ve seen Ezra’s purpose: Study, Do, Teach and Ezra’s faith. Today, in Ezra 9, we look at his intensity and serious hatred of sin:

After all this was done, the leaders came to me and said, “The People of Israel, priests and Levites included, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring people around here with all their vulgar obscenities—Canaanites, …. They have given some of their daughters in marriage to them and have taken some of their daughters for marriage to their sons. The holy seed is now all mixed in with these other peoples. And our leaders have led the way in this betrayal.”

When I heard all this, I ripped my clothes and my cape; I pulled hair from my head and out of my beard; I slumped to the ground, appalled. (Ezra 9.1 – 3, MSG)

Wow. That’s a reaction. I bemoan all the weirdness in our culture and say, “Oh, my.” I haven’t ripped my clothes or pulled out my hair. And I certainly haven’t confessed…

At the evening sacrifice I picked myself up from my utter devastation, and in my ripped clothes and cape fell to my knees and stretched out my hands to GOD, my God. And I prayed: “My dear God, I’m so totally ashamed, I can’t bear to face you. O my God—our iniquities are piled up so high that we can’t see out; our guilt touches the skies… (Ezra 9.5, 6, MSG)

“Our” iniquities?! Ezra hadn’t done anything. His confession continues:

And now, our God, after all this what can we say for ourselves? For we have thrown your commands to the wind, the commands you gave us through your servants the prophets. They told us, “The land you’re taking over is a polluted land, polluted with the obscene vulgarities of the people who live there; they’ve filled it with their moral rot from one end to the other. Whatever you do, don’t give your daughters in marriage to their sons nor marry your sons to their daughters…Yet here we are, at it again, breaking your commandments by intermarrying with the people who practice all these obscenities! Are you angry to the point of wiping us out completely, without even a few stragglers, with no way out at all? (Ezra 9.10 – 12, 14 MSG)

The US is not and never was a theocracy like Israel, but we seem to be breaking more and more of God’s laws. Maybe instead of always finger-pointing at “them,” we should be confessing “our” sins. Daniel did:

I poured out my heart, baring my soul to GOD, my God: “O Master, great and august God. You never waver in your covenant commitment, never give up on those who love you and do what you say. Yet we have sinned in every way imaginable. We’ve done evil things, rebelled, dodged and taken detours around your clearly marked paths. We’ve turned a deaf ear to your servants the prophets, who preached your Word to our kings and leaders, our parents, and all the people in the land. You have done everything right, Master, but all we have to show for our lives is guilt and shame, the whole lot of us—people of Judah, citizens of Jerusalem, Israel at home and Israel in exile in all the places we’ve been banished to because of our betrayal of you. Oh yes, GOD, we’ve been exposed in our shame, all of us—our kings, leaders, parents—before the whole world. And deservedly so, because of our sin.” (Daniel 9.4 – 8, MSG)

If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we claim that we’ve never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God. (1 John 1.8 – 10, MSG)

We saw Ezra come on the scene in chapter 7, and we looked at his purpose: study, do, teach. Today let’s look at another aspect of Ezra as told in chapter 8. Ezra is preparing to take a contingent of people back to Jerusalem, and the first part of the chapter is taken up with their names:

These are the family heads and those who signed up to go up with me from Babylon in the reign of Artaxerxes the king… (Ezra 8.1, MSG)

He gathered them for a pre-travel meeting, and I love this paragraph:

I gathered them together at the canal that runs to Ahava. We camped there three days…I proclaimed a fast there beside the Ahava Canal, a fast to humble ourselves before our God and pray for wise guidance for our journey—all our people and possessions. I was embarrassed to ask the king for a cavalry bodyguard to protect us from bandits on the road. We had just told the king, “Our God lovingly looks after all those who seek him, but turns away in disgust from those who leave him.” (Ezra 8.15, 21, 22, MSG)

Isn’t that something? Ezra asked God for protection instead of asking the king. After all, he had just told the king that God protects those who seek him! Wow. Ezra acted in accordance with his faith. Either God protects or he doesn’t, and if he does, that’s enough. We don’t need the king’s protection.

So we fasted and prayed about these concerns. And he listened…We left the Ahava Canal on the twelfth day of the first month to travel to Jerusalem. God was with us all the way and kept us safe from bandits and highwaymen. (Ezra 8.23, 31, MSG)

Ezra took God’s word with respect to protection. George Mueller, in England in the 1800s, took God’s word with respect to provision. Here’s a succinct summary:

How does one man care for ten thousand orphans and raise millions of dollars (in today’s currency) without asking for a single donation or ever going into debt? By taking God seriously on His word in Matthew 7.7—ask and it will be given to you. – Karisa You, September 6, 2022

The article is worth the read in its entirety. If you’re not familiar with George Mueller and his orphanages, here’s a typical story (from the You article):

One morning, Muller awoke to the news that the orphanage, which housed 300 children, had no food. Muller instructed the housemother to seat all the children in the dining room. He thanked God for food, and they waited for God to provide, as He always did. Within minutes, a baker knocked at the door.

“Mr. Muller,” he confessed, “last night, I could not sleep. Somehow, I knew that you would need bread this morning. I got up and baked three batches for you. I will bring it in.”

The next knock revealed a milkman whose cart had broken down in front of the orphanage. The milk would spoil by the time the cart was fixed, the milkman explained, so would the children like some free milk?

What am I believing God for? Are my actions congruent with my alleged belief?

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. (Hebrews 11.1, 2, ESV)

He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. (Romans 4.20, 21, KJV)

PS I’m not saying that our faith and actions will always look like Ezra’s and George Mueller’s. Stories are not necessarily formulas on exactly what we should do in our specific situations. We’ll see that principle before we leave our study of Ezra. But Ezra’s trust for protection and Mueller’s for provision are instructive and inspiring.

Tony Campolo died last Tuesday. The Christianity Today obit starts this way:

Tony Campolo frequently started his speeches to Christian audiences by telling them three things.

First, he would tell them how many children had died from hunger or malnutrition-related diseases the night before—a number in the tens of thousands.

And Campolo would say, “Most of you don’t give a s—.”

Then: “What’s worse is that you’re more upset with the fact that I said ‘s—’ than the fact that thousands of kids died last night.”

Campolo, a progressive Christian leader who courted controversy challenging evangelicals to see caring for the poor as an integral part of proclaiming the gospel, died on Tuesday. He was 89. – Daniel Silliman, Christianity Today, November 19, 2024 (The article is worth the read in its entirety.)

Some of us strait-laced, get-your-theology-right evangelicals didn’t agree with everything he said, but it’s hard to argue with what he did. He reminded us that Jesus’ ministry was to the poor.

He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4.16 – 21, NIV)

After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. (Matthew 11.1 – 5, NIV)

If you’re not familiar with Tony (“Dr. Campolo, professor of Sociology at Eastern University”), or even if you are, this story of his organizing a birthday party for a prostitute is worth the 8 minutes:

He closes with this line:

We’ve got to do more than give them bread and clothes. We’ve got to bring love and joy into their lives. – Tony Campolo

It goes back to “A Taco Not a Talk,” from November 10. It’s not our good words, but our love and good works that make a difference for others. Tony kept reminding us of that. Thank you, my brother.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5.16, ESV)

Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.” Then the righteous will answer him, saying, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?” And the King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25.34 – 40, ESV)

Yesterday, we looked at Ezra’s lifestyle of Study, Do, Teach. Some people balk at the “teach” part. “I’m just not a teacher.” But the answer to that is, “Sure you are.” Teaching is the natural result of growth.

Check out this section of a Sahil Bloom blog, The Three Stages of Life:

Last week, I had a conversation with entrepreneur and investor Chris Vasquez, who shared an interesting idea related to professional progression.

He believes that there are three stages of your professional arc:

1. Get Fed: You receive opportunities to execute on.
2. Feed Yourself: You create and execute on opportunities for yourself.
3. Feed Others: You create opportunities for others to execute on.

Early in your professional career, you rely on others to give you the opportunities. You don’t know what they look like yet, and you certainly don’t know how to create them, so this is a necessary first step in building your foundation.

As you progress, you are able to create the opportunities for yourself. You’ve developed an understanding of “the game” and are able to see the patterns that allow you to win.

In the final stage, your focus shifts to creating opportunities for others. You get the most leverage by feeding others with these opportunities, rather than trying to execute on all of them yourself, which would be impossible given the sheer number that come to you at this level of mastery.

I believe the same holds true for your life outside of work:

1. You learn the game.
2. You master the game.
3. You coach the game.

The third step is important, because not only does it provide leverage, but also the lasting fulfillment and happiness derived from acting in the service of others.

Get fed. Feed yourself. Feed others.

Learn the game. Master the game. Coach the game. – Sahil Bloom, November 15, 2024

Sounds like Study, Do, Teach to me!

I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.

I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. (1 John 2.12 – 14 , ESV) – children need to be fed, young men feed themselves, fathers feed others.

We’re in the book of Ezra, which has only 10 chapters. The mission in the book was to rebuild the Temple, and they finished it, as recorded in Ezra 6. Finally, in chapter 7, we meet Ezra for the first time:

After all this, Ezra. It was during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia. Ezra was the son of Seraiah, …, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the high priest. That’s Ezra. He arrived from Babylon, a scholar well-practiced in the Revelation of Moses that the GOD of Israel had given. (Ezra 7.1 – 5, MSG)

Before this reading, knowing the Temple reconstruction had started and been delayed, I thought that the revived construction occurred because of Ezra. Nope. He came after. But I really like what the text says about him:

For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel. (Ezra 7.10, ESV)

It’s one of my life verses, and the message is clear:

Study, do, teach

Study

We wrote yesterday about the importance of the written word. There’s no reason today why every believer, especially in the US, shouldn’t be competent in studying the Word. The translations are there. The tools are there. I repeatedly urge everyone I’m around to have Daily Time with God, a major component of which is the Word.

Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts. (Jeremiah 15.16, ESV)

Do

But it’s not enough to study the Word. Some people like to do that, searching for the great truths of the Faith. I’ve visited and participated in more men’s Bible studies than I can count, and I can tell in less than a minute if I’m around “study and do” people or just “study” people. Jesus was clear: you must put the Word into practice:

But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. (Matthew 7.26, MSG)

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (James 1.22, NIV)

Teach

Study and do is good, but study, do, teach is better. But Bob, Ezra was a priest. I’m just a layperson. Nope:

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2.9, NIV, emphasis mine)

If you’re a believer, you’re a priest, and priests teach:

For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 2.7, ESV)

I love this specific commission in Ezra 7:

…Anyone who does not know the Teaching, you teach them. (Ezra 7.25, MSG)

Sorry. This one went a little long, but I hope you’re inspired to imitate Ezra. Go forth to…

Study, do, teach

This is not an impractical or impossible suggestion. I saw the same message in a secular source. Stay tuned.

We noted yesterday that Ezra 5 and 6 records the Jews finishing rebuilding the Temple after chapter 4’s pause. The one thing that got them restarted was the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. But what kept them going in the face of the same old chapter 4-type opposition?

Tattenai was governor of the land beyond the Euphrates at this time. Tattenai, Shethar-Bozenai, and their associates came to the Israelites and asked, “Who issued you a permit to rebuild this Temple and restore it to use?” (Ezra 5.3, 4, MSG)

It was a question, and this time, the builders had a specific answer: “King Cyrus did! Look it up.”

But when Cyrus became king of Babylon, in his first year he issued a building permit to rebuild this Temple of God…So now, if it please the king, look up the records in the royal archives in Babylon and see if it is indeed a fact that Cyrus the king issued an official building permit authorizing the rebuilding of The Temple of God in Jerusalem. And then send the king’s ruling on this matter to us. (Ezra 5.13, 17, MSG)

From 1984 – 1986, I worked for Col Jack Flannery at Space Command Headquarters in Colorado Springs. He became a good friend after his retirement, and we were neighbors. Jack always told us, “You have to institutionalize agreements.” I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t like bureaucracy all that much, and I liked to work with folks in other departments over a handshake. Jack always said that was a fine way to get started, but if you wanted it to last, you had to get a formal agreement in writing (“institutionalize it”). “None of us will be here in a few years. Then what keeps things going?”

Well, such was the attitude of the kings of Persia, and later the Medes. Document your decisions.

So King Darius ordered a search through the records in the archives in Babylon. Eventually a scroll was turned up in the fortress of Ecbatana over in the province of Media, with this writing on it: Memorandum In his first year as king, Cyrus issued an official decree regarding The Temple of God in Jerusalem, as follows: The Temple where sacrifices are offered is to be rebuilt on new foundations. It is to be ninety feet high and ninety feet wide… (Ezra 6.1 – 3, MSG)

Darius told those who wanted the Jews to quit building:

Now listen, Tattenai governor of the land beyond the Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, associates, and all officials of that land: Stay out of their way. Leave the governor and leaders of the Jews alone so they can work on that Temple of God as they rebuild it. (Ezra 6.6, 7, MSG)

Done. And they finished the work:

So the leaders of the Jews continued to build; the work went well under the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo. They completed the rebuilding under orders of the God of Israel and authorization by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. The Temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. (Ezra 6.14, 15, MSG)

All because of the written word. I’m glad that God has left us his written word! We don’t always agree on what it means, but we have it. Something to give thanks for.

Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. (Psalm 119.89, ESV)

And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Acts 4.32, ESV)

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3.16, 17, NIV)