I just finished reading Joanna and Chip Gaines, The Magnolia Story. By the way, it’s a great read, even for guys like me that end up as accidental HGTV viewers. In the book, the Gaines share amazing stories of how their lives intersected and through courage, faith and perseverance God began to build things in their lives that they never dreamed would happen.

For me there is a biblical moment in every one of their shows, It’s the big reveal. They bring the home owners by their newly redesigned house with a huge photo of the pre-renovated house masking its fresh paint, new porch, replaced shutters and new landscaping. Of course, it’s the dramatic climax of every show as they roll the huge photo away, a moment complete with tears, hugs and ‘wow’s.

The biblical moment for me is the connection we find in Ezekiel 40 when God reveals to Ezekiel the New City and the New Temple.

He brought me there (to the new city). In visions of God, He took me to the land of Israel and set me down on a very high mountain. On its southern slope was a structure resembling a city. Ezekiel 40:1-3 (CSB)

This was God’s big reveal as he walked Ezekiel through the New City and Temple which represent a time when we all will see the glory of God’s perfect work. Complete with eye-popping design, renovation and beauty.

I’m reminded that this world is  a fixer upper. The societal landscape is full of weeds, leaky pipes, stained carpet, faulty tile, and messy closets. They present themselves as lies, injustice, starvation, human trafficking, hypocrisy, hate and dirty politics. But even now, God is at work.

We have the same responsibility that Ezekiel received in verse 4:

He spoke to me: “Son of man, look with your eyes, listen with your ears, and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for you have been brought here so that I might show it to you. Report everything you see.”

We get to share the big reveal of our soon-to-be home, that Jesus is preparing. It’s what we do as believers.

Remember His promise?

 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you.  If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also.  You know the way to where I am going.

I don’t know about you, but after a rough year of lies, violence, injustice, terror, and protests, I’m ready for our new digs. In the meantime, let’s do the two things He’s asked us to do. Do “big reveals” of the Kingdom to come and  pick up a hammer and renovate the fixer upper we have in front of our eyes today.

He:(Your church name) church presents Jonah and the worm.

She: Jonah and the worm? You mean whale.

He: No Worm.

She: Worm? Why not whale?

He: We’ve got to think outside the box here. Plus if you want to understand the culture, you’ve got to dig deep and you’re bound to run into a worm or two.

She: Cute.

He: Seriously-anybody can do the story of Jonah and the Whale. It takes real chutzpah to dramatize the story of Jonah and the Worm. Plus I think you’d probably prefer me being a worm than you being a whale.

She: You’ve got a point there.

He: We all remember the story of Jonah

She/Voice of God: Jonah, I need you to take a trip.

“He” as Jonah: A trip! I love trips! Hopping on a camel into the wild, blue yonder! Sleeping under the stars! Climbing mountains! Cruising on sail boats! I’m on my way, Lord.

She/Voice of God: I need you to go to Nineveh!

He as Jonah: Anywhere but Ninevah!

She: Jonah whined, and went in the opposite direction.

He: Then you have the little side-note about the storm sent by God, being thrown over the side of the boat, the storm calming and being swallowed by a great fish, praying in the fish for three days and nights. Just your basic exposition needed for the real miracle of Jonah. Thus Jonah and the worm.

She: You’re serious.

He: Just my take on the whole story….

She: After that Jonah cried

He: Repent!!!

She: And the whole town of Ninevah repented. Jonah the whining prophet proclaimed:

He: (Said in a very melodramatic whiney voice) “LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”

She: God asked, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

He: So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city.

She: There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city.

He: And the LORD God grew a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant.

She: But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm.

He: God prepared a worm

She: God prepared a worm

He: To chew up the plant.

She: A Huge shade-giving plant.

He: Large enough to shade a man.

She: And God prepared a worm.

He: Not 500 worms

She: Not 10 worms

He: Not 2 worms.

She: God prepared a singular

He: Solitary worm.

She: One worm.

He: Big plant.

She: One

He: Small

She: Insignificant

He: Ordinary

Both: Worm

He: Big plant.

She: Can you hear God speak to the worm.

He: (looking into his palm, whispering as if to a tiny pet) Go get it. Eat that plant up.

She: The worm looks up.

He: Waaaay up.

He: And the worm begins to chew.

Both: And the big plant fell.

He: The big plant fell and the worm achieved a God-Sized task.

She: It was worm food super-sized.

He: I can’t believe I ate the whole thing!

She: You ate it, Worm.

He: (break character) Watch it, partner (or name of “She”).

She: Ity-bity worm

He: Big shade plant.

She: Beloved disciple,

He: What is the plant that stands before you today?

She: A rebel child?

He: A dying church?

She: A transitional community?

He: A helpless victim?

She: An aetheist neighbor.

He: A discouraged leader?

She: A fear?

He: A need?

She: A pain?

He: God prepared a worm.

She: And God will prepare us as we go.

He: Ity-bity Us

She: Huge World.

Both: Not in here. Out There!

He: This is GOD’s Message,

She: the God who made earth,

He: made it livable and lasting,

She: known everywhere as GOD

He: “Call to me and I will answer you.

She: I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things

He: that you could never figure out on your own.’

She: Therefore

He: Ity-Bity as we are

Both: Go! Out there!

 

© Matt Tullos

Saviors will ascend Mount Zion to rule over the hill country of Esau, but the kingdom will be the LORD’s.

Obadiah verse 21

We live among people longing for saviors. How great would it be if someone would ascend the hill and plant a flag of victory over the world’s conflict and injustice?

We cry out, “Give us prosperity. Give us equality. Give us revenge against the poorly measured scales of righteousness.” 

Ever since our feet have trod on the terra firma east of Eden, we have experienced conflict. Political and social saviors emmerge, ascend and fall. But Obadiah reminds us in the midst of a difficult time in our nation’s history that there is a greater Kingdom to defend than health care, homeland security and the scandalous backroom deals of politicians whose hands drip with the blight of corruption.

There is an everlasting kingdom that isn’t shaken in the least.

The church must carefully avoid foolish arguements over predestination, judging each other’s spiritual or theological leanings and remember that there is a world we have been called to die for. It’s possible for people to have correct theology inside their heads and yet no courage, connection or compassion in their hearts. Even the demons know theology.

There will be a day of reckoning. We must be scrupulous with our words. We must focus on the King, not the president. We must test our thoughts.

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:5

I don’t know what the future will hold. We are all in unknown waters today.

Lord, test our hearts and teach us to trust you in all the uncertanties of this pricarious moments.