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Blog Bio

Name
Ryan Haider

Family
Wife Jessica (above), son Corban Henry, and daughter Eden Evangeline.

Occupation
Pastor Hickory Hill Baptist

Hobbies
Reading books and doing web design. I run a very small part-time business called Kerux Web Design (kerux means preacher).

Rebels Redeemed Blog

Entries in Jesus (2)

Wednesday
Nov252009

I am Mephibosheth!

DateWednesday, November 25, 2009 at 9:20AM |

2 Samuel 9:11
          So Mephibosheth ate at David's table, like one of the king's sons.

Not many know the story of Mephibosheth. He was the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, David's predecessor and former enemy. So he was the grandson of Saul.

When God disposed of Saul from the throne of Israel (by death), Jonathan his son also died. David soon after became king (check out 2 Samuel 2 for the story of a king between Saul and David almost entirely forgotten about). David remember that earlier in life, he had made a covenant with Jonathan. When David became king, he promised to love, help, and do good to Jonathan and his family. But now that he's king, Jonathan and his household are dead.

There was a servant of Saul's, Ziba, who was still alive. So David asked Ziba to find out if there was anyone left of Jonathan's family. Ziba told the king that there was one son remaining; the rest had been killed. The son of Jonathan was named Mephibosheth.

He was only a young boy (perhaps a baby even) when Saul and Jonathan had died. When his nurse heard what had happened, she grabbed the young boy and started to run away with him to keep him safe. She knew that people would be after the boy to kill him (and she was right).

Tragically though, as she was running away with the baby in her arms, she tripped and fell. The child was damaged for life. Both legs were broken by the fall, and Mephibosheth would be a cripple for the rest of his life.

Now think about this: Mephibosheth was the last remaining survivor of the king. The throne would have past to him, had not God taken it away. Furthermore, he's a cripple. And no cripple should ever be in the great and glorious presence of the king. And above all of that, he was the grandson of David's arch-enemy. Truly, Mephibosheth was the enemy of King David who, by every strand of earthly reasoning, should have been executed.

But! 2 Samuel 9:11. Far from being executed, King David graciously provided for Mephibosheth, set him up with an array of servants, provided for his entire family, and even opened up his kingly table to this crippled enemy. So for the rest of his days, "Mephibosheth ate at David's table, like one of the king's sons." The table was the deepest and most intimate place of fellowship. And the king took this cripple and treated him as his own son.

That text melted my heart. I am Mephibosheth. I am the crippled enemy of God's anointed King, Jesus, who by every strand of earthly reasoning deserves immediate execution. I have no claim to one ounce of goodness from the King. And yet, in an infinite condescension, the King has taken me in and granted me daily intimate fellowship with the King. He has taken me in, not just as an enemy, but rather as an adopted son. I EAT EVERY MEAL AT THE KING'S TABLE!

How could you not serve and love and kiss this King? (Psalm 2) There is no grace like the grace of King Jesus, opening his eternal table to all his enemies who would repent and believe on Him for righteousness.

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Tuesday
Feb032009

The Centrality of the Tootsie Pop

DateTuesday, February 3, 2009 at 12:00PM |

I have a certain kind of disorder that the American Psychological Association has yet to diagnose: I cannot suck on something. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but whether it be a popsicle, a sucker, or that wonderful goo that’s left on your fingers after you eat a bag of Doritos, I just can’t suck on things. This is most evident with things like lifesavers, gobstoppers, jawbreakers, and candy that you’re supposed to suck on. I just stick them in there and after about 30 seconds, chomp. I can’t help it.

Well, you’re all familiar with Tootsie Pops I’m sure. Those suckers coated in a sweet outer shell with a glob of tootsie roll in the middle; they’re the ones that all the chinsey or old people hand out on Halloween. Seriously guys, if you’re a bit mature in age you need to hear me say this: kids do not want to get Tootsie Pops. Nerds, candy bars, these things are great. Not Tootsie pops.

The thing about a Tootsie Pop (yes I’m actually going somewhere) I stick them in my mouth, and the outside isn’t all that bad. It’s sweet like a normal sucker (although nothing outstanding), but then my chomping disorder kicks in and I just bite right into it. And, disappointment of disappointments, the middle stinks! The outside is better than the inside! Brothers and sister, that just isn't right. If you’re going to hide something in the middle of a sucker, if you’re going to make a person labor through the outside to get to the hidden inside, then the universe demands that the middle be a better prize than the outside! And that is why I hate Tootsie Pops.

Well, last Sunday morning we tought about the centrality of Jesus, the centrality of the Son of God. Centrality is a word that the Church uses a lot but that the rest of the world has kind of given up on. So let's define it in case it sounds a bit foreign. Centrality refers to “the quality or state of being central; ...tendency [for something] to remain in or at the center.” (Webster’s New International Dictionary, 1950)

The God of this Universe designed every molecule, every solar system, every one of the billions of galaxies, and he designed every one of us (yes, we are designed) to have his Eternal Son right smack dab at the center of it all! That’s what it means to talk about the centrality of Jesus. The Father’s wonderful purpose is that everything be about Jesus.

Yet, is it possible that we have organized our lives in a way that seriously resembles a Tootsie Pop? Is it possible that, instead of having the Infinitely Glorious and Delightful Son at the center of our lives, is it possible that we have displaced him with something far, far, eternally less glorious? Is it possible that, like me biting into a Pop only to find utter disappointment, will God examine your life only to find that your outer life appeared normal, but truly, you were centered around nothing? If your life and faith are just sweet candy shell and that's as good as it gets, if the outward things weren't ultimately all about the inward reality of Christ, well the whole thing is worthless. Christ, and only Christ, deserves to be the Center of your life! Everything is about Him.  What a shame that there is so much Christ-less Christ-ianity.

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