Matthew 13:45-46
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
In this section of Matthew the Gospel writer is giving us Christ's Words on the Kingdom of Heaven. The quick definition of the Kingdom of Heaven would be what the world will look like when God's plan comes to fruition. Christ is telling his disciples how great value the Kingdom of Heaven is. He has already used a Mustard See and Leaven to talk about how powerful and fruitful the Kingdom of Heaven is, even if it looks small and insignificant. He has just told the disciples that the Kingdom of Heaven is a like a Hidden Treasure and we ought to seek it out. Here, in the above passage, Christ tells us that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fine pearl one can discover. What Christ wants us to know is not that the Kingdom of Heaven has the value of a pearl, but that, like a pearl in the days of the disciples, the Kingdom of Heaven is something of great value we should pursue. Christ wants them, and us, to know that the pursuit of Christ and His Kingdom is a worthy pursuit. When we find it, by faith through only His grace, we find a great thing ... of great wealth (in man's terms). It is amazing how quickly we will trade the temporal and seen for the eternal and the unseen.
One of the greatest stories told along these lines is about Jim Elliot, who was a missionary tot he Auca Indians. Although he offered them the grace of God's Word through the gospel they would eventually take his life. One of his most famous quotes was: “he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." That is the essence of what Jesus is telling the disciples. Jesus wants us to know that, as believers, we are recipients of something of so much value, nothing we currently know can compare to an inheritance with the Saints (Colossians 1:10-11). We foolishly exchange this eternal gift of Christ and the Holy Spirit's active work in our lives for trivial pursuits whose expiration dates are only moments away and whose existence is soon lost from our memory. In the above words Jesus tells us to give all to find the joys of the Kingdom. Sell all you have to enjoy it. He is not telling them they can buy or purchase the Kingdom. He is simply telling them, using human terms, the prize is so good, there is nothing you own or want to own that will ever compare to what Jesus offers in Himself, the Kingdom of Heaven. The truth is Jesus is the prize we should all be in pursuit of in our lives. Our entire being should be sold out to Him. He is of utmost value.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Friday, January 30, 2015
Truth #33 - God uses devastation in this world to accomplish His plan! Isaiah 23-28
Isaiah 24:1
Behold, the Lord lays the earth waste, devastates it, distorts its surface and scatters its inhabitants.
We often have trouble when we see devastation in the world. We struggle to put it in the context of a loving God. The non-believing world certainly has this issue. They see the surface of the earth distorted by weather, quakes or mankind's lack of discipline and they wonder out loud, "Where is God?" They often ask, "If God is loving, how can He allow this to happen?" They even create a philosophy surrounding their empty thoughts. Their philosophical theory sounds something like this: "Either God isn't loving and allows this or He is impotent and can't stop it." Could it be, however, especially in light of the above verse, that the truth is God DOES bring devastation on the earth? Could it be, although they never think this way, that God actually lays the earth waste? In this portion of Isaiah the prophet is proclaiming all the devastation and destruction on the countries and cities who did not treat God's people, Israel, correctly. God will not allow evil people to treat those faithful to Him in a wrong way. God uses evil to correct evil. God uses evil to bring about His plan. When we read the destruction that came upon Job we might not realize it, but God even allowed evil to be used to correct His beloved and acclaimed servant, Job. Notice what happens and how it happens to Job in the following verse:
Job 1:17
While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
God allowed Satan to touch Job's "family and things." Satan used the Chaldeans (a wicked group of raiders) to inflict devastation on Job's property. God used the evilness in the hearts of Joseph's brothers to get him to Egypt so he could later save these very brothers. Notice what Joseph himself said to the brothers after he had been imprisoned and falsely accused, but eventually raise to power:
Genesis 50:20
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.
God allows evil in this world to accomplish His purpose. He allowed the imprisonment of Paul to get answer Paul's prayer and request to go to Rome. He went to Rome ... in chains as a result of false accusations done by the evilness in the hearts of the religious leaders. God allows evil to devastate our lives for the purpose of accomplishing His plan. This is the truth that Isaiah is prophesying in throughout this section of his message. We can't always wrap our mind around it, but God is using this world's bent on disobeying him and their unwillingness to honor Him, to actually bring Him honor and glory (see further down this chapter in Isaiah 1:12-16). That is a truth we can and should rejoice about. Perhaps to summarize this thought, we only have to read a few verses past our current passage:
Isaiah 24:4-6
The earth mourns and withers, the world fades and withers, the exalted of the people of the earth fade away. The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants, for they transgressed laws, violated statutes, broke the everlasting covenant. Therefore, a curse devours the earth, and those who live in it are held guilty. Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left.
Behold, the Lord lays the earth waste, devastates it, distorts its surface and scatters its inhabitants.
We often have trouble when we see devastation in the world. We struggle to put it in the context of a loving God. The non-believing world certainly has this issue. They see the surface of the earth distorted by weather, quakes or mankind's lack of discipline and they wonder out loud, "Where is God?" They often ask, "If God is loving, how can He allow this to happen?" They even create a philosophy surrounding their empty thoughts. Their philosophical theory sounds something like this: "Either God isn't loving and allows this or He is impotent and can't stop it." Could it be, however, especially in light of the above verse, that the truth is God DOES bring devastation on the earth? Could it be, although they never think this way, that God actually lays the earth waste? In this portion of Isaiah the prophet is proclaiming all the devastation and destruction on the countries and cities who did not treat God's people, Israel, correctly. God will not allow evil people to treat those faithful to Him in a wrong way. God uses evil to correct evil. God uses evil to bring about His plan. When we read the destruction that came upon Job we might not realize it, but God even allowed evil to be used to correct His beloved and acclaimed servant, Job. Notice what happens and how it happens to Job in the following verse:
Job 1:17
While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
God allowed Satan to touch Job's "family and things." Satan used the Chaldeans (a wicked group of raiders) to inflict devastation on Job's property. God used the evilness in the hearts of Joseph's brothers to get him to Egypt so he could later save these very brothers. Notice what Joseph himself said to the brothers after he had been imprisoned and falsely accused, but eventually raise to power:
Genesis 50:20
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.
God allows evil in this world to accomplish His purpose. He allowed the imprisonment of Paul to get answer Paul's prayer and request to go to Rome. He went to Rome ... in chains as a result of false accusations done by the evilness in the hearts of the religious leaders. God allows evil to devastate our lives for the purpose of accomplishing His plan. This is the truth that Isaiah is prophesying in throughout this section of his message. We can't always wrap our mind around it, but God is using this world's bent on disobeying him and their unwillingness to honor Him, to actually bring Him honor and glory (see further down this chapter in Isaiah 1:12-16). That is a truth we can and should rejoice about. Perhaps to summarize this thought, we only have to read a few verses past our current passage:
Isaiah 24:4-6
The earth mourns and withers, the world fades and withers, the exalted of the people of the earth fade away. The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants, for they transgressed laws, violated statutes, broke the everlasting covenant. Therefore, a curse devours the earth, and those who live in it are held guilty. Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Truth #32 - Only God knows why someone is suffering!!! Job 11
Job 11:5-6
“But would that God might speak,
And open His lips against you,
And show you the secrets of wisdom!
For sound wisdom has two sides.
Know then that God forgets a part of your iniquity.
In this story of Job we have a huge advantage over Job's three friends. We have read the first few verses of Job. Before we look deeper into the above passage stating Zophar, Job's third friend, it would be best to remember what God stated about Job BEFORE all this started and Job's three friends began to offer their "opinions" of Job's situation. Note what God said:
Job 1:1; Job 1:8
V. 1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.
V. 8 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”
We know where Job started. His three friends only see what they see. In their "counseling" Job they had some different views of what was happening. Eliphaz, the first to offer his thoughts, believed that this was just a little discipline from God for just a little sin and it would soon pas (Job 4:5-6). Bildad, the second to speak, thought that since Job wasn't killed, like his children, his sin must be less grievous in God's eyes and therefore God was not that bad (Job 8:4-6). Zophar, the third friend of Job and the speaker of our above passage, is the cruelest of the three. He has the typical theology most of mankind has: IF something bad has happened to you, you must be bad (sinful) and you need to repent! There is no exceptions to this mindset to people like Zophar. What Zophar states in the above passage is that if God would but speak to Job, He would show Job the secret Job is missing ... that Job's tribulation is result of his sin ... in fact (see the last line of the above passage) God has already forgiven some of Job's sin ... if not, Job would be utterly destroyed. Zophar's belief is that God, in His mercy, is actually withholding what Job really deserves and if Job's entire life were taken into consideration Job would be destroyed. Zophar is like a lot of believers today who see someone in suffering and who's life is filled with difficulty. He assumes the person is in such a state of sin, they deserve the pain and suffering they are under. Such a thought process never considers what we read in Job 1:1 and 1:8. They simply believe that if we are in suffering we are in punishment. In the above passage, the line that states, "for sound wisdom has two sides," is quite mysterious. There are as many interpretations of the meaning as their are those who consider it. PERHAPS (if this poor soul and offer his view) Zophar is trying to tell Job that if God would show you HIS view of this mess you are in, Job, you would see the other side. So, Zophar is telling Job he has his own interpretation of what is happening and then there is God's side. It should be noted that Zophar believes he is telling Job, God's side of the issue. Zophar puts himself as the messenger of God. Like most who make judgments on others, Zophar has simply assumed that difficult is the result of sin in our lives. Never mind someone like Joseph who did nothing to be sold into slavery and locked up in prison. Mordecai did nothing and was under attack by Hamman. Daniel did nothing and suffered under the scrutiny of the other wisemen. It is so easy for someone to tell people the issue they are dealing with is sin in their lives and God holds the secret to that sin and has revealed it to them!! Pastors often play Zophar's role, today. As appointed spokesman for God, they can often make judgments about the person they are counseling. It is not surprise that the church, learning from the pastor, makes the same false-leap of condemnation. Zophar may have been right in his theology (that sin brings about discipline) but he was certainly off in the application of that truth. The truth is that only God knows why we are in suffering. We can rejoice to know that He knows and is in control of that suffering. We don't need Zophar's to point it out.
“But would that God might speak,
And open His lips against you,
And show you the secrets of wisdom!
For sound wisdom has two sides.
Know then that God forgets a part of your iniquity.
In this story of Job we have a huge advantage over Job's three friends. We have read the first few verses of Job. Before we look deeper into the above passage stating Zophar, Job's third friend, it would be best to remember what God stated about Job BEFORE all this started and Job's three friends began to offer their "opinions" of Job's situation. Note what God said:
Job 1:1; Job 1:8
V. 1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.
V. 8 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”
We know where Job started. His three friends only see what they see. In their "counseling" Job they had some different views of what was happening. Eliphaz, the first to offer his thoughts, believed that this was just a little discipline from God for just a little sin and it would soon pas (Job 4:5-6). Bildad, the second to speak, thought that since Job wasn't killed, like his children, his sin must be less grievous in God's eyes and therefore God was not that bad (Job 8:4-6). Zophar, the third friend of Job and the speaker of our above passage, is the cruelest of the three. He has the typical theology most of mankind has: IF something bad has happened to you, you must be bad (sinful) and you need to repent! There is no exceptions to this mindset to people like Zophar. What Zophar states in the above passage is that if God would but speak to Job, He would show Job the secret Job is missing ... that Job's tribulation is result of his sin ... in fact (see the last line of the above passage) God has already forgiven some of Job's sin ... if not, Job would be utterly destroyed. Zophar's belief is that God, in His mercy, is actually withholding what Job really deserves and if Job's entire life were taken into consideration Job would be destroyed. Zophar is like a lot of believers today who see someone in suffering and who's life is filled with difficulty. He assumes the person is in such a state of sin, they deserve the pain and suffering they are under. Such a thought process never considers what we read in Job 1:1 and 1:8. They simply believe that if we are in suffering we are in punishment. In the above passage, the line that states, "for sound wisdom has two sides," is quite mysterious. There are as many interpretations of the meaning as their are those who consider it. PERHAPS (if this poor soul and offer his view) Zophar is trying to tell Job that if God would show you HIS view of this mess you are in, Job, you would see the other side. So, Zophar is telling Job he has his own interpretation of what is happening and then there is God's side. It should be noted that Zophar believes he is telling Job, God's side of the issue. Zophar puts himself as the messenger of God. Like most who make judgments on others, Zophar has simply assumed that difficult is the result of sin in our lives. Never mind someone like Joseph who did nothing to be sold into slavery and locked up in prison. Mordecai did nothing and was under attack by Hamman. Daniel did nothing and suffered under the scrutiny of the other wisemen. It is so easy for someone to tell people the issue they are dealing with is sin in their lives and God holds the secret to that sin and has revealed it to them!! Pastors often play Zophar's role, today. As appointed spokesman for God, they can often make judgments about the person they are counseling. It is not surprise that the church, learning from the pastor, makes the same false-leap of condemnation. Zophar may have been right in his theology (that sin brings about discipline) but he was certainly off in the application of that truth. The truth is that only God knows why we are in suffering. We can rejoice to know that He knows and is in control of that suffering. We don't need Zophar's to point it out.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Truth #31 - God gives us bounty we should sing over! Psalm 12-14
Psalms 13:6
I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
Today is pay day. When I arrived at my office there were five checks in the mailbox. When you are self-employed you always have to be careful of your finances. You don't get paid for days off (your boss just doesn't give them) and you never have a paid holiday (again, tough guy to work for). You invoice your clients and then you are at their will as to when they pay and if they will hire you back again. Today's full mail box can be filled with dust on any given month. Since we just invoiced for the entire fourth quarter of last year the checks are coming in and we are thankful. It would be easy to rejoice that we have "earned" this wealth and we can now celebrate to our hearts content. In many ways, that is what Psalm 12 is talking about, the Psalm listed just before this one. Note what it stated to us:
Psalms 12:3-4, 8
May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
The tongue that speaks great things;
Who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?”
The wicked strut about on every side
When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.
God knows that man can, will and does steal His glory. Man thinks they are high and lofty. To the point that the Psalm after this Psalm states the following:
Psalms 14:1
The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds;
There is no one who does good.
Sandwiched in the middle we have recorded the above verse ... He has dealt bountifully with me. As I look at the pile of checks on the corner of my desk I can think of how great I am to have successfully provided to my clients something they value enough to pay me for ... or, correctly, I can rejoice in the fact that God has blessed and dealt "bountifully" with me. That is the truth to hold to: God deals with us "bountifully." That bounty may not look the same for all of us. When Elijah was by the brook during a famine, Ravens brought him crumbs to eat ... that was his bounty. When the nation of Israel was in the wilderness, every day, God showered them with mana ... that was there bounty. When Solomon gave wisdom to the Queen of Sheba she gave camel upon camel of wealth ... that was his bounty. God gives bounty. We are to sing to the Lord because of it.
I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
Today is pay day. When I arrived at my office there were five checks in the mailbox. When you are self-employed you always have to be careful of your finances. You don't get paid for days off (your boss just doesn't give them) and you never have a paid holiday (again, tough guy to work for). You invoice your clients and then you are at their will as to when they pay and if they will hire you back again. Today's full mail box can be filled with dust on any given month. Since we just invoiced for the entire fourth quarter of last year the checks are coming in and we are thankful. It would be easy to rejoice that we have "earned" this wealth and we can now celebrate to our hearts content. In many ways, that is what Psalm 12 is talking about, the Psalm listed just before this one. Note what it stated to us:
Psalms 12:3-4, 8
May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
The tongue that speaks great things;
Who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?”
The wicked strut about on every side
When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.
God knows that man can, will and does steal His glory. Man thinks they are high and lofty. To the point that the Psalm after this Psalm states the following:
Psalms 14:1
The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds;
There is no one who does good.
Sandwiched in the middle we have recorded the above verse ... He has dealt bountifully with me. As I look at the pile of checks on the corner of my desk I can think of how great I am to have successfully provided to my clients something they value enough to pay me for ... or, correctly, I can rejoice in the fact that God has blessed and dealt "bountifully" with me. That is the truth to hold to: God deals with us "bountifully." That bounty may not look the same for all of us. When Elijah was by the brook during a famine, Ravens brought him crumbs to eat ... that was his bounty. When the nation of Israel was in the wilderness, every day, God showered them with mana ... that was there bounty. When Solomon gave wisdom to the Queen of Sheba she gave camel upon camel of wealth ... that was his bounty. God gives bounty. We are to sing to the Lord because of it.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Truth #30 - God cares for His servants through the generiosity of His people! Joshua 21-24
Joshua 21:1-3
Then the heads of households of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of households of the tribes of the sons of Israel. They spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, “The Lord commanded through Moses to give us cities to live in, with their pasture lands for our cattle.” So the sons of Israel gave the Levites from their inheritance these cities with their pasture lands, according to the command of the Lord.
Joshua is drawing to a close and the nation is still possessing the promise land. They will never fully possess it (see the book of Judges), as they will start very quickly after Joshua's death to fall in love with the evil in the land. However, prior to that time, intentions and passion for God was running quite high. In the above passage we read about the designated religious leaders coming to Joshua and the leadership of Israel to claim their "share" of the promise land. Unlike each individual tribe, the descendants of Levi were not given a plot of land. Instead, their inheritance was God, Himself. They would be the spiritual leaders of the people in the land, rather than the owners of the property in the land. It should be remembered that, later, in the fall of Israel and the captivity of the Nation, it was the religious leaders who would stand in full blame for failing to lead the Nation away from sin. God would hold them responsible (1 Samuel 2:22ff; Jeremiah 32:32). But, here they are quick to claim the promise of God that He would take care of them via the generosity of the people of God. That is a truth we can't ignore, despite what these very religious leaders would soon become. God takes care of His workers through the generosity of His people. God instructed it for these Levites, the priest in the Old Testament, and for the pastors and leaders in the New Testament:
1 Timothy 5:17-18
The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing,” and “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”
God does not expect His ministers to be poor and broken and destitute. God expects the nation of His people to care for those ministers. They, on their behalf, are to realize this is not a "rich" or "wealthy" occupational endeavor. Believers should not go into the ministry of God's service expecting to get rich or gain wealth. In fact, one of the requirements of an elder is that they don't love money or wealth (1 Timothy 3). In our country today there are more than too many ministers of God who forgot this blanket principle. The wealth accumulated by some of the most prominent preachers today should be shocking to us. But, their abuse doesn't mean it is our job to keep the rest poor and needy. Each of the tribes in the Nation of Israel were required to give the Levites a city with the surrounding fields. They gave 48 cities in all. The truth is that God's people are to take care of God's ministers. We are all in one of these categories. We are either caring for the ministry or receiving the care. There was no middle ground. This is a truth of God's Word repeated and demonstrated in both Testaments.
Then the heads of households of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of households of the tribes of the sons of Israel. They spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, “The Lord commanded through Moses to give us cities to live in, with their pasture lands for our cattle.” So the sons of Israel gave the Levites from their inheritance these cities with their pasture lands, according to the command of the Lord.
Joshua is drawing to a close and the nation is still possessing the promise land. They will never fully possess it (see the book of Judges), as they will start very quickly after Joshua's death to fall in love with the evil in the land. However, prior to that time, intentions and passion for God was running quite high. In the above passage we read about the designated religious leaders coming to Joshua and the leadership of Israel to claim their "share" of the promise land. Unlike each individual tribe, the descendants of Levi were not given a plot of land. Instead, their inheritance was God, Himself. They would be the spiritual leaders of the people in the land, rather than the owners of the property in the land. It should be remembered that, later, in the fall of Israel and the captivity of the Nation, it was the religious leaders who would stand in full blame for failing to lead the Nation away from sin. God would hold them responsible (1 Samuel 2:22ff; Jeremiah 32:32). But, here they are quick to claim the promise of God that He would take care of them via the generosity of the people of God. That is a truth we can't ignore, despite what these very religious leaders would soon become. God takes care of His workers through the generosity of His people. God instructed it for these Levites, the priest in the Old Testament, and for the pastors and leaders in the New Testament:
1 Timothy 5:17-18
The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing,” and “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”
God does not expect His ministers to be poor and broken and destitute. God expects the nation of His people to care for those ministers. They, on their behalf, are to realize this is not a "rich" or "wealthy" occupational endeavor. Believers should not go into the ministry of God's service expecting to get rich or gain wealth. In fact, one of the requirements of an elder is that they don't love money or wealth (1 Timothy 3). In our country today there are more than too many ministers of God who forgot this blanket principle. The wealth accumulated by some of the most prominent preachers today should be shocking to us. But, their abuse doesn't mean it is our job to keep the rest poor and needy. Each of the tribes in the Nation of Israel were required to give the Levites a city with the surrounding fields. They gave 48 cities in all. The truth is that God's people are to take care of God's ministers. We are all in one of these categories. We are either caring for the ministry or receiving the care. There was no middle ground. This is a truth of God's Word repeated and demonstrated in both Testaments.
Monday, January 26, 2015
Truth #29 - God sees us!! Genesis 16-19
Genesis 16:13-14
Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees”; for she said, “Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?” Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.
The "she" in the above verses is Hager, the hand-maid of Abraham's wife, Sarah. Sarah had grown impatient with giving birth to a child and concocted an idea to have Abraham to have relations with Hager and that would take care of the problem. It didn't! In fact, this act of unfaithfulness toward God's plan (God had already told them He would give Abraham a son through Sarah) would prove to become nothing but a tremendous problem for the rest of mankind's recorded history. The son born to Hager (Ishamel) would become the father of the Arabs and hence there would be war from that day forward. Yet, in the midst of this difficult story of Sarah and Abraham putting their own plan in place, Hager is found in the wilderness by God and showed compassion. She has an encounter with God and realizes that she had seen God and talked with Him. She memorializes this moment at a well she names, Beer-lahai-roi. The name is translated, "The well of the one who sees me." She refers to God as Elroi, which is translated, "You, God, see me ... or, the God who sees me." Hager recognizes the truth that God sees us and acts in our lives. This is not a passive seeing. God sees us and intervenes in our lives. We can rejoice in the fact that we have a God who doesn't just see through us or over us or beyond us. We have a God that sees us and looks upon us with compassion and concern. Here is a women who was used by Sarah and will give birth to a boy who will become the father of all those who hate Abraham's descendants through the son Sarah will give birth to: Isaac. Yet, despite this obvious difficulty, God sees Hager and she, in her response to God, gives us one of the greatest names of God ... Elroi!! When we pray, "Elroi," we are acknowledging that God sees us. This is a blessed truth; Elroi!! God sees us!! Despite the bleakness of our pain, suffering, or circumstances: Elroi!! No matter how dark the day and how far the dawn: Elroi!! No matter where we are, mountain top or valley deep: Elroi!! You are the God who sees!!!
Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees”; for she said, “Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?” Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.
The "she" in the above verses is Hager, the hand-maid of Abraham's wife, Sarah. Sarah had grown impatient with giving birth to a child and concocted an idea to have Abraham to have relations with Hager and that would take care of the problem. It didn't! In fact, this act of unfaithfulness toward God's plan (God had already told them He would give Abraham a son through Sarah) would prove to become nothing but a tremendous problem for the rest of mankind's recorded history. The son born to Hager (Ishamel) would become the father of the Arabs and hence there would be war from that day forward. Yet, in the midst of this difficult story of Sarah and Abraham putting their own plan in place, Hager is found in the wilderness by God and showed compassion. She has an encounter with God and realizes that she had seen God and talked with Him. She memorializes this moment at a well she names, Beer-lahai-roi. The name is translated, "The well of the one who sees me." She refers to God as Elroi, which is translated, "You, God, see me ... or, the God who sees me." Hager recognizes the truth that God sees us and acts in our lives. This is not a passive seeing. God sees us and intervenes in our lives. We can rejoice in the fact that we have a God who doesn't just see through us or over us or beyond us. We have a God that sees us and looks upon us with compassion and concern. Here is a women who was used by Sarah and will give birth to a boy who will become the father of all those who hate Abraham's descendants through the son Sarah will give birth to: Isaac. Yet, despite this obvious difficulty, God sees Hager and she, in her response to God, gives us one of the greatest names of God ... Elroi!! When we pray, "Elroi," we are acknowledging that God sees us. This is a blessed truth; Elroi!! God sees us!! Despite the bleakness of our pain, suffering, or circumstances: Elroi!! No matter how dark the day and how far the dawn: Elroi!! No matter where we are, mountain top or valley deep: Elroi!! You are the God who sees!!!
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Truth #28 - God has a purpose for us and will make that purpose happen! Romans 7-8
Romans 8:28-30
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
Paul is trying to encourage this group of believers in Rome. They were under struggles and the threat of death. To encourage them Paul tells them they have victory in Christ, despite their circumstances because God has, through Salvation in Christ, has done some great things for them. Note what he has already told them in Romans 8, before he gets to these three verses:
1. No matter what happens they are no longer under Condemnation and are free to live for God. (8:1-4)
2. They have, through the ministry of the Spirit, a new Disposition with the Mind of the Spirit. (8:5-14)
3. They are now in a new family because of the Adoption of the Spirit. (8:15-17)
4. They no longer have to worry about suffering because of the Anticipation they have in Christ. (8:18-25)
5. They no longer have to struggle with suffering because of the Intercession of the Spirit. (8:26-27)
Now, in the above verses, he outlines a sixth aspect of salvation in and by Christ:
6. They can live through suffering because all suffering and circumstances are the result of the Ordination of a Sovereign God. (8:28).
This verse says "God Causes ...". God causes circumstances to happen to us for a greater purpose we don't know and don't always see. God has designed our lives for a greater purpose than we can ever imagine. One common theme in all men is that they are striving to find a purpose. They may deny that truth, but it is a truth none-the-less. Note four truths we can take from the remaining verses about this God-given purpose:
A. God’s purpose for me was established before I believed in Him (8:29a)
B. God has a purpose for those who love Him and that purpose is to conform me and shape me into the image of His son. (8:29b)
1. That means my purpose is to allow Him to shape me into the image of His Son.
2. That means I am not supposed to be trying to shape myself into your image for me.
3. That means I am not supposed to be allowing the world to shape my image (Romans 12:1; 2 Peter 1, 2)
C. God has a purpose that will bring glory to the Son by making Him the first of many (8:29c)
D. God will finish, through Christ's work in me, what He started in me with this purpose, despite my stumbling and failing, to His glory (8:30)
The truth is, God has a purpose for us to be in the image of His Son. It started it in us before the foundation of the world and will finish it after we are presented in heaven to God in Christ.
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
Paul is trying to encourage this group of believers in Rome. They were under struggles and the threat of death. To encourage them Paul tells them they have victory in Christ, despite their circumstances because God has, through Salvation in Christ, has done some great things for them. Note what he has already told them in Romans 8, before he gets to these three verses:
1. No matter what happens they are no longer under Condemnation and are free to live for God. (8:1-4)
2. They have, through the ministry of the Spirit, a new Disposition with the Mind of the Spirit. (8:5-14)
3. They are now in a new family because of the Adoption of the Spirit. (8:15-17)
4. They no longer have to worry about suffering because of the Anticipation they have in Christ. (8:18-25)
5. They no longer have to struggle with suffering because of the Intercession of the Spirit. (8:26-27)
Now, in the above verses, he outlines a sixth aspect of salvation in and by Christ:
6. They can live through suffering because all suffering and circumstances are the result of the Ordination of a Sovereign God. (8:28).
This verse says "God Causes ...". God causes circumstances to happen to us for a greater purpose we don't know and don't always see. God has designed our lives for a greater purpose than we can ever imagine. One common theme in all men is that they are striving to find a purpose. They may deny that truth, but it is a truth none-the-less. Note four truths we can take from the remaining verses about this God-given purpose:
A. God’s purpose for me was established before I believed in Him (8:29a)
B. God has a purpose for those who love Him and that purpose is to conform me and shape me into the image of His son. (8:29b)
1. That means my purpose is to allow Him to shape me into the image of His Son.
2. That means I am not supposed to be trying to shape myself into your image for me.
3. That means I am not supposed to be allowing the world to shape my image (Romans 12:1; 2 Peter 1, 2)
C. God has a purpose that will bring glory to the Son by making Him the first of many (8:29c)
D. God will finish, through Christ's work in me, what He started in me with this purpose, despite my stumbling and failing, to His glory (8:30)
The truth is, God has a purpose for us to be in the image of His Son. It started it in us before the foundation of the world and will finish it after we are presented in heaven to God in Christ.
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Turth #27 - Jesus IS the Son of God and has complete Authority! Matthew 8-10
Matthew 8:27
The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"
Chapter eight of Matthew might be subtitled: Jesus displays His authority!!! In each of the miracles recorded in this chapter by Matthew, Jesus is "commanding" something. It opens with some leapers diseases being removed and it will end with a group of demons being asked to be cast into a group of pigs. A centurion, who tells Jesus he is a man of authority and can command people to do this or that, expresses that same recognition that Jesus can command the ill health of his servant to leave that servant ... without even going to the centurion's home. This chapter is complete with example after example of the sovereign power and authority of Jesus Christ. Matthew, a tax collector (he knew about power) gives us these stories so that we will recognize that Jesus is truly the Son of God. Since Matthew was written to the church during a time when Nero was persecuting the church (most put the date that the gospel was written around 70-80 A.D.). The church would be 25-30 years old at the time Matthew wrote his gospel. There was still a large group within the church and, obviously, outside the church that questioned the status of Jesus within the trinity. John wrote his first epistle after Matthew wrote his gospel. In 1 John 4 we are told that there were some in the church who denied that Jesus was the Son of God. What Matthew is giving us here is the historical evidence that Christ had the authority to control health, demons and the very elements of the weather. Why does Matthew spend so much time writing to the church to remind them of Christ's authority? It is not just because the church was under attack by false teachers, but, also, because recognizing, by faith, that Christ has authority over everything, is at that center of the Gospel and the resurrection. Remember, salvation is only possible if Christ can defeat death. And He did!!! That is the ultimate authority. The wages of sin is DEATH, but Christ defeated DEATH, therefore He forever lives to satisfy our penalty and to brings us into the throne room of His Father. Note what Paul told the Colossian believers, even before Matthew wrote his gospel account:
Colossians 2:13-15
When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
Our forgiveness of our sins is only possible if Christ has authority over all things. This is a truth we must hold to in faith. This is why those outside the church want to teach that Jesus was a "good person" but not the Son of God. If they can diminish His sovereign rule they can undermine His ability to save. The disciples asked the perfect question, that all men should ask, in the above verse: "What kind of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" He is the kind of man who is not a man ... He is the God-Man and He has perfect authority over sin and death. He has perfect authority over disease and demons. He has perfect authority over circumstances and struggles. He doesn't have to earn it in our lives ... we are to recognize it and believe it. He calms the seas and storms in our lives. He is the Son of God, in complete authority ... that is a truth to believe by faith.
The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"
Chapter eight of Matthew might be subtitled: Jesus displays His authority!!! In each of the miracles recorded in this chapter by Matthew, Jesus is "commanding" something. It opens with some leapers diseases being removed and it will end with a group of demons being asked to be cast into a group of pigs. A centurion, who tells Jesus he is a man of authority and can command people to do this or that, expresses that same recognition that Jesus can command the ill health of his servant to leave that servant ... without even going to the centurion's home. This chapter is complete with example after example of the sovereign power and authority of Jesus Christ. Matthew, a tax collector (he knew about power) gives us these stories so that we will recognize that Jesus is truly the Son of God. Since Matthew was written to the church during a time when Nero was persecuting the church (most put the date that the gospel was written around 70-80 A.D.). The church would be 25-30 years old at the time Matthew wrote his gospel. There was still a large group within the church and, obviously, outside the church that questioned the status of Jesus within the trinity. John wrote his first epistle after Matthew wrote his gospel. In 1 John 4 we are told that there were some in the church who denied that Jesus was the Son of God. What Matthew is giving us here is the historical evidence that Christ had the authority to control health, demons and the very elements of the weather. Why does Matthew spend so much time writing to the church to remind them of Christ's authority? It is not just because the church was under attack by false teachers, but, also, because recognizing, by faith, that Christ has authority over everything, is at that center of the Gospel and the resurrection. Remember, salvation is only possible if Christ can defeat death. And He did!!! That is the ultimate authority. The wages of sin is DEATH, but Christ defeated DEATH, therefore He forever lives to satisfy our penalty and to brings us into the throne room of His Father. Note what Paul told the Colossian believers, even before Matthew wrote his gospel account:
Colossians 2:13-15
When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
Our forgiveness of our sins is only possible if Christ has authority over all things. This is a truth we must hold to in faith. This is why those outside the church want to teach that Jesus was a "good person" but not the Son of God. If they can diminish His sovereign rule they can undermine His ability to save. The disciples asked the perfect question, that all men should ask, in the above verse: "What kind of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" He is the kind of man who is not a man ... He is the God-Man and He has perfect authority over sin and death. He has perfect authority over disease and demons. He has perfect authority over circumstances and struggles. He doesn't have to earn it in our lives ... we are to recognize it and believe it. He calms the seas and storms in our lives. He is the Son of God, in complete authority ... that is a truth to believe by faith.
Friday, January 23, 2015
Truth #26 - God establishes leadership and sustains it - Isaiah 18-22
Isaiah 22:22-25
“Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder,
When he opens no one will shut,
When he shuts no one will open.
“I will drive him like a peg in a firm place,
And he will become a throne of glory to his father’s house.
So they will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house, offspring and issue, all the least of vessels, from bowls to all the jars. In that day,” declares the Lord of hosts, “the peg driven in a firm place will give way; it will even break off and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off, for the Lord has spoken.”
In chapter 22 of this prophet's book, there is a prophesy in regard to the leadership of Jerusalem. Suffice it to say for this small writing that one leader will replace another leader. Since each leader does not glorify God, one is replaced with another. Although the names change the results remain the same. In the above passage God is said to put the "key of the house of David (Jerusalem) on his shoulder," referring to a new leader. By God's authority he will be able to "shut" and to "open" the doors to anyone. This means he will have absolute authority. And, as the philosopher has said, "absolute power corrupts, absolutely." He is going to be a firm leader ... for awhile. He will be a like a "peg in a firm place." We might think of a peg driven into the wall from which we could hang pots and pans and other vessels. God establishes power and gives leaders their stability, structure and strength. He places their "pegs" in their chosen walls. Yet, man, without Christ sustaining him, cannot hold the responsibility of leadership. Unless it is done in the Spirit and through Christ. The "peg driven in a firm place will give way." It will "even break off and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off." God is the only One who can sustain leadership. Leadership that is held by its own strength will always fail. Isaiah prophesied during the time of many kings in Israel. When one was appointed, he soon fell, only to be followed by another, who would also fall ... so on and so fourth. Leaders can become so full of themselves that they think too much of their great success (the are the GREAT peg in the wall, holding MANY vessels). Soon the pressure and the weight of the leadership pulls them right from that wall. Only God can sustain that leadership. Note the last five words of the above prophecy: "... for the Lord has spoken." That is the final word. The truth here: Leadership in His strength is preserved ... leadership in our own strength is pulled from the wall.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Turth #25 - We have been shaped by God, exactly as He wants! Job 8-10
Job 10:10-12
‘Did You not pour me out like milk
And curdle me like cheese;
Clothe me with skin and flesh,
And knit me together with bones and sinews?
‘You have granted me life and lovingkindness;
And Your care has preserved my spirit.
Job is in the midst of one of the worse cases of pain and suffering we have in recorded history. He has lost his standing in the community, he has lost all of his wealth, he has lost all of his children, he has lost the respect of his friends and his wife, he has lost most of his health. And, yet, in the midst of this trial and tribulation, Job recognizes the greatness of God in His creation of Job. In the above verses we have a metaphor the birth of Job. It is a picture of Job in the womb being created and shaped by God. Notice how Job's description sounds similar to what David wrote in Psalm 139:
Psalms 139:14-16
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.
We have an identity crisis in our society. Everyone is trying to figure out "who they are." Job has no such crisis. He knows who he is. Despite his horrendous circumstances, Job knows exactly who he is and what he is about. He has been fashioned by God and is the creation of a loving God, created for God's good pleasure. God has granted him life and lovingkindness. Job does not doubt in the dark what he knows to be true in the light. God has created him, therefore God can do with him what He pleases. The truth that God has formed each of us to be just what we are, is a great truth to hold and praise God. He has made us and shaped us and formed us. Our ears might look large to us, but just right to God. Our height may not be our choice but it is Gods. Our hips might be to wide for the magazine cover, but they are exactly what God intended when He shaped us in the womb for His glory and by His lovingkindness. The truth is we have been shaped by God!!
‘Did You not pour me out like milk
And curdle me like cheese;
Clothe me with skin and flesh,
And knit me together with bones and sinews?
‘You have granted me life and lovingkindness;
And Your care has preserved my spirit.
Job is in the midst of one of the worse cases of pain and suffering we have in recorded history. He has lost his standing in the community, he has lost all of his wealth, he has lost all of his children, he has lost the respect of his friends and his wife, he has lost most of his health. And, yet, in the midst of this trial and tribulation, Job recognizes the greatness of God in His creation of Job. In the above verses we have a metaphor the birth of Job. It is a picture of Job in the womb being created and shaped by God. Notice how Job's description sounds similar to what David wrote in Psalm 139:
Psalms 139:14-16
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.
We have an identity crisis in our society. Everyone is trying to figure out "who they are." Job has no such crisis. He knows who he is. Despite his horrendous circumstances, Job knows exactly who he is and what he is about. He has been fashioned by God and is the creation of a loving God, created for God's good pleasure. God has granted him life and lovingkindness. Job does not doubt in the dark what he knows to be true in the light. God has created him, therefore God can do with him what He pleases. The truth that God has formed each of us to be just what we are, is a great truth to hold and praise God. He has made us and shaped us and formed us. Our ears might look large to us, but just right to God. Our height may not be our choice but it is Gods. Our hips might be to wide for the magazine cover, but they are exactly what God intended when He shaped us in the womb for His glory and by His lovingkindness. The truth is we have been shaped by God!!
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Truth #24 - God is THE judge! Psalm 9-11
Psalms 9:4-8
For You have maintained my just cause;
You have sat on the throne judging righteously.
You have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked;
You have blotted out their name forever and ever.
The enemy has come to an end in perpetual ruins,
And You have uprooted the cities;
The very memory of them has perished.
But the Lord abides forever;
He has established His throne for judgment,
And He will judge the world in righteousness;
He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity.
The truth is that God is THE Judge! We all have been judged by someone at one time or another. We all have made judgements of others at one time or another. Even when we don't realize it, we are making judgments about how people look, act, drive, work, etc. We seem to have an inward bent on judgment. This may be because we have been created in God's image and He is the ultimate Judge. The problem develops, however, that unlike God, we are not Just Judges. When we make judgments of others they are based upon our own evil hearts and bent agendas. God is the perfect Judge. As the above passage states, He judges "righteously." It states, "He has established His throne for judgment" and that "He will judge the world in righteousness." That means, that unlike us, God makes perfect judgments. If you have ever been judged unfairly by someone, you know how frustrating it is to be judged in unrighteousness. When others make false judgments of us, we recoil and we defend ... rightly so. But, we can be assured that when God judges there will be nothing to defend against, because He will be right. Others judge us corruptly. In the above prayer of the Psalmist, he recognizes that God "maintained my just cause." He is stating that he believes he is right and others are falsely judging him. Yet, he knows the truth that is the perfect judge and He will not allow us to be judged in unrighteousness, for long. We live in a corrupt world where evil men do sit in places of judgement. We will be judged wrongly in this world. We work with people who have evil hearts and they will make corrupt judgments about us. We have sin in our families and even the ones we love will make judgments about us. Yet, God is the ultimate judge that sorts it all out. We can rejoice in the truth that God will never mis-judge us. He will only judge us in a manner that is worthy of righteousness and holiness. That is a truth we can both rest in and allow it to motivate us to holy living.
For You have maintained my just cause;
You have sat on the throne judging righteously.
You have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked;
You have blotted out their name forever and ever.
The enemy has come to an end in perpetual ruins,
And You have uprooted the cities;
The very memory of them has perished.
But the Lord abides forever;
He has established His throne for judgment,
And He will judge the world in righteousness;
He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity.
The truth is that God is THE Judge! We all have been judged by someone at one time or another. We all have made judgements of others at one time or another. Even when we don't realize it, we are making judgments about how people look, act, drive, work, etc. We seem to have an inward bent on judgment. This may be because we have been created in God's image and He is the ultimate Judge. The problem develops, however, that unlike God, we are not Just Judges. When we make judgments of others they are based upon our own evil hearts and bent agendas. God is the perfect Judge. As the above passage states, He judges "righteously." It states, "He has established His throne for judgment" and that "He will judge the world in righteousness." That means, that unlike us, God makes perfect judgments. If you have ever been judged unfairly by someone, you know how frustrating it is to be judged in unrighteousness. When others make false judgments of us, we recoil and we defend ... rightly so. But, we can be assured that when God judges there will be nothing to defend against, because He will be right. Others judge us corruptly. In the above prayer of the Psalmist, he recognizes that God "maintained my just cause." He is stating that he believes he is right and others are falsely judging him. Yet, he knows the truth that is the perfect judge and He will not allow us to be judged in unrighteousness, for long. We live in a corrupt world where evil men do sit in places of judgement. We will be judged wrongly in this world. We work with people who have evil hearts and they will make corrupt judgments about us. We have sin in our families and even the ones we love will make judgments about us. Yet, God is the ultimate judge that sorts it all out. We can rejoice in the truth that God will never mis-judge us. He will only judge us in a manner that is worthy of righteousness and holiness. That is a truth we can both rest in and allow it to motivate us to holy living.
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Truth #23 - God gives an inheritance to the Saints! Joshua 16-20
Joshua 19:49-50
When they finished apportioning the land for inheritance by its borders, the sons of Israel gave an inheritance in their midst to Joshua the son of Nun. In accordance with the command of the Lord they gave him the city for which he asked, Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim. So he built the city and settled in it.
God has a reward for His servants!! We first came across Joshua when the people are in the exodus from Egypt. Moses sends out twelve spies to search out this very land that is now be divided. In Numbers 13 we read that Joshua was one of these twelve. Joshua (and Caleb) were the only spies who gave a good report. Imagine being the only two people in the midst of a million who would stand tall in faith in this slouching world of flesh! Everyone believed the ten spies who said the land was to tough for them to conquer. Joshua and Caleb were the lone voices of faith. God saw that and in the above passage we see Joshua finally being rewarded for his faithfulness. There is no doubt that along the way, Joshua made some missteps. That was the pride that caused the defeat at Ai. There was that bad deal when he shock hands with the deceitful tribe of Gibeonites. But, Joshua took over when Moses died and lead the people into the promise land. As a result, God lists him separately in the above story, giving him Timnath-serah (in the Hebrew, "The Territory of the Sun"). Joshua would have his retirement. Not because he reached an particular age, but because his role in the leadership of Israel was completed. God gave him rest and a tangible inheritance. In Christ, we too, have been quailified to share in the inheritance of the Saints:
Colossians 1:12
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.
We can read the same, elsewhere, in Scripture: Acts 26:18. God has an inheritance for those who love Him and those who walk according to His will and purpose. Our inheritance is not tangible, as the example of Joshua, however. Our inheritance is Christ. He is our inheritance. Like the Levites of old (they were not allotted a portion of the promise land), our inheritance is The Lord. We have been given Christ. We are in Him and He in us. We have, as Paul states to the Colossians, been "qualified" to share in the inheritance of the saints "in Light." This is a truth we rejoice in. This is a truth we give thanks to the Father. God rewards those who put their trust in Him through Christ. Joshua received this tangible piece of dirt to give us an example that we, through the same faith, will receive an inheritance in Christ. What a blessed truth. We pray for tangible things and think they can give us comfort. But, the only comfort we need is to know that we share in the inheritance of the saints in Light!!!
When they finished apportioning the land for inheritance by its borders, the sons of Israel gave an inheritance in their midst to Joshua the son of Nun. In accordance with the command of the Lord they gave him the city for which he asked, Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim. So he built the city and settled in it.
God has a reward for His servants!! We first came across Joshua when the people are in the exodus from Egypt. Moses sends out twelve spies to search out this very land that is now be divided. In Numbers 13 we read that Joshua was one of these twelve. Joshua (and Caleb) were the only spies who gave a good report. Imagine being the only two people in the midst of a million who would stand tall in faith in this slouching world of flesh! Everyone believed the ten spies who said the land was to tough for them to conquer. Joshua and Caleb were the lone voices of faith. God saw that and in the above passage we see Joshua finally being rewarded for his faithfulness. There is no doubt that along the way, Joshua made some missteps. That was the pride that caused the defeat at Ai. There was that bad deal when he shock hands with the deceitful tribe of Gibeonites. But, Joshua took over when Moses died and lead the people into the promise land. As a result, God lists him separately in the above story, giving him Timnath-serah (in the Hebrew, "The Territory of the Sun"). Joshua would have his retirement. Not because he reached an particular age, but because his role in the leadership of Israel was completed. God gave him rest and a tangible inheritance. In Christ, we too, have been quailified to share in the inheritance of the Saints:
Colossians 1:12
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.
We can read the same, elsewhere, in Scripture: Acts 26:18. God has an inheritance for those who love Him and those who walk according to His will and purpose. Our inheritance is not tangible, as the example of Joshua, however. Our inheritance is Christ. He is our inheritance. Like the Levites of old (they were not allotted a portion of the promise land), our inheritance is The Lord. We have been given Christ. We are in Him and He in us. We have, as Paul states to the Colossians, been "qualified" to share in the inheritance of the saints "in Light." This is a truth we rejoice in. This is a truth we give thanks to the Father. God rewards those who put their trust in Him through Christ. Joshua received this tangible piece of dirt to give us an example that we, through the same faith, will receive an inheritance in Christ. What a blessed truth. We pray for tangible things and think they can give us comfort. But, the only comfort we need is to know that we share in the inheritance of the saints in Light!!!
Monday, January 19, 2015
Truth #22 - God has a plan for us! Genesis 12-15
Genesis 12:1-3
Now the Lord said to Abram,
“Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father’s house,
To the land which I will show you;
And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
Although there are many truths we could discover in the above passage, the one focused upon here, is that God gives direction to man and has plans for us. Abram, as stated above, was to separate from his father and his relatives and go to a place he neither knew or, from what we read, had dreamed of going. God had a large plan for Abraham, not because Abraham deserved it, but because God, out of grace, simply chose Abraham for this plan. Note what the writer of Hebrews tells us about this call of Abraham:
Hebrews 11:8
By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.
God has a plan. God has a plan and He plainly lays out that plan in Scripture. Regretfully, Abraham didn't have the Scriptures we have today. He was only responsible for the Word he had and that Word told him to go ... and he went. We may not always know the exact nature of God's plan for us, but we always know what God has told us in His Word. God gives us this Word so that we can follow it and fulfill those aspects of the plan(s) He has for us. Like Abraham, we have a measure of the unknown as we walk with God. But, like Abraham we have the knowledge that if God tells us to go we can go and be assured that God will bless it. God doesn't call all of us to leave our relatives, but He does for some. God doesn't always take us to a land we have never dreamed of living in, but to some, He does. God is not concerned about the GPS coordinates of the dirt we stand on, the address of the house we live in, or the city our job is located. He is only concerned if we go where He tells us to go and to do what His Word tells us each day. By faith, we follow His "revealed" Word (read each day in His Word) and He will use that revealed Word to direct us to His unfolding will. That is a truth we can rejoice in as we walk with Him.
Now the Lord said to Abram,
“Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father’s house,
To the land which I will show you;
And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
Although there are many truths we could discover in the above passage, the one focused upon here, is that God gives direction to man and has plans for us. Abram, as stated above, was to separate from his father and his relatives and go to a place he neither knew or, from what we read, had dreamed of going. God had a large plan for Abraham, not because Abraham deserved it, but because God, out of grace, simply chose Abraham for this plan. Note what the writer of Hebrews tells us about this call of Abraham:
Hebrews 11:8
By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.
God has a plan. God has a plan and He plainly lays out that plan in Scripture. Regretfully, Abraham didn't have the Scriptures we have today. He was only responsible for the Word he had and that Word told him to go ... and he went. We may not always know the exact nature of God's plan for us, but we always know what God has told us in His Word. God gives us this Word so that we can follow it and fulfill those aspects of the plan(s) He has for us. Like Abraham, we have a measure of the unknown as we walk with God. But, like Abraham we have the knowledge that if God tells us to go we can go and be assured that God will bless it. God doesn't call all of us to leave our relatives, but He does for some. God doesn't always take us to a land we have never dreamed of living in, but to some, He does. God is not concerned about the GPS coordinates of the dirt we stand on, the address of the house we live in, or the city our job is located. He is only concerned if we go where He tells us to go and to do what His Word tells us each day. By faith, we follow His "revealed" Word (read each day in His Word) and He will use that revealed Word to direct us to His unfolding will. That is a truth we can rejoice in as we walk with Him.
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Truth #21 - Christ Sactifies us, just like He, alone, Justifies us! Romans 5-6
Romans 6:17-19
But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.
We all can understand the framework of slavery. We all can't relate to a modern day slave, other than we all tend to think it as a deplorable condition. Yet, each day, we simulate slavery in our own lives in many ways. We sign loans for cars and stuff and create credit card date. If we don't work to earn money to pay it back we will find ourselves in a bad situation. We are, in my ways, a slave to that debt. We can find ourselves "slaves" to many things in our lives. We don't have to be in-prisoned to be a slave. Paul, in the above verses tells us that we are all, slaves to sin. We were born slaves to sin. We can't buy our own freedom. Paul's characterization of this slavery is that we, like servants, stand by and "present" our bodies to sin to serve it at its will. The Greek word for present is a word that means we standby to be used, or to serve something ... as if in waiting ... think of an English butler or footmen. When the Old Testament (originally written in Hebrew) is translated to Greek, this word is actually translated "stand." Note the following:
Deuteronomy 10:8
At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to "stand" before the Lord to serve Him and to bless in His name until this day.
The "Levi" was to "stand" before the Lord. The meaning is easy. It simply stated that the Levi was to be at the will and call of God. They "presented" themselves such. But how does that work? Notice that Paul tells us in this Roman passage that at one time we used to "present" our bodies to sin, but now we are to "present" our bodies to Christ, for righteousness that has the benefit of sanctification. The language Paul uses is clear. "Just like" we used to present our bodies to sin, we are to present our bodies to Christ, for His service. It takes NO effort or work on our part to present out bodies to sin. We can do that as natural as breathing. We "yield" to sin like a none reflex. Paul tells us that IN THE SAME MANNER (he uses the same word for present in both cases) we are to present ourselves to Christ. The effort in presentation is the same. One is by flesh (present our bodies to sin) and the other by faith (present our bodies to Christ). In order to sin we just relax and let the flesh take over. In order to serve Christ we are to relax and let Christ take over. He produces joy, peace, patients, self-control, love. Notice that Paul doesn't tell us to "sanctify" ourselves so that we can "present" our bodies to Christ. That is reversed order of what we read. He tells us to present ourselves to Christ and the "result" will be sanctification. So many believers think that after Christ saves them it is THEIR job to clean themselves up by their works, so that they can become sanctified, so that Christ can use them. What we read in Romans is the opposite. Our job is to present ourselves to Christ in our salvation through faith. We continue to live by faith and "present" our bodies to Christ now, just like we used to do when we presented our bodies to sin. When we do this PRESENTING Christ sanctifies us, just like HE justifies us. The truth here is that we are sanctified by Christ, just as we are justified by Christ. Christ does it all.
But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.
We all can understand the framework of slavery. We all can't relate to a modern day slave, other than we all tend to think it as a deplorable condition. Yet, each day, we simulate slavery in our own lives in many ways. We sign loans for cars and stuff and create credit card date. If we don't work to earn money to pay it back we will find ourselves in a bad situation. We are, in my ways, a slave to that debt. We can find ourselves "slaves" to many things in our lives. We don't have to be in-prisoned to be a slave. Paul, in the above verses tells us that we are all, slaves to sin. We were born slaves to sin. We can't buy our own freedom. Paul's characterization of this slavery is that we, like servants, stand by and "present" our bodies to sin to serve it at its will. The Greek word for present is a word that means we standby to be used, or to serve something ... as if in waiting ... think of an English butler or footmen. When the Old Testament (originally written in Hebrew) is translated to Greek, this word is actually translated "stand." Note the following:
Deuteronomy 10:8
At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to "stand" before the Lord to serve Him and to bless in His name until this day.
The "Levi" was to "stand" before the Lord. The meaning is easy. It simply stated that the Levi was to be at the will and call of God. They "presented" themselves such. But how does that work? Notice that Paul tells us in this Roman passage that at one time we used to "present" our bodies to sin, but now we are to "present" our bodies to Christ, for righteousness that has the benefit of sanctification. The language Paul uses is clear. "Just like" we used to present our bodies to sin, we are to present our bodies to Christ, for His service. It takes NO effort or work on our part to present out bodies to sin. We can do that as natural as breathing. We "yield" to sin like a none reflex. Paul tells us that IN THE SAME MANNER (he uses the same word for present in both cases) we are to present ourselves to Christ. The effort in presentation is the same. One is by flesh (present our bodies to sin) and the other by faith (present our bodies to Christ). In order to sin we just relax and let the flesh take over. In order to serve Christ we are to relax and let Christ take over. He produces joy, peace, patients, self-control, love. Notice that Paul doesn't tell us to "sanctify" ourselves so that we can "present" our bodies to Christ. That is reversed order of what we read. He tells us to present ourselves to Christ and the "result" will be sanctification. So many believers think that after Christ saves them it is THEIR job to clean themselves up by their works, so that they can become sanctified, so that Christ can use them. What we read in Romans is the opposite. Our job is to present ourselves to Christ in our salvation through faith. We continue to live by faith and "present" our bodies to Christ now, just like we used to do when we presented our bodies to sin. When we do this PRESENTING Christ sanctifies us, just like HE justifies us. The truth here is that we are sanctified by Christ, just as we are justified by Christ. Christ does it all.
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Truth #20 - God gives us GOOD things! Matthew 5-7
Matthew 7:11
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!
One of the great truths we can read in all of Scripture is that God enjoys, encourages and is delighted in our coming to Him in prayer. You can't read too far into the Word of God to discover this truth. God enjoyed the relationship with Adam, taking walks in the garden in the cool of the day. God enjoys "fellowship" with man. Why? It is not because He "needed" man to have fellowship. God could have fellowship within the Trinity. God created man out of His good pleasure and did so because He WANTS to fellowship with man, not because He MUST fellowship with man. With hat said, the above verse gives us a great look at the way God wants to fellowship. God wants to bless us! God is not this distant impersonal Being who lives to taunt His creation. He is not this saditic Being who lives to tease His creation. And, He is not this all-powerful Being who terrorize His creation. God is loving and gracious God who wishes to give pleasure to His creation. In fact, if we have ANY good gifts, we can be assured they come from God:
James 1:17
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
What James is telling us is that if any thing good happens to us, it is a good gift from God. Even the non-believer benefits from a gracious God. Notice what Matthew tells us, earlier in this same section, in regard to God's "common" grace (grace that is common to all men ... despite their belief in Him):
Matthew 5:45
... so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
In 1 Peter we are told that our gifts from the Spirit are "good gifts." God is in the process of giving us good things, even when we ask for them. He wants to do that. We tend, however, to ask for things that are not necessarily good for us. Notice what James says about our asking:
James 4:3
You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
In the above text in Matthew, God does not say that He will gives us what we desire. It says He will give us what is "good" for us. Like a child who asks good things from His father, so God will give us good things. But, like a child we often ask for things that are not good for us and like a good Father, God does not give us those types of things. When we come to God we need to allow Him to determine what is Good. We can be assured, as believers, that whatever we have in our life right now, it is Good. Because God gives good things to His Children. We don't tend to think that way, but even in bad situations, note what God tells us:
Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
The truth is, God give us "good" things. Whether we recognize them, or not.
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!
One of the great truths we can read in all of Scripture is that God enjoys, encourages and is delighted in our coming to Him in prayer. You can't read too far into the Word of God to discover this truth. God enjoyed the relationship with Adam, taking walks in the garden in the cool of the day. God enjoys "fellowship" with man. Why? It is not because He "needed" man to have fellowship. God could have fellowship within the Trinity. God created man out of His good pleasure and did so because He WANTS to fellowship with man, not because He MUST fellowship with man. With hat said, the above verse gives us a great look at the way God wants to fellowship. God wants to bless us! God is not this distant impersonal Being who lives to taunt His creation. He is not this saditic Being who lives to tease His creation. And, He is not this all-powerful Being who terrorize His creation. God is loving and gracious God who wishes to give pleasure to His creation. In fact, if we have ANY good gifts, we can be assured they come from God:
James 1:17
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
What James is telling us is that if any thing good happens to us, it is a good gift from God. Even the non-believer benefits from a gracious God. Notice what Matthew tells us, earlier in this same section, in regard to God's "common" grace (grace that is common to all men ... despite their belief in Him):
Matthew 5:45
... so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
In 1 Peter we are told that our gifts from the Spirit are "good gifts." God is in the process of giving us good things, even when we ask for them. He wants to do that. We tend, however, to ask for things that are not necessarily good for us. Notice what James says about our asking:
James 4:3
You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
In the above text in Matthew, God does not say that He will gives us what we desire. It says He will give us what is "good" for us. Like a child who asks good things from His father, so God will give us good things. But, like a child we often ask for things that are not good for us and like a good Father, God does not give us those types of things. When we come to God we need to allow Him to determine what is Good. We can be assured, as believers, that whatever we have in our life right now, it is Good. Because God gives good things to His Children. We don't tend to think that way, but even in bad situations, note what God tells us:
Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
The truth is, God give us "good" things. Whether we recognize them, or not.
Friday, January 16, 2015
Truth #19 - God is soverign, He and He alone. No one can steal His glory! Isaiah 12-17
Isaiah 14:13-15
“But you said in your heart,
‘I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne above the stars of God,
And I will sit on the mount of assembly
In the recesses of the north.
‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.’
“Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol,
To the recesses of the pit.
In reading a recent report of an evangelical preacher, who at one time professed the tenants of the Christian faith and was a strong tower to a congregation of saints, it was sad to read his current message to mankind: Having faith in God is not necessary - we only need to trust in ourselves and the human spirit for our gratification. He wrote about going on a years sabbatical, without God, to find his way in life. He returned from this journey without God only to report that he now thought he was god. He didn't say it in those words, but that is what he means. He, like many in Isaiah's day and others in our day, think that they are the creators of their own lives and the sustainers of their own souls. The believe they can "ascent above the heights of the clouds," if only in their philosophical minds and their transetory oasis. The above passage is often cited and applied to Satan, when he was cast out of Heaven. He exalted himself and made himself out to be like God and, along with a band of angels, was cast out of Glory. The historical application, in Isaiah's day, was Babylon. Babylon was being used by God to punish Israel for their sins. Because of the power entrusted to them by God they thought it fine that exalt themselves ... to be like God. In James 4:6 and in 1 Peter 5:5 we read that God exalts the humble but resists the proud. God will cast down the proud of heart. Soli Deo gloria is a Latin term for Glory to God alone. God does not share His glory with anyone. Only He is to be magnified and only He is to have His throne above others. Note what Paul tells us in his letter to the Colossians:
Colossians 2:9-10
For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;
In Christ and only in Christ is all authority. He is the fullness of God. In our society today we are seeing much boldness to mock God and Christ and hearing many claim self-rule and god-like status for themselves. They believe they are the "captain of their souls." In reality they are the living examples among us of what Isaiah wrote hundreds of years prior ... "I will ascend" ... "I will raise" .... "I will sit" .... "I will make"!!! They will, however, someday, here: "Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit."
“But you said in your heart,
‘I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne above the stars of God,
And I will sit on the mount of assembly
In the recesses of the north.
‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.’
“Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol,
To the recesses of the pit.
In reading a recent report of an evangelical preacher, who at one time professed the tenants of the Christian faith and was a strong tower to a congregation of saints, it was sad to read his current message to mankind: Having faith in God is not necessary - we only need to trust in ourselves and the human spirit for our gratification. He wrote about going on a years sabbatical, without God, to find his way in life. He returned from this journey without God only to report that he now thought he was god. He didn't say it in those words, but that is what he means. He, like many in Isaiah's day and others in our day, think that they are the creators of their own lives and the sustainers of their own souls. The believe they can "ascent above the heights of the clouds," if only in their philosophical minds and their transetory oasis. The above passage is often cited and applied to Satan, when he was cast out of Heaven. He exalted himself and made himself out to be like God and, along with a band of angels, was cast out of Glory. The historical application, in Isaiah's day, was Babylon. Babylon was being used by God to punish Israel for their sins. Because of the power entrusted to them by God they thought it fine that exalt themselves ... to be like God. In James 4:6 and in 1 Peter 5:5 we read that God exalts the humble but resists the proud. God will cast down the proud of heart. Soli Deo gloria is a Latin term for Glory to God alone. God does not share His glory with anyone. Only He is to be magnified and only He is to have His throne above others. Note what Paul tells us in his letter to the Colossians:
Colossians 2:9-10
For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;
In Christ and only in Christ is all authority. He is the fullness of God. In our society today we are seeing much boldness to mock God and Christ and hearing many claim self-rule and god-like status for themselves. They believe they are the "captain of their souls." In reality they are the living examples among us of what Isaiah wrote hundreds of years prior ... "I will ascend" ... "I will raise" .... "I will sit" .... "I will make"!!! They will, however, someday, here: "Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit."
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Truth #18 - God is the "watcher" of men (but not for the reasons you think) - Job 6-7
Job 7:19-21
“ Will You never turn Your gaze away from me,
Nor let me alone until I swallow my spittle?
“Have I sinned? What have I done to You,
O watcher of men?
Why have You set me as Your target,
So that I am a burden to myself?
“Why then do You not pardon my transgression
And take away my iniquity?
For now I will lie down in the dust;
And You will seek me, but I will not be.”
Job has found himself in a peculiar dilemma and, in these couple of chapters, has tried to justify in his mind the pain he feels, the life he has lived (which in his mind is not such a bad and corrupt and sinful life) with the suffering he is experiencing. He comes to the conclusion that God is a "watcher" of men and, in his case, he has become a "target" of God. Note what one commentator says about these final verses of this chapter:
"The chapter concludes with two questions that characterize Job’s continuing confusion. On the one hand, he wishes to know why he has become God’s target. Knowing no sin within himself that could explain his suffering, Job can only conclude that he has become a burden to God, who has now determined to remove him from existence in the harshest manner possible. On the other hand, Job wonders why God is unwilling to forgive any sins of which Job may be unaware. Job does not admit any guilt, but he directs the question at the character of God himself. If God is a God of grace, where is that grace in relation to Job? Job is no gross sinner in rebellion against God. He is a pious man who has always taken scrupulous care to go above and beyond the expectations of faith. How is it, then, that God finds Job so offensive that God can extend no grace or mercy in his case? The chapter concludes with the note that the need for action is urgent because, unless divine redress is immediately forthcoming, Job is not long for this world."
Have we all not, at one time or another, felt like Job. We see the pain in our lives and we struggle with "why" us? We look at our lives and we think that we don't have any real sin that justifies our being in such a struggle. Job comes to a conclusion that God is the only one he can turn to in this time of despair and anguish. This may be Job's redeeming quality. He may be wrong about "why" this is happening to him, but he is not wrong in "who" he should turn to in the midst of it. God is the "watcher" of men. We, like Job, often seem Him in the wrong vain, but He is the watcher and we ought to turn to Him in these times, even if we are wrong in "how" we see Him work in our lives. God is watching Job. That is how the entire book begins (Job 1:1-5). In our despair and pain and suffering and confusion, let's remember that God is the watcher. Let's make sure we are not falling into the same trap Job does and make God the accuser, however. Satan is the great accuser of mankind (Revelation 12:10). God is not the accuser, God is the rescuer. He may be watching, but not to "target" us, but to "deliver" us. Job allowed his pain and suffering to skew his theology. Appeal to God because He is watching, but don't fear God the accuser and the one who targets us. Fear God because He watches us and will deliver us!!
“ Will You never turn Your gaze away from me,
Nor let me alone until I swallow my spittle?
“Have I sinned? What have I done to You,
O watcher of men?
Why have You set me as Your target,
So that I am a burden to myself?
“Why then do You not pardon my transgression
And take away my iniquity?
For now I will lie down in the dust;
And You will seek me, but I will not be.”
Job has found himself in a peculiar dilemma and, in these couple of chapters, has tried to justify in his mind the pain he feels, the life he has lived (which in his mind is not such a bad and corrupt and sinful life) with the suffering he is experiencing. He comes to the conclusion that God is a "watcher" of men and, in his case, he has become a "target" of God. Note what one commentator says about these final verses of this chapter:
"The chapter concludes with two questions that characterize Job’s continuing confusion. On the one hand, he wishes to know why he has become God’s target. Knowing no sin within himself that could explain his suffering, Job can only conclude that he has become a burden to God, who has now determined to remove him from existence in the harshest manner possible. On the other hand, Job wonders why God is unwilling to forgive any sins of which Job may be unaware. Job does not admit any guilt, but he directs the question at the character of God himself. If God is a God of grace, where is that grace in relation to Job? Job is no gross sinner in rebellion against God. He is a pious man who has always taken scrupulous care to go above and beyond the expectations of faith. How is it, then, that God finds Job so offensive that God can extend no grace or mercy in his case? The chapter concludes with the note that the need for action is urgent because, unless divine redress is immediately forthcoming, Job is not long for this world."
Have we all not, at one time or another, felt like Job. We see the pain in our lives and we struggle with "why" us? We look at our lives and we think that we don't have any real sin that justifies our being in such a struggle. Job comes to a conclusion that God is the only one he can turn to in this time of despair and anguish. This may be Job's redeeming quality. He may be wrong about "why" this is happening to him, but he is not wrong in "who" he should turn to in the midst of it. God is the "watcher" of men. We, like Job, often seem Him in the wrong vain, but He is the watcher and we ought to turn to Him in these times, even if we are wrong in "how" we see Him work in our lives. God is watching Job. That is how the entire book begins (Job 1:1-5). In our despair and pain and suffering and confusion, let's remember that God is the watcher. Let's make sure we are not falling into the same trap Job does and make God the accuser, however. Satan is the great accuser of mankind (Revelation 12:10). God is not the accuser, God is the rescuer. He may be watching, but not to "target" us, but to "deliver" us. Job allowed his pain and suffering to skew his theology. Appeal to God because He is watching, but don't fear God the accuser and the one who targets us. Fear God because He watches us and will deliver us!!
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Truth #17 - God "receives" our prayers - Paslm 6-8
Psalms 6:9
The Lord has heard my supplication,
The Lord receives my prayer.
The book of Psalms is typically thought of as a book of praise and worship to God. That assessment would not be wrong, as the Psalms do point us to the Godhead and how to worship the Trinity. When reading most of the Psalms there is a strong sense of victory, rejoicing and the elements of praise. In Psalm 6, however, (as well as a few other Psalms) we have a slight different tone. In Psalm 6 the writer is suffering or struggling with an enemy or enemies that are attacking him and besieging him. When we read Psalm 1 we have this rejoicing of life and the life God has given His children. In that Psalm we are referred to a "tree" planted by the living waters that brings for fruit in its season. In Psalm 6, however, the child of God is asking God to remove His wrath and to remove the chastening rod. In Psalm 6 the writer is weary from crying. He is drenched in his own tears on his own bed. This Psalm is real for us. Who has not had the experience of great grief and hardship and spent an evening crying it out? If someone hasn't, they will at some point in the life ... such is life! We are not told in this Psalm if the struggle the writer is having is due to his own sin, his own misjudgment, his own reckless living, or simply because sin exists in the world, today. Whatever the reason for the struggle, the truth stated in the above portion of Psalm 6 gives us great comfort and great calm. God, in the middle of weeping and torment, hears our prayers. We may not feel it; we may not actually sense it; we may not see it; but we can be assured of it ... God hears our prayers. Or, as it stated in the above verse, God "receives my prayer." What a blessed truth. When I talk to my fellow man, I can never be assured that he/she both hears and receives my message. But, in this one verse we are taught that God not only hears our prayers, but He receives them. In Genesis 8:9 that same word for "receives" is used when it reads about the dove finding no room to rest that Noah put out his hand and "took" her into the ark. We should think of our prayers in the same manner. As we pray, God reaches out His hand and like that dove, God takes our prayers ... He receives them. What a blessed truth to rest upon in the midst of sorrow and the struggles of life.
The Lord has heard my supplication,
The Lord receives my prayer.
The book of Psalms is typically thought of as a book of praise and worship to God. That assessment would not be wrong, as the Psalms do point us to the Godhead and how to worship the Trinity. When reading most of the Psalms there is a strong sense of victory, rejoicing and the elements of praise. In Psalm 6, however, (as well as a few other Psalms) we have a slight different tone. In Psalm 6 the writer is suffering or struggling with an enemy or enemies that are attacking him and besieging him. When we read Psalm 1 we have this rejoicing of life and the life God has given His children. In that Psalm we are referred to a "tree" planted by the living waters that brings for fruit in its season. In Psalm 6, however, the child of God is asking God to remove His wrath and to remove the chastening rod. In Psalm 6 the writer is weary from crying. He is drenched in his own tears on his own bed. This Psalm is real for us. Who has not had the experience of great grief and hardship and spent an evening crying it out? If someone hasn't, they will at some point in the life ... such is life! We are not told in this Psalm if the struggle the writer is having is due to his own sin, his own misjudgment, his own reckless living, or simply because sin exists in the world, today. Whatever the reason for the struggle, the truth stated in the above portion of Psalm 6 gives us great comfort and great calm. God, in the middle of weeping and torment, hears our prayers. We may not feel it; we may not actually sense it; we may not see it; but we can be assured of it ... God hears our prayers. Or, as it stated in the above verse, God "receives my prayer." What a blessed truth. When I talk to my fellow man, I can never be assured that he/she both hears and receives my message. But, in this one verse we are taught that God not only hears our prayers, but He receives them. In Genesis 8:9 that same word for "receives" is used when it reads about the dove finding no room to rest that Noah put out his hand and "took" her into the ark. We should think of our prayers in the same manner. As we pray, God reaches out His hand and like that dove, God takes our prayers ... He receives them. What a blessed truth to rest upon in the midst of sorrow and the struggles of life.
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Truth #16 - God enables us! Joshua 11-15
Joshua 14:11-12
I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in. Now then, give me this hill country about which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; perhaps the Lord will be with me, and I will drive them out as the Lord has spoken.”
The above verse is taken from the section in Joshua that could be referred to as the land allotment section. In chapters 14 and 15 Joshua is instructed by God to divide the remaining portions of the land, that haven't been conquered, to each of the tribes of Israel, who have no land. While dividing the land out, Caleb, Joshua's fellow spy from 40 years earlier, approaches Joshua and asks for a special piece of land. Caleb and Joshua were sent 45 years earlier into the land, with ten other spies, to search out the land and to bring a report back to Moses and the nation of Israel. Caleb and Joshua gave a favorable report and, through faith in God's power, believed that they could conquer the land. The other ten spies were looking at the land through the lens of the flesh and only saw big giants in the land and therefore thought the nation should return to Egypt (where it was supposedly safe). The other ten spies and everyone else in the nation of Israel twenty-years old and up died over the next 40 years ... except Joshua and Caleb. Whereas Josuha was selected by God to lead the nation after Moses' death, Caleb was left in the wings ... to wait. Caleb had waited (and walked in the desert for 40 years) and fought, for just this day: The day Joshua would divid the land. Caleb had waited 45 years for this day. As Joshua started to divide the land, Caleb could have come up and stated that he wanted the easiest and most gratifying piece of land. Instead, Caleb claims he is still as vigorous as those early days and demands a chance to go after one of the hardest pieces of land ... the land of the giant, Anakim! Instead of looking for a retirement home, Caleb was looking for some giants to slay. Imagine when Caleb first saw these giants in the land, 45 years earlier. He came back and was eager to follow Moses and his brethren into battle to fight them, in the name of the Lord. But, the entire army chickened out. Where Caleb saw victory, they saw defeat. Like the sluggard who makes up excuses not to work, they saw a lion in the street and wanted to stay home.
Proverbs 22:13
The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside;
I will be killed in the streets!”
It is not that Caleb didn't see the lion in the street. He did. Rathe than fearing the lion in the street, Caleb saw it as lunch delivered. Caleb told Joshua he wanted those giants that were now 45 years older. Caleb was not being cocky. Caleb was trusting the same God he was willing to trust 45 years earlier. He knew he was older. But, he also knew all that walking in the wilderness for 40 years and all that fighting the last five years to conquer Jericho, Ai, Hebron and other cities, had continued to both fuel his passion and build his aging body. While others might be looking for a shuffle-board stick, Caleb was looking for a sword. Caleb knew that God would strengthen him, even in weakness. Caleb knew that it was the Lord's battle he was fighting, not his own. He wasn't looking for a retirement home. Caleb was looking forward to finishing the business God gave him to do 45 years earlier. This is a man who know that when God gives a mission, time and age and weakness doesn't stop the mission. He knew that if God could enable him when he was 40, God could enable him at 85. God is an enabler of those who put their trust in Him.
I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in. Now then, give me this hill country about which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; perhaps the Lord will be with me, and I will drive them out as the Lord has spoken.”
The above verse is taken from the section in Joshua that could be referred to as the land allotment section. In chapters 14 and 15 Joshua is instructed by God to divide the remaining portions of the land, that haven't been conquered, to each of the tribes of Israel, who have no land. While dividing the land out, Caleb, Joshua's fellow spy from 40 years earlier, approaches Joshua and asks for a special piece of land. Caleb and Joshua were sent 45 years earlier into the land, with ten other spies, to search out the land and to bring a report back to Moses and the nation of Israel. Caleb and Joshua gave a favorable report and, through faith in God's power, believed that they could conquer the land. The other ten spies were looking at the land through the lens of the flesh and only saw big giants in the land and therefore thought the nation should return to Egypt (where it was supposedly safe). The other ten spies and everyone else in the nation of Israel twenty-years old and up died over the next 40 years ... except Joshua and Caleb. Whereas Josuha was selected by God to lead the nation after Moses' death, Caleb was left in the wings ... to wait. Caleb had waited (and walked in the desert for 40 years) and fought, for just this day: The day Joshua would divid the land. Caleb had waited 45 years for this day. As Joshua started to divide the land, Caleb could have come up and stated that he wanted the easiest and most gratifying piece of land. Instead, Caleb claims he is still as vigorous as those early days and demands a chance to go after one of the hardest pieces of land ... the land of the giant, Anakim! Instead of looking for a retirement home, Caleb was looking for some giants to slay. Imagine when Caleb first saw these giants in the land, 45 years earlier. He came back and was eager to follow Moses and his brethren into battle to fight them, in the name of the Lord. But, the entire army chickened out. Where Caleb saw victory, they saw defeat. Like the sluggard who makes up excuses not to work, they saw a lion in the street and wanted to stay home.
Proverbs 22:13
The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside;
I will be killed in the streets!”
It is not that Caleb didn't see the lion in the street. He did. Rathe than fearing the lion in the street, Caleb saw it as lunch delivered. Caleb told Joshua he wanted those giants that were now 45 years older. Caleb was not being cocky. Caleb was trusting the same God he was willing to trust 45 years earlier. He knew he was older. But, he also knew all that walking in the wilderness for 40 years and all that fighting the last five years to conquer Jericho, Ai, Hebron and other cities, had continued to both fuel his passion and build his aging body. While others might be looking for a shuffle-board stick, Caleb was looking for a sword. Caleb knew that God would strengthen him, even in weakness. Caleb knew that it was the Lord's battle he was fighting, not his own. He wasn't looking for a retirement home. Caleb was looking forward to finishing the business God gave him to do 45 years earlier. This is a man who know that when God gives a mission, time and age and weakness doesn't stop the mission. He knew that if God could enable him when he was 40, God could enable him at 85. God is an enabler of those who put their trust in Him.
Monday, January 12, 2015
Truth #15 - God keeps His promises - Genesis 8-11
Genesis 9:13-15
I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh.
God keeps His promises!! What a blessed truth to hold onto for the believer. Not everyone keeps their promises and not everyone even remembers what they promise. When God put the rainbow in the sky for Noah as a reminder about His promise to never destroy the earth again with a flood, God did not do so because He was afraid He would forget. He put the bow in the sky so that we wouldn't forget. The only thing that God forgets is our sin when we come to Christ and He casts it behind His back and remembers it no more. Even then the phrase is used in regard to the fact that God dosen't hold our sins to our account anymore. In the above few verses what we see is that God has given us a sign of His promise-keeping. We can rest and be assured that what God says, He will do ... or, in this case, not do ever again. We need the reminder of the bow to keep us focused on God. Despite the difficulty of what Noah and his family had just been through (years of making the ark, being scorned by society, gathering the animals, living on the ark) he would probably forget most of the experience. Time does that to us. We can go through very bad things and years later they are only a brief memory. So, the bow was to remind Noah, his family, and us, that God makes promises, keeps the promises and that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Remember, the bow is to remember that God will NEVER again destroy the earth because of man's sin. Noah was not destroyed, so each time he saw the bow in the sky it would remind him of God's grace in the past (to save him and his family) and of God's grace in the future (despite man's sin God would not destroy them in this manner). The bow is a picture of God's grace. The bow is a reminder that God makes promises. The bow is a bookmark to helps us remember that God keeps His promises. Read what Paul says about Abraham and the promises of God:
Romans 4:20-21
yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.
I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh.
God keeps His promises!! What a blessed truth to hold onto for the believer. Not everyone keeps their promises and not everyone even remembers what they promise. When God put the rainbow in the sky for Noah as a reminder about His promise to never destroy the earth again with a flood, God did not do so because He was afraid He would forget. He put the bow in the sky so that we wouldn't forget. The only thing that God forgets is our sin when we come to Christ and He casts it behind His back and remembers it no more. Even then the phrase is used in regard to the fact that God dosen't hold our sins to our account anymore. In the above few verses what we see is that God has given us a sign of His promise-keeping. We can rest and be assured that what God says, He will do ... or, in this case, not do ever again. We need the reminder of the bow to keep us focused on God. Despite the difficulty of what Noah and his family had just been through (years of making the ark, being scorned by society, gathering the animals, living on the ark) he would probably forget most of the experience. Time does that to us. We can go through very bad things and years later they are only a brief memory. So, the bow was to remind Noah, his family, and us, that God makes promises, keeps the promises and that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Remember, the bow is to remember that God will NEVER again destroy the earth because of man's sin. Noah was not destroyed, so each time he saw the bow in the sky it would remind him of God's grace in the past (to save him and his family) and of God's grace in the future (despite man's sin God would not destroy them in this manner). The bow is a picture of God's grace. The bow is a reminder that God makes promises. The bow is a bookmark to helps us remember that God keeps His promises. Read what Paul says about Abraham and the promises of God:
Romans 4:20-21
yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Truth #14 - God gives His righteousness to underserving men!! Romans 3-4
Romans 3:23
... for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
We have to read the above verse from Paul's letter to the Romans in light of these two passages, concerning God's comments or thoughts about Job and Noah:
Job 1:1
There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.
Genesis 6:8-9
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.
How is it that Paul can state that "all" have sinned and come short of God's glory and we have two examples from the Old Testament writers that, at least, two men appeared to be righteous in their time? God is telling us that Noah and Job were men who were examples of righteousness and, yet, Paul tells us that no one is righteous, not one!! Even though, on first glance, this appears to be a conflict, we know that Scripture always rhymes with Scripture. When there is a conflict in our minds that is where the conflict is ... in our minds. The conflict is never with Scripture as God's Word is in perfect harmony with itself. Our interpretations of God's Word might, at times, be in conflict, but God's Word is not. Paul is making a point that NO MAN has any self-generated righteousness that can warrant God's merit; God's mercy. IF a man has any righteousness at all it is because God clothed him with it. In the case of Noah and Job we find two men who were clothed with the righteousness of God by God and for God's purpose. What Paul is teaching us in Romans is that our righteousness is NEVER based upon our own work but upon the grace and mercy of God. God gives righteousness. God makes man righteous, based solely on His mercy and grace, not on man's effort or internal ability. Paul's statement is to prove that man needs God's initiation of grace and mercy to be righteous. Paul is making a case that man is full of sin and can generate any good or produce any holiness that will merit God's good pleasure. God must first give the man righteousness for him to be righteous. Righteousness is a gift of God to man even when man is totally incapable of earning it or deserving it. That is what makes it gracious. God gives us His righteousness!! It is a gift. It has to be a gift because all men have sinned and come short of the glory of God!
2 Corthians 5:21
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
... for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
We have to read the above verse from Paul's letter to the Romans in light of these two passages, concerning God's comments or thoughts about Job and Noah:
Job 1:1
There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.
Genesis 6:8-9
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.
How is it that Paul can state that "all" have sinned and come short of God's glory and we have two examples from the Old Testament writers that, at least, two men appeared to be righteous in their time? God is telling us that Noah and Job were men who were examples of righteousness and, yet, Paul tells us that no one is righteous, not one!! Even though, on first glance, this appears to be a conflict, we know that Scripture always rhymes with Scripture. When there is a conflict in our minds that is where the conflict is ... in our minds. The conflict is never with Scripture as God's Word is in perfect harmony with itself. Our interpretations of God's Word might, at times, be in conflict, but God's Word is not. Paul is making a point that NO MAN has any self-generated righteousness that can warrant God's merit; God's mercy. IF a man has any righteousness at all it is because God clothed him with it. In the case of Noah and Job we find two men who were clothed with the righteousness of God by God and for God's purpose. What Paul is teaching us in Romans is that our righteousness is NEVER based upon our own work but upon the grace and mercy of God. God gives righteousness. God makes man righteous, based solely on His mercy and grace, not on man's effort or internal ability. Paul's statement is to prove that man needs God's initiation of grace and mercy to be righteous. Paul is making a case that man is full of sin and can generate any good or produce any holiness that will merit God's good pleasure. God must first give the man righteousness for him to be righteous. Righteousness is a gift of God to man even when man is totally incapable of earning it or deserving it. That is what makes it gracious. God gives us His righteousness!! It is a gift. It has to be a gift because all men have sinned and come short of the glory of God!
2 Corthians 5:21
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Truth #13 - God Speaks! Matthew 3-4
Matthew 3:17
and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”
Since the end of the Old Testament, God had not spoken. Up to this point His speaking to man had primarily been through the voice of the prophets. When the gospel opens both Mary and Joseph are spoken to by an angel. In communication to Joseph, God once spoke in a dream. To the Priest, Zacharias, John-the-Baptist's father, it was through an angel. Here, in the above passage, we are at the baptism of Jesus when He was baptized by John the Baptist. Having requested that John baptize Him, Jesus comes up out of the River Jordan and the above verse describes the scene. God spoke. There are times in the Old Testament that God spoke in an audible voice, that should be noted. The most famous and tied directly to this scene would be in Genesis 22:2.
Genesis 22:1-2
Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.”
Abraham was told by God that He must sacrifice Isaac. In our above text, in Matthew, we see God doing the same thing He asked Abraham to do: Sacrifice His only Son. God uses an audible voice to mark this occasion and to set a new precedent. From this point on, God would speak to us through His Son. Note the writer of Hebrews words:
Hebrews 1:1-2
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.
The truth we need to know is that God speaks to us. God communicates to us. God's Word is His message to us. God spoke to Jesus coming out of the water, not for Him, but for us. God wants us to know that Christ WAS and IS the final Word to us. In John we have it stated even more clearly:
John 1:14
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
This is John's way of saying that the glory Christ received as the Spirit descended upon Him at the baptism is God's acknowledgment the Jesus was the word made flesh. God speaks and His final word is Jesus. God was pleased with Jesus act of living a sinless life to be our perfect sacrifice and provides us with unconditional redemption; the forgiveness of sins. God speaks!!
and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”
Since the end of the Old Testament, God had not spoken. Up to this point His speaking to man had primarily been through the voice of the prophets. When the gospel opens both Mary and Joseph are spoken to by an angel. In communication to Joseph, God once spoke in a dream. To the Priest, Zacharias, John-the-Baptist's father, it was through an angel. Here, in the above passage, we are at the baptism of Jesus when He was baptized by John the Baptist. Having requested that John baptize Him, Jesus comes up out of the River Jordan and the above verse describes the scene. God spoke. There are times in the Old Testament that God spoke in an audible voice, that should be noted. The most famous and tied directly to this scene would be in Genesis 22:2.
Genesis 22:1-2
Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.”
Abraham was told by God that He must sacrifice Isaac. In our above text, in Matthew, we see God doing the same thing He asked Abraham to do: Sacrifice His only Son. God uses an audible voice to mark this occasion and to set a new precedent. From this point on, God would speak to us through His Son. Note the writer of Hebrews words:
Hebrews 1:1-2
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.
The truth we need to know is that God speaks to us. God communicates to us. God's Word is His message to us. God spoke to Jesus coming out of the water, not for Him, but for us. God wants us to know that Christ WAS and IS the final Word to us. In John we have it stated even more clearly:
John 1:14
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
This is John's way of saying that the glory Christ received as the Spirit descended upon Him at the baptism is God's acknowledgment the Jesus was the word made flesh. God speaks and His final word is Jesus. God was pleased with Jesus act of living a sinless life to be our perfect sacrifice and provides us with unconditional redemption; the forgiveness of sins. God speaks!!
Friday, January 9, 2015
Truth #12 - God is sovereign over the affairs of men and controls even the flies! Isaiah 7-11
Isaiah 10:15
Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it?
Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it?
That would be like a club wielding those who lift it,
Or like a rod lifting him who is not wood.
To fully understand the above verse out of Isaiah 10 we have to understand what God is talking about in this section of the prophet's writings. God is telling the nation of Israel and Judah that He will be disciplining their disobedience by using the wicked nation of the Assyrians to punish them. God could have used flies, or blood, or lice, or frogs, like He did in Egypt, to convince them to let His people God. God used an ass when the prophet Balaam was tempted to prophesy against Israel. God used a harlot to protect the spies in Jericho. God used a young lad to send a message to Paul's guard when there was a plot against Paul's life. God uses anyone and anything He wants to do His work. Note what Isaiah had just written a few chapters earlier about using a wicked nation to punish His holy people:
Isaiah 7:18
In that day the Lord will whistle for the fly that is in the remotest part of the rivers of Egypt and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
God calls people like He herds the bees and the flies. God uses the wicked in the way He wants. He allowed wicked men to be used by Satan to destroy Job's wealth. God uses the wicked, often. Yet, the wicked often boast about their power, position and possessions and never acknowledge that the Holy One of Israel was their guide and overseer. That is the context of the above verse. When the wicked fail to acknowledge God's sovereign rule over them, they are like the axe boasting that it cut the tree down, rather than giving glory to the One who wielded the axe. When the wicked (or anyone) fails to acknowledge God's rule over the affairs of this world they are a like a Black and Dekker saw jumping off the table and dancing around the room, claiming it was the saw that cut the stud so accurately. Assyria was a tool for God to work His greater plan. God uses the world to accomplish glorious things. Sometimes that is simply by removing His common-grace and allowing the wickedness of man to take control of him. When God removes His grace, that is holding back the wickedness of man, man will do awful and terrible things to themselves and each other. This is what God did with Assyria. God removed His grace and the evil hearts of the Assyrians took over and began to destroy the nation of Israel. When God wanted that stopped, He injected His grace again and caused them to have mercy ... something they would not have done prior without God's grace. God uses evil men, without making them do evil things. God simply removes the grace He is supplying that keeps the evilness in their hearts from going wild and unchecked. That is why it is so laughable ... or, better, unforgivable ... for the axe to claim fame when they are just a dumb, evil axe with a sharp edge. God is in perfect control of the flies, the bees, the evil axe of men's wickedness. We can trust Him to use it correctly to accomplish His plan.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Truth #11 - God does great miracles ... Without number! Job 3-5
Job 5:8-9
But as for me, I would seek God,
And I would place my cause before God;
Who does great and unsearchable things,
Wonders without number.
Eliphaz is the first of Job's friends to speak to him. At this moment Job's pain must be at its peak. At the end of chapter two we read that Job simply sat, with his friends, for one whole week, in silence. Now Eliphaz felt compelled to break that pensive period and offer his take on the situation. What we will find in reading of Job is that Job's three friends are often correct in the truths they point out to him, but wrong in their application to his situation. Remember, unlike us, they have no idea of the situation going on between God and Satan. Here, in the above passage, however, we might see that one time his friend is correct, in stating a truth and making a correct application to Job. Eliphaz gives great counsel, here. In the midst of conflict and suffering we ought to seek God, because we know He does great miracles and unsearchable things, without number. If only Eliphaz would have limited his counsel and application to this extent. (We will see later how he bends this truth as an indictment of Job rather than an encouragement to him.). But here he is correct. In suffering we ought to seek God. God DOES DO great and awesome miracles, without number. Job may not feel it (see Job 3:1-3 on how he feels right now), but he should still believe it. When our feelings can't handle truth our faith must. We should not doubt in the dark what we know to be true in the light. God does great miracles. We can't even number them. That is what God's Word is about. It is a collection of His miracles. Job needs a miracle. In the end of the book we will see that he gets one. But, now, he simply needs to believe God can and will do one. That is Eliphaz's good word to him at a bad time in his life. It is a good word to us. God does great miracles. Despite how we FEEL. Faith trumps feelings.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Truth #10 - God surrounds us with an army and dumps on us with favor!!! Psalm 3-5
Psalms 5:11-12
But let all who take refuge in You be glad,
Let them ever sing for joy;
And may You shelter them,
That those who love Your name may exult in You.
For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O Lord,
You surround him with favor as with a shield.
Each Psalm carries so much about the character of God and the character of man. Psalm 5 is a great example of that divergence. In the opening line of this worship-prayer the writer expresses his groaning toward God and pleads with God to give "ear" and to "consider" his "groaning." He comes to God because he lives in a society where the evilness of man comes out in their speech and they can't be trusted (Psalm 5:5-7). Their mouths are open windows to their hearts. As he prays and acknowledges both the ills of society and his own downfall we see him come to the fuller knowledge of God and who He is. In the above text he is no longer "groaning" but rather trusting. Whereas before his focus was on the ills of men he can now see the invisible "shelter" around him and all those who trust in Yahweh. God is there and we don't see Him. He surrounds us with His presence and His holy messengers like an invisible, but invincible curtain of care. He not only hears us (his plea in the opening line of the prayer), he bestows us with His holy "favor." Note Vine's comments on this important Hebrew word, "Ratson."
Ratson represents a concrete reaction of the superior to an inferior. When used of God, ratson may represent that which is shown in His blessings: “And for the precious things of the earth and fullness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush” (Deut. 33:16). Thus Isaiah speaks of the day, year, or time of divine “favor”-in other words, the day of the Lord when all the blessings of the covenant shall be heaped upon God’s people (Isa. 49:8; 58:5; 61:2). In wisdom literature, this word is used in the sense of “what men can bestow”: “He that diligently seeketh good procureth favor: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him” (Prov. 11:27). In Prov. 14:35, ratson refers to what a king can or will do for someone he likes.
God is there. He sees our pain and those who are ill against us. God surrounds us with His holy protection, not passively, but aggressively. We need to worship Him in the same way as the writer. We need to allow our groaning to be turned to gratitude for WHO God is and WHAT He does in care for us. Rejoice by focusing on Him rather than reel in the pain of the wicked.
But let all who take refuge in You be glad,
Let them ever sing for joy;
And may You shelter them,
That those who love Your name may exult in You.
For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O Lord,
You surround him with favor as with a shield.
Each Psalm carries so much about the character of God and the character of man. Psalm 5 is a great example of that divergence. In the opening line of this worship-prayer the writer expresses his groaning toward God and pleads with God to give "ear" and to "consider" his "groaning." He comes to God because he lives in a society where the evilness of man comes out in their speech and they can't be trusted (Psalm 5:5-7). Their mouths are open windows to their hearts. As he prays and acknowledges both the ills of society and his own downfall we see him come to the fuller knowledge of God and who He is. In the above text he is no longer "groaning" but rather trusting. Whereas before his focus was on the ills of men he can now see the invisible "shelter" around him and all those who trust in Yahweh. God is there and we don't see Him. He surrounds us with His presence and His holy messengers like an invisible, but invincible curtain of care. He not only hears us (his plea in the opening line of the prayer), he bestows us with His holy "favor." Note Vine's comments on this important Hebrew word, "Ratson."
Ratson represents a concrete reaction of the superior to an inferior. When used of God, ratson may represent that which is shown in His blessings: “And for the precious things of the earth and fullness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush” (Deut. 33:16). Thus Isaiah speaks of the day, year, or time of divine “favor”-in other words, the day of the Lord when all the blessings of the covenant shall be heaped upon God’s people (Isa. 49:8; 58:5; 61:2). In wisdom literature, this word is used in the sense of “what men can bestow”: “He that diligently seeketh good procureth favor: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him” (Prov. 11:27). In Prov. 14:35, ratson refers to what a king can or will do for someone he likes.
God is there. He sees our pain and those who are ill against us. God surrounds us with His holy protection, not passively, but aggressively. We need to worship Him in the same way as the writer. We need to allow our groaning to be turned to gratitude for WHO God is and WHAT He does in care for us. Rejoice by focusing on Him rather than reel in the pain of the wicked.
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Truth #9 - God takes pleasure in turning our lemon life into glorifying lemonade! Joshua 6-10
Joshua 10:6-8
Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not abandon your servants; come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites that live in the hill country have assembled against us.” So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him and all the valiant warriors. The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands; not one of them shall stand before you.”
To fully understand the above passage you have to note what is actually happening in Joshua 10. The city/region of Gibeon had made a fool of Joshua and tricked him and the nation of Israel into believing they were from a country a large distance away. Thinking in this manner, Joshua made a covenant with the people of Gibeon and, hence, became their allies. When the surrounding five kings saw that Joshua had defeated Jericho and Ai and were now allies with Gibeon, they decided to form a coalition and attacked Gibeon. It would have been easy for Joshua to simply let Gibeon get what they deserved. They made Joshua look foolish in front of the nation of Israel by disguising themselves as though they were from a long distance away and, yet, were actually their new neighbors. Any military advisor, trained in combat, would have tried to convince Joshua to let the five kings destroy Gibeon. We also have to remember that Joshua, in pride, had never consulted with God about the deal he struck with Gibeon. He not only made this bad deal, but his pride, like the first attack on Ai, led the nation into a bad situation. However, God can take the mistakes we make and turn them to His glory and to fulfill His purpose. God would use the disobedience and pride of Joshua, in making a treaty with Gibeon, to bring five kings together so Joshua and the army could defeat all of them at once. It might have taken years to destroy five kings from five separate and fortified cities. But, Joshua's mistake in leadership was used to God's advantage in bringing the five kings into a coalition, typically unheard of during those days. God took Joshua's mistake and turned it the good of His will. Romans 8:28 tells us that this is the truth about God's character and His plan:
Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
We have to remember that God is not pleased when we make deals with the world and don't consult Him first. But, we can also be assured that God can make Godly lemonade out of our prideful lemon life. God used this mistake to quicken the battle and hasten the victory over the land. God can use the mistakes we make in life for His glory if we are willing to see our mistakes as sin against Him. God puts the pieces together after we fall off the wall and crack. God can use it to accomplish His will and His purpose. Rejoice in God's sovereign rule in our lives to turn a bad day into an eternal victory.
Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not abandon your servants; come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites that live in the hill country have assembled against us.” So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him and all the valiant warriors. The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands; not one of them shall stand before you.”
To fully understand the above passage you have to note what is actually happening in Joshua 10. The city/region of Gibeon had made a fool of Joshua and tricked him and the nation of Israel into believing they were from a country a large distance away. Thinking in this manner, Joshua made a covenant with the people of Gibeon and, hence, became their allies. When the surrounding five kings saw that Joshua had defeated Jericho and Ai and were now allies with Gibeon, they decided to form a coalition and attacked Gibeon. It would have been easy for Joshua to simply let Gibeon get what they deserved. They made Joshua look foolish in front of the nation of Israel by disguising themselves as though they were from a long distance away and, yet, were actually their new neighbors. Any military advisor, trained in combat, would have tried to convince Joshua to let the five kings destroy Gibeon. We also have to remember that Joshua, in pride, had never consulted with God about the deal he struck with Gibeon. He not only made this bad deal, but his pride, like the first attack on Ai, led the nation into a bad situation. However, God can take the mistakes we make and turn them to His glory and to fulfill His purpose. God would use the disobedience and pride of Joshua, in making a treaty with Gibeon, to bring five kings together so Joshua and the army could defeat all of them at once. It might have taken years to destroy five kings from five separate and fortified cities. But, Joshua's mistake in leadership was used to God's advantage in bringing the five kings into a coalition, typically unheard of during those days. God took Joshua's mistake and turned it the good of His will. Romans 8:28 tells us that this is the truth about God's character and His plan:
Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
We have to remember that God is not pleased when we make deals with the world and don't consult Him first. But, we can also be assured that God can make Godly lemonade out of our prideful lemon life. God used this mistake to quicken the battle and hasten the victory over the land. God can use the mistakes we make in life for His glory if we are willing to see our mistakes as sin against Him. God puts the pieces together after we fall off the wall and crack. God can use it to accomplish His will and His purpose. Rejoice in God's sovereign rule in our lives to turn a bad day into an eternal victory.
Monday, January 5, 2015
Truth #8 - God is grieved by our sin! Genesis 4-7
Genesis 6:5-6
Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
Did you know that God can be grieved? The word for grieved is used 15 times in the Old Testament and signifies being in some sort of pain. Joseph, trying to console his brothers after they sold him into slavery, told them to not "grieve" about what they did (Genesis 45:5). In the above verse God is grieved because mankind was so sinful after the fall. God was so grieved that He brought a flood on the earth to destroy man. We are told in this verse that God so the evil man not only did, but He saw what man thought. Man was so sinful that the very intent of his heart is only evil. In Psalm 14:1-4 we are told that man's heart is continuously evil in their thoughts. God can see our hearts thoughts and knows the corruptness of them. Preachers from long ago would tell us that even the best and holy thoughts are still self-serving and anti-God. God is grieved by our sin. In Ephesians 4:30 we are told that the Holy Spirit, who seals us until the day of redemption (meaning He is our seal that we WILL BE redeemed) can be grieved our sin. We might fill guilty, but God is grieved. We might forget about it, but God is grieved. God is grieved in His Heart. God is grieved because of the grace He gives man and the fact that He created him and yet man rejects God by sinning against Him. We grieve God when we spurn His free grace.
Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
Did you know that God can be grieved? The word for grieved is used 15 times in the Old Testament and signifies being in some sort of pain. Joseph, trying to console his brothers after they sold him into slavery, told them to not "grieve" about what they did (Genesis 45:5). In the above verse God is grieved because mankind was so sinful after the fall. God was so grieved that He brought a flood on the earth to destroy man. We are told in this verse that God so the evil man not only did, but He saw what man thought. Man was so sinful that the very intent of his heart is only evil. In Psalm 14:1-4 we are told that man's heart is continuously evil in their thoughts. God can see our hearts thoughts and knows the corruptness of them. Preachers from long ago would tell us that even the best and holy thoughts are still self-serving and anti-God. God is grieved by our sin. In Ephesians 4:30 we are told that the Holy Spirit, who seals us until the day of redemption (meaning He is our seal that we WILL BE redeemed) can be grieved our sin. We might fill guilty, but God is grieved. We might forget about it, but God is grieved. God is grieved in His Heart. God is grieved because of the grace He gives man and the fact that He created him and yet man rejects God by sinning against Him. We grieve God when we spurn His free grace.
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Truth #7 - God reveals Himself to us in His written Word and creation! Romans 1-2
Romans 1:18-20
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
God has and continues to reveal Himself to man. There are many in our society who would like to claim that it is impossible to "know" God or even know that He exists. They like to stick their heads in the sand and deny what they actually see, hear and even feel. In the above text we discover that God has fully made Himself known to us. According to the above text, by observing the very world we live in, we should know the "invisible attributes" of God by observing the visible things we see. We should know the "eternal power" of God by simply seeing the natural power in the world. We should even be able to discover His "divine nature" by looking at the worlds physical and earthly nature. God has and continues to reveal the awesome aspects of His character. However, because of man's sin nature they continue to "suppress the truth." God is giving us Divine truth, yet man, because of his unrighteous nature, holds that truth back. If man was not unrighteous than the truth that He heard and observed would make Him free:
John 8:31-32
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
Yet, man is unrighteous. This is the very fact that Paul is about to unfold in this first chapter of Romans. Man's unrighteousness holds back truth. It is only God's grace that can cut through that unrighteous nature that can then, in-turn, cause us to know God and the truth about Him. Man is giving enough truth in nature to condemn Him. Because man rejects that truth and suppresses it by his unrighteousness, he fails to see the eternal, divine nature of the Creator who has revealed Himself in all the wonders around him. Those who are believers and have had their unrighteous nature cleansed by the saving grace of Christ, can see the beauty of God in nature and the world around us. Although God's Word is the man source of truth for the believer, the world was created in truth (John 1:1-4) and from this creation we are to learn about God's divine nature and eternal power. We can look into His Word to learn about God's attributes. We should also be able to see them in the creation which came to being by His very Word (Proverbs 8).
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
God has and continues to reveal Himself to man. There are many in our society who would like to claim that it is impossible to "know" God or even know that He exists. They like to stick their heads in the sand and deny what they actually see, hear and even feel. In the above text we discover that God has fully made Himself known to us. According to the above text, by observing the very world we live in, we should know the "invisible attributes" of God by observing the visible things we see. We should know the "eternal power" of God by simply seeing the natural power in the world. We should even be able to discover His "divine nature" by looking at the worlds physical and earthly nature. God has and continues to reveal the awesome aspects of His character. However, because of man's sin nature they continue to "suppress the truth." God is giving us Divine truth, yet man, because of his unrighteous nature, holds that truth back. If man was not unrighteous than the truth that He heard and observed would make Him free:
John 8:31-32
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
Yet, man is unrighteous. This is the very fact that Paul is about to unfold in this first chapter of Romans. Man's unrighteousness holds back truth. It is only God's grace that can cut through that unrighteous nature that can then, in-turn, cause us to know God and the truth about Him. Man is giving enough truth in nature to condemn Him. Because man rejects that truth and suppresses it by his unrighteousness, he fails to see the eternal, divine nature of the Creator who has revealed Himself in all the wonders around him. Those who are believers and have had their unrighteous nature cleansed by the saving grace of Christ, can see the beauty of God in nature and the world around us. Although God's Word is the man source of truth for the believer, the world was created in truth (John 1:1-4) and from this creation we are to learn about God's divine nature and eternal power. We can look into His Word to learn about God's attributes. We should also be able to see them in the creation which came to being by His very Word (Proverbs 8).
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Truth #6 - God loves and uses all types of people! Matthew 1-2
Matthew 1:5-6
Salmon was the father of Boaz "by Rahab", Boaz was the father of Obed "by Ruth," and Obed the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David the king.
David was the father of Solomon "by Bathsheba" who had been the wife of Uriah.
This might be a strange couple of verses to pick out of such a rich couple of chapters that focus on the birth of the Messiah. In the first sixteen verses of the first chapter we have a simple chronological outline of the ancestry of Jesus. In Matthew 1:17 we read there are 14 generations between Abraham and David; another 14 generations between David and the captivity; and another 14 generations between the captivity and the birth of Jesus. Matthew, the tax collector keeps perfect records. He is precise about he writes and knows the names of each man in the generational pool of the Christ Child. However, in three mentions of the male name, the mother of the male is also mentioned. We read in the above two verses that Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba were the mothers of someone in the genealogy of Christ. What does this tell us about God? It should be noted that two of the three (Rahab the harlot and Bathsheba the adulterer) would be shamed in any society. What we learn about God in this long list of names is that people matter to God and He uses all types to accomplish His task. Ruth was a Moabite. Rahab was a citizen of Jericho. Bathsheba was a wife contently married to her warrior/soldier Uriah and was seduced by the most powerful man in the world. Today, if King David were to do such a thing, it would occupy the 24-hour news cycle for months, if not years. Yet, despite the background of these three women, they are honored to be mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus. There is nothing that escapes God about the people He has created. He allows things to happen to them so that He can ultimately accomplish His plan for the Messiah and the glorification of Him. We ought never to forget that God sees us and notices us. God uses us the way He wants to accomplish the plan He wants: The glorification of His Son. Whereas we are focused on our comforts, God is focused on His mission. We might find ourselves to be a Rahab, a Ruth, or a Bathsheba in our walk on this earth. At the time, neither of those women would have become aware of their role in such a grand event. We don't always know what God is doing with us, but we need to, in faith, continue to submit to what He is doing. Only later might we know of the plan.
Salmon was the father of Boaz "by Rahab", Boaz was the father of Obed "by Ruth," and Obed the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David the king.
David was the father of Solomon "by Bathsheba" who had been the wife of Uriah.
This might be a strange couple of verses to pick out of such a rich couple of chapters that focus on the birth of the Messiah. In the first sixteen verses of the first chapter we have a simple chronological outline of the ancestry of Jesus. In Matthew 1:17 we read there are 14 generations between Abraham and David; another 14 generations between David and the captivity; and another 14 generations between the captivity and the birth of Jesus. Matthew, the tax collector keeps perfect records. He is precise about he writes and knows the names of each man in the generational pool of the Christ Child. However, in three mentions of the male name, the mother of the male is also mentioned. We read in the above two verses that Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba were the mothers of someone in the genealogy of Christ. What does this tell us about God? It should be noted that two of the three (Rahab the harlot and Bathsheba the adulterer) would be shamed in any society. What we learn about God in this long list of names is that people matter to God and He uses all types to accomplish His task. Ruth was a Moabite. Rahab was a citizen of Jericho. Bathsheba was a wife contently married to her warrior/soldier Uriah and was seduced by the most powerful man in the world. Today, if King David were to do such a thing, it would occupy the 24-hour news cycle for months, if not years. Yet, despite the background of these three women, they are honored to be mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus. There is nothing that escapes God about the people He has created. He allows things to happen to them so that He can ultimately accomplish His plan for the Messiah and the glorification of Him. We ought never to forget that God sees us and notices us. God uses us the way He wants to accomplish the plan He wants: The glorification of His Son. Whereas we are focused on our comforts, God is focused on His mission. We might find ourselves to be a Rahab, a Ruth, or a Bathsheba in our walk on this earth. At the time, neither of those women would have become aware of their role in such a grand event. We don't always know what God is doing with us, but we need to, in faith, continue to submit to what He is doing. Only later might we know of the plan.
Friday, January 2, 2015
Truth #5 - God is "reasonable" in His Justice!! Isaiah 1-6
Isaiah 1:18-20
“Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are as scarlet,
They will be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They will be like wool.
“If you consent and obey,
You will eat the best of the land;
“But if you refuse and rebel,
You will be devoured by the sword.”
Truly, the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
Is God "fair" in His justice and His covenant with His people? That might be the headline written over the above passage. The book of Isaiah is like a court document that a prosecutor might outline as he brings a case against someone who has committed an egregious act against a Sovereign. God invites the "defendant" (Israel in this case) to sit down and reasonably listen to the case and see if they don't come up with the same conclusion. The prosecutor even offers a solution to settle out of court, as we see in the verses above. God had looked at the offerings and the sacrifices and the worship of Israel and seen that they are done with a cold heart and were simply form worship. That will be the theme of the entire book. He tells them in Isaiah 1:15, 21 that they come to worship, but they have blood on their hands. In Isaiah 1:17, the verse just before this indictment, God tells them to replace their worship services with simply mercy and grace to the poor and the widows. God wants their hearts not the formal, repetitive acts of their ceremonial hands. God offers them a reprieve, however, in the above text. IF they simply confess their sins and seek to do His will, God will take away the redness of sin and change it to the crystal white of snow. Think of that imagery. From bright red to bright white ... instantly!! This is what God offers His people. That change in heart will result in a heart of obedience rather than simply just form acts of worship. Later in the New Testament we read from the book of James something very similar to Isaiah's plea:
James 1:26-27
If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Does this not seem reasonable? Pure religion is not about going to church. Pure religion is about doing acts of kindness and showing others an unstained walk before God in an unholy and filthy world. God is just in His case against Israel. God wants to reason that ought with them. No judge, or no people, who used their God-given tools of reason would not see that God is right in this indictment. God is "fair" and "right" in His judgement and covenant ... just reason it out!!
“Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are as scarlet,
They will be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They will be like wool.
“If you consent and obey,
You will eat the best of the land;
“But if you refuse and rebel,
You will be devoured by the sword.”
Truly, the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
Is God "fair" in His justice and His covenant with His people? That might be the headline written over the above passage. The book of Isaiah is like a court document that a prosecutor might outline as he brings a case against someone who has committed an egregious act against a Sovereign. God invites the "defendant" (Israel in this case) to sit down and reasonably listen to the case and see if they don't come up with the same conclusion. The prosecutor even offers a solution to settle out of court, as we see in the verses above. God had looked at the offerings and the sacrifices and the worship of Israel and seen that they are done with a cold heart and were simply form worship. That will be the theme of the entire book. He tells them in Isaiah 1:15, 21 that they come to worship, but they have blood on their hands. In Isaiah 1:17, the verse just before this indictment, God tells them to replace their worship services with simply mercy and grace to the poor and the widows. God wants their hearts not the formal, repetitive acts of their ceremonial hands. God offers them a reprieve, however, in the above text. IF they simply confess their sins and seek to do His will, God will take away the redness of sin and change it to the crystal white of snow. Think of that imagery. From bright red to bright white ... instantly!! This is what God offers His people. That change in heart will result in a heart of obedience rather than simply just form acts of worship. Later in the New Testament we read from the book of James something very similar to Isaiah's plea:
James 1:26-27
If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Does this not seem reasonable? Pure religion is not about going to church. Pure religion is about doing acts of kindness and showing others an unstained walk before God in an unholy and filthy world. God is just in His case against Israel. God wants to reason that ought with them. No judge, or no people, who used their God-given tools of reason would not see that God is right in this indictment. God is "fair" and "right" in His judgement and covenant ... just reason it out!!
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Truth #4 - God observes us! Job 1-2
Job 1:8
The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”
Have you ever considered that God is watching us? In the above text you have the introduction of the story of Job. Satan has wondered about the earth and is now appearing before God. God, to boast about Job, asks Satan if he has considered the greatness of Job - his willingness to fear God and live a blameless life in front of his fellow man. Satan has noticed Job and that is when the challenge begins. Satan gets permission from God to touch Job's life (his family and possessions) and then eventually his own body; yet, to spare his life. We know the rest of the story. Yet, God starts the entire episode of challenging Satan by noticing Job. God watches us. Notice the truth taught in these texts:
Amos 9:8 (In speaking to the nation of Judah)
“Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom,
And I will destroy it from the face of the earth;
Nevertheless, I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob,”
Declares the Lord.
2 Chronicles 16:9 (In speaking to King David)
For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars.”
We can either take comfort in God's eyes watching us, or we can stand in fright. The truth is that God observes man and can either boast of him or condemn him. God is not detached from us. God is engaged with us and watches us. That might be fearful.
Isaiah 29:15-16
Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the Lord,
And whose deeds are done in a dark place,
And they say, “Who sees us?” or “Who knows us?”
You turn things around!
Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay,
That what is made would say to its maker, “He did not make me”;
Or what is formed say to him who formed it, “He has no understanding”?
God made us. He can certainly see us. We can not hide from God. Imagine God saying to Satan, "Have you considered your servant ____________, he/she is blameless and upright and fears God." Imagine God putting your name in the blank. God knows if He can.
The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”
Have you ever considered that God is watching us? In the above text you have the introduction of the story of Job. Satan has wondered about the earth and is now appearing before God. God, to boast about Job, asks Satan if he has considered the greatness of Job - his willingness to fear God and live a blameless life in front of his fellow man. Satan has noticed Job and that is when the challenge begins. Satan gets permission from God to touch Job's life (his family and possessions) and then eventually his own body; yet, to spare his life. We know the rest of the story. Yet, God starts the entire episode of challenging Satan by noticing Job. God watches us. Notice the truth taught in these texts:
Amos 9:8 (In speaking to the nation of Judah)
“Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom,
And I will destroy it from the face of the earth;
Nevertheless, I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob,”
Declares the Lord.
2 Chronicles 16:9 (In speaking to King David)
For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars.”
We can either take comfort in God's eyes watching us, or we can stand in fright. The truth is that God observes man and can either boast of him or condemn him. God is not detached from us. God is engaged with us and watches us. That might be fearful.
Isaiah 29:15-16
Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the Lord,
And whose deeds are done in a dark place,
And they say, “Who sees us?” or “Who knows us?”
You turn things around!
Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay,
That what is made would say to its maker, “He did not make me”;
Or what is formed say to him who formed it, “He has no understanding”?
God made us. He can certainly see us. We can not hide from God. Imagine God saying to Satan, "Have you considered your servant ____________, he/she is blameless and upright and fears God." Imagine God putting your name in the blank. God knows if He can.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)