Galatians 3:2-3
Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
Truth: All parts of salvation are by grace through faith!! There is much talk in the church today about the doctrine of sanctification. Sanctification is the doctrine of becoming Holy and shaped into the image of Christ. The debate is what part do WE play in our sanctification ... our becoming holy. Some would tells us that God "saves" us and then we in "obedience" perfect that salvation through works. Others would say that once we are saved, we do nothing else. That process, after our initial salvation is called, "sanctification." However, it should be noted that the "after" we are saved part is misleading. Salvation begins with Predestination (something done prior to the universe being formed) and ends with Glorification (something done when we stand with Christ in heaven) ... see Romans 8 for that chain that is never broken:
Romans 8:29-30
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Paul is quite clear in his letter to the Thessalonians in regard to who does the "sanctification" leg of salvation:
2 Thessalonians 2:13 (NASBStr)
But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.
Yet, despite clear statements in the Scriptures, false teachers attempt to convince the church that sactification is something we do rather than something that is happening in us, by the Spirit. However, no Scripture can be as clear as the one in the above text written to the churches in the region of Galatia. They were tempted to leave the gospel Paul had taught them and, instead, believe in a gospel taught by false teachers, Paul thought should be accursed ... he actually tells us twice they are accursed (Galatians 1:7-9). Paul warns the believers in Galatia to make sure they are not lead astray by a gospel that starts with faith, but is finished by works. This is what many in the modern church preach. They would tell us that salvation is by faith. However, if you listen to their preaching you will soon come to realize that my "staying" saved is based upon my doing the things they list out in their sermons and comments that indicate you are "doing" to show you are part of the "community." This might be ever so faint, but any works that attribute any part of salvation to works is false teaching. Paul tells us in numerous occasions that sanctification is, like justification, through faith. It is the Spirit that does the sanctification (shapes us into the image of Christ) and, as the above passage states, the Spirit is given to us by faith. The fruit that demonstrates we are in the faith is not the fruit of a franchise church system or denominational creed. The fruit that proves we are in the Body of Christ is the the Fruit of the Spirit, Paul will later list in this book of Galatians (see Galatians 5:22-23). The truth is God justified us by faith and He is sanctifying us by faith. Good works are a result of what He does in us, not something we do for Him to prove our faith.
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Truth #153 - God honors those who submit to His authroity - Luke 7-8
Luke 7:8-9
For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”
Truth: Christ expects, honors and rewards those who submit to authority. The above passage is taken from the story of the Centurion who had a servant on his death bed. The Centurion had done much for the Jews (he actually funded the building a synagogue). In this story the Centurion sends his servants to Christ requesting Christ to heal the servant. Jesus agrees and leaves with them headed for the Centurion's home. But, the Centurion recognizing the power of authority, makes the above statement. He recognizes that Jesus must in authority because he has heard the great things Jesus has done. In Luke 7:3 we are told he "heard" of the great things Jesus had done. That is enough for him to put his faith in the authority of Jesus words. This is why Jesus states what He states in the above passage. The Centurion recognizes the power of authority and submitting to it. Men need to be under authority. The ability to go under authority is a mark of humility. Read Philippians 2:5-11 about Christ coming under authority. Christ left the glory of heaven to come under the authority of the Heavenly Father. Submitting to authority is a large mark in maturity. It is also a large mark of faith. Notice what Paul tells us in Romans 13 about submitting to the authority of the government. Notice what Paul says to women about submitting to the authority of their husbands in Ephesians 5:22. Notice the command to submit to the leadership of the church in Hebrews 13:17-19. Submitting to authority IS the mark of a mature person of faith. Our rebellious nature against God in the Garden of Eden in the beginning continues to this day. This is why Jesus was truck with the submissive nature of the Centurion. But, the Centurion had used his logic to come to faith. He recognized the hierarchal structure of the world. He say that one was under another. So, in his logic, he assumed that if Christ could cast out demons Christ was at the top of the hierarchal chain. It is "faith" that is rewarded and that is a gift from God. But, it is also his mind that allowed him to process the events of the day to conclude that Christ must be Deity and he should put his faith in Jesus. His willingness to submit to authority opened up the benefits of his faith that affected the life of his servant. Christ expects, honors and rewards those who submit to authority.
For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”
Truth: Christ expects, honors and rewards those who submit to authority. The above passage is taken from the story of the Centurion who had a servant on his death bed. The Centurion had done much for the Jews (he actually funded the building a synagogue). In this story the Centurion sends his servants to Christ requesting Christ to heal the servant. Jesus agrees and leaves with them headed for the Centurion's home. But, the Centurion recognizing the power of authority, makes the above statement. He recognizes that Jesus must in authority because he has heard the great things Jesus has done. In Luke 7:3 we are told he "heard" of the great things Jesus had done. That is enough for him to put his faith in the authority of Jesus words. This is why Jesus states what He states in the above passage. The Centurion recognizes the power of authority and submitting to it. Men need to be under authority. The ability to go under authority is a mark of humility. Read Philippians 2:5-11 about Christ coming under authority. Christ left the glory of heaven to come under the authority of the Heavenly Father. Submitting to authority is a large mark in maturity. It is also a large mark of faith. Notice what Paul tells us in Romans 13 about submitting to the authority of the government. Notice what Paul says to women about submitting to the authority of their husbands in Ephesians 5:22. Notice the command to submit to the leadership of the church in Hebrews 13:17-19. Submitting to authority IS the mark of a mature person of faith. Our rebellious nature against God in the Garden of Eden in the beginning continues to this day. This is why Jesus was truck with the submissive nature of the Centurion. But, the Centurion had used his logic to come to faith. He recognized the hierarchal structure of the world. He say that one was under another. So, in his logic, he assumed that if Christ could cast out demons Christ was at the top of the hierarchal chain. It is "faith" that is rewarded and that is a gift from God. But, it is also his mind that allowed him to process the events of the day to conclude that Christ must be Deity and he should put his faith in Jesus. His willingness to submit to authority opened up the benefits of his faith that affected the life of his servant. Christ expects, honors and rewards those who submit to authority.
Friday, May 29, 2015
Truth #152 - God will judge ... every nation, people - Jeremiah 49-52
Jeremiah 48:7
For, because you trusted in your works and your treasures,
you also shall be taken;
and Chemosh shall go into exile
with his priests and his officials.
Truth: If God brings judgement on His people, He will judge the non-believer ... even if He used the non-believer to judge His people. In the last chapters of Jeremiah the prophet prophecies the "woes" on the surrounding nations of Judah, as well as the "hammer of God," Babylon. Babylon and the surrounding nations have been used by God as His hammer to punish His people. Now, they too, must meet their discipline. God is a God of justice and no one escapes that judgment. In this particular chapter God is giving the woe agains Moab. The Moabites where a thorn in Judah's side for generation. They were supposed to be wiped out (like sin in our lives) but were allowed to remain (like sin in our lives) ... so they continued to torment Judah (like sin in our lives). The above verse gives us a good summary of Moab's discipline and of the other surrounding nations. Like many nations (and many people), Moab had trusted in their own riches and treasures. Yet, God would bring not only their treasures down, but also their gods into captivity. "Chemosh" in the above passage is the name of one of the Moabites gods. It was not uncommon that when a city or nation was taken captive that the captors would not only take all the material goods, but also the gods of those they had conquered. When we fail to trust in God, He disciplines us, and the things we trusted in and put our faith in (our gods) He also destroys. God also states, in the above passage, that He will take captive the religious and political leaders. Moab would be taken captive and her riches, gods and leaders would all be destroyed. Imagine, if in any society, God had done the same thing ... taken captive your treasure, faith and leadership? What would the results be? The financial, political and religious stability of the land would be destroyed. God will not allow anyone, no matter who they are, to live separate from Him. We might see the structures and powers of this world seem to be in charge and enjoying their power. However, God will judge them for this. God will not allow anyone to escape His justice. God has, through Christ, defeated death and the punishment of death in our lives, however. Through faith we have overcome death and the legal demands of God's justice. Note what Paul tells the Colossian believers:
Colossians 2:13-14
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
The only way to escape God's justice is to allow Him, through faith, to pay for the penalty of sin, through the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. The nations surrounding Judah, like Judah herself, had failed to see God's mercy and thus had to endure His justice.
For, because you trusted in your works and your treasures,
you also shall be taken;
and Chemosh shall go into exile
with his priests and his officials.
Truth: If God brings judgement on His people, He will judge the non-believer ... even if He used the non-believer to judge His people. In the last chapters of Jeremiah the prophet prophecies the "woes" on the surrounding nations of Judah, as well as the "hammer of God," Babylon. Babylon and the surrounding nations have been used by God as His hammer to punish His people. Now, they too, must meet their discipline. God is a God of justice and no one escapes that judgment. In this particular chapter God is giving the woe agains Moab. The Moabites where a thorn in Judah's side for generation. They were supposed to be wiped out (like sin in our lives) but were allowed to remain (like sin in our lives) ... so they continued to torment Judah (like sin in our lives). The above verse gives us a good summary of Moab's discipline and of the other surrounding nations. Like many nations (and many people), Moab had trusted in their own riches and treasures. Yet, God would bring not only their treasures down, but also their gods into captivity. "Chemosh" in the above passage is the name of one of the Moabites gods. It was not uncommon that when a city or nation was taken captive that the captors would not only take all the material goods, but also the gods of those they had conquered. When we fail to trust in God, He disciplines us, and the things we trusted in and put our faith in (our gods) He also destroys. God also states, in the above passage, that He will take captive the religious and political leaders. Moab would be taken captive and her riches, gods and leaders would all be destroyed. Imagine, if in any society, God had done the same thing ... taken captive your treasure, faith and leadership? What would the results be? The financial, political and religious stability of the land would be destroyed. God will not allow anyone, no matter who they are, to live separate from Him. We might see the structures and powers of this world seem to be in charge and enjoying their power. However, God will judge them for this. God will not allow anyone to escape His justice. God has, through Christ, defeated death and the punishment of death in our lives, however. Through faith we have overcome death and the legal demands of God's justice. Note what Paul tells the Colossian believers:
Colossians 2:13-14
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
The only way to escape God's justice is to allow Him, through faith, to pay for the penalty of sin, through the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. The nations surrounding Judah, like Judah herself, had failed to see God's mercy and thus had to endure His justice.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Truth #151 - God provides all the wisdom we need - Proverbs 1
Proverbs 1:2-6
To know wisdom and instruction,
to understand words of insight,
to receive instruction in wise dealing,
in righteousness, justice, and equity;
to give prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the youth—
Let the wise hear and increase in learning,
and the one who understands obtain guidance,
to understand a proverb and a saying,
the words of the wise and their riddles.
Solomon wrote Proverbs for a specific purpose. And, like a good writer or speaker, he outlines that purpose right off the top of the writings. In these few verses of Proverbs, Solomon tells us that he wants this collection of proverbs to assist us in "knowing wisdom and instruction" and to equipped us in the "discernment" of these very sayings of understanding. Stated another way he wants us to know what wisdom and proper instruction of life is all about and to have the discernment to know how to exact it. Our libraries and book stores are full of words from mere men who hope to give us wisdom and instruction. They hope to provide us with discerment in our lives. In reality, God's Word is the only book that can accomplish that. Solomon doesn't try to hide that fact. He bodly states what all should know: God's Word provides all we need for wisdom and instruction in life to be discerning. Yet, the world doesn't see it. They ignore the Word and they search through meaningless pages of wit looking for real wisdom. The God of the universe has given it to them. Right here in Proverbs. Read them with the faith that what Solomon hoped to accomplish will be accomplished in the lives of all who read here.
To know wisdom and instruction,
to understand words of insight,
to receive instruction in wise dealing,
in righteousness, justice, and equity;
to give prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the youth—
Let the wise hear and increase in learning,
and the one who understands obtain guidance,
to understand a proverb and a saying,
the words of the wise and their riddles.
Solomon wrote Proverbs for a specific purpose. And, like a good writer or speaker, he outlines that purpose right off the top of the writings. In these few verses of Proverbs, Solomon tells us that he wants this collection of proverbs to assist us in "knowing wisdom and instruction" and to equipped us in the "discernment" of these very sayings of understanding. Stated another way he wants us to know what wisdom and proper instruction of life is all about and to have the discernment to know how to exact it. Our libraries and book stores are full of words from mere men who hope to give us wisdom and instruction. They hope to provide us with discerment in our lives. In reality, God's Word is the only book that can accomplish that. Solomon doesn't try to hide that fact. He bodly states what all should know: God's Word provides all we need for wisdom and instruction in life to be discerning. Yet, the world doesn't see it. They ignore the Word and they search through meaningless pages of wit looking for real wisdom. The God of the universe has given it to them. Right here in Proverbs. Read them with the faith that what Solomon hoped to accomplish will be accomplished in the lives of all who read here.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Truth #150 - We are to long for God! Psalm 63-65
Psalms 63:1
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Truth: God is the most important pursuit known to man! Have you ever made a statement as the following: "I am so hungry! I am starving for _______!! ... and then, fill in the blank with whatever has your taste buds now. Or, have you ever searched through the web for something like a car you desire, a chair to fit that corner of the room, a shoe type that perfectly matches that dress, or any other item you have scanned the complete internet to find? Have you ever lost something in your home and turned the entire house up-side-down to find it? You huff and puff until you blow up every room to locate that one thing you were so desirous to find. Look through these statements and what do you find as a theme? They are about having an earnest desire for something temporal. No man is exempt from the pursuit of the temporal. Yet, in the above passage David tells us of his pursuit: The Eternal, Immortal God of the universe. David sought God as though he were in a desert place, dying of thirst and God was his only water. When we get a new car we look at it through the window and admire our purchase. When we get a new home we take pictures and show our friends. When we get a new job we shout from the rooftops about it. These are things that are important but are only temporary in our lives. I have lived in 20 different homes or apartments in my sixty-plus years of life ... that's assuming I counted them all. They are all temporary. God has given us Himself, an eternal Being to rejoice and long for. We ought to measure our spiritual depth by how much we pursue our relationship with Him and think of Him. A newly wedded couple spends the days and nights before and right after their wedding longing for each other. That longing is what David is talking about in the Psalm. If we are not in the mode of longing and we have something else in the way of that desire, we have something wrong in our daily life with Him. He is to be longed for as though we are to die of thirst without Him!!!
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Truth: God is the most important pursuit known to man! Have you ever made a statement as the following: "I am so hungry! I am starving for _______!! ... and then, fill in the blank with whatever has your taste buds now. Or, have you ever searched through the web for something like a car you desire, a chair to fit that corner of the room, a shoe type that perfectly matches that dress, or any other item you have scanned the complete internet to find? Have you ever lost something in your home and turned the entire house up-side-down to find it? You huff and puff until you blow up every room to locate that one thing you were so desirous to find. Look through these statements and what do you find as a theme? They are about having an earnest desire for something temporal. No man is exempt from the pursuit of the temporal. Yet, in the above passage David tells us of his pursuit: The Eternal, Immortal God of the universe. David sought God as though he were in a desert place, dying of thirst and God was his only water. When we get a new car we look at it through the window and admire our purchase. When we get a new home we take pictures and show our friends. When we get a new job we shout from the rooftops about it. These are things that are important but are only temporary in our lives. I have lived in 20 different homes or apartments in my sixty-plus years of life ... that's assuming I counted them all. They are all temporary. God has given us Himself, an eternal Being to rejoice and long for. We ought to measure our spiritual depth by how much we pursue our relationship with Him and think of Him. A newly wedded couple spends the days and nights before and right after their wedding longing for each other. That longing is what David is talking about in the Psalm. If we are not in the mode of longing and we have something else in the way of that desire, we have something wrong in our daily life with Him. He is to be longed for as though we are to die of thirst without Him!!!
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Truth #149 - God supplies wisdom to those who want it - 1 Kings 1-4
1 Kings 4:29-30
And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, so that Solomon's wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.
Truth: God gives us the tools and insights we need to accomplish His tasks in His plans. We don't know the exact age of Solomon when the above passage was written about him. Some believe he could have been in his early teens, while others in his early twenties. There are even some who put him pre-teens, at this point. But, although we don't know his chronological age, we certainly know the limits of his leadership acumen. Solomon had little experience in making judgments about the land, the law, or the legal. Solomon was, however, raised in the royal court of his father, King David. He did have some knowledge of the hallways and the staircases. Yet, that would not have qualified him for what we read about him. When asked by God to have his desires filled, Solomon choose wisdom and knowledge as a gift from God rather than power, position, property or prestige (Px4). Yet, having asked God for wisdom and understanding, those lead to the Px4. God gives blessings to those who seek wisdom because those who seek wisdom, in faith, will get that wisdom and that wisdom will, in turn, give them discernment to make great choices. Those choices will produce a Px4 life style. God gives wisdom freely to those who wish to seek it by true faith:
James 1:5-8
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Solomon approached God in faith (he was sacrificing to God when God asked him for his request). Solomon was given wisdom and that wisdom was used to make great choices for the kingdom. We ought not seek the Px4 life. We ought to seek wisdom in the knowledge of God. In turn God will give us power, position, property and prestige ... in a manner we may not even think ... in a time we may not even realize ... in a place we may not have seen.
And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, so that Solomon's wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.
Truth: God gives us the tools and insights we need to accomplish His tasks in His plans. We don't know the exact age of Solomon when the above passage was written about him. Some believe he could have been in his early teens, while others in his early twenties. There are even some who put him pre-teens, at this point. But, although we don't know his chronological age, we certainly know the limits of his leadership acumen. Solomon had little experience in making judgments about the land, the law, or the legal. Solomon was, however, raised in the royal court of his father, King David. He did have some knowledge of the hallways and the staircases. Yet, that would not have qualified him for what we read about him. When asked by God to have his desires filled, Solomon choose wisdom and knowledge as a gift from God rather than power, position, property or prestige (Px4). Yet, having asked God for wisdom and understanding, those lead to the Px4. God gives blessings to those who seek wisdom because those who seek wisdom, in faith, will get that wisdom and that wisdom will, in turn, give them discernment to make great choices. Those choices will produce a Px4 life style. God gives wisdom freely to those who wish to seek it by true faith:
James 1:5-8
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Solomon approached God in faith (he was sacrificing to God when God asked him for his request). Solomon was given wisdom and that wisdom was used to make great choices for the kingdom. We ought not seek the Px4 life. We ought to seek wisdom in the knowledge of God. In turn God will give us power, position, property and prestige ... in a manner we may not even think ... in a time we may not even realize ... in a place we may not have seen.
Monday, May 25, 2015
Truth #148 - God will prevent others from sinning when we obey Him!! Exodus 33-36
Exodus 34:24
For I will cast out nations before you and enlarge your borders; no one shall covet your land, when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times in the year.
Truth: God will prevent others from sinning when they obey Him! The nation of Israel was God's chosen people. But, what good would it be to be chosen if you had to no blessings or benefits from the choice. The fact that they were chosen implies benefits. There were many, many benefits giving to the nation of Israel. Read Romans 9:1-5 and Paul lists some of them. One of the "physical" blessings given to them was this land. The land was part of the covenant. The land is the tangible evidence of their unique calling ... to every Israelite, past and present and future. They missed the point of Christ setting up an eternal and an invisible kingdom. They have and, probably will be, always be focused on the land. And, if we read the book of The Revelation, we can see that in the end, much fighting will continue about the land ... as it does today. The nations are fighting of the land. Other nations "want" the land. They are doing every thing they can do to get the land. And, yet, read the above passage. God is telling them that if they will obey Him and worship Him, He will even stop the non-believer from sinning ... He will stop the other nations from coveting their land. They (Israel) are in a crisis today because they refuse to obey the Word of God and accept their Messiah, Jesus the Christ. God is obligated to bless them, only if they obey. The covenant of the land was based upon their obedience to Christ. God gives us promises and if, by faith, we obey them, the blessings flow. He will make others to be at peach with us, is a great example of that truth (Romans 12:16-17). We lose out on God's blessing when we fail to honor Him with our obedience by faith. God can prevent others from sinning if we obey Him. That is truth we seldom realize but is always true.
For I will cast out nations before you and enlarge your borders; no one shall covet your land, when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times in the year.
Truth: God will prevent others from sinning when they obey Him! The nation of Israel was God's chosen people. But, what good would it be to be chosen if you had to no blessings or benefits from the choice. The fact that they were chosen implies benefits. There were many, many benefits giving to the nation of Israel. Read Romans 9:1-5 and Paul lists some of them. One of the "physical" blessings given to them was this land. The land was part of the covenant. The land is the tangible evidence of their unique calling ... to every Israelite, past and present and future. They missed the point of Christ setting up an eternal and an invisible kingdom. They have and, probably will be, always be focused on the land. And, if we read the book of The Revelation, we can see that in the end, much fighting will continue about the land ... as it does today. The nations are fighting of the land. Other nations "want" the land. They are doing every thing they can do to get the land. And, yet, read the above passage. God is telling them that if they will obey Him and worship Him, He will even stop the non-believer from sinning ... He will stop the other nations from coveting their land. They (Israel) are in a crisis today because they refuse to obey the Word of God and accept their Messiah, Jesus the Christ. God is obligated to bless them, only if they obey. The covenant of the land was based upon their obedience to Christ. God gives us promises and if, by faith, we obey them, the blessings flow. He will make others to be at peach with us, is a great example of that truth (Romans 12:16-17). We lose out on God's blessing when we fail to honor Him with our obedience by faith. God can prevent others from sinning if we obey Him. That is truth we seldom realize but is always true.
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Truth #154 - God does ALL of salvation, not just justification - Galatains 1-3
Galatians 3:2-3
Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
Truth: All parts of salvation are by grace through faith!! There is much talk in the church today about the doctrine of sanctification. Sanctification is the doctrine of becoming Holy and shaped into the image of Christ. The debate is what part do WE play in our sanctification ... our becoming holy. Some would tells us that God "saves" us and then we in "obedience" perfect that salvation through works. Others would say that once we are saved, we do nothing else. That process, after our initial salvation is called, "sanctification." However, it should be noted that the "after" we are saved part is misleading. Salvation begins with Predestination (something done prior to the universe being formed) and ends with Glorification (something done when we stand with Christ in heaven) ... see Romans 8 for that chain that is never broken:
Romans 8:29-30
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Paul is quite clear in his letter to the Thessalonians in regard to who does the "sanctification" leg of salvation:
2 Thessalonians 2:13 (NASBStr)
But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.
Yet, despite clear statements in the Scriptures, false teachers attempt to convince the church that sactification is something we do rather than something that is happening in us, by the Spirit. However, no Scripture can be as clear as the one in the above text written to the churches in the region of Galatia. They were tempted to leave the gospel Paul had taught them and, instead, believe in a gospel taught by false teachers, Paul thought should be accursed ... he actually tells us twice they are accursed (Galatians 1:7-9). Paul warns the believers in Galatia to make sure they are not lead astray by a gospel that starts with faith, but is finished by works. This is what many in the modern church preach. They would tell us that salvation is by faith. However, if you listen to their preaching you will soon come to realize that my "staying" saved is based upon my doing the things they list out in their sermons and comments that indicate you are "doing" to show you are part of the "community." This might be ever so faint, but any works that attribute any part of salvation to works is false teaching. Paul tells us in numerous occasions that sanctification is, like justification, through faith. It is the Spirit that does the sanctification (shapes us into the image of Christ) and, as the above passage states, the Spirit is given to us by faith. The fruit that demonstrates we are in the faith is not the fruit of a franchise church system or denominational creed. The fruit that proves we are in the Body of Christ is the the Fruit of the Spirit, Paul will later list in this book of Galatians (see Galatians 5:22-23). The truth is God justified us by faith and He is sanctifying us by faith. Good works are a result of what He does in us, not something we do for Him to prove our faith.
Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
Truth: All parts of salvation are by grace through faith!! There is much talk in the church today about the doctrine of sanctification. Sanctification is the doctrine of becoming Holy and shaped into the image of Christ. The debate is what part do WE play in our sanctification ... our becoming holy. Some would tells us that God "saves" us and then we in "obedience" perfect that salvation through works. Others would say that once we are saved, we do nothing else. That process, after our initial salvation is called, "sanctification." However, it should be noted that the "after" we are saved part is misleading. Salvation begins with Predestination (something done prior to the universe being formed) and ends with Glorification (something done when we stand with Christ in heaven) ... see Romans 8 for that chain that is never broken:
Romans 8:29-30
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Paul is quite clear in his letter to the Thessalonians in regard to who does the "sanctification" leg of salvation:
2 Thessalonians 2:13 (NASBStr)
But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.
Yet, despite clear statements in the Scriptures, false teachers attempt to convince the church that sactification is something we do rather than something that is happening in us, by the Spirit. However, no Scripture can be as clear as the one in the above text written to the churches in the region of Galatia. They were tempted to leave the gospel Paul had taught them and, instead, believe in a gospel taught by false teachers, Paul thought should be accursed ... he actually tells us twice they are accursed (Galatians 1:7-9). Paul warns the believers in Galatia to make sure they are not lead astray by a gospel that starts with faith, but is finished by works. This is what many in the modern church preach. They would tell us that salvation is by faith. However, if you listen to their preaching you will soon come to realize that my "staying" saved is based upon my doing the things they list out in their sermons and comments that indicate you are "doing" to show you are part of the "community." This might be ever so faint, but any works that attribute any part of salvation to works is false teaching. Paul tells us in numerous occasions that sanctification is, like justification, through faith. It is the Spirit that does the sanctification (shapes us into the image of Christ) and, as the above passage states, the Spirit is given to us by faith. The fruit that demonstrates we are in the faith is not the fruit of a franchise church system or denominational creed. The fruit that proves we are in the Body of Christ is the the Fruit of the Spirit, Paul will later list in this book of Galatians (see Galatians 5:22-23). The truth is God justified us by faith and He is sanctifying us by faith. Good works are a result of what He does in us, not something we do for Him to prove our faith.
Truth #147 - God wants us to aim for restoration in the Body - 2 Corinthians 11-13
2 Corinthians 13:11
Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
Paul has just ended his condemnation of and exhortation to the Corinthian church about, false teachers. Paul, in these last couple of chapters, has both exposed the false teachers motives and methods, while at the same time defended his actions and mission. Paul was called by Christ on the Damascus Road (see Acts chapter nine). He was later given a vision by Christ (2 Corinthians 12:2-4). He did not want to boast about these things (2 Corinthians 12:1), but did, in order to make sure that the false teachers did not gain good ground and footing in the body of Christ. Now that this was accomplished in chapters eleven and twelve, Paul moves on in chapter thirteen, in a large change of direction, to unite the body. He wants them to know that the direction of the body out to unity. False teaching will always fracture the Body. True Biblical teaching will unite the Body. Paul wants us to "aim for restoration." In some texts (NIV) that phrase is translated "aim for perfection." The difference between the two is the "voice" in the Greek. Suffice it to say for this brief writing that the context seems to be one favoring "restoration." Paul realized his writings were going to tear at the church. He know that there were those who had struck a loyalty with the false teachers and were deceived by them. He even stated he knew they could make themselves "angels of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). He is closing the letter and he wants them to make sure that the false teachers have not divided them and wants them to be sure to aim for a restorative attitude. He wants them to "comfort one another" and to "agree with one another." The context here is that of harmony in the Body (Romans 12:16). We need to make sure that our aim in our ministry is one that keeps us pure without separating us. The NASV states the same verse as follows:
2 Corinthians 13:11
Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
The emphasis is that of harmony. Note that all three translations tell us that it is the God of love and peace that will be with us. As we seek restoration we can be assured that God can give it. God is the one who enables us to recognize false teachers and still maintain harmony in that pursuit of purity. This is not a human effort, it is a pure effort of God doing something in us all, to draw us all together. "Aim for restoration!!!" What a great aim in life.
Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
Paul has just ended his condemnation of and exhortation to the Corinthian church about, false teachers. Paul, in these last couple of chapters, has both exposed the false teachers motives and methods, while at the same time defended his actions and mission. Paul was called by Christ on the Damascus Road (see Acts chapter nine). He was later given a vision by Christ (2 Corinthians 12:2-4). He did not want to boast about these things (2 Corinthians 12:1), but did, in order to make sure that the false teachers did not gain good ground and footing in the body of Christ. Now that this was accomplished in chapters eleven and twelve, Paul moves on in chapter thirteen, in a large change of direction, to unite the body. He wants them to know that the direction of the body out to unity. False teaching will always fracture the Body. True Biblical teaching will unite the Body. Paul wants us to "aim for restoration." In some texts (NIV) that phrase is translated "aim for perfection." The difference between the two is the "voice" in the Greek. Suffice it to say for this brief writing that the context seems to be one favoring "restoration." Paul realized his writings were going to tear at the church. He know that there were those who had struck a loyalty with the false teachers and were deceived by them. He even stated he knew they could make themselves "angels of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). He is closing the letter and he wants them to make sure that the false teachers have not divided them and wants them to be sure to aim for a restorative attitude. He wants them to "comfort one another" and to "agree with one another." The context here is that of harmony in the Body (Romans 12:16). We need to make sure that our aim in our ministry is one that keeps us pure without separating us. The NASV states the same verse as follows:
2 Corinthians 13:11
Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
The emphasis is that of harmony. Note that all three translations tell us that it is the God of love and peace that will be with us. As we seek restoration we can be assured that God can give it. God is the one who enables us to recognize false teachers and still maintain harmony in that pursuit of purity. This is not a human effort, it is a pure effort of God doing something in us all, to draw us all together. "Aim for restoration!!!" What a great aim in life.
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Truth #146 - The old will struggle with the new - Luke 5-6
Luke 5:36-39
He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’”
The new does not mix with the old. The above passage does not say that the old and the new don't have some compatibility, but it does say the transition between the new and the old will be a struggle. Jesus, in the parable, tells us that His new message (contained in the Gospel) will not mix well with the old message of the Pharisees and religious leaders (their "interpretation" of the Law). Since a new piece of cloth has not yet shrunk, due to washing, the new piece sown onto an old garment will tear away the old when the two are washed together. The old doesn't have the flexibility of the new. The new doesn't have the stability of the old. Jesus expands that thought be talking about new wine skins and old wine skins. An old wine skin has already been stretched to its fullest and is past the point of flexibility. However, new wine needs to expand. If you put new wine into the old wine skin the "stability" of the old can't handle the "expanding" nature of the new. In the garment parable of Jesus words, we read that new things shrink. They adjust over time and diminish in their flexibility. In the parable of the wine, we learn new things expand and will expand the old ... they will stretch the old ... sometimes beyond the capacity of the old. The lessons in this parable for how we bring new thoughts and new methods to old organizations and old systems are many. Jesus, of course, is referring to Himself and the fact that the gospel (His offer for salvation by grace through faith, to all men, by the work He will soon do on the cross) will not mix with the man-made-works-based-salvation spoken by the religious leaders of the day. The new will expand the old. The new will tear at the old as it settles into place. If we think of this principle in the context of organizations or systems or process it speaks volumes as to what happens when we integrate the new with the old. We ought to expect some tearing. We ought to expect some expanding ... that might even cause some bursting. Christ's words are warning us about the foolishness of such a thought. The religious leaders of the day couldn't take their interpretation of life and fit it into Christ's reality for what life should be and will be. The last line of the passage gives us a clue why they so resisted the thought of a change in system and change in thought. Note again what it says: "But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, "The old is good." Jesus knew that the message of the Gospel, the "good" news, would be rejected by the old guard because the old guard liked their old wine. They had become used to it and it had seasoned with age. Yet, Jesus was the new wine and the new was not going to fit into the old. The concept of "love your neighbor" was not going to fit into the Pharisees plotting to kill the one who was teaching that concept. When we attempt to "change" systems and organizations and thoughts of people, we must remember that, like the Pharisees, they have become the old wine in the old wineskin. They will burst with the new. Jesus is not telling us to avoid the new, but rather to be aware of the process of the shrinking of the new as it is incorporated and the expanding of the old as it is implemented. In some context you might say, based upon this parable, there is no such thing as a "smooth" transition. The nature of change does not always allow the old and the new to interface the way we hope.
He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’”
The new does not mix with the old. The above passage does not say that the old and the new don't have some compatibility, but it does say the transition between the new and the old will be a struggle. Jesus, in the parable, tells us that His new message (contained in the Gospel) will not mix well with the old message of the Pharisees and religious leaders (their "interpretation" of the Law). Since a new piece of cloth has not yet shrunk, due to washing, the new piece sown onto an old garment will tear away the old when the two are washed together. The old doesn't have the flexibility of the new. The new doesn't have the stability of the old. Jesus expands that thought be talking about new wine skins and old wine skins. An old wine skin has already been stretched to its fullest and is past the point of flexibility. However, new wine needs to expand. If you put new wine into the old wine skin the "stability" of the old can't handle the "expanding" nature of the new. In the garment parable of Jesus words, we read that new things shrink. They adjust over time and diminish in their flexibility. In the parable of the wine, we learn new things expand and will expand the old ... they will stretch the old ... sometimes beyond the capacity of the old. The lessons in this parable for how we bring new thoughts and new methods to old organizations and old systems are many. Jesus, of course, is referring to Himself and the fact that the gospel (His offer for salvation by grace through faith, to all men, by the work He will soon do on the cross) will not mix with the man-made-works-based-salvation spoken by the religious leaders of the day. The new will expand the old. The new will tear at the old as it settles into place. If we think of this principle in the context of organizations or systems or process it speaks volumes as to what happens when we integrate the new with the old. We ought to expect some tearing. We ought to expect some expanding ... that might even cause some bursting. Christ's words are warning us about the foolishness of such a thought. The religious leaders of the day couldn't take their interpretation of life and fit it into Christ's reality for what life should be and will be. The last line of the passage gives us a clue why they so resisted the thought of a change in system and change in thought. Note again what it says: "But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, "The old is good." Jesus knew that the message of the Gospel, the "good" news, would be rejected by the old guard because the old guard liked their old wine. They had become used to it and it had seasoned with age. Yet, Jesus was the new wine and the new was not going to fit into the old. The concept of "love your neighbor" was not going to fit into the Pharisees plotting to kill the one who was teaching that concept. When we attempt to "change" systems and organizations and thoughts of people, we must remember that, like the Pharisees, they have become the old wine in the old wineskin. They will burst with the new. Jesus is not telling us to avoid the new, but rather to be aware of the process of the shrinking of the new as it is incorporated and the expanding of the old as it is implemented. In some context you might say, based upon this parable, there is no such thing as a "smooth" transition. The nature of change does not always allow the old and the new to interface the way we hope.
Friday, May 22, 2015
Truth #145 - God WILL discipline us - Jeremiah 42-46
Jeremiah 46:27-28
“But fear not, O Jacob my servant,
nor be dismayed, O Israel,
for behold, I will save you from far away,
and your offspring from the land of their captivity.
Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease,
and none shall make him afraid.
Fear not, O Jacob my servant,
declares the Lord,
for I am with you.
I will make a full end of all the nations
to which I have driven you,
but of you I will not make a full end.
I will discipline you in just measure,
and I will by no means leave you unpunished.”
We really can't appreciate this couple of verses in Jeremiah's prophecy without recalling the chapters prior. These two verses really summarize what began in Jeremiah 42. In that chapter the leaders of Israel that still remained in the land (Babylon had already taken most of Israel captive) had come to Jeremiah and asked him to pray to God for them. They not only asked him to pray but promised to obey whatever God said. That was a lie!! They did not obey and instead, when Jeremiah told them to NOT go to Egypt and stay in the land under the captivity of the Babylonians, they left for Egypt and rejected the leadership of Babylon. That is the context of these two verses. God will discipline those who reject His Word. We can think that He won't, or that He chooses to ignore our sin and disobedience. The last two lines of the above verses sum up God's call to us and His work in us and to us: "I WILL discipline you in just measure, and I WIL by no means leave you unpunished." God's discipline for His children is real and sure. We are NOT, however to reject it and fear it as though some bad thing. If we disobey, the correction is to move us closer to conforming to His image. This is a long passage to include in such a short group of devotional thoughts, but you can read what Jeremiah wrote without fully, by faith, grasping what the writer of Hebrews wrote to us in the New Testament. Read it in faith and accept it in truth. God will and does discipline us. But we are to rejoice in it and not rebel further as a result over it.
Hebrews 12:3-11
Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”
It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
“But fear not, O Jacob my servant,
nor be dismayed, O Israel,
for behold, I will save you from far away,
and your offspring from the land of their captivity.
Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease,
and none shall make him afraid.
Fear not, O Jacob my servant,
declares the Lord,
for I am with you.
I will make a full end of all the nations
to which I have driven you,
but of you I will not make a full end.
I will discipline you in just measure,
and I will by no means leave you unpunished.”
We really can't appreciate this couple of verses in Jeremiah's prophecy without recalling the chapters prior. These two verses really summarize what began in Jeremiah 42. In that chapter the leaders of Israel that still remained in the land (Babylon had already taken most of Israel captive) had come to Jeremiah and asked him to pray to God for them. They not only asked him to pray but promised to obey whatever God said. That was a lie!! They did not obey and instead, when Jeremiah told them to NOT go to Egypt and stay in the land under the captivity of the Babylonians, they left for Egypt and rejected the leadership of Babylon. That is the context of these two verses. God will discipline those who reject His Word. We can think that He won't, or that He chooses to ignore our sin and disobedience. The last two lines of the above verses sum up God's call to us and His work in us and to us: "I WILL discipline you in just measure, and I WIL by no means leave you unpunished." God's discipline for His children is real and sure. We are NOT, however to reject it and fear it as though some bad thing. If we disobey, the correction is to move us closer to conforming to His image. This is a long passage to include in such a short group of devotional thoughts, but you can read what Jeremiah wrote without fully, by faith, grasping what the writer of Hebrews wrote to us in the New Testament. Read it in faith and accept it in truth. God will and does discipline us. But we are to rejoice in it and not rebel further as a result over it.
Hebrews 12:3-11
Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”
It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Truth #144 - God's purpose can't be stopped!! - Job 40-42
Job 42:1-2
Then Job answered the Lord and said:
“I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
We may not know God's purpose. We may not like God's purpose. We may not be able to explain God's purpose. But, one thing Job lets us know in this verse is we can't thwart God's purpose from taking place. No one can thwart God's purpose(s) from taking place. What God will do, God will do!! That can be fearful to some. If we have no relationship God and don't believe we are His children, we will, most likely, fear God's purposes. That fear can be manifested in denial ... people simply say there is no God. That way they don't have to deal with God's purposes. That fear can be manifested in ignorance ... people simply say they aren't sure if there is a God. That way they don't have to deal with God's purposes. The fear can be manifested in defiance ... people simply say that God is wrong about His purposes and they oppose Him to His face. That way they can ignore God's purposes. But, God can't be denied, ignored, or destained. God has a purpose and each act of His purpose is being carried out without a hinderance from man, Satan, evil angels or powers of the unknown. Job has been rebuked for his presumptuous talk about his pain and suffering. Job's friends have been, and will be the more, rebuked by God for their false and ignorant counsel to Job in his time of need. Job's response to that rebuke is a deep repentive confession that acknowledges the ultimate power and Lordship of God's plan and purposes. If our repenting does not invoke a similar response, then we ought to check the heart of our repentance. We ought to know God's purpose and we ought be seeking ways to promote God's purposes. We ought to be aware that some will not be able to accept those purposes and will set their minds out to stop them. But, in faith, we can rejoice that God's purpose can NOT be thwarted.
Then Job answered the Lord and said:
“I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
We may not know God's purpose. We may not like God's purpose. We may not be able to explain God's purpose. But, one thing Job lets us know in this verse is we can't thwart God's purpose from taking place. No one can thwart God's purpose(s) from taking place. What God will do, God will do!! That can be fearful to some. If we have no relationship God and don't believe we are His children, we will, most likely, fear God's purposes. That fear can be manifested in denial ... people simply say there is no God. That way they don't have to deal with God's purposes. That fear can be manifested in ignorance ... people simply say they aren't sure if there is a God. That way they don't have to deal with God's purposes. The fear can be manifested in defiance ... people simply say that God is wrong about His purposes and they oppose Him to His face. That way they can ignore God's purposes. But, God can't be denied, ignored, or destained. God has a purpose and each act of His purpose is being carried out without a hinderance from man, Satan, evil angels or powers of the unknown. Job has been rebuked for his presumptuous talk about his pain and suffering. Job's friends have been, and will be the more, rebuked by God for their false and ignorant counsel to Job in his time of need. Job's response to that rebuke is a deep repentive confession that acknowledges the ultimate power and Lordship of God's plan and purposes. If our repenting does not invoke a similar response, then we ought to check the heart of our repentance. We ought to know God's purpose and we ought be seeking ways to promote God's purposes. We ought to be aware that some will not be able to accept those purposes and will set their minds out to stop them. But, in faith, we can rejoice that God's purpose can NOT be thwarted.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Truth #143 - God has my future and my present - Psalm 60-62
Psalms 62:5-7
For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
for my hope is from him.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my salvation and my glory;
my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
The two key words in this passage for me are "alone" and "rests." In the first line the writer states, "For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence." We tend to wait in panic, not silence. We tend to wait in anxiousness, not silence. The reason we have this anxiousness is that we trust in other things, rather than in Christ "alone." The reason for our anxiousness is that we put our trust in things that can't be trusted. We place our lives in the hands of fate and/or luck and/or man ... this will take away the other key word in this passage: "Rest." The writer states in the second to the last line, "On God rests my salvation and my glory." Note that the author not only says his "salvation" rests on God, but also any honor or praise or "glory" he gets in life. If we have God "alone" we can rest in the fact that our honor and salvation will come from Him, as well. We tend to think God is in charge of our salvation but we are in charge of our honor ... we think we earn it ... we think we deserve it. The truth of the matter is that God gives us both our salvation in the future the honor we have for the life in the present. God is God alone and our hope alone. That is a truth we can rest upon. Knowing God has our future and our present should give us great peace and rest.
For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
for my hope is from him.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my salvation and my glory;
my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
The two key words in this passage for me are "alone" and "rests." In the first line the writer states, "For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence." We tend to wait in panic, not silence. We tend to wait in anxiousness, not silence. The reason we have this anxiousness is that we trust in other things, rather than in Christ "alone." The reason for our anxiousness is that we put our trust in things that can't be trusted. We place our lives in the hands of fate and/or luck and/or man ... this will take away the other key word in this passage: "Rest." The writer states in the second to the last line, "On God rests my salvation and my glory." Note that the author not only says his "salvation" rests on God, but also any honor or praise or "glory" he gets in life. If we have God "alone" we can rest in the fact that our honor and salvation will come from Him, as well. We tend to think God is in charge of our salvation but we are in charge of our honor ... we think we earn it ... we think we deserve it. The truth of the matter is that God gives us both our salvation in the future the honor we have for the life in the present. God is God alone and our hope alone. That is a truth we can rest upon. Knowing God has our future and our present should give us great peace and rest.
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Truth #142 - God wants us to honor and worshp in truth - 2 Samuel 20-24
2 Samuel 24:24
But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
We ought to be careful offering something to God and pretending to be something when we are not. King David feared not be genuine. He feared being fake before God. So, when purchasing the threshing floor (that marked when the angel of the Lord had stopped the destructive plague brought about by David's sin to number the Israelites. David wanted to memorialize the threshing floor, where the angel stopped the destruction for the nation. Araunah, who owned the threshing floor, was willing to give it to the king. But, the king did not use his position of power to gain for himself. The position of power and using power for yourself is a hard aspect for a leader's life. David could have demanded the threshing floor. He could have lowballed the price. Yet, what he does is not only buy it, but he pays the full price. He didn't do it, however, to show off to men. He did it to honor God. He knew he was going to sacrifice to the Lord on that spot and knew that needed to be worthy. We can use our power and our prestige and then worship. In Acts 5 we read about a husband and a wife who lied about selling their land and giving it ALL to the Lord. But, they held back a part and it was the lie to God that caused their death. They could have held back part of the land. I twas because their lie was they sold the entire land they had for so much that this caused their death. King David didn't want to offer to God in a place he did not purchase sacrificially. God wants us to worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). We ought not worship on the cheap.
But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
We ought to be careful offering something to God and pretending to be something when we are not. King David feared not be genuine. He feared being fake before God. So, when purchasing the threshing floor (that marked when the angel of the Lord had stopped the destructive plague brought about by David's sin to number the Israelites. David wanted to memorialize the threshing floor, where the angel stopped the destruction for the nation. Araunah, who owned the threshing floor, was willing to give it to the king. But, the king did not use his position of power to gain for himself. The position of power and using power for yourself is a hard aspect for a leader's life. David could have demanded the threshing floor. He could have lowballed the price. Yet, what he does is not only buy it, but he pays the full price. He didn't do it, however, to show off to men. He did it to honor God. He knew he was going to sacrifice to the Lord on that spot and knew that needed to be worthy. We can use our power and our prestige and then worship. In Acts 5 we read about a husband and a wife who lied about selling their land and giving it ALL to the Lord. But, they held back a part and it was the lie to God that caused their death. They could have held back part of the land. I twas because their lie was they sold the entire land they had for so much that this caused their death. King David didn't want to offer to God in a place he did not purchase sacrificially. God wants us to worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). We ought not worship on the cheap.
Monday, May 18, 2015
Truth #141 - God provides trained workers for the work - Exodus 30-32
Exodus 31:1-3
The Lord said to Moses, “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship,
Those whom God calls for a task God equips for a task .. or provides those who can do the task. God called upon Moses to complete a construction project. However, Moses was a known shepherd, not a master craftsmen. Moses had spent his time leading sheep, not working with gold, silver and wood. If God wanted this thing built He would have to provide a master builder. Here is the lesson from the above passage. God does not give us a project to to without either equipping us or giving someone to us who is equipped. Bezalel was such a man to Moses. This man was a master craftsmen. We can only assume he learned his craft while in captivity with the Egyptians. The nation had been slaves for the past years. We also should recall that when Israel and the sons came to Egypt they were shepherds. So, somewhere in their years of captivity, Bezalel had to learn how to craft wood, gold and jewels. Not only does God provide those who know how to do the job(s) he calls us to do, He remarkably prepares people for those jobs in the most unusual settings. We should not always look for the "typical" and "normal" workers for God's work. God can and does provide unusually trained people to accomplish His tasks. Later God would use a shepherd boy who used a sling to kill bears and lions while watching sheep to kill the giant in the land and restore national pride and faith in God. Later God would use a captive named Daniel to direct four different kings. Daniel was trained in the ways of Babylon, yet he was grounded in his faith in the God of Jacob. Later God would use a man trained by the highest of all Pharisees to bring the gospel and stand against the Pharisees: Paul. Later God would take a man who was trained in catching fish to catch men: Peter. God uses the odd to accomplish the great.
The Lord said to Moses, “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship,
Those whom God calls for a task God equips for a task .. or provides those who can do the task. God called upon Moses to complete a construction project. However, Moses was a known shepherd, not a master craftsmen. Moses had spent his time leading sheep, not working with gold, silver and wood. If God wanted this thing built He would have to provide a master builder. Here is the lesson from the above passage. God does not give us a project to to without either equipping us or giving someone to us who is equipped. Bezalel was such a man to Moses. This man was a master craftsmen. We can only assume he learned his craft while in captivity with the Egyptians. The nation had been slaves for the past years. We also should recall that when Israel and the sons came to Egypt they were shepherds. So, somewhere in their years of captivity, Bezalel had to learn how to craft wood, gold and jewels. Not only does God provide those who know how to do the job(s) he calls us to do, He remarkably prepares people for those jobs in the most unusual settings. We should not always look for the "typical" and "normal" workers for God's work. God can and does provide unusually trained people to accomplish His tasks. Later God would use a shepherd boy who used a sling to kill bears and lions while watching sheep to kill the giant in the land and restore national pride and faith in God. Later God would use a captive named Daniel to direct four different kings. Daniel was trained in the ways of Babylon, yet he was grounded in his faith in the God of Jacob. Later God would use a man trained by the highest of all Pharisees to bring the gospel and stand against the Pharisees: Paul. Later God would take a man who was trained in catching fish to catch men: Peter. God uses the odd to accomplish the great.
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Truth #140 - We can be bold when Christ is in us - 1 Corinthians 9-10
2 Corinthians 10:3-6
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
In this second letter to the church at Corinth, Paul is defending his ministry. He has been accused of being "weak in the flesh" even though he is "strong in letter." It seems there were those in the early church who were opposing Paul's ministry (for selfish gains). Their criticism was that Paul could write powerful letters, but that if he came to them, he would be "weak in the flesh" (is physical presence apparently was not threatening ... perhaps he was small of stature). This challenge to Paul and his ministry ignited in Paul the necessity to not just defend his ministry, but himself, as well. However, his defense does not take on a personal tone. Paul instead focuses entirely on the power of Christ, who was living in him. Paul doesn't focus on his resume to defend himself. He knows that without Christ he is nothing. Instead, Paul focuses on the power of Christ living in him. That power is "divine." Paul's ministry has power, but not because he has a large NFL Football player stature. Paul's speech is bold, but not because he is a Wall Street mogul who controls the stock market. Paul's power is because Christ lives in him and chooses to use him. Paul has the knowledge of God and the power of Christ. He is ready to destroy any argument that goes against that knowledge of God and that denies the power and sufficiency of Christ. The truth is, we are all powerful when we have Christ in us. We all can be bold when we speak for Christ. When we have the truth of the knowledge of God's Word, we have power!!
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
In this second letter to the church at Corinth, Paul is defending his ministry. He has been accused of being "weak in the flesh" even though he is "strong in letter." It seems there were those in the early church who were opposing Paul's ministry (for selfish gains). Their criticism was that Paul could write powerful letters, but that if he came to them, he would be "weak in the flesh" (is physical presence apparently was not threatening ... perhaps he was small of stature). This challenge to Paul and his ministry ignited in Paul the necessity to not just defend his ministry, but himself, as well. However, his defense does not take on a personal tone. Paul instead focuses entirely on the power of Christ, who was living in him. Paul doesn't focus on his resume to defend himself. He knows that without Christ he is nothing. Instead, Paul focuses on the power of Christ living in him. That power is "divine." Paul's ministry has power, but not because he has a large NFL Football player stature. Paul's speech is bold, but not because he is a Wall Street mogul who controls the stock market. Paul's power is because Christ lives in him and chooses to use him. Paul has the knowledge of God and the power of Christ. He is ready to destroy any argument that goes against that knowledge of God and that denies the power and sufficiency of Christ. The truth is, we are all powerful when we have Christ in us. We all can be bold when we speak for Christ. When we have the truth of the knowledge of God's Word, we have power!!
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Truth #139 - God's Word is amazing and astonishing - Luke 3-4
Luke 4:31-32
And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority.
One of the most popular avenues to convey information and ideas today is the concept of TEDTalks. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design. The concept is that people get in front of an audience to convey their ideas and thoughts. During the Apostle Paul's day the Greeks would do this at the Areopagus. This was a TEDTalk for the ancient world. Note what Dr. Luke tells us about this in his historical account in the book of Acts:
Acts 17:21
Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.
The days Luke is referring to would be post-Socrates. The "discussion" of ideas and philosophy would come out of the Socrate-Plato-Aristotle-Greek philosophy form of learning and thinking. Christ was born and ministered right in the middle of this time frame. When Christ came onto the scene men were interested in ideas and thoughts. The modern TEDTalk concept is just a way, via technology, to create what the Greeks did centuries ago ... and what Christ took advantage of in Him ministry. The difference is that Christ wasn't just talking about ideas and entertainment, or for entertainment. Christ was talking truth and in an authoritative manner. When the people heard Christ there was something different about Him. His words carried the authority of the Creator of the universe. It is important to remember and reflect on that thought. God is the top of the authoritative chain. When we hear His Words, spoken in the Gospels, or taught in the Epistles, we need to be as "astonished" at His teaching, as in the days He walked the earth. Today, men and women are constantly looking for truth. They seldom know where to find it and astonished and moved when they hear it. Paul warned us that what was happening in his day with the Greeks would continue in our day. Note the following words he told young Pastor Timothy:
2 Timothy 4:3
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,
People are "itching" for the truth. The truth sets people free (John 8:32). We ought to be careful about what we "talk" about. We can so easily caught up into our world and spend our time sharing the latest philosophy or idea, and forget that God has truth. Let's make sure we share the truth of God's Word that will cause men and women to be amazed. Rather than falling into the trap Paul warned the Colossian believers:
Colossians 2:8
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority.
One of the most popular avenues to convey information and ideas today is the concept of TEDTalks. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design. The concept is that people get in front of an audience to convey their ideas and thoughts. During the Apostle Paul's day the Greeks would do this at the Areopagus. This was a TEDTalk for the ancient world. Note what Dr. Luke tells us about this in his historical account in the book of Acts:
Acts 17:21
Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.
The days Luke is referring to would be post-Socrates. The "discussion" of ideas and philosophy would come out of the Socrate-Plato-Aristotle-Greek philosophy form of learning and thinking. Christ was born and ministered right in the middle of this time frame. When Christ came onto the scene men were interested in ideas and thoughts. The modern TEDTalk concept is just a way, via technology, to create what the Greeks did centuries ago ... and what Christ took advantage of in Him ministry. The difference is that Christ wasn't just talking about ideas and entertainment, or for entertainment. Christ was talking truth and in an authoritative manner. When the people heard Christ there was something different about Him. His words carried the authority of the Creator of the universe. It is important to remember and reflect on that thought. God is the top of the authoritative chain. When we hear His Words, spoken in the Gospels, or taught in the Epistles, we need to be as "astonished" at His teaching, as in the days He walked the earth. Today, men and women are constantly looking for truth. They seldom know where to find it and astonished and moved when they hear it. Paul warned us that what was happening in his day with the Greeks would continue in our day. Note the following words he told young Pastor Timothy:
2 Timothy 4:3
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,
People are "itching" for the truth. The truth sets people free (John 8:32). We ought to be careful about what we "talk" about. We can so easily caught up into our world and spend our time sharing the latest philosophy or idea, and forget that God has truth. Let's make sure we share the truth of God's Word that will cause men and women to be amazed. Rather than falling into the trap Paul warned the Colossian believers:
Colossians 2:8
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
Friday, May 15, 2015
Truth #138 - Sometimes the world likes us more than we like us - Jeremaiah 37-41
Jeremiah 39:11-12
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave command concerning Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, saying, “Take him, look after him well, and do him no harm, but deal with him as he tells you.”
If you have ever been slighted by believers in the body and then respected and treated well by the world, than you know what this verse about Jeremiah is teaching us. Sometimes the world treats us with more respect than our own body of believers. That is what was happening to Jeremiah. God had sent Jeremiah to His people to warn them to return to God. Yet, these countrymen of Jeremiah had not only rejected God's message through Jeremiah, they took that rejection out ON Jeremiah. God was disciplining them for all their years of rejecting Him and yet, rather than repenting, they rejected Jeremiah also. But, Jeremiah wasn't the only one. Note what Jesus will later say to the Pharisees and Religious leaders of his day (who will also reject Him .... their Messiah):
Luke 11:47-49
Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. So you are witnesses and you consent to the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their tombs. Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’
Yet, notice what the King of Babylon does for Jeremiah: He instructs his military officers to not only treat him well, but to "deal with him as he tells you." It was only a few chapters earlier that Jeremiah was tossed into a cistern of mud by the King of Israel. One king, who is supposed to love his countrymen, tosses Jeremiah into a mud-pit and another king, who is supposed to hate Jeremiah, not only cares for him but allows him to direct his own path. That is the irony we find in the world vs. the church today. We will often see people talk badly about a member of the body of Christ and have no relationships with that person and yet the world respects and befriends that very same person. What a shame for God's people!! We find members of the church not talking to one another and yet the world in full communication with them. Personally I have been ignored and shunned by members of the body of Christ and, yet, treated with high respect by the world. That is a such a bad feeling. Body members who can't love and non-body members who do. That is like your own physical body rejecting your hands but another body using them with vigor. We ought to make sure that never happens in our churches and relationships with believers. Unless there is a doctrinal issue, we ought to embrace the body ... especially better than the world does. Notice how the King of Babylon treats Jeremiah in the end. He gets all expenses-paid-trip to the city of his choice. This is completely opposite of how his own people treated him:
Jeremiah 40:4-6
Now, behold, I release you today from the chains on your hands. If it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you well, but if it seems wrong to you to come with me to Babylon, do not come. See, the whole land is before you; go wherever you think it good and right to go. If you remain, then return to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon appointed governor of the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people. Or go wherever you think it right to go.” So the captain of the guard gave him an allowance of food and a present, and let him go. Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, at Mizpah, and lived with him among the people who were left in the land.
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave command concerning Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, saying, “Take him, look after him well, and do him no harm, but deal with him as he tells you.”
If you have ever been slighted by believers in the body and then respected and treated well by the world, than you know what this verse about Jeremiah is teaching us. Sometimes the world treats us with more respect than our own body of believers. That is what was happening to Jeremiah. God had sent Jeremiah to His people to warn them to return to God. Yet, these countrymen of Jeremiah had not only rejected God's message through Jeremiah, they took that rejection out ON Jeremiah. God was disciplining them for all their years of rejecting Him and yet, rather than repenting, they rejected Jeremiah also. But, Jeremiah wasn't the only one. Note what Jesus will later say to the Pharisees and Religious leaders of his day (who will also reject Him .... their Messiah):
Luke 11:47-49
Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. So you are witnesses and you consent to the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their tombs. Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’
Yet, notice what the King of Babylon does for Jeremiah: He instructs his military officers to not only treat him well, but to "deal with him as he tells you." It was only a few chapters earlier that Jeremiah was tossed into a cistern of mud by the King of Israel. One king, who is supposed to love his countrymen, tosses Jeremiah into a mud-pit and another king, who is supposed to hate Jeremiah, not only cares for him but allows him to direct his own path. That is the irony we find in the world vs. the church today. We will often see people talk badly about a member of the body of Christ and have no relationships with that person and yet the world respects and befriends that very same person. What a shame for God's people!! We find members of the church not talking to one another and yet the world in full communication with them. Personally I have been ignored and shunned by members of the body of Christ and, yet, treated with high respect by the world. That is a such a bad feeling. Body members who can't love and non-body members who do. That is like your own physical body rejecting your hands but another body using them with vigor. We ought to make sure that never happens in our churches and relationships with believers. Unless there is a doctrinal issue, we ought to embrace the body ... especially better than the world does. Notice how the King of Babylon treats Jeremiah in the end. He gets all expenses-paid-trip to the city of his choice. This is completely opposite of how his own people treated him:
Jeremiah 40:4-6
Now, behold, I release you today from the chains on your hands. If it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you well, but if it seems wrong to you to come with me to Babylon, do not come. See, the whole land is before you; go wherever you think it good and right to go. If you remain, then return to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon appointed governor of the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people. Or go wherever you think it right to go.” So the captain of the guard gave him an allowance of food and a present, and let him go. Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, at Mizpah, and lived with him among the people who were left in the land.
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Truth #137 - We know nothing - Job 38-39
Job 38:2-3
“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
Dress for action like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.
In chapters 38-39 we finally come to the end of the discussion of Job and his friends. In these two chapters and beyond we hear the finality of authority ... for God speaks. God is about to address all of them, but, as Job 38:1 states:
Job 38:1
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
God is specifically speaking to Job. He will, eventually, speak to his three friends, but, for now, the words are directed directly to Job (out of a whirlwind ... imagine the scene as Job is sitting down on the side of the road with his friends having a theological debate and God decides to join them ... via a whirlwind and audible voice). As God begins to speak he addresses Job and immediately throws down the gauntlet. God ask Job directly (and perhaps implies this to his three friends), "Who is this that is clouding the issue with empty words?" God rebukes them with one single sentence. All this talk (for over 30 chapters of dialogue), God states, has done nothing but cloud the issue. They have muddied the waters but opening their mouths and spoken "without knowledge." God is saying, "Ignorance speaks and makes things worse!" We think we are so smart. Job's friends and Job himself were so full of their wisdom to each other that they forgot the fundamental thing they should know: They know very little! They thought they could put Job's situation into a three step solution bottle and have the answer for everything. However, God shows them in these two chapters how little they really know and how great He is. Their wisdom and advice really just “darkened counsel by words without knowledge” (38:2). God challenges Job in verse three by telling him to "Dress for action, I'm about to grill you to see what you REALLY know!" In the original Hebrew the "dress for action" means to "gird up your loins." It meant to wrap the long rope you are wearing into a ball and let's start running. God is warning Job that a quiz is about to come and he better get the "loins" of his mind gathered together so that he can answer God's deeper questions about life. Studying for a quiz from God is hard work. When God challenges us He intends to sharpen us and we need to be prepared. Note what Paul tells young pastor Timothy about being a hard worker in studying God's Word:
2 Timothy 2:15
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
We don't know a lot and we need to make sure we are on course for God's wisdom and God's insight into our lives through His word. Listen to others if you will but remember their words tend to darken and cloud true counsel. The best counsel comes from the One who can answer the questions of Job 38, 39. In these two chapters God embarrasses Job and us. We can't begin to answer these questions or meet God's challenge. Our knowledge is like and ant to a Harvard grad times a billion, billion. We know nothing!!!
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Truth #136 - God's steadfast love is our tower - Psalm 56-59
Psalms 59:17
O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
for you, O God, are my fortress,
the God who shows me steadfast love.
In Psalm 59 the writer is petitioning God and praising God at the same time. (Perhaps that ought to be a lesson in itself. Seldom, if ever, do you find a prayer in God's Word that doesn't have an element of praise, even in the most defined petition for help.) In this Psalm, in particular, the petition is for relief from the rulers of this world who are making false judgements and false rulings. Instead of fighting for the poor, needy and righteous, these rulers are false and corrupt. David, in this prayer, is lamenting over the social disorder and false accusers in his life. When we survey David's life we would conclude this is a time with Saul was hunting him to kill him. David's entire world went from the hero that killed Goliath to the musician that calmed the kings spirit, to wanted and hunted man King Saul wanted destroyed. David was hiding among the rocks with a band of other fugitives. He was feigning he was crazy to his enemies so they would not kill him. He was lying to those same enemies that he was on their side, a traitor to his own people. In the midst of that scene we see David in this psalm say the above statement. He states, "I will sing praises to you." How, in the midst of all this does he find strength to "sing praises to you?" He actually answers that question in the beginning of the verse by addressing the verse to God: "O my Strength." The Hebrew word for strength is used almost 100 times in the Old Testament and one of those times gives us a good glimpse into what David meet by using it:
Judges 9:51
But there was a strong tower within the city, and all the men and women and all the leaders of the city fled to it and shut themselves in, and they went up to the roof of the tower.
This verse gives us a strong sense of why David could sing praises in the midst of his being on the run. He didn't have strength in himself. He had strength in God, who was his tower he could run into for protection and deliverance. Note what he writes in the verse just prior to the one we are reading today:
Psalms 59:16
But I will sing of your strength;
I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress
and a refuge in the day of my distress.
David looked at God as the one who would have to destroy his enemy (and God would later do this) and the One David would trust and run to for relief. God is the God who is there for us. His steadfast love is always there. In contrast to the fickleness of King Saul, David knew God would never turn on him. In contrast to the nation of Israel who would, in the David's future, run him out of the kingdom, God would be faithful, in love, to him. Despite the calamity around us, God's steadfast love is always there.
O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
for you, O God, are my fortress,
the God who shows me steadfast love.
In Psalm 59 the writer is petitioning God and praising God at the same time. (Perhaps that ought to be a lesson in itself. Seldom, if ever, do you find a prayer in God's Word that doesn't have an element of praise, even in the most defined petition for help.) In this Psalm, in particular, the petition is for relief from the rulers of this world who are making false judgements and false rulings. Instead of fighting for the poor, needy and righteous, these rulers are false and corrupt. David, in this prayer, is lamenting over the social disorder and false accusers in his life. When we survey David's life we would conclude this is a time with Saul was hunting him to kill him. David's entire world went from the hero that killed Goliath to the musician that calmed the kings spirit, to wanted and hunted man King Saul wanted destroyed. David was hiding among the rocks with a band of other fugitives. He was feigning he was crazy to his enemies so they would not kill him. He was lying to those same enemies that he was on their side, a traitor to his own people. In the midst of that scene we see David in this psalm say the above statement. He states, "I will sing praises to you." How, in the midst of all this does he find strength to "sing praises to you?" He actually answers that question in the beginning of the verse by addressing the verse to God: "O my Strength." The Hebrew word for strength is used almost 100 times in the Old Testament and one of those times gives us a good glimpse into what David meet by using it:
Judges 9:51
But there was a strong tower within the city, and all the men and women and all the leaders of the city fled to it and shut themselves in, and they went up to the roof of the tower.
This verse gives us a strong sense of why David could sing praises in the midst of his being on the run. He didn't have strength in himself. He had strength in God, who was his tower he could run into for protection and deliverance. Note what he writes in the verse just prior to the one we are reading today:
Psalms 59:16
But I will sing of your strength;
I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress
and a refuge in the day of my distress.
David looked at God as the one who would have to destroy his enemy (and God would later do this) and the One David would trust and run to for relief. God is the God who is there for us. His steadfast love is always there. In contrast to the fickleness of King Saul, David knew God would never turn on him. In contrast to the nation of Israel who would, in the David's future, run him out of the kingdom, God would be faithful, in love, to him. Despite the calamity around us, God's steadfast love is always there.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Truth #135 - Leadership needs to be loyal to follower-ship: 2 Samuel 15-19
2 Samuel 19:5-7
Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, “You have today covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who have this day saved your life and the lives of your sons and your daughters and the lives of your wives and your concubines, because you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. For you have made it clear today that commanders and servants are nothing to you, for today I know that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be pleased. Now therefore arise, go out and speak kindly to your servants, for I swear by the Lord, if you do not go, not a man will stay with you this night, and this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now."
Loyalty of leadership is to the Lordship of Christ and the follower-ship of their organization, community or, in this case, kingdom. In the above story David was grieving over his rebellious son, Absalom. Absalom had attempted to steal the kingdom from his father, David. David went on the run and in the process of Absalom's pursuit he was killed by Joab, David's commander in the field. When David hears of the death of his son, he goes into mourning. This is the context of the above passage. David is so crushed by the death of his son, he forgets that his warriors had put their lives on the line that day to fight for him against Absalom. The passage in the previous chapter says that over 20,000 men died that day because of Absalom's rebellion. Yet, David sat and wept for his son, rather than support and commend his warriors for their hard work and dedication. Instead of loyalty to follower-ship, David was loyal to kinship. Leaders can't afford to send mixed-messages to followers. Followers, even the strongest of Warriors, need to know that their leader supports them and is proud of their accomplishments. We often, as leaders, can get so caught up in the ancillary issues of the "war" that we forget the support that those who serve need from us. Absalom was a rebellious son and did not deserve the loyalty that David was giving him. True, this was David's son, but his responsibility, as the leader, was to something far bigger and greater. No son wants to hear that, but the truth of the matter is that David's allegiance was to those who were allegiant to him and his cause. Jesus was confronted one day about the fact that his mother and brothers and sisters were waiting for him. Note what our Savior says about kinship and our loyalty to them:
Matthew 12:46-50
While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Those who are saved by the Blood and baptized by the Spirit are our mothers and brothers. David needed to hear the truth from Joab. We need to know the truth about our relationships. Those who are loyal to the central figure of Christ are those we are to be loyal to in our lives. Leadership should be loyal to their follower-ship. However, not all followers are followers of Christ. The ultimate loyalty is found in our combined relationship to our Savior.
Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, “You have today covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who have this day saved your life and the lives of your sons and your daughters and the lives of your wives and your concubines, because you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. For you have made it clear today that commanders and servants are nothing to you, for today I know that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be pleased. Now therefore arise, go out and speak kindly to your servants, for I swear by the Lord, if you do not go, not a man will stay with you this night, and this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now."
Loyalty of leadership is to the Lordship of Christ and the follower-ship of their organization, community or, in this case, kingdom. In the above story David was grieving over his rebellious son, Absalom. Absalom had attempted to steal the kingdom from his father, David. David went on the run and in the process of Absalom's pursuit he was killed by Joab, David's commander in the field. When David hears of the death of his son, he goes into mourning. This is the context of the above passage. David is so crushed by the death of his son, he forgets that his warriors had put their lives on the line that day to fight for him against Absalom. The passage in the previous chapter says that over 20,000 men died that day because of Absalom's rebellion. Yet, David sat and wept for his son, rather than support and commend his warriors for their hard work and dedication. Instead of loyalty to follower-ship, David was loyal to kinship. Leaders can't afford to send mixed-messages to followers. Followers, even the strongest of Warriors, need to know that their leader supports them and is proud of their accomplishments. We often, as leaders, can get so caught up in the ancillary issues of the "war" that we forget the support that those who serve need from us. Absalom was a rebellious son and did not deserve the loyalty that David was giving him. True, this was David's son, but his responsibility, as the leader, was to something far bigger and greater. No son wants to hear that, but the truth of the matter is that David's allegiance was to those who were allegiant to him and his cause. Jesus was confronted one day about the fact that his mother and brothers and sisters were waiting for him. Note what our Savior says about kinship and our loyalty to them:
Matthew 12:46-50
While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Those who are saved by the Blood and baptized by the Spirit are our mothers and brothers. David needed to hear the truth from Joab. We need to know the truth about our relationships. Those who are loyal to the central figure of Christ are those we are to be loyal to in our lives. Leadership should be loyal to their follower-ship. However, not all followers are followers of Christ. The ultimate loyalty is found in our combined relationship to our Savior.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Truth #134 - God reveals Himself to us - Exodus 25-29
Exodus 25:8
And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.
God chooses to dwell among us!!! That is the truth! What would it be like if God hid Himself from His creation? Imagine if God created the world and it DID NOT point to Him as THE creator? Imagine if we were made in the image of God and, yet, we didn't know what that image was like because we are so marred. God made a choice to reveal Himself to us. In the exodus of Israel from Egypt, God showed Himself to the Egyptians in signs and powerful wonders. But, in those signs and wonders God did not "dwell" among them, but only showed Himself to them in His power. In this section of the Book of Exodus God is describing the Ark and the Tabernacle and the Tabernacle Furniture and the Priestly Garments. Each item is to reflect the character and revelation of God. In each item we can either see God coming to us and making Himself available to us, or an entrance way to Him and our ability to access Him; or both. God wants us to have access to Him. The tabernacle was a physical picture of God's presence. God would, upon completion, come down and fill the Tabernacle with His presence. No tent or no universe can contain God. Yet, God choose to dwell among them. For Israel this was the presence of God. In the New Testament, Jesus became our earthly picture of God's presence. Note John's words to us about Christ's coming to us:
John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
In Christ we see God. He is the mystery of God, revealed:
Colossians 2:1-3
For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
In Christ we see the mystery of God revealed to us. In the Tabernacle the Israelites received a picture, a shadow of what was to come. God dwelt among them behind a curtain, that was hidden by more curtains. But, in Christ we have the full revelation of God and we can know more and more about God as we know more and more about Christ. Continued revelation about Him gives us continued revelation about God. God choose to dwell among us. In the Garden He willingly walked with Adam; He talked with Noah; He revealed Himself to Abraham; He showed Himself to Moses in the Mountain; He showed Himself to Elijah in the cave; He showed Himself to Isaiah in the Temple; He showed Himself to Ezekiel in the wheel; He showed Himself to us in a Baby, a young man and a risen Savior. God chooses to show Himself to us.
And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.
God chooses to dwell among us!!! That is the truth! What would it be like if God hid Himself from His creation? Imagine if God created the world and it DID NOT point to Him as THE creator? Imagine if we were made in the image of God and, yet, we didn't know what that image was like because we are so marred. God made a choice to reveal Himself to us. In the exodus of Israel from Egypt, God showed Himself to the Egyptians in signs and powerful wonders. But, in those signs and wonders God did not "dwell" among them, but only showed Himself to them in His power. In this section of the Book of Exodus God is describing the Ark and the Tabernacle and the Tabernacle Furniture and the Priestly Garments. Each item is to reflect the character and revelation of God. In each item we can either see God coming to us and making Himself available to us, or an entrance way to Him and our ability to access Him; or both. God wants us to have access to Him. The tabernacle was a physical picture of God's presence. God would, upon completion, come down and fill the Tabernacle with His presence. No tent or no universe can contain God. Yet, God choose to dwell among them. For Israel this was the presence of God. In the New Testament, Jesus became our earthly picture of God's presence. Note John's words to us about Christ's coming to us:
John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
In Christ we see God. He is the mystery of God, revealed:
Colossians 2:1-3
For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
In Christ we see the mystery of God revealed to us. In the Tabernacle the Israelites received a picture, a shadow of what was to come. God dwelt among them behind a curtain, that was hidden by more curtains. But, in Christ we have the full revelation of God and we can know more and more about God as we know more and more about Christ. Continued revelation about Him gives us continued revelation about God. God choose to dwell among us. In the Garden He willingly walked with Adam; He talked with Noah; He revealed Himself to Abraham; He showed Himself to Moses in the Mountain; He showed Himself to Elijah in the cave; He showed Himself to Isaiah in the Temple; He showed Himself to Ezekiel in the wheel; He showed Himself to us in a Baby, a young man and a risen Savior. God chooses to show Himself to us.
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Truth #133 - Repentance produces quality fruit - 1 Corthians 6-8
2 Corinthians 7:11
For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.
In the first letter Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers he actually gave them a warning about a man who was in sin and needed to be corrected. The letter had a positive affect on the church, as they corrected the man's behavior. That letter and pressure from the body caused the man to repent. That repentance, like all repentance, yields fruit. In the above passage Paul outlines what true Biblical, Spirit lead repentance looks like. Note the following fruit of repentance:
1. Earnestness - There was a desire within the repentant soul, a zeal, to return to God and serve Him.
2. Eagerness - There was a strong desire to seek God's forgiveness to clear their conscious of their sin. The word used here for clearing yourself is the Greek word that we get "apology" from.
3. Indignation - Those who have sought repentance ought to show a hatred for the sin they have sought repentance.
4. Fear - this is Godly fear .. they type that you find when you are in deep respect for God. When we seek God in repentance we find respect and honor for Him.
5. Longing - Repentance away from sin causes a hunger for God ... a longing for Him.
6. Zeal - Repentance produces a zeal for God ... for righteousness ... for holiness
7. Punishment - The zeal and longing that the repentant heart brings is toward sin and toward any act of sin. Samson, after falling into sin and having his enemy take him captive, destroyed them all by knocking down the temple.
True repentance bears fruit. The fruit is very specific. It produces a hatred for sin, a desire for God and a zeal to make sure God is honored. Repentance is not simply an, "I'm sorry." Repentance produces fruit worthy for God.
For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.
In the first letter Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers he actually gave them a warning about a man who was in sin and needed to be corrected. The letter had a positive affect on the church, as they corrected the man's behavior. That letter and pressure from the body caused the man to repent. That repentance, like all repentance, yields fruit. In the above passage Paul outlines what true Biblical, Spirit lead repentance looks like. Note the following fruit of repentance:
1. Earnestness - There was a desire within the repentant soul, a zeal, to return to God and serve Him.
2. Eagerness - There was a strong desire to seek God's forgiveness to clear their conscious of their sin. The word used here for clearing yourself is the Greek word that we get "apology" from.
3. Indignation - Those who have sought repentance ought to show a hatred for the sin they have sought repentance.
4. Fear - this is Godly fear .. they type that you find when you are in deep respect for God. When we seek God in repentance we find respect and honor for Him.
5. Longing - Repentance away from sin causes a hunger for God ... a longing for Him.
6. Zeal - Repentance produces a zeal for God ... for righteousness ... for holiness
7. Punishment - The zeal and longing that the repentant heart brings is toward sin and toward any act of sin. Samson, after falling into sin and having his enemy take him captive, destroyed them all by knocking down the temple.
True repentance bears fruit. The fruit is very specific. It produces a hatred for sin, a desire for God and a zeal to make sure God is honored. Repentance is not simply an, "I'm sorry." Repentance produces fruit worthy for God.
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Truth #132 - To whom much is given much is requried - Luke1-2
Luke 1:20
And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”
The story of the Angel of the Lord coming to the Priest Zechariah to tell him his wife would give birth to John the Baptist is a great story with some great truth. One main truth: "To whom much is given, much is required." Zechariah was the priest inside the holy of holies. What did he expect to happen? A priest typically only did this one time in his life. He was not expecting or excited for something special to happen. So, the sign he looked for would be punishment for his unbelief. Instead of expecting God to speak to him or to instruct him, he was shocked, surprised and, regretfully, in disbelief. Because of his unbelief, God took away his speech for the entire time of his wife's pregnancy ... until he demonstrated faith again, via obedience. However, notice how the same Spirt treated young Mary when she was told she would become pregnant with Jesus, without relationships with a man.
Luke 1:34
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
When Mary responds in this manner the Spirit of God goes on to give her more explanation. To whom little is given, little is required. We often worry in our lives about "how much" faith we should have or can have or should have. We know that without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Mary's faith had to grow, because of her youth and what she would have been given up to this point. Zechariah's faith should have already had some depth because of all the teaching and exposure to God he has already had. He WAS the high priest. His teaching and learning about God should have produced an immeasurable faith. Faith comes from hearing God's Word (Romans 10:17). As we read God's Word we should be building our faith. As we immerse ourselves in God's Word we have faith built and established. Mary had less exposure to God's Word than Zechariah because of her youth and position in Israel as a women. Today, these limits may not even have an impact. Youth and old alike have so much access to God's Word. Man and women have access to God's Word today like never before in history. Our faith is only limited to our belief in God's Word. As we are exposed to God's Word and believe God's Word, God expects us to grow and trust Him for greater things in our lives.
And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”
The story of the Angel of the Lord coming to the Priest Zechariah to tell him his wife would give birth to John the Baptist is a great story with some great truth. One main truth: "To whom much is given, much is required." Zechariah was the priest inside the holy of holies. What did he expect to happen? A priest typically only did this one time in his life. He was not expecting or excited for something special to happen. So, the sign he looked for would be punishment for his unbelief. Instead of expecting God to speak to him or to instruct him, he was shocked, surprised and, regretfully, in disbelief. Because of his unbelief, God took away his speech for the entire time of his wife's pregnancy ... until he demonstrated faith again, via obedience. However, notice how the same Spirt treated young Mary when she was told she would become pregnant with Jesus, without relationships with a man.
Luke 1:34
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
When Mary responds in this manner the Spirit of God goes on to give her more explanation. To whom little is given, little is required. We often worry in our lives about "how much" faith we should have or can have or should have. We know that without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Mary's faith had to grow, because of her youth and what she would have been given up to this point. Zechariah's faith should have already had some depth because of all the teaching and exposure to God he has already had. He WAS the high priest. His teaching and learning about God should have produced an immeasurable faith. Faith comes from hearing God's Word (Romans 10:17). As we read God's Word we should be building our faith. As we immerse ourselves in God's Word we have faith built and established. Mary had less exposure to God's Word than Zechariah because of her youth and position in Israel as a women. Today, these limits may not even have an impact. Youth and old alike have so much access to God's Word. Man and women have access to God's Word today like never before in history. Our faith is only limited to our belief in God's Word. As we are exposed to God's Word and believe God's Word, God expects us to grow and trust Him for greater things in our lives.
Friday, May 8, 2015
Truth #131 - Is anything to hard for God? Jeremiah 32-36
Jeremiah 32:26-27
The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?
Jeremiah is a prophet who was sent to the nation of Israel to warn them of the certain doom of the city and assured capture of the people. He was sent during time that the King of Israel was trying to rally the troops and cause them to fight against the King of Babylon. But, Jeremiah was telling everyone that God wanted them to go off in peaceful surrender to the Babylonians. We have no modern comparison of his role in current historical memories. It would be like someone saying after the bombing of the Word Trade Centers on 9/11 to surrender to the Jihadists who wanted all U.S. Citizens dead. If a voice like that would have emerged in the public square we would have most assuredly rebuke him/her and cast them out of our presence. This is where we find Jeremiah in this section of the prophecy. Jeremiah is in prison for speaking God's Word. It was a Word that was contrary to the King and the fight of the nation. In the midst of this imprisonment Jeremiah states the following:
Jeremiah 32:17-18
Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you. You show steadfast love to thousands, but you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts,
In light of Jeremiah's proclamation we see the Lord's response in the verses stated above ... God agrees with Jeremiah and declares, "Is anything to hard for me?" Jeremiah proclaims it in a rhetorical question and the Lord states it back in a rhetorical question. This is awesome!!! When we are facing our own captivity do to sin in our lives, shouldn't we ask the same question, rhetorically ... it needs to answer, as it comes with an implied Amen! There is nothing to hard for God, even the sin we find ourselves in and need His forgiveness to escape. Whatever fear we have ought to be viewed in the context of that statement ... "Is anything to hard for me?" There is nothing we face that is too hard for God! God, who made the universe and controls ever aspect of the created world, can handle any issue you and I face. That is the truth. In the immediate context God goes on to tell the nation, via Jeremiah, that the very city they are in will be burnt with fire ... but be restored to honor God. God tells them that the very king telling them to fight will be taken into captivity ... but that God will assure King David and the Levitical priestly line will never lack someone to sin on the throne. Is anything to hard for God? He will tell them in just a few sentences after these verses the He will take their hard and rebellious hearts and make them hearts that follow hard after Him. Is anything to hard for God?
The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?
Jeremiah is a prophet who was sent to the nation of Israel to warn them of the certain doom of the city and assured capture of the people. He was sent during time that the King of Israel was trying to rally the troops and cause them to fight against the King of Babylon. But, Jeremiah was telling everyone that God wanted them to go off in peaceful surrender to the Babylonians. We have no modern comparison of his role in current historical memories. It would be like someone saying after the bombing of the Word Trade Centers on 9/11 to surrender to the Jihadists who wanted all U.S. Citizens dead. If a voice like that would have emerged in the public square we would have most assuredly rebuke him/her and cast them out of our presence. This is where we find Jeremiah in this section of the prophecy. Jeremiah is in prison for speaking God's Word. It was a Word that was contrary to the King and the fight of the nation. In the midst of this imprisonment Jeremiah states the following:
Jeremiah 32:17-18
Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you. You show steadfast love to thousands, but you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts,
In light of Jeremiah's proclamation we see the Lord's response in the verses stated above ... God agrees with Jeremiah and declares, "Is anything to hard for me?" Jeremiah proclaims it in a rhetorical question and the Lord states it back in a rhetorical question. This is awesome!!! When we are facing our own captivity do to sin in our lives, shouldn't we ask the same question, rhetorically ... it needs to answer, as it comes with an implied Amen! There is nothing to hard for God, even the sin we find ourselves in and need His forgiveness to escape. Whatever fear we have ought to be viewed in the context of that statement ... "Is anything to hard for me?" There is nothing we face that is too hard for God! God, who made the universe and controls ever aspect of the created world, can handle any issue you and I face. That is the truth. In the immediate context God goes on to tell the nation, via Jeremiah, that the very city they are in will be burnt with fire ... but be restored to honor God. God tells them that the very king telling them to fight will be taken into captivity ... but that God will assure King David and the Levitical priestly line will never lack someone to sin on the throne. Is anything to hard for God? He will tell them in just a few sentences after these verses the He will take their hard and rebellious hearts and make them hearts that follow hard after Him. Is anything to hard for God?
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Truth #130 - Reverance requires humilty - Job 37
Job 37:24
Therefore men fear him;
he does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit.”
After many thoughts and verses directed toward Job and his three friends, Elihu ends his declaration with the above conclusion. The "therefore" in the passage is to assist us in the understanding that this is the culmination of his words. After Elihu tells us of God's great justice and His awesome majesty, power and evidentiary statements via creation, that the only conclusion left for Job, his friends and us, the readers, is to "fear" God. The concept of "fearing" God is not in the context of being afraid of God, because He can destroy us with His mere breath (although such fear would be part of the overall concept). The use of the word is often translated "reverence" and indicates that we see God as the only thing we need and that, without Him, we are completely lost and undone. We so revere God that we honor Him with all that we have and that we realize He sustains us ... His power consumes us in our understanding of Him ... it overwhelms us. The more we understand God and get to know Him the more and more we revere Him. Elihu adds one last line to his words for Job by saying that God does not regard those who are wise in their own eyes. God is not revered by the proud. The proud think they can handle life and circumstances without God. Peter tells us that God resist the proud and gives grace to the humble. Humility is the door we must walk through to have true reverence for God. Through-out his defense toward his friends, Job continued to tell them he was not guilty in regard to this pain and suffering. He told them so many times and in so many ways that we hear his pride in his words. Elihu is giving us all a reminder that God is not pleased with the proud and even resists them. Humility is necessary for reverence.
Therefore men fear him;
he does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit.”
After many thoughts and verses directed toward Job and his three friends, Elihu ends his declaration with the above conclusion. The "therefore" in the passage is to assist us in the understanding that this is the culmination of his words. After Elihu tells us of God's great justice and His awesome majesty, power and evidentiary statements via creation, that the only conclusion left for Job, his friends and us, the readers, is to "fear" God. The concept of "fearing" God is not in the context of being afraid of God, because He can destroy us with His mere breath (although such fear would be part of the overall concept). The use of the word is often translated "reverence" and indicates that we see God as the only thing we need and that, without Him, we are completely lost and undone. We so revere God that we honor Him with all that we have and that we realize He sustains us ... His power consumes us in our understanding of Him ... it overwhelms us. The more we understand God and get to know Him the more and more we revere Him. Elihu adds one last line to his words for Job by saying that God does not regard those who are wise in their own eyes. God is not revered by the proud. The proud think they can handle life and circumstances without God. Peter tells us that God resist the proud and gives grace to the humble. Humility is the door we must walk through to have true reverence for God. Through-out his defense toward his friends, Job continued to tell them he was not guilty in regard to this pain and suffering. He told them so many times and in so many ways that we hear his pride in his words. Elihu is giving us all a reminder that God is not pleased with the proud and even resists them. Humility is necessary for reverence.
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Truth #129 - God will sustain us when our best friend(s) desserts us - Psalm 54-56
Psalms 55:22
Cast your burden on the Lord,
and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
the righteous to be moved.
In Psalm 55, David is crying out to God to sustain him and to give him peace in the midst of conflict. We are not told "who," but apparently one of David's closest friends has decided to betray him to King Saul. Earlier in the Psalm David address this person as follows in regard to who was causing the conflict in his life:
Psalms 55:12-13
For it is not an enemy who taunts me—
then I could bear it;
it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me—
then I could hide from him.
But it is you, a man, my equal,
my companion, my familiar friend.
God knows those who oppose us and it is God we should turn to during that opposition. In the midst of that struggle, David reminds us of a sustaining truth: God cares for us, even when others don't, or aren't. We tend to want to trust people too much. We like to think about those we know in the context of, "everybody is basically really nice and good." Yet, what we have in this text indicates for us that even those we closely know will, at times, conflict with us. Our ability to, at that moment, cast our burden upon God is a key to our success in dealing with this type of conflict in our lives. The reason we can give this to God, according to David's thought, is that The Lord will "sustain" us and "never permit" us from being moved. The word "moved" is used 35 times in the O.T. and all but about ten are used in the Psalms. The word means to slip or stumble. Even though those around us may try to cause us to stumble and fall; or Satan may try to cause us to slip into a state of apostasy, God is there to protect and sustain us and make sure we will NEVER be moved from our position in Christ, of righteousness. Romans 8:1 says there is "therefore NOW no condemnation for them who are in "Christ Jesus." We can rejoice that God is the God of sustaining us, despite anyone who wants to harm us or cause us to stumble. Even if it is someone who used to love us and worship with us.
Cast your burden on the Lord,
and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
the righteous to be moved.
In Psalm 55, David is crying out to God to sustain him and to give him peace in the midst of conflict. We are not told "who," but apparently one of David's closest friends has decided to betray him to King Saul. Earlier in the Psalm David address this person as follows in regard to who was causing the conflict in his life:
Psalms 55:12-13
For it is not an enemy who taunts me—
then I could bear it;
it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me—
then I could hide from him.
But it is you, a man, my equal,
my companion, my familiar friend.
God knows those who oppose us and it is God we should turn to during that opposition. In the midst of that struggle, David reminds us of a sustaining truth: God cares for us, even when others don't, or aren't. We tend to want to trust people too much. We like to think about those we know in the context of, "everybody is basically really nice and good." Yet, what we have in this text indicates for us that even those we closely know will, at times, conflict with us. Our ability to, at that moment, cast our burden upon God is a key to our success in dealing with this type of conflict in our lives. The reason we can give this to God, according to David's thought, is that The Lord will "sustain" us and "never permit" us from being moved. The word "moved" is used 35 times in the O.T. and all but about ten are used in the Psalms. The word means to slip or stumble. Even though those around us may try to cause us to stumble and fall; or Satan may try to cause us to slip into a state of apostasy, God is there to protect and sustain us and make sure we will NEVER be moved from our position in Christ, of righteousness. Romans 8:1 says there is "therefore NOW no condemnation for them who are in "Christ Jesus." We can rejoice that God is the God of sustaining us, despite anyone who wants to harm us or cause us to stumble. Even if it is someone who used to love us and worship with us.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Truth #128 - The suspicion of others can turn to our favor - 2 Samuel 10-14
2 Samuel 10:1-3
After this the king of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. And David said, “I will deal loyally with Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father dealt loyally with me.” So David sent by his servants to console him concerning his father. And David's servants came into the land of the Ammonites. But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think, because David has sent comforters to you, that he is honoring your father? Has not David sent his servants to you to search the city and to spy it out and to overthrow it?”
The truth is that even the best of intentions can be interpreted in the wrong manner. David, now King of Israel, had fully intended to reward the loyalty of a man named Nahash, who was kind to him. He would extend that kindness to the son of Nahash, Hanun ... or, so he thought. But, when he sent an envoy to Hanun, wouldn't you know, Hanun's counselors thought David was up to know good. As a result of this misinterpretation of a good deed, hundreds of people died, loyalties were destroyed, and kingdoms were realigned. No good dead goes unpunished. David, pure in his heart (on this matter) is looked upon as a malicious leader, up to no good. That is the issue with man's heart ... they are always thinking and plotting evil. David's reaction to the way he was dishonored was brought upon by this evil. God used David to correct this and to incite David against the Ammonites. Perhaps the lesson to learn here is that sometimes God uses this suspicious nature and mistrust of man to move His people into some sort of action He wants them to do or complete. Later, after David's death and the death of his son, King Solomon, God would use this same nature of man to split the kingdom, something God wanted to do for the discipline of His children (1 Kings 11:9-12; 12:15). We ought to be conscious of these thoughts of man and realize our very best intentions might be fraught we ill-will and mis-trusting attitudes. However, the real issue is how will God use this and what is the aftermath of such issues. God is a God who can turn even the worst situations into His glory and to an advantage for us, His people. Notice what happens after the war between the Ammonites and King David. The Ammonites hired the Syrians to join them, hoping to over power David. This allegiance between them could be a menace to Israel for many years. Instead, note how God turns this to His favor and a blessing to King David and Israel:
2 Samuel 10:19
And when all the kings who were servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became subject to them. So the Syrians were afraid to save the Ammonites anymore.
God can take the mistrust of our intentions and turn them to His glory and His honor and for the safety of His people.
After this the king of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. And David said, “I will deal loyally with Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father dealt loyally with me.” So David sent by his servants to console him concerning his father. And David's servants came into the land of the Ammonites. But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think, because David has sent comforters to you, that he is honoring your father? Has not David sent his servants to you to search the city and to spy it out and to overthrow it?”
The truth is that even the best of intentions can be interpreted in the wrong manner. David, now King of Israel, had fully intended to reward the loyalty of a man named Nahash, who was kind to him. He would extend that kindness to the son of Nahash, Hanun ... or, so he thought. But, when he sent an envoy to Hanun, wouldn't you know, Hanun's counselors thought David was up to know good. As a result of this misinterpretation of a good deed, hundreds of people died, loyalties were destroyed, and kingdoms were realigned. No good dead goes unpunished. David, pure in his heart (on this matter) is looked upon as a malicious leader, up to no good. That is the issue with man's heart ... they are always thinking and plotting evil. David's reaction to the way he was dishonored was brought upon by this evil. God used David to correct this and to incite David against the Ammonites. Perhaps the lesson to learn here is that sometimes God uses this suspicious nature and mistrust of man to move His people into some sort of action He wants them to do or complete. Later, after David's death and the death of his son, King Solomon, God would use this same nature of man to split the kingdom, something God wanted to do for the discipline of His children (1 Kings 11:9-12; 12:15). We ought to be conscious of these thoughts of man and realize our very best intentions might be fraught we ill-will and mis-trusting attitudes. However, the real issue is how will God use this and what is the aftermath of such issues. God is a God who can turn even the worst situations into His glory and to an advantage for us, His people. Notice what happens after the war between the Ammonites and King David. The Ammonites hired the Syrians to join them, hoping to over power David. This allegiance between them could be a menace to Israel for many years. Instead, note how God turns this to His favor and a blessing to King David and Israel:
2 Samuel 10:19
And when all the kings who were servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became subject to them. So the Syrians were afraid to save the Ammonites anymore.
God can take the mistrust of our intentions and turn them to His glory and His honor and for the safety of His people.
Monday, May 4, 2015
Truth #127 - God is to be honored and feared in reverance - Exodus 21-24
Exodus 24:15-17
Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel.
We have such a pedestrian view of God and His glory. When we worship God in our churches we tend to treat it more like a rock concert than walking into the Throne room of God. Almost all of those who had an encounter with God saw it like Moses is said to see it above ... devouring fire. Note some examples:
The prophet Isaiah:
Isaiah 6:5
And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
Moses at the burning bush:
Exodus 3:4-5
When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”
Elijah in the cave and on the run:
1 Kings 19:11-13
And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
If we are not careful we can get far too relaxed with God. We must always remember that when we approach God we are doing so through the blood of Christ. Christ tore the veil and we no longer have to fear in the same way these men did. That is what Hebrews 10 is all about:
Hebrews 10:19-22
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
However, coming boldly and in full assurance is not to mean that God is common. We come in boldness because of what Christ did for us ... making a way to God. We must still come to God with the understanding He is a consuming fire and we are there by grace. Jumping up and down in worship might be a way to stir our hearts in praise and might be acceptable. But, most of those in the Bible who saw God didn't jump up and down ... they fell down in holy reverence and fear. And, least you think this is all Old Testament actions toward seeing God, note in Acts 9 when Paul saw Christ he fell to the ground and lost his sight. And, note the following about John decades later:
Revelation 1:17-18
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel.
We have such a pedestrian view of God and His glory. When we worship God in our churches we tend to treat it more like a rock concert than walking into the Throne room of God. Almost all of those who had an encounter with God saw it like Moses is said to see it above ... devouring fire. Note some examples:
The prophet Isaiah:
Isaiah 6:5
And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
Moses at the burning bush:
Exodus 3:4-5
When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”
Elijah in the cave and on the run:
1 Kings 19:11-13
And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
If we are not careful we can get far too relaxed with God. We must always remember that when we approach God we are doing so through the blood of Christ. Christ tore the veil and we no longer have to fear in the same way these men did. That is what Hebrews 10 is all about:
Hebrews 10:19-22
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
However, coming boldly and in full assurance is not to mean that God is common. We come in boldness because of what Christ did for us ... making a way to God. We must still come to God with the understanding He is a consuming fire and we are there by grace. Jumping up and down in worship might be a way to stir our hearts in praise and might be acceptable. But, most of those in the Bible who saw God didn't jump up and down ... they fell down in holy reverence and fear. And, least you think this is all Old Testament actions toward seeing God, note in Acts 9 when Paul saw Christ he fell to the ground and lost his sight. And, note the following about John decades later:
Revelation 1:17-18
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Truth #126 - We walk by faith, not by sight - 2 Corinthians 4-5
2 Corinthians 5:7
for we walk by faith, not by sight.
When God saved us He saved us by the atonement of Christ's sacrifice on the cross, by His grace, through faith in Christ's finished work. Our salvation can't have one ounce of our effort, for grace would not be grace if there was an effort of work on our side. God wants us to approach Him in faith and live in faith ... that is what pleases God. Note how faith plays into the lives of believers: We can only please God by faith (Hebrews 11:6); we stand by faith (1 Corinthians 16:13); we walk by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7); we live by faith (Galatians 2:20); we fight by faith (Ephesians 6:16). Faith is the doorway into God's grace. When we attempt to live by sight we get what the Corinthian believers were doing. The believers at Corinth were not focusing on faith in what God had told them or what Paul had taught them, were rather focused on what they could see. The immediate subject of chapter five is the resurrection of the body. To understand what happens to believers after death and, in particular, the "tent" we now live in (our body), we must approach this area, like all areas of the Christian walk, by faith. There is no part of the Christian walk that doesn't first and foremost go through this door: Faith. When Peter was walking on water toward Jesus, after Jesus beckoned him to come out of the boat toward Him, he was doing just fine. He was "walking" on water by faith. But, note what happens next:
Matthew 14:30
But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”
The text states, "When he saw the wind." Peter stopped believing in Christ words and started acting by what he saw. That is a formula for failure. When the Israelites were exiting from Egypt they saw the flame of fire sent by God to lead them during the night and the cloud of covering to lead them day. Note what happens when they cease to look at the cloud and the flame and rather set their "sights" on the approaching army of Pharaoh:
Exodus 14:19-20
Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night.
Because they were so foolish to live by sight at that moment, God moved the cloud directly into their line of sight so that they could see Him and His providential care. God is constantly giving us opportunity to trust Him, especially when our sight sees something else. To the world Christ's death was simply a failed coup of the Roman empire. To those who live by faith it was the victory over death and the source of eternal life. We live by faith, not by sight.
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Truth #125: We can amaze people by being silent when falsely accused - Mark 15-16
Mark 15:5
But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.
Jesus spoke many words when He was on the earth. Many of them are captured by the Gospel writers. We quote many of them. Like all of God's Word, they are powerful and effective. Hebrews 4:12 speaks about how powerful the Word of God is. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that God's Word is able to correct us, admonish us and profitable to chisel us into the image of Christ. However, the above verse shows us that just the mere presence of Christ and NO words were amazing to Pilate. When Jesus was accused of falsehood and insults where hurled at Him a like darts, Jesus did not answer. Like my mother used to say when others would say bad things, "Just keep you tongue, son, keep you tongue." Most of us, when we are insulted or accused of false things, can't wait to defend, deflect and/or defraud back. But, our Lord was not like that. He was able to keep silence. Note what Peter later tells us about how Jesus responded here and others:
1 Peter 2:22-24
He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
Christ has given us both the pattern and the power to hold our tongue. When we are reviled we ought to learn the lesson that Christ gives us here in this text. When we are falsely accused, we need to remember what Solomon tells us in the Proverbs:
Proverbs 26:2
Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying,
a curse that is causeless does not alight.
Whenever we are accuses of false, or even true, things, we should remember this: IF it is false, you know it is false, so who cares; IF it is true, you already know it is true, so it shouldn't matter. Jesus knew the things they were saying were false and did not respond. That is Godliness. We need to do the same. We need not defend. We need to remember that God is the avenger of false accusations as much as any other injury to us. The truth is, silence can amaze people as much as words. Look at Pilate. He was the most powerful man on earth at the crucifixion. Jesus silence caused him to realize the leaders where just doing this out of envy. Silence is a powerful tool.
But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.
Jesus spoke many words when He was on the earth. Many of them are captured by the Gospel writers. We quote many of them. Like all of God's Word, they are powerful and effective. Hebrews 4:12 speaks about how powerful the Word of God is. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that God's Word is able to correct us, admonish us and profitable to chisel us into the image of Christ. However, the above verse shows us that just the mere presence of Christ and NO words were amazing to Pilate. When Jesus was accused of falsehood and insults where hurled at Him a like darts, Jesus did not answer. Like my mother used to say when others would say bad things, "Just keep you tongue, son, keep you tongue." Most of us, when we are insulted or accused of false things, can't wait to defend, deflect and/or defraud back. But, our Lord was not like that. He was able to keep silence. Note what Peter later tells us about how Jesus responded here and others:
1 Peter 2:22-24
He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
Christ has given us both the pattern and the power to hold our tongue. When we are reviled we ought to learn the lesson that Christ gives us here in this text. When we are falsely accused, we need to remember what Solomon tells us in the Proverbs:
Proverbs 26:2
Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying,
a curse that is causeless does not alight.
Whenever we are accuses of false, or even true, things, we should remember this: IF it is false, you know it is false, so who cares; IF it is true, you already know it is true, so it shouldn't matter. Jesus knew the things they were saying were false and did not respond. That is Godliness. We need to do the same. We need not defend. We need to remember that God is the avenger of false accusations as much as any other injury to us. The truth is, silence can amaze people as much as words. Look at Pilate. He was the most powerful man on earth at the crucifixion. Jesus silence caused him to realize the leaders where just doing this out of envy. Silence is a powerful tool.
Friday, May 1, 2015
Truth #124 - God is transforming us through discipline for transformation - Jeremiah 27-31
Jeremiah 31:27-28
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will plant the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the offspring of men and of animals. Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the Lord.
Jeremiah in chapters 27-31 is outlining much of what will happen in the captivity of the nation of Israel. Even though God had told them, through Jeremiah, that He would banish them to Babylon to serve that king (God calls King Nebuchadnezzar, "My servant"), they would not believe God and would rebel against that prophesy. False prophets would contradict Jeremiah. Never-the-less, despite their continued rebellion, God, in His amazing grace, states the above passage through those same lips of Jeremiah. God had told them through Jeremiah they would be laden with the yoke of captivity; and, yet, He would bring them back in His great love. God is the God of Justice, but also of Grace. God is the God of discipline, but also the God of restoration. We might fail to obey Him and, in His love, He will discipline us. Yet, in that same love, as we see in the above passage, God will take what He removed and "build and plant." This is a great truth of the restoration of God. God only disciplines His children for the sake of restoring them. God sent His Son to restore us and give us new life in Christ. The purpose of God in our lives is to create us and recreate us into the image of Christ. Note what God tells the Corinthian believers through the lips of Paul:
2 Corinthians 3:18
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
We are being transformed into the image of Christ and anything that happens to us is for that glorious purpose. Only God can do that work and He uses many chisels to make that transformation happen. God is the God of transformation and we are simply clay in the Potter's hands. We, unlike the Israelites of old, need to rejoice in the captivity, because it will soon result in conformity to Christ.
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will plant the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the offspring of men and of animals. Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the Lord.
Jeremiah in chapters 27-31 is outlining much of what will happen in the captivity of the nation of Israel. Even though God had told them, through Jeremiah, that He would banish them to Babylon to serve that king (God calls King Nebuchadnezzar, "My servant"), they would not believe God and would rebel against that prophesy. False prophets would contradict Jeremiah. Never-the-less, despite their continued rebellion, God, in His amazing grace, states the above passage through those same lips of Jeremiah. God had told them through Jeremiah they would be laden with the yoke of captivity; and, yet, He would bring them back in His great love. God is the God of Justice, but also of Grace. God is the God of discipline, but also the God of restoration. We might fail to obey Him and, in His love, He will discipline us. Yet, in that same love, as we see in the above passage, God will take what He removed and "build and plant." This is a great truth of the restoration of God. God only disciplines His children for the sake of restoring them. God sent His Son to restore us and give us new life in Christ. The purpose of God in our lives is to create us and recreate us into the image of Christ. Note what God tells the Corinthian believers through the lips of Paul:
2 Corinthians 3:18
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
We are being transformed into the image of Christ and anything that happens to us is for that glorious purpose. Only God can do that work and He uses many chisels to make that transformation happen. God is the God of transformation and we are simply clay in the Potter's hands. We, unlike the Israelites of old, need to rejoice in the captivity, because it will soon result in conformity to Christ.
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