Tag: God Changes Things - Ezekiel 14-18

Ezekiel 17:24

And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the Lord; I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it.”

Tag: God Changes Things

To really understand this verse you have to read the previous 4-5 chapters.   God has just told Ezekiel to speak to the false prophets who are prophesying hope to the nation of Israel and told them that God sees their sin and God WILL punish their sin.  God gives them rebuke after rebuke in this section.  However, in these last couple of verses God offers them hope and reminds them that He alone is God and He alone can bring down or build up.  He alone punishes and He alone restores.  God can reverse the positions of anyone He chooses.  He can take a green tree and dry.  He can make the high tree, low.  He can make the dry tree flourish.   He is God and He CAN DO IT!  God is the God who turns things upside down.  God changes things.  God brings the dead to life.   God changes things.   God brings the high and lofty, low!  God changes things.   We don't need to worry about circumstances and positions and attitudes because God changes things.  God has a plan and He will DO IT!!  You can't stop God's plan and the lofty authority can't stop it.  God has a plan and the lowly and disappointed are part of it.  God doesn't take the swift and the mighty.  God takes the lowly and the meek and makes them great.   God is not afraid of the powerful.  God can diminish the powerful with a word.  God can take the weak and make them powerful.  God is the God who Changes Things!!

Tag: Sin's Allure - Proverbs 7

Proverbs 7:15

“Therefore I have come out to meet you,

To seek your presence earnestly, and I have found you.

Sin always makes you think you are special.   Sin (here, personified as an adulterous women) introduces herself to the simple one as though she had a particular purpose to attract him.   However, earlier we read that she is on every street, on every corner:

Proverbs 7:12

now in the street, now in the market,

and at every corner she lies in wait.

Sin wants us to believe we are special.   Sin wants us to believe we are the center of the universe.    Here the simple one thinks he has some special place in life now.  However, we are not special when it comes to sin.  We are simply one of many victims of her cruel trap.   Note the end of this chapter ... "many are lead astray by her" ... "numerous are the slain" by her.   

Proverbs 7:26

for many a victim has she laid low,

and all her slain are a mighty throng.

We are not special to sin and when we fall to her trap we simply join many others who are equally deceived by her.  Let's not let sin deceive us into thinking we are alone and special in the sin equation.   She hasn't found us or come out to meet us ... we stumbled into her world because of a lack of discipline and lack of direction.  If we spend our life doing the things God told us to do we won't have time to let sin attract and entice us.  Sin appeals to our vanity.  Remember, this young man in the story was a simple youth or lacked understanding:

Proverbs 7:7

and I have seen among the simple,

I have perceived among the youths,

a young man lacking sense,

This "being found" by this adulterous woman must have seemed so special.  He was at the center of her universe.  We love to be made to feel like we are special.   Sin, however, simply uses us and entices us through our vanity only to destroy us in leave us in depravity.   We are not special to sin because we are simply sinners.  It is only adhering to God's Word to make us free from the allure of sin. 

Tag: Sovereignty of God - Psalm 75-77

Psalms 75:2-5

“At the set time that I appoint

I will judge with equity.

When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants,

it is I who keep steady its pillars. Selah

I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’

and to the wicked, Do not lift up your horn;

do not lift up your horn on high,

or speak with haughty neck.’”

Tag: Sovereignty of God

Psalm 73 is about God giving assurance to the believe that He is in control even when we think the earth is about collapse on its axis.  God is holding it all together.   In Psalm 11 we read a similar theme where God is assuring of a similar fear as in the above passage:

Psalms 11:1-3

In the Lord I take refuge;

how can you say to my soul,

“Flee like a bird to your mountain,

for behold, the wicked bend the bow;

they have fitted their arrow to the string

to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;

if the foundations are destroyed,

what can the righteous do?”

If the "foundations are destroyed" what can the righteous do?   In the Psalm 73 passage we read that in such times we are to remember that God is in complete and utter control of the situation.  It might feel like the earth is about to tip over.  However, God assures us that He is in control.  As the earth totters out of balance God states, "... it is I who keep steady its pillars."  What a great theme to rejoice over!!  When everything feels like it is falling apart it is God who says, "It is I who keep steady its pillars." When my life is crashing all around me I must remember God is saying, "It is I who keep steady its pillars!!"  

Tag: Knowing God - 1 Kings 17-22

1 Kings 18:36-37

And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.”

Tag:  Knowing God

God desires to be known!   Throughout the Old Testament we have the phrase, "that ________ my know that you, O Lord, are God ...".  Or, something like that phrase.  God revealed Himself to Abraham, to Moses, to the Nation of Israel, to Pharaoh of Egypt, to Nebuchadnezzar to Elijah later in this same book, and, here, to the prophets of Baal.   God wants to be known.  The mystery that Paul writes about in Colossians it the revelation of Christ to the Church as Christ makes Himself known to us:

Colossians 1:24-26

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.

God wants us to know Him!!   Paul desired to know more and more of Christ:

Philippians 3:10

that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

God wants to be known and will make Himself known to us in the miracles He performs in our lives.  

Tag: Restitution for Guilt and Shame - Leviticus 7-9

Leviticus 7:2

In the place where they kill the burnt offering they shall kill the guilt offering, and its blood shall be thrown against the sides of the altar.

Tag:  Restitution for Guilt and Shame

There were many types of offerings for the Hebrews.  One of them is mentioned in the above verse: The "guilt" offering.  It is sometimes referred to as the "reparation" offering; or, to "make amends."   As compared to the other offerings listed in Leviticus, the "guilt" offering was actually the result of someone who did something wrong and then, later, felt guilty about it and came to make "reparation" with God for the wrong done.  Instead of an offering brought on by a command of God to do, it was brought on by the shame and guilt of someone in the nation who realized they did wrong and their guilt drove them to repentance.   This is a true repentance offering.   It shows that when we do wrong and are overcome by guilt, we need to make amends for that wrong via sacrifice.  A simple, "I'm sorry," does not remove the guilt.  There must be a sacrifice attached to the offering.   Most commentators simply discuss the difference between the sin offering (when we have sinned and it is known) and the guilt offering (whew we have sinned and only we know it) as what happens with the blood during the offering.  In the sin offering it is placed upon the horns and in the guilt offering it is thrown against the sides of the alter. Whereas that is significant, the real observation is that the guilt offering is motivated by guilt.  God gives us guilt to show us our secret sins.  God gives us guilt and expects us to respond in restitution.   Got gives us guilt, but a way to deal with it in repentance.  Unconfessed guilt and guilt that has no sacrifice of restitution, will result in shame, which will result in physical and psychological damage.  God expects guilt to cause us to worship Him in a way that we employ the sacrifice of Christ in our lives.  Unconfessed guilt can only result in unwanted shame. 

Tag: New Life in Christ - Ephesians 4-6

Ephesians 5:7-10

Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.

Tag: New Life in Christ

In the above passage Paul is warning the believers to be careful not to follow the unfruitful works of darkness.  We are to not be in partnership with them.   We are, instead, "light."   We were at one time "darkness."  It is not that we just walked in darkness, but that we were the embodiment of darkness.  God took of from being dark people and made us light people.  We are in Christ so we are in light since He is the Light of the World.   That walk as "light" people is manifested by the fruit of what is good, righteous and true.   When we are children of light we should have a distinct set of fruit that others see in us.   Doing good, being righteous and walking in truth is something we should do natural as children who are light.   God is producing in us a way to live that is distinctly different than the darkness we came from and were saved from.   God has given us a new life.  We are no longer trapped by that life and should, by faith, live free from those who still walk in darkness and are darkness. 

Tag: Who Does Jesus Call? Luke 13-14

Luke 14:12-14

He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

Tag:  Who Does Jesus Call?

One of the differences between the world's philosophy and the Christian's world view is contained in this story of "who" is invited to the banquet.   The world is focused on the exterior of people and how well they contribute to the world's definition of success.   We popularize a certain body style (especially for woman, but men also).  We promote a particular athletic skill and extremely over pay it for our own consumption and entertainment.  We solicit powerful people to accelerate our own power and position.   The world has a party and it "who" is there determines how powerful the party is or was.   Jesus on the other hand it building His eternal kingdom.  The party He is inviting everyone to is the banquet with Him and the God of creation (His Father).   He is NOT inviting the most important and those who think they are "whole" and who "fit" in because they look just right.   Jesus is calling the broken and the hurt and the displaced and the abused.  Jesus is the friend of sinners and the hurting.   His banquet will be made up of those who don't fit in because Jesus is not interested in what others see.  Jesus is looking for faith from the heart.  We might stumble every moment and He still loves us.   We can rejoice that despite our body size, shape, or strength, Jesus loves us and calls us to His banquet.  We can rejoice that despite our position on earth and our own feelings of inadequacy, Jesus makes us adequate for His banquet because He alone paid for us to be there.   We are special in His sight for something more important than the pleasures of men for a season.  Jesus is our friend and calls us to His party!!!  

Tag: False Teachers are Exposed - Ezkiel 7-12

Ezekiel 11:1-4

The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the house of the Lord, which faces east. And behold, at the entrance of the gateway there were twenty-five men. And I saw among them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people. And he said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and who give wicked counsel in this city; who say, The time is not near to build houses. This city is the cauldron, and we are the meat.’ Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.”

Tag:  False Teachers are Exposed

Ezekiel was sent to bring the warning of God against the rebellious nation of Israel so that through God's punishment they would "know the Lord."   Make no mistake, this is real judgment.  God has come to the end of HIs rope with them (see Ezekiel 7:1-4).  ONE of the reasons for the nation to become rebellious was what we read in the above text.  The nation of people did so some simply wandering on their own.  They would, like a lost sheep, simply wander into a thorny place.  The SHOULD have been brought back and rescued from such danger by the leadership of the nation.  However, that is one of the main problems: The leadership was corrupt!  It wasn't just that the spiritual leaders didnt just rescue the people from their wandering, these spiritual leaders often lead the people to wander away from God.  In the above passage these people are exposed.   God knows those who lead His people astray.   Like Paul exposing the false teachers in the New Testament, Ezekiel is called upon God to call out the false teachers in the Old.   God knows those who are His.  God also knows those who are contrary to Him.  In the above text God assembles for Ezekiel twenty-five false teachers.  He even names two of them.   God will expose those who are against Him.  God knows they my name.  God does not take lightly false teachers.   We should not either.  Like Paul and Ezekiel we need to call out those who teach false-truths that lead us astray.  

Tag: God is Watching - Proverbs 5-6

Proverbs 5:21 (NASBStr)

For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord,

And He watches all his paths.

This proverbs should be viewed with one that Solomon is recorded as having said later in this book:

Proverbs 15:3 (NASBStr)

The eyes of the Lord are in every place,

Watching the evil and the good.

The last line of Proverbs 5:21 should be viewed in light of what Solomon says in the following:

Ecclesiastes 12:14 (NASBStr)

For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.

The context of Proverbs chapter five is that of the adulterous women and the foolish man who , might, succumb to her wanton ways.  When the act of adultery takes place it is done so in secret; at least that is what is in the mind of the two parties.  Don't let anyone know.  Keep it secret.   The looks, the glances, the not-so-innocent-touches; are all done and thought hidden.  Yet, in 5:21 we read that a very comforting truth to those who are living free from sin is also a warning to those who think they sin in secret.   God is watching and will hold anyone accountable for sins, both done in public view or private vexation.  The same truth that provides peace to some (that God is always watching) can be haunting to others.   He "watches" or "ponders" our path.   He holds us accountable.  He can, because He is the only one who sees it all.   When we think we are in secret and can sin without harm, we fail to know the truth of 5:21.  Make 5:21 a blessing and not a curse by allowing the Spirit of God to keep you from sin.  If we are going through tough times, through suffering, knowing God is watching us, is refreshing.   If we are in adultery, God watching is not so refreshing.  But, either way, He is!!

Tag: Leadership - Psalm 72-74

Psalms 72:18-19

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,

who alone does wondrous things.

Blessed be his glorious name forever;

may the whole earth be filled with his glory!

Amen and Amen!

Tag:  Leadership (Blessed by God)

If you didn't read the entirety of Psalms 72 and only these two verses you would be blessed by the message in them.  These two verses are an expression of praise to God.   However, these two verses are the summary of the entire Psalm.  Psalm 72 is on leadership.   Like Psalm 45 it outlines what great leadership is all about.   The summarization of great leadership is found in these two verses.   No matter the skill, strategy and success of a great leader, the praise and adoration goes to God.   He is the "who" in the relationship.   We are great leaders when we recognize that the God of the universe gives us the skills we need to lead.  God puts people in positions of leadership, but God also gives people leadership skills.  Solomon is telling us, in the above verses, that God is the one who is to be praised.  He "alone" does wondrous things.   If a leader does something good you can be assured they will take credit for it.  In the above verse we recognize that God "alone" does wondrous things.  He doesn't need a leader to make it happen.  

Tag: Ungodly Help - Integration - 1 Kings 14-17

1 Kings 15:16-24

And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king's house and gave them into the hands of his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who lived in Damascus, saying, “Let there be a covenant between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending to you a present of silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.” And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel and conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali. And when Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah, and he lived in Tirzah. Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah, none was exempt, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber, with which Baasha had been building, and with them King Asa built Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah. Now the rest of all the acts of Asa, all his might, and all that he did, and the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But in his old age he was diseased in his feet. And Asa slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place.

Tag:  Ungodly Help - Integration

There is an objection by some in the Christian faith to integrate aspects of the non-Christian world into our work and ministry as believers.   There are some in the faith who believe "integrations" are damaging faith.   Whereas bringing "anything" secular into Christian thought is certainly dangerous and indiscriminate integration is not only foolish, but harmful, God gives skills to all men that can be used by the world.   In the above passage we see that King Asa (a good king who followed God) reached out to a secular king for support and strength.  God blessed his reaching out.   Solomon reached out to a foreign entity to find a skilled worker to assist in building the temple.  God does not want us to follow the world's philosophy, but it important to remember that God can and does use the skills, strength and truths discovered by the world to assist in His work in our lives.   God can use secular skills to further His plan through His people.  

Tag: Forgiveness - Leviticus 4-6

Leviticus 4:35

And all its fat he shall remove as the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of peace offerings, and the priest shall burn it on the altar, on top of the Lord's food offerings. And the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which he has committed, and he shall be forgiven.

Tag:  Forgiven

The cycle in Leviticus 4-6 is discovery of a sin; offering before the priest, by the priest; atonement achieved; forgiveness offered.  The key is the last step of the cycle:  Forgiveness.  What a blessing for the hearers of this book: Forgiveness.   The Hebrew word used by the author of the book for "forgiveness" is "Calach."  Here is Vines statement on the word:

calach (סָלַח, 5545), “to forgive.” This verb appears 46 times in the Old Testament. The meaning “to forgive” is limited to biblical and rabbinic Hebrew; in Akkadian, the word means “to sprinkle,” and in Aramaic and Syriac signifies “to pour out.” The meaning of calach in Ugaritic is debatable.

The first biblical occurrence is in Moses’ prayer of intercession on behalf of the Israelites: “... It is a stiffnecked people; and [forgive] our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance” (Exod. 34:9). The basic meaning undergoes no change throughout the Old Testament. God is always the subject of “forgiveness.” No other Old Testament verb means “to forgive,” although several verbs include “forgiveness” in the range of meanings given a particular context (e.g., naca‘ and ‘awon in Exod. 32:32; kapar in Ezek. 16:63).

The world is used ten times in Leviticus.  Nine of those times is found in these three chapters and centers around our discovering a sin against God.  To be pardoned once you have guilt is the most refreshing of all feelings.   To know that God has destroyed the hostility between you and Him is the ultimate joyful expression.   It takes a sacrifice for that to happen, however.  Christ is our ultimate sacrifice.   Christ is the atonement for our sins that grants us forgiveness and destroyed the hostility between God and us.   We no longer have guilt because the sins of our past and future are paid for.  We are forgiven.  

Tag: Purpose of Salvation - Ephesians 1-3

Ephesians 2:4-7

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Tag: Purpose of Salvation

Most believers look at salvation as the Magic Ticket:  The ticket out of hell.  God, on the other hand, has a different reason for His plan.   God, of course, wants to provide away to be set free from eternal punishment.  However, the above verse supplies for us the insights we need to consider for the real meaning of Salvation.  God wants to supply us with and "lavish" (see 1:8) upon us the ""immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."   Make no mistake: The purpose of salvation, first and foremost, is for us to know the surpassing greatness of life in Christ.   To "know" Him!!   God wants us to know Him via our relationship with Christ.   He will later tell us that Christ broke down the ""hostile" relationship we had with God, before Christ:

Ephesians 2:14

For he himself is our peace, who has mad us both one and has broken down in his Fles's the dividing wall of hostility.

The purpose of salvation is for God to show us who He via the relationship we have with Him in Christ.   We are to spend our time getting to know Him and that surpassing greatness of His grace.  

Tag: Persistence in Prayer - Luke 11-12

Luke 11:5-9

And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Tag: Persistence Prayer

God promises to answer our prayers.  Although we have to realize His answers are not always according to our scripts.   He has His own way to fulfill our prayers.  This is why were are to pray to have things on earth as they are in heaven.  We should want heaven's will in our life on earth.  With that said, we need to know that God also does not answer our prayers according to our timing.  He isn't a wish maker.  God wants us to have a relationship with Him.  In the above passage we see that God is the one who determines the time of our answer.  We are to simply be persistent in prayer.  Asking God for something is to be a relational matter of trust and obedience to God. It isn't God holding on to the gift and simply torturing us in prayer. It is God asking us to be persistence to learn as we ask about Him.  The first time we ask we may be missing the mark with our prayer.  As we continually ask we can find a way to refine our prayer and ask in more accordance with His will and with His divine promises.  Persistence in prayer isn't because God is stubborned or uninterested in us.  Persistence is to teach us to pray.  That is what the disciples ask Jesus about as he gave this parable.  Persistence in prayer is how we learn to pray. 

Tag: Bitter and Overwhelmed by Knowing God - Ezekiel 1-6

Ezekiel 3:12-15

Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great earthquake: “Blessed be the glory of the Lord from its place!” It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another, and the sound of the wheels beside them, and the sound of a great earthquake. The Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness in the heat of my spirit, the hand of the Lord being strong upon me. And I came to the exiles at Tel-abib, who were dwelling by the Chebar canal, and I sat where they were dwelling. And I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days.

Tag:  Bitter and Overwhelmed by Knowing God

The above text may be one of the most unusual in all Scripture.   The prophet Ezekiel has been introduced to us in an amazing fashion.  His vision the preceding chapters and verses is breathtaking.   Artist have attempted to portray what he is describing.   They have failed miserably.   It might be impossible for anyone to capture what the true image must have looked like to the prophet.  It was breathtaking!!  Amazing would not come close to describing his experience. He has literally been in the presence of God. He has had the experience of a lifetime and see the "glory of God."   Like Moses and Isaiah before him and Paul after him, he will never be the same after this encounter with God.   In fact that text states that as this experience draws to a close and Ezekiel is brought back "down to earth," by the Spirit, it makes him "bitter."  He states he is brought back to "reality" and must sit with the common people.  He sits there seven days and is "overwhelmed."   He is bitter that he has to leave God's presence and is overwhelmed as a result off being in God's glory.   Can you imagine what would happen if our encounters it's God produced such an impact on us?   What would the world around us say?  Moses' face shown because he got to know God.  Paul's eyes never recovered because he got to know God.  Ezekiel is overwhelmed from experience and bitter that he has to live it and go back with the sinners of the world.   Ezekiel will NEVER be the same.  He has had an encounter with God.   Have I ever ha such an experience?  Do I spend enough time getting to know God to know such an experience? Have I ever so been with God that I am bitter for having to leave His presence and overwhelmed by it?  

Tag: Guard Your Heart - Save your Life - Proverbs 4

Proverbs 4:23-27

Keep your heart with all vigilance,

for from it flow the springs of life.

Put away from you crooked speech,

and put devious talk far from you.

Let your eyes look directly forward,

and your gaze be straight before you.

Ponder the path of your feet;

then all your ways will be sure.

Do not swerve to the right or to the left;

turn your foot away from evil.

Tag: Guard Your Heart - Save Your Life

Solomon knows about this big idea from practical experience. Isn't it interesting that Solomon himself failed to heed this advice? He states to guard your heart is to save yourself from many problems (4:23). Yet, he allowed his many wives to turn his heart away from God.  If you want to protect yourself from evil you have to first protect your own heart and what you bring into it. If you walk off the path you will put some things into your heart that don't belong there. Protect your heart and save your life.

The word "watch" in the above proverb is a very popular word for Solomon in Proverbs.  He uses it almost 20 times to remind us to "watch," "tend," "guard," "keep," or "preserve."  Solomon knows the evilness that is in the heart.   Our hearts are corrupt and, later stated my Jeremiah, deceitfully wicked (Jeremiah 17:9).   We are bent on sin.   As a result we have to keep watch over hour hearts so as to not allow that bent nature to bend our journey.   All the issues we have in life flow from that same old heart.  Paul knew its evil ways and tells us to not allow our instruments (our eyes, ears, mouth, feet, etc) to be controlled by the heart.  We are to yield them to the Spirit rather than the flesh (the heart).   The person who Fears The Lord and finds wisdom will find that through faith this is possible.   We cannot "watch" our heart in the flesh.   That is like having the bank robber watch the vault.   We must allow the Spirit of God to have control in our lives.  The Spirit can watch the flesh and control the flesh.   The Spirit of God and cause the instruments of the body to be used for the glory of God.   So, the command above is to "watch" the heart, but the method to do so is not our supreme diligence but rather our submitting to God via faith and allowing the Spirit of God to protect us.  The Armor of God is described for us in Ephesians.   That armor allows us to fight the flesh and through faith secure the victory.   So, our watching is done via the Spirit, not the eyes that are actually connected to the heart.

A proverb is a way to teach wisdom in a simple way with a word picture, or with contrasting or complimentary statements. This proverb is the original “garbage in—garbage out” insight. Solomon tells us in the first line to guard, or set a watch over the things that go into our heart and then in the second line, why we should do so. It is because our heart is the wellspring of the life. Another way to say this is to say, "what’s in the well, comes up in the bucket." One of the reasons we should be careful to guard our ear gates and our eye gates, is because that is the entry point for what gets into our inner soul. What we watch, listen to, observe, enters those “doors” and takes up residence in our hearts. Then, like a spring of water, it comes gushing out at a later time. We can’t expect good gushes if we have bad water in our heart. We are to take the initiative to guard our hearts. Don’t pollute the heart and the life will be fresh. A polluted heart will only produce a polluted life. Keep it fresh by what you allow to come into your heart.

Tag: God's Deliverance - Psalm 69--71

Psalms 69:12-15

I am the talk of those who sit in the gate,

and the drunkards make songs about me.

But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord.

At an acceptable time, O God,

in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.

Deliver me

from sinking in the mire;

let me be delivered from my enemies

and from the deep waters.

Let not the flood sweep over me,

or the deep swallow me up,

or the pit close its mouth over me.

Tag:  God's Deliverance

In Psalm 69 we have the solace of David as he is being persecuted, brought down and ridiculed by others.  No matter what he does, whether in the zeal of worship or the throws of despair and sackcloth (Psalm 69:9-11), David is the "talk of those who sit in the gate."   David seems to be aware of how he is perceived by the world around him.  Yet, the key is in the phrase, "But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord."   In his despair and recognition of his tormentors and the opinions of others, he is not brought low by them.  Instead, David turns to the Lord and recognizes that only God can deliver him.  He started the Psalm by saying he was in waters "up to my neck."  He stated he is sinking in "deep mire."   Yet, he did not allow the opinions of others to sink him completely.  He grab the life rope of God's grace through prayer.  David knew that those around him could not rescue him.  David knew that he needed the Lord to reach down and pull him out of the quagmire he was in.  God knows our quagmires and He, and only He, has the ability to pull us out.  

Tag: Conflict - 1 Kings 10-13

1 Kings 11:9-14

The Lord Raises Adversaries

And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods. But he did not keep what the Lord commanded. Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. Yet for the sake of David your father I will not do it in your days, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem that I have chosen.”

And the Lord raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite. He was of the royal house in Edom.

Tag: Conflict 

Conflict has many sources.  Conflict is often caused by a feeling of injustice; ignorance; entitlement; envy and ego.  We often, rightly so, interpret conflict as a bad thing in our lives.  Yet, what do we do with the above verses.  It is very apparent that conflict for Solomon came from the hand of God because of Solomon's sin before God.  Solomon, in his pride, began to turn away from God.  His many wives produced in his heart a weakness and he turned to foreign gods.  This caused the above results.  God can be the source of conflict in our lives due to the sin in our lives.  Solomon did not repent off his sin and God brought conflict into his life.  The lack of righteousness in Solomon's steps caused God to remove His protection from Solomon's life.  God allows conflict in our lives when we walk outside His grace.  His sovereign protection can't be administrated when we walk contrary to that sovereign rule.  

Tag: Offering - Leviticus 1-3

Leviticus 1:2

“Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock.

Tag:  Offering

The Hebrew word for "offering" in the above verse is "qurban" from the root Hebrew word, "qarab."  It means to "approach."   It is used in many derivatives in the book of Leviticus.  Here is Vine's comment on the noun use of the word:

qorban (קָרְבָּן, 7133), “offering; oblation.” This noun occurs about 80 times in biblical Hebrew. The word is also found in Ethiopic and old South Arabic. The first occurrence of the word is used of an “offering” presented as a sacrifice: “If any man of you bring an offering unto the Lord, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock” (Lev. 1:2).

Some other related nouns appear less frequently: qarob, “neighbor” (Exod. 32:27); qirbah occurs twice with the meaning of drawing near to worship God and offer sacrifice (Ps. 73:28; Isa. 58:2); qurban, which appears twice, means “supply, offering” (Neh. 10:35; 13:31)— it appears to be a late pronunciation of qorban. The word qerab, which appears 8 times, is an Aramaic loan word; it means “war, battle,” or the actual engaging in battle (Ps. 55:18).

The book of Leviticus is an instruction manual for the nation of Israel on "how" to offer to God our gifts.   The entire book pre-supposes that we WILL bring an offering to God and this is how you do it.   There is little said to entice to offer, but only that they will offer.  God has redeemed them ... offering is a natural response.  God has purchased them out of Egypt, it would be the most natural thing to do to offer.  This is why Paul tells us in Romans 12:1-2 to "offer" our bodies as a living sacrifice.  Offering is natural to those who know they are redeemed.  

Tag: Christ Formed in Us - Galatians 4-6

Galatians 4:17-19

They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!

Tag:  Christ Formed in Us!!

Paul, in his writing to the believers of Galatia, is concerned that the false teachers were leading them astray.  He was warning them that the false teachers wanted them to follow them for "no good purpose."    The false teachers were using the Galatians to build their own following ... no good purpose.  Paul wants something different for these believers. Paul thinks of these believers as his children.  But, he is fearful they will fall back from Christ.  So, he is once again in "anguish of childbirth."   He wants them to grow "until Christ is formed in" them.   This is the goal of Christ; that believers would be conformed to the image of Christ.   Note what one commentary states about this passage (UBC-NTSet):

Paul thinks the Galatians are so dangerously close to being lost from Christ that he is again in the pains of childbirth. He gave them their new life through preaching the gospel that gives life (cf. 3:21). And now he is once more in the position of giving himself entirely to the good purpose of having Christ be formed in them. Paul’s expression conveys confidence that this purpose will be accomplished.

Although this is the only place Paul uses the phrase “Christ is formed in you,” it encapsulates the basic vision of Paul’s gospel. In 2 Corinthians 3:18 the apostle puts it this way: “being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory.” Romans 8:29 also contains the idea of being conformed to Christ (cf. Phil 3:10, which speaks of being conformed to Christ’s death).

Christ is being formed in us.  We need to realize that false teachers want us to conform to their version of truth.  Paul, through his writings, wants to conform us to the image of Christ. 

Tag: Mercy to Others - Luke 9-10

Luke 10:37

He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Tag:  True Belief

The above verse is the last verse in a long story Jesus gave to a "lawyer" who asked the following question:

Luke 10:25

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

When Jesus asked the man what he thought was the answer to his own question, the man replied:

Luke 10:27

And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

From this point that man wants to know "who is his neighbor?"  Jesus answers by telling him the story of the Good Samaritan.  The Samaritan was the only person, in Jesus' story, who helped a man who was mugged by robbers.  Although a "priest" and someone in the priestly line could have helped, only the Samaritan was willing.  Since Samaritans were despised, the Lawyer was in a quandary.  When Jesus asked who showed mercy, he had to confess it was the Samaritan.  Jesus uses the point to answer the man's question.  The one who showed mercy was the one who pleased God.  So, the answer to the question as to who will inherit external life, is those who practice their faith by showing mercy.  The prophet Micah told us a similar truth:

Micah 6:8

He has told you, O man, what is good;

and what does the Lord require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,

and to walk humbly with your God?

Proof of faith is very easy to spot:  Who shows mercy to others? 

Tag: Good and Bad are from The Lord - Lamintations

Lamentations 3:37-39

Who has spoken and it came to pass,

unless the Lord has commanded it?

Is it not from the mouth of the Most High

that good and bad come?

Why should a living man complain,

a man, about the punishment of his sins?

Tag:  Good and bad are from the Lord

For those who think the world should always be good and good things should always happen, the above verse must be a terror.  The first plainly states that God is in complete control; even when disaster hits.  Before we think more about that thought, note what the prophet Isaiah states:

Isaiah 45:7

I form light and create darkness,

I make well-being and create calamity,

I am the Lord, who does all these things.

God is the God of sovereign rule.  You can't dismiss that thought just because something bad happens.  The point of the prophet(s) words is that this calamity and bad that the nation of Israel is experiencing (pronounced by both Isaiah and Jeremiah) was at the hand of God.  In fact it was designed by God.  To create calamity and "bad," all God has to do is remove His protection of us, supplied by His grace.  It is ONLY God's grace that prevents the effects of sin from destroying us.   Sin destroyed the nation of Israel (that is what Lamentation) is all about.  The prophet wants the nation to know that.  When we are touch by bad, it may not be OUR sin that caused it.  But, we can know that God is directing the impact of sin in our lives to create a hunger for Him.  He will have victory ... even over sin!

Tag: The Value of Wisdom - Proverbs 2-3

Proverbs 2:1-6

My son, if you receive my words

and treasure up my commandments with you,

making your ear attentive to wisdom

and inclining your heart to understanding;

yes, if you call out for insight

and raise your voice for understanding,

if you seek it like silver

and search for it as for hidden treasures,

then you will understand the fear of the Lord

and find the knowledge of God.

For the Lord gives wisdom;

from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

Tag: The Value of Wisdom

Proverbs was written to give us wisdom.   In 1 Corinthians 2 we read that Christ IS wisdom.  So, when we talk about wisdom we have to talk about having a relationship with Christ.  By God's definition, the world can not have wisdom.  According to the last verse of the above passage, wisdom is a gift from God.  The world can't have understanding and knowledge.  The above passage states, "... from his mouth come knowledge and understanding."   The world can "know" things. They can "know" a lot of things.  But, to get spiritual knowledge and understanding, only God can open their eyes to that, via their relationship with Christ.   The above passage talks about how much we value wisdom.  We are to "value" it more than any thing else.  We have to seek it more than any thing else.  We have to search for it more than any thing else.  That is when God reveals it to us.  

Tag: Refined for Abundance - Psalm 66-68

Psalms 66:8-12

Bless our God, O peoples;

let the sound of his praise be heard,

who has kept our soul among the living

and has not let our feet slip.

For you, O God, have tested us;

you have tried us as silver is tried.

You brought us into the net;

you laid a crushing burden on our backs;

you let men ride over our heads;

we went through fire and through water;

yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.

Tag:  Refined for Abundance

Psalm 66 is an exodus Psalm that the Israelites would sing at Passover.  It is intended to remind them of the time of slavery in Egypt when God redeemed them and brought them out of the fire.  The people are to "bless" God - a way of singing praises to God.   They are to see the Egyptian enslavement and the trials along they way as a time of God's "testing."  They are to praise God for the time He takes us through the fire and the water (the Red Sea).  They are to praise God even though the burdens on their backs was severe.  God will, eventually, bring them to a place of abundance.   Men would "ride over" their heads, yet God would bring to this place of abundance.  The only way you go through this time of struggle is to remember that God is well aware of the burdens on our backs and He is the one who brings us through the fire and water.  He is refining us as "silver is tried."  God uses struggles and pressures to conform us to the image of His Dear Son.   Jesus suffered and we are to share in that same suffering.  We are not "owed" an easy life.  We are not "owed" an abundant life.  Yet, that is what God promises and Christ provided as a gift:

John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

We have abundance "in Christ."  That is our abundance. It is not abundant money, that God promises.  It is not abundant prosperity, that God promises.  It is not abundant freedom from strife, that God promises.  It is abundance "in" Christ.  Christ is our abundance.  Christ is all we need:

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.

Tag: Expert Partnerships for Leadership - 1 Kings 5-9

1 Kings 7:13-14

And King Solomon sent and brought Hiram from Tyre. He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze. And he was full of wisdom, understanding, and skill for making any work in bronze. He came to King Solomon and did all his work.

Tag:  Expert Partnerships

King Solomon was young and inexperienced in many of the things he was about to accomplish.   But, he was also willing to bring in the help he needed through the experts he could find. The above passage is a sample of that.  Too many leaders think they are supposed to be the experts in everything.   They can't admit where they need help.  They think it is a sign of weakness to ask for help.   It is really a sign of weakness to not be able to ask for help.   Solomon asked God for one thing:  Wisdom. Wisdom is demonstrated in the above passage.  When Solomon asked for wisdom that didn't mean he would be given the expertise to build the Temple. It meant that he would have wisdom and that wisdom would empower him to make wise decisions:  Hiring a master builder was a wise decision.   When we are great leaders we surround ourselves with greater men who can do things better than we can.   

Tag: Clothed in Holiness - Exodus 37-40

Exodus 39:27-31

They also made the coats, woven of fine linen, for Aaron and his sons, and the turban of fine linen, and the caps of fine linen, and the linen undergarments of fine twined linen, and the sash of fine twined linen and of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, embroidered with needlework, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote on it an inscription, like the engraving of a signet, “Holy to the Lord.” And they tied to it a cord of blue to fasten it on the turban above, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Tag:  Clothed in Holiness

In the above passage we have a description of the clothes that were made for the priest (Aaron and his sons) that they would wear before God when they worshipped.   Along with the description of clothes, Moses describes the "inscription" placed on the garments:  Holy to the Lord.  Moses is making sure that Aaron and his sons remember they are in a special place: They are Holy (set apart) to God.   In the book of Revelation we read about the "Church at Sardis" and their garments.  God's Word often speaks of our "garments" in Christ.  Note:

Revelation 3:4-5

Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.

We have been clothed in the righteousness of Christ.  We are "holy" - separated to God.  Our "inscription" is the Spirit of God in our lives. We have been set apart as holy:

1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.

We are not holy, today, because we wear holy garments on the outside.  We are holy, today, because we have been clothed with holiness within.  

Tag: Performance or Faith - Galatians 1-3

Galatians 3:5-6

Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

Tag:  Performance or Faith

What is Paul saying here?  He is answering this question: Does God bless me because of my performance or my belief in Him?  Too many people, even believers, believe that their acceptance by God comes from "performance" and not "faith" in Christ.   We live in a performance based society.  We believe that those who perform the greatest should be rewarded the most.  It is hard to avoid "performance anxiety" in our lives.  We tend to even have a desire to perform.   We were created to "do good works," so we do have this propensity to want to achieve.  Yet, in the above verse and in this section of Galatians Paul is making the point that we are NOT accepted by God based upon our performance.  There were some in the early church who you were teaching that you had to believe in Christ AND keep the Old Testament Laws.   To dispel this, Paul gives the example of Abraham.  Abraham was blessed by God.  He was blessed by God, BEFORE, The Law was even given.  Therefore, how could obedience to the Law bring blessing.  God "supplies the Spirit" to us (which is our power source) not by "Performing" but by "believing".  This is an odd thought in our human mind ... especially in a performance based society.   How can simple "belief" bring blessing?  Belief is "trust" in God's Word.  It is when we completely Trust God via Faith that He brings blessing.  The blessing is NOT like the world's rewards.  God's Blessings are not piles of money and an easy life.  God's Blessings are the power of the Spirit in our lives to endure the evilness of this world.   Faith trumps performance!!!

Tag: The Power of God - Luke 7-8

Luke 8:43-48

As Jesus went, the people pressed around him.  And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

Tag:  The Power of God

God has power.  Christ demonstrated that power while He walked on this earth.   Note, previously to the story above, what had happened:

Luke 6:19

And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.

Power flows from God.  In Christ we have power.  Note what Paul stated in his epistle to the Philippians:

Philippians 3:10

that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

Power comes from God.  The world likes the think power comes from position, property, proximity to others, persuasive ability and/or prestige.   God has real power.  In the above story God's power was used to heal the woman.  The world's system and diagnosis and label.  But the world's system has no power to change a life, as above.  Only God has power to change a life.