Tag: I am the Lord - Leviticus 22-24

Leviticus 22:2

“Speak to Aaron and his sons so that they abstain from the holy things of the people of Israel, which they dedicate to me, so that they do not profane my holy name: I am the Lord.

Tag: I am the Lord

This section of Leviticus is about the sacrificial and ceremonial system God instituted in regard to how to approach Him in worship.  If we go back to chapter 19 and read through chapter 22, we would find over thirty statements that say: I am the Lord.   We often think of the sacrificial and ceremonial systems in the context of Israel, and we should.  However, we should not think of them instituted primarily on the basis of the Israelites.   God established the system based upon the "I am the Lord" statements.   In chapter 22 alone the phrase appears nine times.  God is making a point to any who reads these instructions:  God instituted them because HE IS THE LORD.  We don't need other reasons.  God is God and He can establish the way we are to approach Him.  As we read these instructions there are several themes, but the ability to approach God because He instituted a way to approach Him.  God wants to be worshipped and approached in that worship.  We can't just walk in to God's presence without understanding He is THE LORD.   God wants worship but deserves the respect for being worshipped.   He is THE LORD.  

Tag: Walk Worthy of God - 1 Thessalonians 1-3

1 Thessalonians 2:11-12

For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

Tag:  Walk Worthy of God

What a tremendous but difficult charge: To walk worthy of the God of the universe.  Paul was worried about the believers at Thessalonica and had sent Timothy to them to "check" on their walk in God.   He was worried that in his suffering and failure to get back to them, someone might have come in an tempted them to either leave the faith or water down the faith in their lives (chapter 3).  As a result he charges them with the ultimate standard of living: To live like God would.   The word "worthy" is the Greek, "axios" - it means worth, worthy or value (weighing as much).  It is were we get our English word "axiom."  You and are are to have a walk in life that is of equal value as God Himself.   That example would be seen in the walk of Jesus while He was on the earth.   Paul told the Ephesians the same thing (See Ephesians 4:1-2).  Paul was, like a father speaking to his children, worried that these believers wold fail to practice their faith in the manner they should.   God has called us to "His" own kingdom and glory.  The standard is set for us.  The axiom is laid out.  We are to have a life that reflects the Savior who saved us.  Nothing less.  That is the standard.  If we put Christ on one said and us on the other side of the scale, would the scale be of equal value.  That is the standard.  Fortunately we know we can't do that and Christ comes over to our side of the scale and lifts us up and puts us on His shoulders.   That is the way faith in Christ and being IN Christ works.  He is both or standard and our means to reach it!!! 

Tag: Greatest Words Ever Spoken - Luke 23-24

Luke 24:6

He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee,

Tag:  Greatest Words Ever Spoken

The above words were stated by the angel when the women came to the tomb of Jesus on the third day.  They had hoped to anoint Him with spices and, instead, were anointed with THE most promising words ever spoken on the earth.  The women had hoped to care for Jesus' body but instead He had already cared for them by fulfilling His promise to raise from the dead after three days.  He has Risen!!!  Repeat them over and over today.  He has Risen!! There are not enough exclamation points to follow that statement to give it the impact it deserves.  When Christ rose from the dead He defeated death.  When Christ rose from the dead He defeated sin.  

When Christ rose from the dead He was crowned king over all principalities and powers.  When Christ rose from the dead He provided access for us to the Father.  When Christ rose from the dead He not only paid for our sins but He opened the door for us to have power over sin, as well.  He has Risen!!!

Tag: God's purpose in Judgement/suffering - Ezekiel 37-42

Ezekiel 38:23

So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

Tag:  God's purpose for Judgement

The above verse comes at the end of a prophesy against the nation named Gog.   In some interpretations this is modern day Iran and their hatred for the Jewish state of Israel would fit the description, here in Ezekiel 38.  Never-the-less, the above verse tells us that after God destroys Gog, His glory will be made known.  God is going to judge Gog (and other nations) because of their failure to believe in Him and their hatred for Israel.   But, his purpose of this judgement is what is stated in the above verse:  ... they will know that I am the Lord.   God is making Himself known and He wants even the nations who reject Him to see His greatness and His holiness.   When God causes judgment to come into a life He is doing so for this purpose.  He wants us to see His greatness.   In Job's life we see this same principle.  God NEVER answers Job as to why he is suffering.  And, God is not actually "judging" Job.  But, God is using it for His glory.  He wants Job to know Him for Who He is.  Read Job 39-41 and God's response to Job.  It makes Job come to the conclusion that God wants him to know God's greatness.  That is the purpose of pain, suffering, judgement and struggle.   For us to know God's greatness and holiness.   

Tag: Wealth and Money - Proverbs 13

Proverbs 13:4

The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,

while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.

Proverbs 13:7-8

One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing;

another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.

The ransom of a man's life is his wealth,

but a poor man hears no threat.

Proverbs 13:11

Wealth gained hastily will dwindle,

but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.

Proverbs 13:18

Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction,

but whoever heeds reproof is honored.

Proverbs 13:22

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children,

but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous.

Tag:  Money 

Do you see a pattern in Solomon's wisdom centered on money and wealth?  Solomon had plenty of it.  He knew what it was like to be wealthy.  He was, perhaps, during his day, one of the most wealthiest people on the planet.  It is simple to see that those who are wise acquire wealth in the right way and use it in the right manner.  Those who pretend to be rich for the sake of being seen as special because of wealth will have no better end than the poor man.  People today like to show off their wealth (what little they have) and like to look wealthy.  It is, in our society, a measurement we use to define success.  In God's wisdom wealth is nothing without wisdom to know what to do with it.  Using it to honor God and others is the end of wisdom. That is how God wants us to handle money ... with wisdom.  That means we won't use it as a tool to promote ourselves, but as a tool to serve God and others.  

Tag: In the Storm He Still Reigns - Psalm 87-89

Psalms 89:8-9

O Lord God of hosts,

who is mighty as you are, O Lord,

with your faithfulness all around you?

You rule the raging of the sea;

when its waves rise, you still them.

Tag:  In the Storm He Still Reigns 

Psalm 89 is a song of two parts.  The first half is a praise to God, acknowledging His greatness and faithfulness to the covenant He made with His servant David.  The second half is a plea for God to restore the nation that is in punishment in light of the promises from the first half.   In the above verses we read about the faithfulness and the beauty of God's power.  In the midst of a storm, God still reigns.   Even in the raging of the sea it is God who stills the waves.   The image is what we see in the Gospels about Christ in the boat with His disciples.  In their worry and fear Christ simply speaks, "Be still!"  Immediately the wind and the waves ceased and to was calm.   The disciples are immediately in awe (Mark 4:35-41).   In the midst of our raging sea of life, Jesus is their to calm the storms.  We may not see it, we may not sense it.  In our flesh we still see storm.  But, through the eyes of faith we can see God is in control and will not allow us to be consumed.   We KNOW that God is there because He said He would be.  We may not know the outcome, but we do KNOW that God is there and He promises to be IN the outcome.   This is why the writer of this Psalm writes: "Who is mighty as you are, O Lord?"   Who is? 

Tag: Leadership Short Sighteness - 2 Kings 16-20

2 Kings 20:16-19

Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord: Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the Lord. And some of your own sons, who shall be born to you, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “Why not, if there will be peace and security in my days?”

Tag:  Short Sighted Living

In the above passage we see Isaiah's response to Hezekiah's mistake with the Babylonians.   Hezekiah had entertained the Babylonian envoy and shown, in a prideful manner, the riches he had.  He failed in this showing to give glory to God.   The above shows that Hezekiah was only concerned about his own life and not the God's glory or the people who followed him.   A chapter before we read that when Hezekiah was sick he turned to God in prayer and pleaded with God to heal him.  God not only healed him, through the prophet Isaiah's ministry, but gave him an additional 15 years to live.   When Hezekiah was dying he turned to God.  When he had a chance to show his accumulated wealth and power, he turned to his pride.   When told the nation would suffer he was only interested in his own welfare.   This is the fall of a leader.  When their own interest take precedence over those they lead and the God they serve.   

Tag: Conflict Management - Leviticus 19-21

Leviticus 19:17

“You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him.

Tag:  Conflict Management 

Note what was posted from yesterday's reading:

Colossians 3:15

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

This verse in Colossians was written to the church to help them resolve conflict.   Brother to brother they were to allow the "peace of Christ" to "rule."  The word "rule" is like "umpire."  If there was a conflict between two people striving for the peace that is in Christ would be the deciding factor.  We must always strive for the peace that is in Christ.  Harmony is the reason Christ died. He provides harmony between us and the Father.  He provides harmony in the Body of Christ.  So, too, in the O.T.   This verse in Leviticus is a prerequisite for what we read in Colossians.  Even though they knew not, yet, about Christ is specifics, they were given the same principles.   Their relationships with each other were to be placed in the position of harmony.   They were to "reason frankly" with their fellow Israelite.  The phrase implies reproving each other in the Hebrew language.  There was a "convincing" meaning to the phrase.   From OT to NT we see that God is wanting us to have harmony with others.   In the OT we were strive for harmony by making sure we had completely convinced our brother.  In the NT we see that harmony was governed and decided by Christ's love.   Here again we see law vs love.   Either way we were to seek harmony.  

Tag: In Conflict let the Peace of Christ Rule - Colossians 3-4

Colossians 3:15

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Tag:  Peace of Christ is to Rule our Hearts

In the context of this section of Colossians, Paul is instructing the believers in the church to make sure they get along with each other.   Like most of the churches then and now, not everyone "liked" each other all the time.   Paul at just told them the way to make sure division doesn't happen is to: 

1). Forgive each other:  Colossians 3:13

bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

2).  Love each other:  Colossians 3:14

And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

And, our above verse:  

3). Let the Peace of Christ rule - let it decide all things difficult.  Note what one commentator states:

The “grievances” (3:13) that members have against each other are settled when Christ’s peace rules in their midst. In the context of the indicative and the imperative, the meaning of Paul’s admonition could be stated this way: By virtue of being reconciled to God by Christ you are at peace (the indicative; cf. Rom 5:1; Eph. 2:14; Col. 1:20); now live out.

The word for "rule" in the verse is:

brabeuo (βραβεύω, 1018), properly, “to act as an umpire” (brabeus), hence, generally, “to arbitrate, decide,” Col. 3:15, “rule” (rv, marg., “arbitrate”), representing “the peace of Christ” (rv) as deciding all matters in the hearts of believers; some regard the meaning as that of simply directing, controlling, “ruling.”

When we have difficulty with and don't know what to do, we are to, first and foremost, all the peach of Christ to act as the umpire between us.  We are to make sure we have the Peace of Christ at the center of our lives and the desire of our lives.   That decides what we may do or how we may respond to the brother that "grieves us."   Forgiveness, Love and Christ's Peace rule!!!

Tag: Worship of Things - Luke 21-22

Luke 21:5-6

And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

Tag:  Worship of Things

We love to look at the man made stuff in our world.   As I write this devotional I am in Boulder, Colorado.   As you look at the landscape you have a choice to se all the million dollar homes or the Rocky Mountains.   To the eyes of the flesh, both are appealing.   But, like the disciples in Jesus day, we tend to look admire and worship the man made stuff and take the God made stuff for granted.   Yet, as the worshippers of all things man-made-pretty, we tend to think our own craftsmanship is something to worship.   When the disciples started to do so with the temple in their day, Jesus wanted them to understand that the earthly artifacts of our culture will not stand the plan of God.  The earth will be destroyed and all we see in it.   God is going to introduce a new heave and a new earth.  All we currently see is only temporary.    Million dollar homes will only stand for awhile.   When God completes His plan, only the things of God will matter - His Son.   Our worship needs to be directed toward Christ and not toward shinny things of the earth.  Everything we see on this earth is temporary and soon to be destroyed.   Only Christ remains.  

Tag: God Seeks out His Sheep - Ezekiel 31-36

Ezekiel 34:11-16

“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.

Tag:  God seeks out His lost sheep

The peace and comfort found in the above passage is overwhelming.   Jesus gave a parable about the lost sheep and it certainly echoes the words spoken to Ezekiel, here.   God is looking of His lost sheep.  He wants to comfort them and help them walk with Him.   The above words need no further explanation.   God wants to feed us.  

Tag: Give! Proverbs 11-12

Proverbs 11:24-25 (NASBStr)

There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more,

And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want.

 The generous man will be prosperous,

And he who waters will himself be watered.

Tag:  Give!

God is a giver.   God teaches us to give.   We are to demonstrate the gift of giving in our day to day actions.   In the above two proverbs God tells us that when we give we are going to be blessed but when we withhold it will be withheld from us.   The law of the harvest is one of God's key principles outlined numerous times and in numerous ways in God's word.   Being a generous person will result in water flowing down on you.    Being someone who withholds will result in want.   God does not idly provide us with these principles for us to ignore.   When we scatter good seed through faith we reap a good harvest.   When we, through the flesh, withhold we reap little.   Water and be watered.   The second proverb in the above (v. 25) states that a "generous man will be prosperous and he who waters will himself be watered."   We need to capture this character quality in our lives.   In our relationships with others (whether at work, home, play; or, with family, friend or foe) we need to practice the art of giving.  We will be "watered" ourselves when we give.  Who, after serving others, has not said, or heard said, "I got more out of it than I gave!"?  Yes, according to the proverb we, ourselves will feel watered, but, more importantly we will be like our Father, who is a Giver. It is better to be a giver than a taker in a relationship with others.

Tag: Double Mindedness - A United Heart for God - Psalm 84-86

Psalms 86:11

Teach me your way, O Lord,

that I may walk in your truth;

unite my heart to fear your name.

Tag:  United in Heart

God does not want us to be double-minded.  He wants us to have a heart completely united for Him.   But, we will have duplicity in our lives ... it is the nature of man.   Note what the Apostle James writes to us about duplicity:

James 4:8

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

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.

Our inability to obtain wisdom comes from being double-minded (not having a heart that is united toward God).   In the above Psalm we read that the formula for a united heart is for God to "teach" us His ways and for us to "walk" in them after we learn them.  Duplicity is combated by learning what God wants us to do in our lives and then doing it.   It is not a secret formula.  It is not complex (although the ability for all that to happen in God's work on the cross is extremely complex).  Our part is to learn God's Word and daily walk in it.  We don't have to worry about the things we don't' know about.  We are to simply spend our time doing what we KNOW in God's Word.   Living a life of obedience to the Word we ALREADY KNOW will occupy all of our time.   That is God's formula for a united heart.  Learning God's Word and obeying it will enable us to defeat the nature indwelling us that attempts to pull us away from God.  

Tag: Sin and Spiritual Warfare - 2 Kings 11-15

2 Kings 15:34-35

And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father Uzziah had done. Nevertheless, the high places were not removed. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of the Lord.

Tag: Sin

The above verses are said, sadly, about many of the kings.  They, like us, failed the drive out all sin in their lives.  They left some lingering around the edges and that would, eventually, bring them down.  The same was true in Joshua's day. The nation began this habit at that time.  Note one of the first mentions of this bad habit:

Joshua 15:63

But the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the people of Judah could not drive out, so the Jebusites dwell with the people of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.

Failure to drive out the inhabitants will result in falling into sin again.  Note Paul's warning:

Ephesians 4:27

and give no opportunity to the devil.

When we leave sin in our lives we create opportunity.  He will entice us to sin.  This is especially true when it is sin we simply never defeated entirely.  Note what Christ taught us:

Matthew 12:43-45

Return of an Unclean Spirit

“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.”

We must drive out sin.  It is an ongoing war and battle. Drive it out through faith in Christ's work.  

Tag: Approaching God in Worship - Leviticus 16-18

Leviticus 16:3-5

But in this way Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with a bull from the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. He shall put on the holy linen coat and shall have the linen undergarment on his body, and he shall tie the linen sash around his waist, and wear the linen turban; these are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water and then put them on. And he shall take from the congregation of the people of Israel two male goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.

Tag:  Approaching God

As I write this journal entry I am on my Harley headed to the Rocky Mountains.   The entire morning I have been sitting on a fast bike in jeans and worshiping at the top of my lungs as music blasts from the speakers over the roar of the pipes.  I imagine if those I pass see me they wonder who I am talking to.  Robin, my wife, is doing the same thing behind me.  She, too, is worshipping and is dressed in jeans and Harley top.  This is our worship to Christ.   Compared to what we see in the above text we can see the difference between the Old and the New Testaments in regard to approaching God.  for Aaron to approach God there was a ritual that included animals, holy garments, the Mercy Seat, a bath and a turban.   When Christ came to die on the cross He opened up a different form of worship.  They are incredibly different.  However, there is one thing in the above verses that is the same for today, even on the Harley:  There must be a sacrifice and there must be repentance.  Christ provided the sacrifice and, in my heart, there must be repentance.  We might have a different method to approach God via faith, but the basic elements are the same: A sacrifice by Christ and a repenting heart by us.   This is the formula for today.  We can rejoice that we can worship driving down the road, in a church building, or anywhere and everywhere we are.  Christ made the way by His sacrifice.  We still have to have a repenting heart, but the clothes can be denim and cotton.  

Tag: Riches of Christ - Colossians 1-2

Colossians 1:27

To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Tag:  Knowing Christ

God has chosen to make Himself known to man.   That was His original plan in creating man. In the Garden of Eden God walked with Adam. God wanted to fellowship with him.  Adam's sin alienated God (and through Adam, alienated us).   In Christ, God restored that "knowing" of Him.   God makes it a choice to make Himself known. In some of the Old Testament times God choose to withhold some things about Himself.  Note what one commentator states:

“Deuteronomy 29:29 says, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God.” God reveals other things only to certain people. “The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him” (Ps. 25:14). Proverbs 3:32 says, “He is intimate with the upright.” Still other things were hidden in the Old Testament but have now been revealed in the New.” (Excerpt From: John F. MacArthur. “Colossians and Philemon MacArthur New Testament Commentary.” Moody Publishers, 1992. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.)

In the book of Ezekiel God is constantly revealing Himself to the unsaved nations "that they may know" Him.  In the above text the Colossians are reminded that God has "chosen" to make Himself know to them through the Son.  There are "riches" in knowing Him.  Not the riches of this world.  Those riches pale in comparison to knowing the depth of the riches in Christ.   In the next chapter of this book, speaking to these riches, Paul writes that he wants us to know just know about them but to reach a "full assurance of understanding and knowledge" of them:

Colossians 2:2

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,

God wants to be known and provided Christ to reveal Himself to us.  There are "riches" to explore.  

Tag: Honor - Luke 19-20

Luke 20:45-47

And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

Tag:  Honor

There is a principle in Scripture that could be written like this: You get what you honor!   When we give our time, talent and resources toward something that is what we honor.   If our children see that we give our time, talent and most resources to winning(s), they will grow up with a desire to win (perhaps in the wrong way).  If we honor (with our attention) drama, don't be surprised if those around us create drama to get our attention.  We get what we honor.   In the above text the scribes wanted honor by dressing for it and sitting in the best places to be seen of men.  They wanted man's honor.  That is what they got: Man's honor.   They did not, however, get God's honor.  Early, the tax collector, Zacchaeus, entertained Jesus in his home.  He was willing to give away his goods to demonstrate that he would honor Christ.   He feared God and not man.  He was honored by God for honoring God.  The scribes feared man (wanted their praise) and therefore did not get honored by God.   You get what you honor.  The false teachers wanted others to honor them so they put their attention on the things others would notice (their dress; their position; their long prayers).  But, that is not what God is looking for in our lives. He wants us to honor Him.  If we honor Him we will be honored by Him.  You get what you honor.  

Tag: God Seeks Out His lost Sheep - Ezekiel 31-36

Ezekiel 34:11-16

“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.

Tag:  God seeks out His lost sheep

The peace and comfort found in the above passage is overwhelming.   Jesus gave a parable about the lost sheep and it certainly echoes the words spoken to Ezekiel, here.   God is looking of His lost sheep.  He wants to comfort them and help them walk with Him.   The above words need no further explanation.   God wants to feed us.  

Tag: God knows your Business - Ezekiel 25-30

Ezekiel 27:12

“Tarshish did business with you because of your great wealth of every kind; silver, iron, tin, and lead they exchanged for your wares.

Tag:  God knows your Business

In the verse above we have a statement spoken by Ezekiel in his prophecy against Tyre.  In this section Ezekiel is giving many prophecies against the surrounding nations of Israel, decrying their lack of faith in God and their punishment for how they treated Israel.  From verse 12 to verse 24 Ezekiel explains to the nation of Tyre that all the other nations traded with them and did business with them.  The text is amazing in details!!  God outlines the very items that Tyre traded with the surrounding nations (Tarshish, in the above verse, being one of the nations Tyre traded with).  There are over 20 "business clients" listed.   Like a monthly inventory of a warehouse for Amazon, God lists over 35 "retail items" that were traded and sold with these nations.  God knows about the silver, iron, and tin that were traded.   He also knows about the wine and the wool.  He even knows about the "saddle cloths" sold for riding.  This is a wicked nation and God knows their stuff!!  God knows the very things they sold and who they sold them to.  God knows your business.   God knows every item you sold and for how much you sold it.   God is holding Tyre responsible for their business in the world and how they DID NOT treat Israel in a way pleasing to God.   We don't live our lives in secret toward God.  Even the unbelieving business is known by God.   It is best for us to realize that God knows the very inventory of our stock.   When we glorify God with "all that we do" it is best to remember that God is fully knowing of all that we do and therefore wants us, no matter if we believe Him or not, to honor Him.  God is holding the business practices of Tyre accountable for every item sold and how they treated those around them.  Amazing!!!   Tyre did not recognize God's sovereign rule in their lives and in their business pride exalted themselves ... God would bring them (and any business low):

Ezekiel 28:6-7

therefore thus says the Lord God:

Because you make your heart

like the heart of a god,

therefore, behold, I will bring foreigners upon you,

the most ruthless of the nations;

and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom

and defile your splendor.

Tag: Receiving Counsel from Others - Proverbs 10

Proverbs 10:17

"He is on the path of life who heeds instruction, but he who ignores reproof goes astray."

Perhaps the hardest thing for a child growing up is their ability to be told they are wrong and they need to correct their behavior. However, it is the same with adults. We tend to not like correction—whatever form it comes in. This proverbs tells us the danger of rejecting instruction. If we heed correction it puts us on the path of life. If we don’t and choose to ignore correction we will go “astray.” The word astray actually means to err, to wander about as intoxicated, or to stagger. Correction is the one thing that allows us to stay on a stable path. When we receive correction we are able to find a sure path that leads to life. The words path of life give us a picture of a road surrounded by green and fruitful fields. It is a choice based upon faith in the words of correction we are receiving. Correction, no matter how hard it comes, assists us in moving in the right direction. Choose life!  Perhaps Christ was thinking of this theme or these proverbs when He spoke the following in the Sermon on the Mount:

Matthew 7:24-27

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

God's Word is sound counsel.  When we fail to listen to it in faith and act on it in faith we will suffer for it.   It is that simple.  

Tag: Responsibility of Leaders - Psalm 81-83

Psalms 82:2-4

“How long will you judge unjustly

and show partiality to the wicked? Selah

Give justice to the weak and the fatherless;

maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.

Rescue the weak and the needy;

deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

Tag:  Responsibility of Leaders

In Psalm 82 we have God's judgment concerning leaders of the nations.   Many leaders today seem more concerned about their own promotion and their own status and gain from their position of leadership then they are concerned about those they lead.  Followers take second place to most leader's comforts.  In the above text we read that the leaders should be judging justly and concerned about the weakest among them.  The implication is that in any nation there is going to be weak people.  The instruction is that leaders are to care for those who are weak.  The use of the word "rescue" in the above text implies the leaders are not to give the weak a handout, but a hand-up.  In particular they are to protect them from those who would exploit the weak. God is well aware of the fact that sin in the world will produce a "class" society.   The responsibility of leadership is to make sure those in the lower class are not left there and are not afflicted.   Today's government and business leaders do not follow these words.   They would rather keep a class of people in poverty to secure their power than they would create real change that would change their poverty.  Today's leaders are so drunk with power and pride they can't find ways to rescue the weak among us.  Therefore God will remove them from power and judge them.  God sees the fact that leaders today fail at their most basic tasks; to protect the weak. He will judge them in His time.  

Tag: Whatever is not of Faith is Sin - 2 Kings 6-10

2 Kings 7:16-20

Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Syrians. So a seah of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord. Now the king had appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate. And the people trampled him in the gate, so that he died, as the man of God had said when the king came down to him. For when the man of God had said to the king, “Two seahs of barley shall be sold for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour for a shekel, about this time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria,” the captain had answered the man of God, “If the Lord himself should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?” And he had said, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” And so it happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gate and he died.

Tag:  Whatever is not of faith is sin

The above story is the summary of what happened after Elisha's prophecy regarding the Syrians and their besieging Jerusalem.  The servant of the king of Israel doubted the prophecy of Elisha.  He didn't have faith in the Word of God.   Paul tells us the following about the lack of faith:

Romans 14:23

But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

Whatever is not of faith is sin.  We are to follow God's Word in faith.   We like to boast that, "I just don't have that much faith!"   The issue with that mind-set is that the lack of faith is sin, as much as anger, lust, pride or any other of the "deadly sins."   Lack of faith did not qualify for the seven's "deadly" list..  However, the lack of faith in God's Word is at the root of each.  When we fail to believe God's Word we commit lust; we commit anger, or greed, etc.   Eve's sin in the Garden was the lack of Faith in God's Word.   Whatever is not of faith is sin.  The servant in the above passage was rewarded for his lack of faith by death.   

Tag: Purification - Leviticus 13-15

Leviticus 14:14

The priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering, and the priest shall put it on the lobe of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot.

Tag:  Purification

Because the nation of Israel lived in the wilderness for 40 years, there were "health" laws provided by God to ensure that the nation didn't simply be consumed by some disease(s).  Most of the laws in this section speak of "leprous" disease.   The disease was a skin issue that had the potential to wipe out the others in the camp, so the leprous person would be sent outside that camp until the disease was healed.   When the leprous person returned to the camp they were to make a sacrifice.   The entire process is the purification of the camp and the people.  Note one commentator's thoughts:

"With blood from the guilt offering, the priest anoints the right extremities of the person being cleansed, signifying the cleansing of the whole person. This rite is reminiscent of the ordination of priests (Lev. 8:23–24). Then the priest takes oil and sprinkles it seven times before the Lord. This particular use of oil also recalls priestly ordination (Lev. 8:10–12). Seven-fold sprinkling is associated with sin offerings, which use blood, not oil, for sprinkling. Presumably the oil protects the sanctuary from contamination. Next oil is applied to the person in the same way the blood was, an act of cleansing the whole person again. The remaining oil is put on the head of the one to be cleansed as a final act of full purification. The sin offering, burnt offering, and grain offering are then sacrificed, completing the rites. Hope is effected, and cleansing is complete. The person’s relationship with God and the faith community had been fractured by impurity. Now atonement is accomplished, and the relationships are intact. The individual’s place in the community is restored. The person is able to fully enjoy God’s created world rather than coping with any disorder outside the camp. The camp is ordered by way of the Holy Presence. The use of the number seven, and especially the attention to seven days, remind the reader that God, according to Genesis 2, had completed the creation in seven days."

Purification then and NOW is at the heart of the character of God.  We no longer have to focus on disease the same way Israel did in those days since we have medicine and a modern health system.  But, the act of purity and faith in that act has not been replaced.  We now have leprous hearts that are contaminated with the sin of the world. It creeps into our homes and churches and lives and threatens to separate us from the blessings of God.  Our desire to seek purification in God's never-ending love is the same today. God can recreate in us purification... we must approach Him in faith and ask him to purify our thinking, our mind-sets, or patterns and habits.   

Tag: The Goal of Every Believer - Philippians 3-4

Philippians 3:12-16

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

Tag: The Goal of Every Believer

We have a movement across the business world today for people to find and follow their "why."   This seems to be their latest "craze" but, despite the significance of it, it will be soon followed by another craze and another and another, etc.   The significance of finding your why, however, can't be passed over for the believer.   In the above text we have it.  We are, in short, to be perfecting our faith that was begun by Christ in our lives and will be finished by Christ in our lives.  Remember what Paul has already said:

Philippians 1:6

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Christ is finishing what HE started in us.  Our cooperation with Him in this completion is stated in the above text.  We are "perfect" our faith.   The word "perfect" in the above text is the Greek, Teleioo.    Paul is stating that he has "yet" to grasp the full meaning of his life in Christ.   However, in another tense of the same Greek word, Teleos, is used when he states, "... let those of us who are "mature" think this way ...".    Paul is saying there is a sense in which we ARE complete, but there is a sense in which we are STILL striving for that completeness in Christ.   God is showing us, through Paul's life, that being in Christ is both a completed task, done by Christ, AND a work of Christ in us to further mature us as we walk in obedience with Him.   We have cooperation is the maturing of our faith by waking in faith with Christ and allowing more and more of our lives to be consumed by Him.  That is the WHY of ever believer.  Why are we here? To be conformed to the image of Christ.  

Tag: Self-Exaltation vs God-Exalting - Luke 17-18

Luke 18:14

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Tag:  Self-Exaltation vs God-Exalting

The above verse is taken from the story told by Jesus about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.  The Pharisee prayed to God in pride and was thankful he was NOT like the other sinners in his life.   The Tax Collector showed up and berated himself and confessed his sinfulness.   Jesus is making the point that those who come to Christ must realize their own nature.   It is when we feel we have worth, absent the power of Christ in our lives, that we fall into the temptation to exalt ourselves.  The overriding principle of God's Word is that exaltation of self leads to being humbled by circumstances of life; being humble in life and remembering that God's grace is the power behind any goodness we can muster will result in God exalting us above us.   But, if we seek to be humble just so we can be exalted, we are not being humble at all.  True humility looks to seek Christ and recognizes there is nothing to offer Him.  He alone makes us worthy.  

Tag: God's Sovereignty - Ezekiel 19-24

Ezekiel 21:18-23

The word of the Lord came to me again: “As for you, son of man, mark two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to come. Both of them shall come from the same land. And make a signpost; make it at the head of the way to a city. Mark a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the Ammonites and to Judah, into Jerusalem the fortified. For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination. He shakes the arrows; he consults the teraphim; he looks at the liver. Into his right hand comes the divination for Jerusalem, to set battering rams, to open the mouth with murder, to lift up the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up mounds, to build siege towers. But to them it will seem like a false divination. They have sworn solemn oaths, but he brings their guilt to remembrance, that they may be taken.

Tag:  The Sovereignty of God over the Affairs of Man

The above passage is a perfect example of how God works in the lives of non-believers to accomplish His will in the lives of believers.   God is going to punish the nation of Israel, His chosen people.  God is going to use the country of Babylon to punish His chosen people.  But, the Babylonians are not people who seek God.  God will use them but they will not be the pursuers of God.   God, therefore, instructs Ezekiel to put up an actual sign so that King Nebuchadnezzar can see where to go: Either toward Jerusalem or to Rabbah, the capital city of the Ammonites.  Like all Babylonia leaders, Nebuchadnezzar was addicted to divination.  He would look at all the "omens" before going to war.   God will use the non-believers "system" to direct his path to do God's will.  Nebuchadnezzar would see the "sign" that Ezekiel put up pointing to Jerusalem.  The King would see the "sign" as a "sign" to attack Jerusalem, God's intended target.  The Babylonians would be used by God to accomplish God's will.  The Babylonians would think that their own will and the "gods" were directing them.  But, it was THE GOD of the universe who was using the system of the world to move King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians in the right direction.  God sends people to whisper and to drop hints and to give clear direction to the unsaved world in order to accomplish His tasks for those who are His children.  Nebuchadnezzar would think that these omens are giving him wisdom.  In reality it was the God of creation sending a prophet to make a sign to put in the path so that the king would do what God wanted done.  God is sovereign.  He rules over ever aspect of His creation to accomplish His will.  He is not limited to the walls of a church or the halls of a Christian institution.  God can use and does use all types of people (even wicked people ... see Job 1) to accomplish His tasks for His glory.  

Tag: Wisdom - Proverbs 8-9

Proverbs 9:10 (NASBStr)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

If there is a key verse for Proverbs this is it.   This is a favorite theme of all the poetry writers and didn't necessarily originate from Solomon. Job said it 28:28; The Psalmist said it in 111:10.   Solomon opened with it in 1:7.   Having a desire for wisdom and understanding of all things and not having an awe for God is like wanting to swim but failing to believe in water.   You can dream and desire all you want.   But, you have to believe in God and have an awe for Him if you want to understand the universe and the life He created.   Knowing God is the gateway to knowing what He created.   Fearing God is the door that opens up flood-gates of wisdom.   James tells us we only have to "ask God for wisdom and He will give it liberally."  When we ask God we have to humble ourselves and recognize He has something we can't provide ourselves and we need Him to be merciful and gracious for us to receive it.   Coming to God is an act of fearing God.   That is the "beginning" of wisdom.   Knowing God is the beginning of understanding.   That is God's formula for success.  It begins with His character and our submission to it.

Why is the beginning of wisdom found in the Fear of The Lord?   Solomon tells us this on fifth-teen different occasions in Proverbs.  He is not the only one to use the phrase and it first appears in the book of Job.  Since we believe that Job was the first book written the concept of the "fear of The Lord" is very much at the beginning of human relations with God.    Note the Job passage:

Job 28:28

"And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;

And to depart from evil is understanding.'"

This is Job stating that God tells us that our respect and reverence for God gives us the initial steps toward wisdom.   For us to have a reverence for God we must first recognize who we are in the face of God and who God is in relationship with everything we know.   God can and will supply wisdom when we put ourselves in the place of humility.   Reverence for God begins with humility of man.   So, God is telling us that before we can hope to have wisdom in our lives we must begin to humble ourselves and submit ourselves to God.   James tells us that God will give us wisdom when we ask for it.   Our asking is to admit we don't have it.   Those who approach God and believe that their education, position or experience gives them wisdom, can't and won't ask God for wisdom.   So, the reason we must fear The Lord to obtain wisdom is because we can't obtain wisdom if we are full of pride and self-worship.

Tag: Legacy for God - Pslam 78-80

Psalms 78:1-4

Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;

incline your ears to the words of my mouth!

I will open my mouth in a parable;

I will utter dark sayings from of old,

things that we have heard and known,

that our fathers have told us.

We will not hide them from their children,

but tell to the coming generation

the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,

and the wonders that he has done.

Tag:  Legacy of God

Today we have a number of "baby-boomers" who are obsessed with their "legacy."   Politicians especially seem to be focused on living behind a memory, a moment, and/or a message that will linger way passed their years of service.   As age creeps in, significance of life mounts up before us.   Although for most of our lives we didn't seem too concerned, the end of life wakes our minds to leaving a significant imprint on society and/or the community around us.   So, as we read above, is Asaph's Maskil (Probably a musical or liturgical term for a teaching set to some music).   Asaph wants us to realize that the ultimate legacy is the one that teaches the next generation about the amazing power and goodness of God.  As believers we have the obligation to make sure that the next generation knows the God we serve and the depth of His love and grace, the power of His might and the encompassing nature of His judgment.  We have the mission to communicate God to the next generation.  The next generation WILL NOT find God in today's society without this generation teaching them.  That is God is method.   In the next verses in this Maskil, Asaph writes:

Psalms 78:5-6

He established a testimony in Jacob

and appointed a law in Israel,

which he commanded our fathers

to teach to their children,

that the next generation might know them,

the children yet unborn,

and arise and tell them to their children,

God established a law that the father should teach the children.  If this younger generation is in a fog about God and who He is and what His power is all about, it is this generation that is dropping the ball. 

Tag: Persistent Prayer - 2 Kings 1-5

2 Kings 4:32-37

When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed. So he went in and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the Lord. Then he went up and lay on the child, putting his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. And as he stretched himself upon him, the flesh of the child became warm. Then he got up again and walked once back and forth in the house, and went up and stretched himself upon him. The child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. Then he summoned Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite.” So he called her. And when she came to him, he said, “Pick up your son.” She came and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out.

Tag: Persistent Prayer

The above story centers around the Shunammite woman.  Elisha passed her house on a repeated basis and out of love and kindness she had her husband build an extra room for Elisha to stay in while he traveled.   The woman didn't want anything but Elisha promised her a son.  When the son dies the woman comes to Elisha with the complaint, "Did I ask for a son?  Now he is dead!"   Elisha sends his servant Gehazi ahead of him to try to heal him.   Note the persistent work Elisha has to do in prayer.   We would think a man like Elisha could just whisper a prayer during his sips of coffee in the morning to heal the boy.  That is not how prayer works.   Remember these struggles in prayer:

1. Paul prayed three times for his sickness to be healed and it wasn't (2 Corinthians 12:8-10)

2. Daniel prayed and Michael the Archangel was hindered to answer by Satan (Daniel 10:12)

3. Jacob struggle all night in prayer (Genesis 32:22-31)

4. Jesus prayed all night in angst (Luke 22:44)

5.  Spirit of God groans for us in prayer (Romans 8:26-27)

We don't struggle with people in prayer.  Our struggle is spiritual:

Ephesians 6:12-13

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

Paul goes on to list the items of the armor we are to hold to and one item is prayer in the Spirit.   We are to be persistent in prayer (Luke 11:5-13).

Tag: Grief and Service to God - Leviticus 10-12

Leviticus 10:4-7

And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come near; carry your brothers away from the front of the sanctuary and out of the camp.” So they came near and carried them in their coats out of the camp, as Moses had said. And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar his sons, “Do not let the hair of your heads hang loose, and do not tear your clothes, lest you die, and wrath come upon all the congregation; but let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning that the Lord has kindled. And do not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you.” And they did according to the word of Moses.

Tag: Grief and Service to God

The above verses reflect the aftermath of the death of Aaron's two sons, Nadab and Abihu.   These two offered an offensive offering to God and were struck dead.  Aaron and his other others sons are in the midst of sacrifice and dressed in priestly garb.   What is Aaron to do?   Moses instructs Nadab and Abihu's cousins to come and remove their body, but Aaron and the other priest, now serving before God, are not to take time to grieve the deaths, least further harm come to them, as well.  God has just sent two warnings to the nation of Israel about the holiness of offering to God and the fear and trembling that God demands when approaching Him haphazardly.   The first is that God will not tolerate false worship.  For the New Testament equivalent we can think of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. They offered a gift in an unholy way and God struck them dead.  God will not tolerate false service and wicked offerings.  God wants obedience and a willing and sanctified heart.   The second lesson is that grief has a place and a time.   In essence Moses is instructing Aaron to control his emotions and allow the nation to grieve for his two sons, but Aaron has a job to do in the regard to the sacrifice.   God is holy and expects holiness even in times of grief.  Aaron's emotions will have to wait in regard to his loss.  God takes priority in his service and even trumps his grief.  We may find this hard to understand, but never-the-less that is what is being said here.   In the midst of service our emotion must fall second to service for God.   That shows the priority of life for us.  God is at the center before everything.