Tag: Joy ONLY in God - Ecclesiastes 11-12

Ecclesiastes 11:7-8

Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.

So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity.

Tag:  God is the Only Source for Joy in Life

The book of Ecclesiastes is the recount of King Solomon as he “tries” many ways to find joy, fulfillment and beauty.   Throughout the book he is trying money, friends, marriage, sex, property and much more to see if they will give him lasting joy and peace.  His conclusion is found in the last two chapters of the book.  The finally verses sum up his conclusion:

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

You can’t read ANY of the book without reading those verses first.  With that said, the above verses state “light is sweet” is a word picture about life.  The Hebrew word for “sweet” could be translated, “pleasant.”  It is often associated with “honey.”  In speaking about God’s Word, the Psalmist writes:

Psalms 19:10

More to be desired are they than gold,

even much fine gold;

“sweeter” also than honey

and drippings of the honeycomb.

Therefore when Solomon writes “light is sweet” he is referring to “life.”  After all the “experimental” ways to find “sweetness” in life, Solomon comes to the conclusion that there will be many days of “darkness” (death) and that, while on this earth, we need to realize that the only way to enjoy our life is not found in the ways man tries to find enjoyment.  The ONLY way to find joy in this life, so that life is “sweet” is to live in awe of God and in the worship of Him, the pursuit of Him and being satisfied with Him.  Jesus came for that purpose:

John 10:10

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

The world systems are here to steal our joy.  God is here to give us life, full of joy, and full in abundance.  It begins with following and chasing hard after God and His great and awesome and steadfast love.  

Tag: God Makes Us Bold - Psalm 137-139

Psalms 138:3

On the day I called, you answered me;

my strength of soul you increased.

Tag:  God Emboldens Those Who Seek Him

The above verse, in the Hebrew, actually says that when we call upon God, He makes our souls “bold.” The note in the ESV states:  In Hebrew, you made me bold in my soul with strength.   The writer is coming to God in this worship and psalm of praise to thank God for delivering him and enabling him to withstand against his enemies. He will, later, allude to the trouble he is in.  But, he still has a boldness about him despite the fact of that trouble.  Why?  Because he humbled himself before God, God heard him and God made him bold.  Notice what Solomon said about God enabling the righteous to find boldness in a time of trouble:

Proverbs 28:1

The wicked flee when no one pursues,

but the righteous are bold as a lion.

Notice David’s words just before he went to fight Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:32, 

And David said to Saul, “Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

God enables us.  God enabled Moses to face down Pharaoh when God told him to.  God empowered Joshua to lead the nation of Israel into the promise land.  God gave strength to Stephen to preach one amazing Gospel sermon.   God enabled Paul before the Roman court systems; Daniel in the lions den; the three Hebrew boys in the furnace; Abraham to leave alone and seek a land he knew nothing about; Samson to fight with only a few men; Peter to walk on water.  These all received a boldness by faith in God.  God enabled them because the simply believed that God could and would.   

Tag: Eyes on the Things of God - Nehemiah 1-4

Nehemiah 1:4

As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 

Tag:  Eyes on the Things of God

Nehemiah is an example of how a believer should respond, while at work, over the things of God.   Nehemiah was employed as a cupbearer to the king.  In that vocation he was able to have great opportunity to do something great for God.  When a fellow kinsmen came from Jerusalem and reported who the walls of the city were destroyed, Nehemiah became emotional.   This was a serous problem. Nehemiah felt emotions over the problem.  Having “no” feelings would be odd. He cries, mourns and shows it ... the king saw it  (2:2).   We seldom get emotional of the things of God.  We can get emotional over the things of sports.  We can get emotional over the things of making money, or losing money.  We can get emotional over losing or gaining a loved one.   But, do we really get emotional over the things of God?  When we do get emotional over the things of God what do we do?   In Nehemiah’s example we see him weep, mourn, fast and pray.   Nehemiah took the problem first and foremost to God.   Nehemiah realized that God would know about the problem, but that God still wanted Nehemiah to commune with God over the problem.   Nehemiah didn’t cry to his friends. Nehemiah didn’t freeze.  Nehemiah didn’t bemoan his helplessness.  Nehemiah didn’t seek his own comfort (he could have ... he was employed by the king in the king’s palace ... he could have focused on his safety and his needs).   Nehemiah took the emotion and gave it to God in prayer.   He did get emotionally, but he didn’t allow the emotion to freeze him.  God brought it to him and he gave it back to God.  That is what leaders do with problems.  

Tag: God offers Peace before Wrath = Deuteronomy 20-22

Deuteronomy 20:10

“When you draw near to a city to fight against it, offer terms of peace to it.

Tag:  God offers Peace before Wrath

When God sent the nation of Israel into the land of Canaan, the “iniquity” of the Canaanites was full.  God told Abraham that he could not go into the land to possess it because the time was not yet ready:

Genesis 15:13-16

Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”

However, there would be a time when their sin meet God’s wrath.  But, even still, as the above verse indicates, God would be patient and allow a nation to repent and to seek peace with God.  That would mean they cam into servanthood of God.  That would mean they would worship God and not their false gods.  The reason for this is because God did not want the nation to follow the foreign gods fo the land, but to worship ONLY Him.  God, was, however, gracious in His wrath.  God’s grace is always available to those who seek peace.  

Tag: What View Forms Your World View? 2 Peter

2 Peter 3:11-13

Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Tag:  What View Forms Your World View

Before diving into Peter’s words, above, note what Paul says about the same subject (our view of life):

Colossians 3:2-4

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Note, also, what Peter says prior to this, earlier in this book:

2 Peter 1:9

For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

What we set our eyes upon will determine our world life view.   Peter is saying that since all that we see will be dissolved, we should not allow it to occupy our minds.  That is being “nearsighted” ... only seeing that is close to me.   Instead we should look to Christ, who is everlasting and eternal.   This should determine our world view and mindset!! What we set our focus on will determine our mindset.  Our mindset will determine whether we please God and are blessed by Him.   We can’t complain about what this life gives us if we are simply focused upon this life. If we are focused on who He is, we don’t have to worry about who or how we are.  

Tag: To Teach Truth you have to Know Truth - Acts 17-18

Acts 18:5

When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was OCCUPIED WITH THE WORD, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.

Tag: You Must Study God’s Word to Teach God’s Truths

Reading the above passage has more impact if you read these following verses that happened as a result of Paul being “occupied with the Word.” 

Acts 18:11

And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

Paul was able to teach God’s Word because he studied God’s Word.  Note the same thing happened to Apollos in chapter 18:

Acts 18:26

He (Apollos) began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

Acts 18:27-28

And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

Those who wish to teach the truths of the Scripture must be students of the Scripture.  We must spend out time learning more and more about God and the truths about Him and from Him in the Book of Truth.  

Tag: God WILL Reign - Zechariah 9-14

Zechariah 14:9

And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.

Tag:  God WILL Reign

Zechariah, in the above passage, is telling us that God will, someday reign over the entire earth and be the ONLY God that people call God.  To understand the basis for the claims Zechariah makes in this verse we have to read several other statements he makes and one verse from Deuteronomy:

Zechariah 12:1

The oracle of the word of the Lord concerning Israel: Thus declares the Lord, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him:

Zechariah 13:2

“And on that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, so that they shall be remembered no more. And also I will remove from the land the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness.

Deuteronomy 6:4

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

One of the central truths in the OT, and the entire Bible, is that God is ONE God.  God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are one God in three persons.  It is a fact we struggle to understand.  Like an egg has three parts (shell, white and yoke), so God is One.  There are NO OTHER gods that compare to the God of Israel.   He ALONE made the heavens and the earth and put the spirit into man.   He will, states the prophet, “cut off the names of the idols from the land, so that they shall be remembered no more.”  That is the day that the Lord will be “king over all the earth.”  That is the day when the entire earth will recognize Him as the only God.  There is coming a day that God will both establish His reign and be declared as so.   No other god will be remembered or mentioned.  God IS and WILL BE, finally, recognized as the ONLY true God.   He WILL reign.  Those who reject that truth NOW, will be subject to that truth later.   

Tag: Quiet Wisdom Wins Much - Ecclesiastes 9-10

Ecclesiastes 9:17-18

The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

Tag:  Quiet Wisdom Wins Much

In 1936 Dale Carnegie published a book entitled, “How to Win Friends and Influence People.”  It has sold over 30 million copies over the years.   It was one of the first self-help books ever written.   The book was actually based on a 14-week course a publisher from Simon and Schuster took, taught be Carnegie.  In 2011 the third edition to the book was published.   This current addition has 211 pages to tell us how to impact those around us.   In the above text the ESV translates, in 30 words, everything you need to know about how to win and influence people:  God’s Wisdom communicated in the right way.   Carnegie would tell you whaat the “right” way is to communicate it.  Notice the contrast above.   The “words of the wise” stated quietly (in a one on one situation?) is better than a leader “shouting” among a group of people who are fools (those who reject wisdom).   Fools reject wisdom.  Therefore, no matter how you present it, the wisdom is useless.  Look how Solomon communicated that thought in another passage he wrote:

Proverbs 11:22

Like a gold ring in a pig's snout

is a beautiful woman without discretion.

When wisdom is shared with those who don’t want wisdom, it doesn’t matter if you are a powerful leader and shout it from the mountain top; it won’t matter.   The contrast of that is quit profound.  Wisdom shared, even in just a quiet manner (Solomon is NOT saying that is the ONLY way to share wisdom) is powerful.  Wisdom shared in the right way to a listening ear is powerful.   It is more powerful than “weapons of war.”   The converse of that is that “one sinner” (someone who rejects God’s wisdom), can destroy manny and much.   The power of wisdom is seen when it is delivered correctly to a heart that is open for God’s Word (His Wisdom).   

Tag: God’s steadfast love makes Him God!! Psalm 134-136

Psalms 136:2-3

Give thanks to the God of gods,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

Tag:  God’s steadfast love makes Him GOD!!

In Psalm 136 the phrase, “... for his steadfast love endures forever” is in each line of each of the verses.   It is the “refrain” of the psalm.   In the first line of each verse we read about something great about God and in the second line we read, “... for his steadfast love endures forever.”   The attribute of God mentioned in the first line is based upon the attribute of God’s steadfast love in the second line.   God’s love is the center of the Psalm because God’s love is the center of God.   We can rely on God to always love.  His sacrifice of His Son was done out of love.  His discipline of our life is done out of love.  God’s offer of salvation to a wicked mankind who mocks His love, is done out of love.   When we sin, repeatedly, His forgiveness for that sin is done out of God’s love.   We can rejoice and praise God that His love is not fluid, fluctuating or faulty.  God’s love toward those He places His love upon is STEADFAST.   

 Ephesians 1:4-5

even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. IN LOVE he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

Tag: God Provides ALL we need - Ezra 6-10

Ezra 7:6

this Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses that the Lord, the God of Israel, had given, and the king granted him all that he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.

Tag - God Provides All We Need

In the previous chapters of Ezra we read that as the captives returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple, God opened the mind and the heart of the king of Persia to supply those returning with material cost for building the Temple, as well as food. Latter we learn that God even made it possible for them to use the extra money the king gave them in any way they wanted to use it:

Ezra 7:18

Whatever seems good to you and your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do, according to the will of your God.

However, God does not just supply our material needs when we need it.   In the above passage we see that God sent Ezra to speak truth into the hearts of the people.  God knows that we need physical needs meet, but He also knows that we need to have someone speaking into our lives about our spiritual needs.   Ezra was that person, for this mission.  God wants to speak truth to us and He sends people in the middle of our rebuilding times to speak to us.   God even granted Ezra all that he needed to return to the land.   God was acting in the hearts of the non-believer to accomplish something great in the lives of believers.   

Tag: Only God can give us Joy in our Work - Deuteronomy 16-19

Deuteronomy 16:15

For seven days you shall keep the feast to the Lord your God at the place that the Lord will choose, because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful.

Tag:  Only God can add Joy to our Work

The nation of Israel had several “feasts” they were commanded to observe.  The above verse is taken from the instructions about the Feast of Booths.   Note one commentator’s words:

Otherwise known as the Feast of Booths, this feast came as the climax of Israel’s agricultural year after all the grain and grape harvest was completed (v. 13; cf. also Exod. 23:16; 34:22; Lev. 23:33–43; and Num. 29:12–38). It was a time of great celebration and joy and possibly took its name from the temporary shelters built by the harvesters in the fields at that time of year. Leviticus 23:42–43, however, links the practice to the temporary dwellings that Israel had to make do with after the exodus, thus once again illustrating the characteristic Israelite habit of relating the festivals of the agricultural year to the events of their redemptive history. As with the integration of Passover and Unleavened Bread, the motivation linked with the Feasts of Weeks and Tabernacles combines the past (the exodus, v. 12) and the future (the promised land, v. 15). (UBC OT). 

The key in the above verse is that the source of their blessing over their work is God giving them joy and goodwill.   In Genesis, after the sin of Adam, the following curse was placed upon man:

Genesis 3:17-19

And to Adam he said,

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife

and have eaten of the tree

of which I commanded you,

‘You shall not eat of it,’

cursed is the ground because of you;

in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;

thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;

and you shall eat the plants of the field.

By the sweat of your face

you shall eat bread,

till you return to the ground,

for out of it you were taken;

for you are dust,

and to dust you shall return.”

When we work, as a result of the fall, we are to work by the sweat of our face.  Work, because of Adam’s sin, is supposed to be work.   Only God can add joy to our work.  Note what Solomon will say later:

Proverbs 10:22

The blessing of the Lord makes rich,

and he adds no sorrow with it.

Our work is only blessed by God.   If we receive blessings and joy and good will, it is because God has chosen to do so.  That is the point of the Feast of Booths.  We are to celebrate the blessings God gives us in our work.  

Tag: Fight the Liar with The Truth - 1 Peter 4-5

1 Peter 5:8-9

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

Tag:  Fight the Liar with The Truth

In the above passage we are told by Peter that Satan is walking around looking for believers to lead astray. His main weapon to lead us astray is the untruth he perpetuates and the lies he uses to lead believers astray.  He is the master of deceit. He wants us to follow those lies.   We are to “resist him, firm in your faith ...”.    The ONLY way to fight lies and liars is with the truth.  When our mind is filled lies we must fill it with truth. Our FAITH is based upon truth.   When I sin it is because I believe that act of sin will get me something I deserve or can have by the sinning.  Eve ate the fruit, even though God told her not to, because she was lied to be Satan and told she “deserved” the fruit and it would make her like god.   The Liar (Satan) used a lie to deceive her.  When I sin I am believing that this act of sin will give me something God won’t or can’t.   Although this is long, I love how John MacArthur characterized this section of Peter in his commentary:

John MacArthur:

Peter commands Christians to have a mind that is resolute and to resist Satan by being firm in their faith. Such resistance causes the devil to “flee from you” (James 4:7). Resist means “to take a stand against, ” and to be firm is to make that stand solid (the Greek is stereos, from which comes the English stereo, meaning “solid, ” or balanced at both ends). That is done by being solidly fixed on the faith (tē pistei), which is biblical revelation. It is the whole body of revealed truth contained in Scripture (cf. Gal. 1:23; Eph. 4:5, 13; Phil. 1:27; 1 Tim. 4:1). This is a call to know and believe sound doctrine, to be discerning in distinguishing truth from error, and to be willing to defend the truth and expose error. Jude’s call is most appropriate in this connection: “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 3). It is that “once-for-all” faith which is the inscripturated revelation of God and constitutes the faith on which believers stand solidly and from which they continually resist Satan. This strong stand is the result of the faithful leading of shepherds in the church, as Paul indicates in Ephesians 4:11-14,

Since Satan is a liar (John 8:44; cf. Gen. 3:1; 2 Thess. 2:9) and a deceiver (Rev. 20:7-8), the only sure way to stand up against him is by faithful obedience to biblical truth. The battle is a spiritual one, in the supernatural realm, as Paul notes:

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. (2 Cor. 10:3-5)

“Speculations” are satanic ideologies, ideas, theories, religious philosophies, and systems of thought “raised up against the knowledge of God”; that is, they are anti-biblical viewpoints that have people captive as if they were imprisoned in a great fortress. Christians cannot smash those ideas with human ingenuity, but only with biblical truth—“taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” Only when someone has the mind of Christ on a matter is he rescued from such ideas.

Peter concludes this section with a word of assurance to his readers as they persevered humbly and submissively, vigilantly and courageously in the midst of many persecutions, sufferings, and trials—they were not alone. He reminded them that the same experiences of suffering were being accomplished by their brethren who are in the world. Believers in other places could empathize with them because every segment of the Christian community has experienced or will experience attack from the Enemy (cf. Heb. 13:3). God allows this form of painful testing to accomplish His perfect work in the lives of His elect (cf. 1:6-7; 4:19; 5:10; Matt. 5:10-12; John 15:18-21; 2 Cor. 1:6-7; James 5:11).

We “resist” the devil by “believing” in the truth over Satan’s lies.  

Tag: God Opens Hearts - Acts 15-16

Acts 16:14-15

One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

Tag:  God has and does open hearts to “hear!”

Paul and Silas and Timothy have made their way to Macedonia.  God had directed them to be there. It was no accident they found themselves in the city of Philippi.    In the City of Philippi there was a woman, Lydia, from Thyatira.   Notice that as they preached, God opened Lydia’s heart to the message of the Gospel.  NO one hears the Gospel until God, first, open their heart.   God opened her heart to receive the words of Paul about Jesus and that lead to her salvation.  Once God opened her heart, He then opened her month.  She immediately wanted to meet the needs of Paul and his team.  She invites him to her house.  But, it might not have stopped there.  We know that Paul has a great ministry there, in Philippi.  Through Paul, Lydia and later, a jailer, Paul starts a church in the city.   But, remember, Lydia was from Thyatira.   Did she, perhaps, go back home and start a church with her loved ones in her own home town?  We have no idea, but note what the Book of the Revelation of St. John reads:

Revelation 2:18

To the Church in Thyatira

“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

Did Thyatira get evangelized by Lydia?  We can only imagine that she might have helped start the church in Philippi and then she went “home” and shared the Gospel in Thyatira.  We are not sure, but what we do know is that before anyone hears the Gospel, God must open their hearts.  When God opens the heart to receive the Gospel, He will then open the mouth to speak the Gospel and empower the life to live the Gospel.  

Tag: God Protects those He Calls - Zechariah 1-8

Zechariah 2:1-5

A Vision of a Man with a Measuring Line

And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand! Then I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.” And behold, the angel who talked with me came forward, and another angel came forward to meet him and said to him, “Run, say to that young man, ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the Lord, and I will be the glory in her midst.’”

Tag: God Protects those He Calls

The book of Zechariah is a stereotypical “prophet” book.  When we think of a “prophet,” Zechariah fits the bill.   The book is full of dreams and visions and oracles and confusing metaphors.  The word pictures are odd, at times, but convey both past and future events and/or happenings.  In the above passage Zechariah is sharing a dream he had.  The dream is a man (we assume it was actually an angel, or maybe Jesus in the Old Testament, or, maybe even God Himself ... we just don’t know) measuring the city of Jerusalem ... as though “fitting” it for a new pair of pants.   This was a time when the Israelites, who were in exile, are returning to the city.   But, the city was in ruins.   Zechariah was sent to motivate the returnees to build the Temple.   However, the city they were living in and building in, was also in ruins.  Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had laid the city waste almost 70 years ago.  The charred ruins were now these returnees, home.  In the dream the city is being measured to be rebuilt.   It will be a city that is so big and the habitants so many, that no walls could contain it.  However, that would have freaked the current residents.  A city, in those days, without walls meant danger.   But, God assures them they don’t need walls, because He would not only be with them in their midst, He would be like a fiery wall surrounding them.  God had called them back home.  God had showed them that they were to be the chosen people to bring about the Messiah.   The Messiah would usher in a kingdom. That Kingdom would have a city.  That city would be vast.  The walls of the City would be the protection, character and power of God ... like a fire.   This assurance for the returning exiles would be refreshing.  They would still have to see it by faith.  Their current circumstances they could only see by the eyes of the flesh.  Now they had to live by faith.  The walls they could see were broken and stained with 70 year old residue.  The wall God was speaking they could only see by faith and it was the fire and power and awesomeness of God.  God is attempting to get their eyes off what the see and onto WHO is leading them and WHO will surround them.  Today we have the same situation.  Our eyes see danger, disappointment and despair all around us.  Years of residue cling to us like the soot of a fire place.  Yet, God promises to never leave us and to surround us with His EVERLASTING love.   God will never allow anything to happen to us He has not already prepared for us and us for the circumstance.  God is the fire around us and the glory within us.   

Tag: Which is Better? Joy or Sorrow? Ecclesiastes 7-8

Ecclesiastes 7:2-6

It is better to go to the house of mourning

than to go to the house of feasting,

for this is the end of all mankind,

and the living will lay it to heart.

Sorrow is better than laughter,

for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,

but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise

than to hear the song of fools.

For as the crackling of thorns under a pot,

so is the laughter of the fools;

this also is vanity.

Tag:  Which is better? Joy or Sorrow? 

Remember, the book of Ecclesiastes is written as an expose of Solomon’s experiences in life.  He has set his mind, with God’s permission, to explore all things in life; even bad things.  It may seem odd, but, then, isn’t life?   Solomon, in the above passage, gives us a contrast as to celebration vs mourning.  He contrasts sorrow vs laughter.  He contrasts rebuke of the wise vs songs of the fool.  The conclusion of the above passage is that a funeral is better than a New Years Eve party.   In laughter, to his point, there is NO learning; NO reflection; NO time to pause to ponder life.   In sorrow, that is all you do; you learn; you reflect; you ponder.   People can go through ice and have nothing but good happen to them and have nothing but song and dance and party.   Yet, according to Solomon’s words (God’s Word), there is no profit in that type of life.  It is in the valleys of life that we learn and grow and enhance our lives.  At the mountain top experiences we don’t have a sense of reflection.   Victory is not the same teacher as defeat.   We can learn from both, but success is a lousy teacher.  It can, and does, make us lazy and surface ready.   Defeat and disappointment are strong motivators.   This is the lesson all should learn in life.  It might be nice to party, and that is easier.  But, real learning takes place when we are in the midst of loss, tragedy and turmoil ... if you let it exercise you:

Hebrews 12:11

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Tag: Unity and Teamwork - Psalm 131-133

Psalms 133:1-3

Behold, how good and pleasant it is

when brothers dwell in unity!

It is like the precious oil on the head,

running down on the beard,

on the beard of Aaron,

running down on the collar of his robes!

It is like the dew of Hermon,

which falls on the mountains of Zion!

For there the Lord has commanded the blessing,

life forevermore.

Tag: Unity and Teamwork is a Blessing from God

The above passage is speaking about the beauty and source and reason for unity and/or teamwork.   The picture we have of fresh oil running over the heard and dew laying lightly on the morning grass, is a picture of the beauty, flow and refreshment of unity.   Although the appearance of unity is articulated in a picturesque manner, the real truth in the above passage is that unity or teamwork (dwelling together in peace) is a gift that comes “down” and that “falls” from above.   You can’t have unity or teamwork unless God so wills it.  We like to think that we are unified because of something we have done.  Not so.  We are unified because of the work that God does in us and through us.  We have a great blessing from God when we have unity.  And the reason?  Because “the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.”   To have unity you have to have God’s blessing.  He pulls us together, not we ourselves.   We have a picture here of the Body of Christ from 1 Corinthians 12-14.  We have unity in the Body because of Christ’s work not he cross.  We are to have unity together, in Him.  Note what Paul told the Church at Ephesus:

Ephesians 4:1-3

Unity in the Body of Christ

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 

We are to rejoice in unity because of its beauty and because of the source.  Our response to Unity?  Praise ourselves because we “all pulled together?” NO! Because God blessed us so.  

Tag: The Fear of the Unknown prevents the Work - Ezra 1-5

Ezra 3:3

They set the altar in its place, for fear was on them because of the peoples of the lands, and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, burnt offerings morning and evening.

Ezra 4:4

Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build

Tag:  Fear of the Unknown can Paralyze the Known

The people were sent back, from captivity, to re-build the Temple.  God has moved a Gentile King, Cyrus, to send them back.   In God’s providence we see a great work to be done.  Yet, when the people came back, those who lived in the land, made it their business to discourage the people.  The “fear” of these people caused the work on the Temple to slow, and, as seen in the next chapters, even stop.   The story reminds of the nation of Israel when they were fleeing Egypt.  Despite all the miracles God did for them in Egypt, they still focused on the Egyptian army chasing them and not the God of creation in front of them.  God had to move the Cloud (the presence of God) between them and the Egyptian army so they would still see God.  Their fear took their eyes of God.  Or, consider the story of Peter walking on water.  When he focused upon Jesus, he was literally walking on water.  But, when he looked at the wind and waves, he began to sink.   The same holds true for this passage in Ezra.  The fear of the unknown was preventing the fear of the known ... God doing a marvelous work in their lives to restore His Temple.  King Solomon, who was the original builder of the Temple, had actually warned them about this:

Proverbs 29:25

The fear of man lays a snare,

but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.

We can either fear the Lord (respect, awe and obedience) or fear the unknown (become trapped in what others think about us and give them power over us).   God prefers we give Him Fear!!!

Tag: God Wants Us to Celebrate - Deuteronomy 13-15

Deuteronomy 14:22-27

“You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year. And before the Lord your God, in the place that he will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always. And if the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, when the Lord your God blesses you, because the place is too far from you, which the Lord your God chooses, to set his name there, then you shall turn it into money and bind up the money in your hand and go to the place that the Lord your God chooses and spend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household. And you shall not neglect the Levite who is within your towns, for he has no portion or inheritance with you.

Tag:  God Wants Us to Celebrate His Giving with Our Giving 

The above passage follows a section on what is permissible to eat and what is not permissible to eat.   In Deuteronomy we are given the Ceremonial, Moral and Spiritual Laws for the nation of Israel.  After being told what they could eat and what they COULD NOT eat, Moses, in this passage, tells them how to celebrate the first fruits they may glean from the new land they were about to possess.   Note that they are to take the first fruits of the field and, in the presence of the Lord (near where He will tell them to worship), they are to eat it in a celebration.  “In the presence of the Lord,” is to remind them that this seed planted and now grown was not the fruit they are eating because of some “god” who magically produces fruit.  The fruit of the ground was not from the “rain god.”   The reason they are to do this is so that may “learn to fear the Lord” their God.   God was concerned that when they came to the land of promise they would begin to serve the gods of the land (which they did).  He wanted them, at every turn to recognize that it was God who gave them this fruit and not our own energy and/or talents.  He wants us to celebrate the fruit of the land (God is for celebration), but He wants us to do so in a way that will acknowledge His sovereignty and His blessing our lives.  God wants us to celebrate.   We do so but recognizing that God is the giver of Gifts.  Our gift back to Him is to honor Him with praise in that celebration.   

Tag: The Power of God’s Word - 1 Peter 1-3

1 Peter 1:22-25

Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for

“All flesh is like grass

and all its glory like the flower of grass.

The grass withers,

and the flower falls,

but the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

Tag:  The Power of God’s Word

In the above passage Peter is reminding those he is writing to that it was God’s Word, “truth”, that was the “seed” that birth them as believers.   And, since it WAS God’s Word we ought to obey it to make sure we express our new birth in our love to others.   Before the new birth we were selfish and followed our own lusts, where ever they took us.  But, being born again, by the Spirit using the seed of truth, we are now different. That difference ought to show itself in our love for others.  We “purify” our souls by “obedience to the truth.”   The truth is both the Living Word (Christ) and the Written Word (Bible).   It is our obedience to this truth that allows us to produce genuine God-like love for others.   The “seed” is the Word of God.  The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to produce, in our lives, the Love of God to others.   To grow that kind of love you have to start with the right kind of seed.  

Tag: From Persecution to Preaching the Gospel - Acts 13-14

Acts 14:5-7

When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, and there they continued to preach the gospel.

Tag:  Persecution is Just Another Avenue to Preach the Gospel 

You can’t read the above passage without what happens after they “fled” to Lystra and Derbe:

Acts 14:19

But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.

Most of us would “flee” under the threat of persecution, as well.  Most of us would not, however, in our fleeing, return to “preach the gospel.”  In the launching of the church Satan attempted to defeat the church in many ways.   But, each time Satan took a shot at the Church it came back in the Gospel being preached.   Christ is the answer, no matter the persecution or circumstances.   Christ should be preached no matter what circumstances are presented.   We must always “continue” to be preach the Gospel.   

Tag: God Motivates Us by His Provisions - Haggai

Haggai 2:6-8

For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts.

Tag:  God Owns it ALL

Haggai is a motivational speaker.  The nation of Israel had three return trips to the land God gave them. They were in captivity for disobeying God and now God was bringing them back to the land of promise.  However, after the first trip they had given up on building the Temple, because the work so too hard.  Haggai was sent to motivate them.  In so doing, one of the areas he uses as a motivational tool is the above passage.  The people sent back were becoming discouraged because they had a lack of resources.  Lack of resources is a major contributor to demotivation.  God gives them the assurance that resources WOULD NOT be an issue.  God owns all resources.  He ONLY needs to shake the trees to have all the “treasures of all nations” come in.   God can bring resources from a variety of places to meet the needs that they would have.  Haggai is not an empty speaker.  He is providing them with the assurance of where the things they needed would come from.   He was not pointing to their bank accounts (they had none); he was not pointing to their possessions (they had few); nor was he pointing to their skills sets (they had little).  Haggai was pointing them to God.  God was the resource for strength they needed.  There were told God has all they need.  The prophet will eventually tell them that their disobedience will shut God resources down, but in these verses he wants them to know that God has the resources they need.  That is motivation for anyone doing the work of God.  

Tag: Only God Makes Work Enjoyable - Ecclesiastes 5-6

Ecclesiastes 5:20 (NIV)

He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.

Ecclesiastes 5:20 (ESV)

For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.

Tag: Only God Makes Work Enjoyable and Life Speed By

Reflection always seems to be a good thing.  We all should take time to reflect and remember.  Proverbs 22:28 tells to “remember the ancient landmarks.”   God actually had the nation of Israel pile stones to mark a moment or place He did not want them to forget.   It is possible, however, to so enjoy life that you simply have no interest in reflection.  Your life is so full you take no time to rehearse the events of the day.   Is it possible to be so filled with joy in the heart because of your work, that you don’t care about reflection?  Or, better, don’t need reflection?  Solomon is telling us in the above verse that ONLY God can give us joy in our hearts to make it possible that reflection is not necessary.   When our lives are so trusting in God for our vocation and occupation, God can and will enable us to enjoy that work.  We can and should be rejoicing in the “occupation” God gives us, since it is He who GIVES it.  When we are “occupied” with what God gives us He can then keep us coupled with joy.   Notice in the above verse that God is occupying this man with “joy” - not with work.  We lost out in work when we work for us and for money and for power and for success.  When we work for God and for His glory He will, in turn, occupy us with joy.  Imagine being so occupied with joy we don’t really see our work as work.  The curse of Adam in the garden was for him to work by the sweat of his brow all the days of his life.  But, When God blesses our work (because we are honoring Him with it), He returns it with Joy in our hearts - to the point it is occupying us with joy, not with work.  

Tag: Forgiveness Produes ... - Psalm 128-130

Psalms 130:3-6

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,

O Lord, who could stand?

But with you there is forgiveness,

that you may be feared.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,

and in his word I hope;

my soul waits for the Lord

more than watchmen for the morning,

more than watchmen for the morning.

Tag:   Forgiven Sin Produces a Fearful, Waiting Soul

The fact that men are sinners is not debated.  The fact that we need God’s grace to stand before Him, is also, not debated.   Who can stand before a holy and righteous God?  No one!  Yet, with God there is a Divine act of Forgiveness.   We are sinners and, as sinners, could not do anything to warrant Divine favor ... we are sinners, so we can’t do anything without sin.  But, God is merciful and gracious and grants us forgiveness.   That forgiveness should produce in us two distinct outcomes.  The first is we ought to, in holy reverence, fear God as a result of that forgiveness.  When declared Forgiven by God we should revere Him.   The second is a patient waiting in “His word.”   The result of God’s grace is hope in God’s Word.   Once forgiving by a holy and righteous God we no longer have something to be anxious about.   Our mindset out to be, “If God forgives me, what more is there to worry about? What more is their to be anxious about? What more is there to be in a rush about?”  When forgiven by a holy God we have the ultimate position in life.  We have only to wait upon God for His final act of victory and that is to take us to Glory with Him.   Forgiveness produces reverence which produces steadfastness which produces hope.  That is the journey of all those who are declared forgiven by God.  

Tag: God’s Word Can Be Trusted - 2 Chronicles 33-36

2 Chronicles 34:21

“Go, inquire of the Lord for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do according to all that is written in this book.”

Tag: God’s Word can be trusted!

The above verse is taken from the words of young King Josiah.  Josiah had started out to simply clean the Temple and reconstruct what was torn down by previous kings.  In the process of cleaning he found a copy of the “LAW.”  It would be imagined it would be the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament.  Upon reading the scroll what happened?

2 Chronicles 34:19

And when the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes.

King Josiah saw that the Word of God was powerful and was to be followed at all cost.  His early reforms were fueled by more revelation of God’s Word.  The reading of God’s Word should always fuel our desire to seek more of God and to impact the world around us for God.  God’s Word is NOT to be sturdier as a text book, it is to study us and revel in us and to us the character and the plans of God.  It ought to humble us.   It will never disappoint us.  Note what Paul wrote to the Christians at Rome:

Romans 10:11

For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

Other versions read, “Everyone who believes will not be disappointed.”  God’s Word will never let us done.  I am actually writing this on the October 31, 2017.   This is the 500 year of the Reformation when another young man, Martin Luther, read God’s Word and moved forward with what he read.  His moving forward with God’s Word sparked a fire in the Catholic Church.   God’s Word will NEVER disappoint. When mixed with faith, God does amazing reforms in our lives and in the lives of others.