Tag: Forgiveness - Psalm 24-26

Psalms 25:11

For your name's sake, O Lord,

pardon my guilt, for it is great.

Tag:  God is a Forgiving God

The greatest truth written in the Bible is that God forgives.  

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

As Psalm 25 unfolds, David reaches out in praise to say, “I am a man of great guilt, thanks for forgiving me, for your name’s sake!”    The point David is making is summed up nicely by the following commentary, written on this verse:

“Remarkably, Yahweh is the kind of deity for whom forgiveness actually upholds his name or reputation (for the sake of your “name”); it is not a denial of it. For Yahweh to maintain his reputation he need not disassociate himself from those who shame it.” (Understanding the Bible Commentary - OT). 

We can shame ourselves in our behavior, but God is not shamed.   When God forgives us He does so in a way that brings praise to Him.   We can rejoice that God forgives and does so in a way that He is honored. In fact, as David shows, we seek God’s forgiveness for His honor, not our feelings.   We seek God because we are guilty (and it is great).  But, we get forgiveness because He is great.      

Tag: Keeping our Vows - Judges 17-21

Judges 21:8-12

And they said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel that did not come up to the Lord to Mizpah?” And behold, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh-gilead, to the assembly. For when the people were mustered, behold, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead was there. So the congregation sent 12,000 of their bravest men there and commanded them, “Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword; also the women and the little ones. This is what you shall do: every male and every woman that has lain with a male you shall devote to destruction.” And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 400 young virgins who had not known a man by lying with him, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

Tag:  Compromising an Oath

God’s word warns us to not make an oath to God and fail to carry it out:

Deuteronomy 23:21-22

“If you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it, for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. But if you refrain from vowing, you will not be guilty of sin.

Moses had just told them this truth years before.  Yet, in the above story we see them not only violate their vow to God, but also play some psychological gymnastics to fit the vow into their real world.   The story is simply:  The tribe of Benjamin did something wicked to a member of the tribe of Ephraiam.  The tribe of Ephraiam calls out all the other tribes to attack the tribe of Benjamin.   In the process they make a vow to God to destroy anyone who DOES NOT come out to fight with them.  After the fight and Benjamin is defeated and most of the men are killed, they make a further vow to not give their woman to the men of Benjamin.   After the war is over the tribe of Ephraiam and the rest of Israel feel bad for Benjamin.  They realize that if they killed most the males and most of the woman AND they refused to give them any of their woman for wives, the tribe of Benjamin would disappear off the face of the earth.  Now they have two vows in conflict.  There was a tribe of men (Jabesh-gilead) who did not fight and, therefore, they did not make the vow to not give their wives to Benjamin.   This is a “technicality” since the vow meant to make sure Benjamin was not ever able to rebuild their tribe.  But, they are now filled with compassion.   Their rash vow put them in difficulty to keep their first vow and still honor their second vow.   Their compromise was to kill the “men” of Jabesh-gilead and then allow Benjamin to have the virgins of the tribe.   They compromised one vow to complete and fudge the other.   In this case, neither vow was honored before God.   We would supposed that God did not ask them to make either vow.  But, God DOES expect us to keep the vows we do make.  In this case the tribes were trying to fit their vows into their lives, instead of honoring what they said they were going to do.   This compromise of the way we do things is a deeper issue of integrity to God and to our own words.  If we make a commitment we ought to keep that commitment.  This story shows the real heart issue in Israel during these days.  The them of Judges is “everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”  This is very much what they did in the above story.  To make themselves feel good they compromised their vows.   We do the same today.  

Tag: We All Need a Bethel - Genesis 32-35

Genesis 35:14-15

And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. So Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.

Tag: We All Need a House of Bethel 

The Word “Bethel” in the above text is the Hebrew word:  ḇêyṯ-’êl.    It is a word made up of two words:  beyt = house and el = God.  So, the name means, “house of God.”   It was at this place that Jacob had his name changed to Israel.   

Genesis 35:10

And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel.

This is a change in “position” for Jacob.  Regretfully, the change in name doesn’t change his basic disposition.  He still makes mistakes in his walk with God.  But, this “place” is a place he finds communication with God.   It was this place that Jacob found a place to rest when he was headed toward Laban and away from Esau:

Genesis 28:10-13 (Jacob's Dream)

Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring.

Now he found himself running from Laban and toward Esau. Despite who he was running from and headed to, Jacob (now Israel) meet with God.  Israel had a Bethel.   We all need a Bethel ... a place, no matter where we are headed, that we can meet with God.  This is a place that God speaks to us and we speak to God.  It is in this place that God can give us promises, remind us of His promises and even change our name.   God doesn’t need a place to do any of this, however.  The place is for the psychological need for Israel.   When he was there at the first.  At that time he also took a stone and set a marker for where he meet with God:

Genesis 28:18

So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it.

He did the same thing in the passage in chapter 35.   Each time he was placing a reminder to himself of God’s presence and God’s promises.   We all need a Bethel to hear God’s promises and sense His presence.   

Tag: Justification Leads to Unification - Romans 15-16

Romans 15:8-9 (Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles)

For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,

and sing to your name.”

Tag:  Unity is the Purpose of Justification

The book of Romans carries a great message of the doctrine of Justification:  Man is justified by grace through faith and not by works of the law.  We can get all we need in Theology as we read verse after verse.   However, as the book reaches the end the purpose does not end, but rather grows to the thought in Paul’s mind from the beginning:

Romans 1:13-14

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.

Now, in these verses from chapter 15, we read that the purpose of Christ was to make Himself submissive to the “circumcision” (Jews) in order to bring the message of the Gospel to the Gentiles.   Justification always had the intent of bringing all nations to Christ:

Romans 1:5

through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations,

Paul is writing to make sure that those in the church in Rome realize that their justification was to bring unity among the nations to honor and glorify God.   The outcome of their justification is “praise among the Gentiles and sign to your name.”   This unity of the believer is not a “secondary” or “ancillary” outcome of the Gospel.  The chief end of the Justification is the unity of all believers to glorify Christ.   Division is the enemy of Justification.   We are to rejoice in the fact that Christ brought us together, through His death, burial and resurrection.   Justification makes unity possible.   

Tag: Stealing God’s Worship - Matthew 20-22

Matthew 21:33-40 (The Parable of the Tenants

“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”

Matthew 21:45

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them.

Tag:  Stealing God’s Honor is the Highest Sin

We can’t rank sin.  Sin, no matter the “level” or “type” is egregious against God and separates us from God and our fellowship with God.    However, in the above passage we see an example of a sin against the first commandment: You Shall Have No Other Gods Before Me!!   In the above parable we see that Jesus is really speaking about the Pharisees.  In the parable the Pharisees are represented by the “tenants.”  When the owner of the land (God) sent His son (Jesus) to reclaim the vineyard (mankind), the tenants (Pharisees) thought to kill the son (Jesus) to claim the vineyard (the praise and worship of mankind) for themselves.   This is exactly what the Pharisees were doing.  In fact, in verse 46 we see that they don’t want to “take” Jesus because they feared the crowds:

Matthew 21:46

And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.

These religious leaders were so desirous of worship by mankind they couldn’t even, at this time, take their rival out, because they didn’t want those they wanted to worship them (the crowds) to be disrupted.  Mankind was meant to worship God.  God sent His son to repair the barrier that was between God and mankind, so that man could return to worship God.  However, when religious leaders “steal” the worship of man so that they can be praised, honored and “worshipped,” they attempt the take “the inheritance” due God.   When pastors, priest and church leaders refuse to speak truth in order to have man praise them, they steal God’s inheritance.   When we refuse to speak truth because we don’t want mankind to be made at us, what we are actually doing is stealing the worship (inheritance) due God and taking it (their worship) for ourselves.   When we want the praise of men and fear mankind and disobey God in the process, we are, in essence, stealing God’s inheritance and that is the most egregious of sins!!

Tag: He Leads the Blind - Isaiah 40-44

Isaiah 42:16

And I will lead the blind

in a way that they do not know,

in paths that they have not known

I will guide them.

I will turn the darkness before them into light,

the rough places into level ground.

These are the things I do,

and I do not forsake them.

Tag:   He Leads the Blind

Have you ever felt so much darkness in your life it wore over you like a winter coat in July?  Have you been so lost in your life that any simple door would have been valued and sought?  Being “blind” in your life as to your walk, your purpose, your future, or your place in life may be the most frightening of fears.  We often, in times of great darkness, lose our way.  We simply, “don’t know,” where we are going, where we have been or where we are.   It is fearful.  A small child lost in a department store wails for the comfort of a parent.   Not realizing the mom and/or father are right behind them or in the next aisle over they scream in the fear of loss.   They are loss and blind to where the loving arms of their parent might be.  In the above passage the prophet Isaiah is speaking to Israel.  The nations surrounding Israel are about to come down hard upon them.   They feel loss and afraid.  They are blind in life.  They are afflicted.   They are in darkness!!  They wail for relief.  What they fail to realize, watching over them in great power and strength, is the God of the universe.   Although they are blind to Him, He is not blind to them.  Although they can not see their future, He holds it in His hand.  Although they say, “I don’t know what is going to happen,” He says, “I have your plans all worked out.”    What is great about the above passage is that God says, “... I will turn their darkness into light and their rough places into level ground.”    What a blessed assurance.   What a comforting thought to embrace in faith, knowing as we stand in fear in one aisle, God is right above us and ready to sweep in and comfort us.  As we hear His voice and begin to walk toward it, the light beings to grow and the ground begins to level.   But, we have to walk by faith toward His voice.  We can stand and wail.  We must step out in faith.  Peter did so in the boat.   Jesus called to him.  He actually walked on water because he stepped out in faith by listening and obeying and walking toward Christ’s voice.   Yes, he began to sink when he took his eyes off His Savior and stopped listening by faith to the Word of Christ and started to consider with the eyes of his flesh the storm, wind, rain and water around him.   He began to sink into darkness because he considered the circumstances of life more powerful than the Words of God.   Darkness is turned to light and rough road is turned to level ground by stepping forward in faith and allowing our life to follow His voice and not being held in fear by the circumstances of life.  Note how the above verse ends ... as if what He said was not enough:

These are the things I do,

and I do not forsake them.

By faith we walk forward, into the dark, knowing God will do what He says!!! 

Tag: Depression Meets Grace - Job 15-17

Job 17:6-7

“He has made me a byword of the peoples,

and I am one before whom men spit.

My eye has grown dim from vexation,

and all my members are like a shadow.

Tag:  Depressive Thoughts

When a person go through a loss like Job did, we can understand the above passage.  He has, indeed, become depressed.  He will, at the end of this chapter, say:

Job 17:13-15

If I hope for Sheol as my house,

If I make my bed in darkness,

If I say to the pit, ‘You are my father,’ 

And to the worm, ‘My mother,’ or “My sister,”

... where is my hope?

Who will see my hope? 

Loss is one of the most difficult of emotions to deal with in our human existence.  Job has lost everything in his life that matters to him, on an earthly manner.  Anything he was attached to has been taken away by the acts of Satan in his life.  The one thing that can’t be taken away, his relationship with God, is being clouded by those who came to comfort him.   Instead they are judging him and casting doubt over him.  When Job says that people “spit” at him, this is the lowest form of contempt and rejection.   His state has moved him from being the most reputable man in the land (chapter one) to being on the side of the road and becoming a “byword.”    People in the state of lost should not, also, have to deal with the contempt of others.   Job may not wanted their pity, but he did not deserve their mocking or rejection.   Job will not always be a “by-word.”   Although, he will still feel this way through chapter 30.  (Job 30:9).   But, God will change his reputation.  He will be known in the NT as an example of steadfastness.  

James 5:11

Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

God will use Job.  His friends judged him.  God folded him into His plan and made him a man we all admire.  From “by-word” to the example of steadfastness can only happen when God’s grace is manifested in your life.   His friends judged him in their pride and arrogance.  God matured him through his grace.  

Tag: Praying Beyond Your Feelngs (Psalms 21-23)

Psalms 21:1-2

O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices,

and in your salvation how greatly he exults!

You have given him his heart's desire

and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah

Tag:  The Times God “Feels” Present

Before we dive into the beauty of these two verses, read the first two from the next chapter of Psalms ... another Psalm of David:

Psalms 22:1-2

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,

and by night, but I find no rest.

Both these prayer-songs are offered up to the same God by the same person.  However, they are obviously offered at different times in David’s life.   We can see that at one point (Psalm 21) David “feels” that God is close and right there for him.  However, at another time (Psalm 22) David “feels” as though God has abandoned him.   This is why we don’t pray to God based upon “feelings” or judge God hearing our prayers by “circumstances.”   God is in both parts of David’s life.   These “songs” are used to worship the same God.  However, we have times in our life that we tend to “feel” as though God is not there and that He, along with others, has abandoned us.   Regretfully we do not know when each of these prayer-songs were offered up to God.  We only know that as the author of them, David had to extremely different “feelings” in his life about God.   Never-the-less, we see that God is there, despite David’s “feelings.”  In Psalm 22 he will, later in the song, acknowledge this.  It is one thing to “feel” that way and allow circumstances to dictate your emotions.  But, it is another to allow them to steal the truth.  Notice where David eventually goes with these false feelings that God is not there:

Psalms 22:23-24

You who fear the Lord, praise him!

All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,

and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!

For he has not despised or abhorred

the affliction of the afflicted,

and he has not hidden his face from him,

but has heard, when he cried to him.

Despite his emotions, David returns to the truth He knows that transcends circumstances and situations:  God is there, listens, and, eventually, delivers.   That is formula for avoiding your “feelings” in prayer.   The truth is, God is there.  He listens to His children and delivers them.  

Tag: God Removes Things That Bind

Judges 15:14-17

When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting to meet him. Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and the ropes that were on his arms became as flax that has caught fire, and his bonds melted off his hands. And he found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, and put out his hand and took it, and with it he struck 1,000 men. And Samson said,

“With the jawbone of a donkey,

heaps upon heaps,

with the jawbone of a donkey

have I struck down a thousand men.”

As soon as he had finished speaking, he threw away the jawbone out of his hand. And that place was called Ramath-lehi.

Tag:   God Removes Things That Bind

Samson is quite a riddle.   He is a man chosen by God from birth, dedicated to God by his parents, raised in the strict order of a Nazareth, gifted with strength from God Himself, and, yet, a man full of lust and lacking integrity.   God uses him to destroy Israel’s enemies, despite his appetite for sin and for self-indulgence.  God uses Samson, despite his failings, to accomplish great things for God.   However, when Samson falls into sin and is bound by sin, he can’t accomplish anything for God.   In the story above we see that Samson, again because of his sin, is bound.   When the enemy comes upon him God works a miracle to set him free for battle.  This is a picture of what God has done for us and can do for today’s believer.  God is powerful enough to release us from whatever binds us and to give us power to defeat whatever attacks us.  God knows when we are bound and, despite our failings, is ready and willing to release us from past mindsets and from poor judgements.   God prefers we obey Him.  When we don’t and choose to reach out to Him in our times of weakness, He will deliver us and enable us to overcome our enemy, or THE enemy.  

Tag: Boundaries Keep Conflict Away - Genesis 28-31

Genesis 31:51-54

Then Laban said to Jacob, “See this heap and the pillar, which I have set between you and me. This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, to do harm. The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac, and Jacob offered a sacrifice in the hill country and called his kinsmen to eat bread. They ate bread and spent the night in the hill country.

Tag: Boundaries Keep Conflict Away

“Good fences make good neighbors!”  The phrase comes from a poem by Robert Frost entitled, “Mending Wall.”   Setting up boundaries is a necessity and even more so in the ambiguous and fluid world we live in today.   Without boundaries you have potential for chaos and conspiracy.   Today’s world with FaceBook and instant media is a great example of a world absent boundaries.   When you don’t establish clear boundaries everyone crosses over into areas that are neither their’s to know or be engaged about.   In the above story Laban and Jacob had a dispute.  Jacob had not only taken most of Laban’s livestock away via a business transaction, but had also simply walked off with his two daughters and 11 grandchildren.   This was, in their society, a potential for war (it is war in our families every day ... business between family can be destructive).   To make sure they had no further conflict, Laban and Jacob set up a boundary (a fence) to keep each other honest.  Establishing boundaries is healthy.  So, feel like they should have untethered access to others.   However, boundaries are not only important they keep relationships healthy.   Good boundaries establish healthy relationships.   

Tag: Justificatiion Leads to Unification - Romans 13-14

Romans 14:13-19 (Do Not Cause Another to Stumble)

Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

Tag: The Work of Christ vs the Opinions of Man (Don’t judge)

Paul has been building his entire writing to reach this point in the letter.   In the church at Rome there were Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians.   They differed on how they “did life.”   The Jewish believers would still want to observe the ritual days and eating laws of the OT.  The Gentile believers would not have those frameworks in their daily living.   The thought anchor in the mind of the Gentile believers would be in direct opposition of the Jewish believer.   Paul is writing this book to make sure they understand that, in Christ, they are one.  They are both depraved (Chapters 1-3); they both need to come to Christ by faith (Chapter 4); they are both Justified by faith (Chapters 4-7); they are both lead by the Spirit (Chapter 8); the Jewish believers were chosen, but so, too, the Gentiles (Chapter 9-11); we are all to live in harmony (Chapters 12-16).  In the above passage we see that the entire point of Christ’s sacrifice was for righteousness, peace and joy.  Paul wants them to see the doctrinal and historical significance of justification so that they will live in unification.   Unification is the desired end of righteousness, peace and joy.  We are not to damage the work of Christ over days, meats, or rituals. The purpose of the entire book is to make sure, as believers, we are demonstrating the unity we have in Christ because of the justification we have by Christ.   Justification of the saint is to be demonstrated by the unification of the believers (the Church).   We are not to destroy the work of Christ over foods, days and personal opinions over what is righteous and what is not righteous.  We are One with Christ and are not to be divisive over material things.  

Tag: Honor God’s King - Matthew 17-19

Matthew 17:24-27 (The Temple Tax)

When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?” And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.”

Tag:  Honor God’s King

In our Christian society we have an obligation to honor the institutions God has ordained.   Note what other New Testament writers have stated:

Romans 13:1-3, 6-7

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval  ...

For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

1 Peter 2:13-15

Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.

Peter’s words in his epistle, no doubt, come from this experience with the tax collector.  The “tax” that is referred to by Matthew (remember, Matthew, himself, was former tax collector) was a tax for the Temple that every Jew was required to pay.   There were two reasons Jesus should NOT be required to pay it.  The first is that He is the Creator of the universe and should not be required to pay a tax to the “creator.”    The second is the fact the the Temple was build to honor God.   He called the Temple, His Father’s house.   Therefore, He should not be required to pay it.    Yet, Jesus did.   Peter’s lesson (and ours) is that we are to render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.   No one likes to pay taxes.  Especially when we know that the taxes are going to be, at best, wasted, at the least used for corrupt and unbiblical gains.   We are not required to obey the laws of man when they directly contradict the laws of God.  But, we are required to support the system God put in place, no matter the corruptions and how far off they are to God’s Ways.  If Jesus felt obligated to pay the tax, can His followers do any less?   There is no other record in the Bible of Christ using a miracle to obtain money, to pay taxes.   We have here Jesus submitting to the will of man in order to bring glory to God.

Tag: Crisis Management - Isaiah 34-39

Isaiah 37:1 (Hezekiah Seeks Isaiah's Help)

As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord. 

Isaiah 37:14 (Hezekiah's Prayer for Deliverance)

Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord.

What is the proper way to approach to crisis?  When you get bad news, or there is some fear in your heart, what should you do?  What do we typically do?  We often start to worry.  We, more than often “wring” our hands and imagine all the ill that will come from this crisis.   We can turn to some “insurance” policy we have for a crisis.   The “policy” can be our wealth.  We believe that since our bank account is good, we can handle the crisis.  Or, our “policy” can be our family.  Certainly they can help us ... we can lean on them!   Or, perhaps our friends.  We believe our friends can bail us out.   We often like to rely on our own strength.  We are tough and therefore we can DO IT!!   We might rely upon the government to give us what we need in times of crisis.   There certainly is not harm in having friends and family during times of crisis who can come along side and give us support.  Being fiscally responsible and having a “rainy day” fund is certainly prudent.   And, since we pay taxes, using the services of the government is not wrong.  But, note how Hezekiah handled crisis in his life:  He made a habit of taking these things to God.   The ultimate help in times of crisis is faith in God and the strength we can ONLY get from the power of Christ living in us.   Hezekiah simply turned his crisis over to the God of the universe.   There is NO better support, assurance, or help, and strength than knowing God and taking out burdens to Him.  

1 Peter 5:6-7

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Tag: Death and Hope - Job 14

Job 14:11-12

As waters fail from a lake

and a river wastes away and dries up,

so a man lies down and rises not again;

till the heavens are no more he will not awake

or be roused out of his sleep.

Tag:  Death Comes to All

In chapter 14 of this book Job is lamenting death and dying.   When reading the chapter we have to remember that Job is in a very hurting place.  Should we experience his circumstances, we may not even rise to the level he has ... however low we think that level may be as we read his response.   Job is hurting.  Job wished he was dead.   Not everyone has reached that time in their life when things are so bad that they wish they were dead.  Regretfully, many have.   Job is at that point.   In the above text we see a conclusion Job has come to.   Job is confessing the thought that man will die and that death is terminal.  This sounds funny to say because we all know this, but Job is going beyond the point.  He wants his “friends” to know that he is at a place of completely NO HOPE.   Later, in this chapter, he will write:

Job 14:19

the waters wear away the stones;

the torrents wash away the soil of the earth;

so you destroy the hope of man.

He speaks to God and is crying out in pain that he believes he has no hope.   Prior to this, in contrast to his lack of hope, he talks about a tree, having hope. 

Job 14:7

“For there is hope for a tree,

if it be cut down, that it will sprout again,

and that its shoots will not cease.

When we lose hope we are at the lowest portion of our life.   God is the only one who can restore hope and give us lasting hope.  Job’s friends in their wisdom, do not offer hope to Job.  They continue to judge him.  It is our job to listen to those on the verge of death (physical and/or spiritual) and give them hope.  That is God’s work ... hope for a dying man.   The truth is, accounting to the Gospel, we do have hope ... in Christ.  We don’t just die a physical death.  We live, in Christ, forever.   So, in Job’s pain he makes a clear statement.  But in reality, his pain has blinded his eyes to the hope we have in God.  God’s plan is the hope of mankind.  We need to be ready to offer that to a dying world.  

Tag: Accepted by God - Psalms 18-20

Psalms 19:14

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable in your sight,

O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Tag:  Acceptable in His Sight

We spend most of our time in our walk on this earth worried about whether we will be “accepted” in the sights of others.  We worry if our supervisors will “accept” us.  We worry if our friends will “accept” us.  We worry if society will “accept” us.   The style of clothes we were today is probably more focused on “acceptance” than utilitarian in nature.   The cars we drive are advertised that we will be “accepted” by others.  We seem to be bent on “impressing” the world around us.   We so much want our walk and talk to be accepted.   Yet, in the above verse, King David closes one of the most awesome Psalms about God’s character with a plea to be “accepted” by God, not man.   David has just spoken about “natural revelation” (how creation tells us about God) and “special revelation” (how God’s Word tells us about God).  In fact, he has just told us the value of God’s Word:

Psalms 19:11

Moreover, by them is your servant warned;

in keeping them there is great reward.

As he closes out the Psalm on this subject of God’s great revelation to us, he draws one conclusion:  We are to use that revelation to strive to be “accepted” by God.  How do we do that?   It is only through faith we can please God:

Hebrews 11:6

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

We must come to Christ in faith to be received by God.  

John 1:12

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

God is the One we need to be accepted by.  We ought not to worry about the World. It is God we want to work for, dress for, live for. He must accept us.  

Tag: The Cost of Sin - Judges 6-11

Judges 6:1-4 (Midian Oppresses Israel)

The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian seven years. And the hand of Midian overpowered Israel, and because of Midian the people of Israel made for themselves the dens that are in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds. For whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them. They would encamp against them and devour the produce of the land, as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel and no sheep or ox or donkey.

Tag:  The Cost of Sin

In Judges we see the cycle of Israel.  They disobeyed God-Fell into oppression-Cried out to God for help-Received a Judge to Rescue them-Disobeyed God-repeat!!

In the above passage we see the results of this disobedience.  When they disobeyed God they were oppressed by their enemies.   The lack of faith in God’s Word and failing to obey them always results in the oppression of evil world around us.  The Midianites are an example to us of the evil world around us. When we disobey God and fail to follow Him in faith God we hinder God’s grace in our lives.  When we hinder God’s grace in our lives we feel the oppression of the world around us.  Note in the above text the Israelites dug wholes in the rocks to hide in when the Midianites came to oppressed them. That is what it feels like when we live in constant disobedience to the known will of God. The nation of Israel was not in a place of making mistakes in their walk with God (that happens to all believers).  They decided that even though God told them one thing they decided not to follow in faith.  They let their fleshly mind dictate what to do.  That was not walking in faith.   When we don’t walk in faith we will find ourselves oppressed by the world and looking for holes to live in.    We can rejoice that God will get us out of the holes in the rocks, but we have to repent and cry out in faith for that happen.  

Tag: Values Matter - Genesis 24-27

Genesis 25:29-34 (Esau Sells His Birthright)

Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.) Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

Tag:  Values Matter

When it comes to what we value, it is not tough to observe what we value more, when we consider our choices.  Our choices are between what we value as opposed to something else.   We can cast one thing aside if another option is more valued, to us.   We tend to value the immediate over what is available only in the future.  This is the story of what we read in the above example of Esau.   Esau made a choice in the realm of the immediate at the expense of the future.  We can value something now, or deny ourselves that choice and live for something in the future.   God has laid several of those choices in front of us.  David had the choice to value his own sexual pleasure with Bathsheba, or honor God for rewards in the future.  He chose the immediate over the eternal.   Our choices show what we value.   Esau valued his immediate appetite over God’s blessing through his birthright.   He is used as an example for believers in the New Testament:

Hebrews 12:15-16

See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.

We make value choices every day.  That is the story of our lives.  The question is what do we value more over what we value less.   

Tag: Prayer in Tribulation Produces Hope - Romans 12

Romans 12:12

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Tag:  Hope in Tribulation Produces Prayer

Chapter twelve of Romans begins with a “therefore.”  Paul, after laying out all the doctrine behind our election, justification, sanctification and glorification, now instructs us to the “practical” side of Christian doctrine.  We are not saved to be trophies for God.  We are saved to do good works (Ephesians 2:10).   Those good works, foreign at the moment to the Roman Christians, was to love our brother (Jew or Gentile) and to live a dynamic life, despite our persecution, for Christ.   This section of Romans is summed as follows by the UBC (Understanding the Bible Commentary-NT):

Ten poignant examples of agapē comprise this section, all of which are cast in parallel form. Each begins in Greek with a substantive in the dative case which is followed by a response in the participial mood; i.e., first a virtue, then an action with respect to it. The sequence is enclosed between two homophones in Greek, Philadelphia (brotherly love, v. 10) and philoxenia (hospitality, v. 13). The following attempts to reproduce the flavor of the original:

In brotherly love, being devoted to one another;

in honor, outdoing one another;

in zeal, never flagging;

in the Spirit, being aglow;

to the Lord, serving;

in hope, rejoicing;

in tribulation, being patient;

in prayer, being constant;

to the needs of the saints, sharing generously;

in hospitality, being diligent.

The above passage is instruction us to do three things as a result of our justification.   

#1 - We are to, in hope, rejoice.   This is not an option for the believer.   Christians are not to allow outward circumstances to steal their joy.   These admonition are commands that, as a result of being justified by Christ, we have JOY.   That Joy is based in the Hope we have that this world is not our world and these circumstances are not our life.   We have hope of a future with Christ.  Note what Paul stated earlier in Romans about this thought;

Romans 8:23-25 - And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

#2 - Patient in Tribulation:  The result of #1, above, produces #2.   We can only be patient in the current tribulations we face because we have renewed our mind and set our mind on the things of God.   This world produces trial after trial (for all men).  The Spirit of God does NOT promise to remove trials from us.  He only promises to give us the patience to endure them.  Again, note Paul’s previous words:

Romans 5:3-4 - Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

God is using the trials to produce a character of Christ Himself, who endured suffering for our salivation.  Note that James says to “consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials” (James 1:2).  This, again, is not an option.  We are to show those around us that our faith produces endurance in suffering.   

#3 - Be constant (faithful) in Prayer.   Prayer in the context of Hope, Trials and Tribulation seems like the most natural fit.  It have hope in tribulation and joy in sorrow, we must be faithful, constant, in prayer.  Prayer may be the most difficult aspect of the Christian life.  Prayer, consistent prayer, is a struggle between the flesh and the Spirit.  In Romans 8 we learned that the Spirit prays for us.  But, we must allow the Spirit to discipline our bodies to be in “constant” prayer.  It is via prayer that tribulations can be endured and turned to joyful hope.   Prayer is an act of faith enacted by claiming the promises of God relative to the circumstances of my life.   

It is through #3 (prayer) that #1 (Hope) is accomplished while experiencing #2 (Trials).  

Tag: Deny Your Life to Gain Living - Matthew 14-16

Matthew 16:24-28 (Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus)

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Tag:  Deny Life - Gain Living

The above passage should be he first lesson we learn as believers.   Christ’s point: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me,” is fundamental to our Christian walk.   The word “deny” is ἀπαρνέομαι aparneomai (to deny utterly, i.e. disown, abstain: — deny).  This is not a concept taught in our society at any level ... even in today’s church.  In today’s church we “cater” to the church goer so they have “just what they want” in their worship, youth ministry and their church experience.   We don’t teach the concept of “denying” self.   Yet, in a marriage to be successful we have to “deny” ourselves and fully “give” to our spouse.  In the Christian walk we must deny ourselves and give full allegiance to Christ.  The concept to “disown” our own interest is a foreign concept.   That is the difference in Christianity and the world. Our worldview is NOT to seek who we are but to deny ourselves and seek Christ.   If we do that Christ promises we will be able to “find” life.   That is not a concept the world can understand.  Why should be embrace this worldview?  The rest of the passage tells us.   Jesus gives two reasons:

1. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 

2. For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 

His two reasons are very simply.  If we pursue our own life we will forfeit our own soul and we need to realize that God is going to judge us for how we stewarded this life.   Christ’s teaching is foreign to the world.  For Christ you don’t seek your own life, instead you seek His life to find real living.  

Tag: The Lord Does What Man Can’t - Isaiah 29-33

Isaiah 33:22

For the Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver;

the Lord is our king; he will save us.

Tag:  The Lord Does What Man Can’t

In the book of Isaiah the prophet is prophesying what is going to happen with the nation as a result of their disobedience to God’s laws, their failure to have godly leadership and the poor treatment of others ... their injustice to their fellow Israelite.   The leaders of the day were corrupt.  The poor where put into servitude.  The kings were corrupt.   This entire book is to prophesy agains this behavior.  What would be their salvation?   God states throughout the book that He would be their deliverer and He would be their savior.   In the above passage we see that the answer to their corrupt judges and law breakers and wicked kings is, the LORD, Himself.   The “Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our king.”   Note what one commentator states about the above verse:

Yahweh will not merely replace the inadequate judge (1:26; 3:2) and lawgiver (10:1; 22:16 “chiselling” is a form of the same word because laws are “set in stone”) and king (32:1). Yahweh will take their place, and of course save us (19:20; 25:9; 30:15). (Understanding the Bible Commentary Series - Old Testament)

Mankind is corrupt.  As a result, leadership will be corrupt.  Our judgements (how we judge others) will be corrupt. We are, by nature, law breakers.   Therefore, ONLY the LORD (Jesus Christ) can save us and enable us to judge righteously, walk in obedience to God’s law, and rule as righteous leaders.   We need Christ to do those things in us and us through Him.   Christ is the three in one who enables us to judge, obey and lead in righteousness.   

Tag: Hard Data vs God’s Power - Job 12-14

Job 13:1 (Job Continues: Still I Will Hope in God)

“Behold, my eye has seen all this,

my ear has heard and understood it.

Tag:  Observation is Not always the Best Doctrine

Our world is very data driven.  It is hard to argue against “hard” data.   After all, if you see ten rocks and not one of the rocks has water coming out of them you would probably convinced by the “hard” data that rocks can’t produce water.  (Yet, read Exodus 17).  If you stood in front of a thousand seas and rivers for a thousand years you would collect data that would prove, beyond a doubt, that seas and rivers don’t dry up on one side and hold back on the other to allow dry ground to show. You would not be able to argue against the “researchers” data (Yet, read Exodus 17 and Joshua 3).  If you were to watch 100 men attempt to walk on water you would have hard data that demonstrated they sink every time.   You can’t argue against the data. (Yet, read Matthew 14).  In the above passage, Job confronts his latest “friend” (Zophar) who has told Job that his suffering is a result of his unconfessed sin. His three friends have confronted him based upon their observations. If we observed Job we would all believe he is in his state due to his sin.   But, we know from chapters 1-3 that this is not the case.  Their observations (hard data) don’t match the real story.  When God intervenes the hard data isn’t always reliable.  What would the data say if you watched 1,000 men tossed into a den of hungry lions, overnight?  What would the data say if you tossed three young man into a flaming fire?   What would the data say about a man swallowed by a fish?   What would the data say about a walled in city that had 1,000,000 people walking around it for seven days?   Six days of data would say that nothing happens.  But, with God, something happens.  What would the data say about a man who died on a cross and was buried in a tomb?  When God intervenes, the data is not always right.   Job begins to defend himself with his own “observations.”   Too bad ... the data would prove to be false.  Job and his friends had real observations that meant nothing in the eyes of God.