God Turns Mourning to Joy - Jeremiah 27-31

God Turns Mourning to Joy

Jeremiah 31:13-14 (ESV)
13 Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance,
and the young men and the old shall be merry.
I will turn their mourning into joy;
I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.
14 I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance,
and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness,
declares the LORD.”

In Jeremiah 31 we have the prophet telling the nation of Israel of a future time.  He is letting them know that all the gloom and doom he has been prophesying (chapters 27-30) will be reversed and blessings will come to the remnant.    In the above lines we are seeing the end of an oracle spoken specifically to the remnant that remains faithful.   The priest, mentioned above, are not the same priest who have been blasted by Jeremiah for their false worship and leading the people into sin.  These priest were of the faithful remnant.   God is going to allow those who are faithful to the end to experience “abundance.”   He wants them to know that He will provide joy and dance instead of mourning and shame.   God has brought discipline on them for their past sins.  But, in this prophecy He speaks through Jeremiah about a time of blessing and rejoicing.   This is how God’s discipline works.  Notice how the writer of Hebrews states it:

Hebrews 12:5-11 (ESV)
5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”
7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 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.

When God disciplines us, it is for our benefit.  Those who allow that benefit to take place yield peaceful fruit of righteousness.   This is the message Jeremiah is delivering.   God wants to give us blessing through the discipline.   Faithful people, who hold to the end, experience that benefit of discipline.   

Man’s Righteousness Adds Nothing to God! Job 35-36

Man’s Righteousness Adds Nothing to God

Job 35:8 (ESV)
8 Your wickedness concerns a man like yourself,
and your righteousness a son of man.

In chapters 32-37 of Job we are listening to the words of Elihu, the fourth friend of Job.  The fourth friend stands in great contrast to the three friends. The three friends of Job attempted to debate Job and point him to the value of their arguments and the fault of his arguments.  The fourth friend, Elihu, simply points Job to God.   The above verse reflects that difference.  Whereas the three friends of Job (Zophar, Bildad, Eliphaz) attempted to argue for man’s righteousness and how important acting righteous and being righteous was, Elihu confesses the above.   Just prior to the above verse, Elihu states:

Job 35:6-7 (ESV)
6 If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against him?
And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?
7 If you are righteous, what do you give to him?
Or what does he receive from your hand?

He then ends the paragraph with verse eight.   Our wickedness neither distrusts or hinders God and our righteousness does not add to or bolster God.   Our righteousness does benefit mankind, but it does not add anything to our walk with God.   God did go to great lengths to make us righteous, of course: 

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

But, our earthly righteousness does not benefit God.   Elihu is trying to let Job know that he has no position with God whether righteous or unrighteous.   Our righteous acts of kindness do benefit mankind.  But, that is all they are good for. They do not, however, earn us merit before God.   Elihu is trying to put all the arguments between Job and his three, older friends into perspective.  He is trying to point them all to God and His majesty.  The only way to see the majesty of God (which will end up freeing Job from his affliction) is to point people away from their own righteousness and toward the majesty and holiness of God.   

What Do We Say After We Sin? - Psalms 51-53

What Do We Say After We Sin?

Psalms 51:1-2 (ESV)

Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God
TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID, WHEN NATHAN THE PROPHET WENT TO HIM, AFTER HE HAD GONE IN TO BATHSHEBA.

1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!

according to your abundant mercy

That about answers the question!!   When we commit a sin against a holy God we are to confess that sin.  we are to come to God to plead for His mercy.   We are to approach God based upon His steadfast love for us.   We are to enter into God’s presence based upon His abundant mercy.   We have to start with the fact that we will sin.  Here is what David will say just two chapters latter in Psalms:

Psalms 53:2-3 (ESV)
2 God looks down from heaven
on the children of man
to see if there are any who understand,
who seek after God.
3 They have all fallen away;
together they have become corrupt;
there is none who does good,
not even one.

Since there is none that “seek God” and none that “does good,” we need to know how to repair the broken relationship we have with God because of that sin.   It starts with confession.   Note how one New Testament writer put it:

1 John 1:9-10 (ESV)
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Our confession invokes God’s compassion.   God is not obligated to forgive us just because He is a forgiving God.  That is the world’s philosophy.  Our confession opens up the avenue for God’s mercy and grace in our lives as we approach Him via faith in His promises.   God is “faithful” and “just” to forgive our sins.   We can rejoice in His mercy and steadfast love.   

God’s Plan Includes Moving God’s People - 2 Samuel 5-9

God’s Plan Includes Moving God’s People

2 Samuel 5:1-5 (ESV)

David Anointed King of Israel

1 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh. 2 In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the LORD said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.’” 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel. 4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. 5 At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.

In the above passage we read that the people of God reached out to David to make him king over all Israel.   This of course is no surprise.  Note what happened when David was just a shepherd boy, years earlier:

1 Samuel 16:11-13 (ESV)

11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12 And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

In this passage we see that through Samuel, years earlier, God had ordained David to be the king.  But, a lot happened in between then and the people seeking David to be king.  In between that time David killed a giant, he tended sheep, he played a harp for King Saul during his mental breakdowns, he dodged spears from the hand of Saul during his mental breakdowns, he developed a deep friendship with Saul’s son, Jonathon, he ran from Saul, he became a vagabond, he took refuge in caves and he became a writer and author of hundreds of psalms.   Now the tribes of Israel finally came to make him king.  The above text states that the tribes of Israel CAME TO HIM.   They might have thought that they were doing David a favor.  But, in reality it is God who puts up one and takes down another.  Note:

Psalms 75:6-7 (ESV)

6 For not from the east or from the west

and not from the wilderness comes lifting up,

7 but it is God who executes judgment,

putting down one and lifting up another.

We do not promote ourselves.   In our walk with God it is He who moves people into leadership positions.   It can be a dark, dark place when we are seeking leadership that God does not ordain.   David went through much anguish, grief and heartache to get to this point.   But, through those experiences, he also was changed and became a man worthy of the crown he was to wear.   God will move men to seek you out to wear the crown, after He has prepared you for that crown.   God will move people to recognise your leadership in His timing.  Not a moment sooner!!

Succession Planning Begins with an AAR - Exodus 17-20

Succession Planning Begins with an AAR

Exodus 17:14-16 (ESV)

14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD Is My Banner, 16 saying, “A hand upon the throne of the LORD! The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

In Exodus 17 we are still at the beginning of Moses’ leadership.  Since he returned to Egypt to lead the people out of captivity, Moses has had his brother Aaron at his side and Joshua.   We are not told why Joshua.  Joshua has simply just been blended into Moses team.   In chapter 17 we are told about the war Israel had with the Amalek.   This was a nation that constantly sought war with Israel.  They were a thorn in Israel’s side for generations.  In this story Israel, once again, defeats the Amalekites.   This is were the above verses give us some insight about God’s plan of succession for Moses.   While Moses was on the mountain, Joshua actually lead the army in battle.   Moses prayed in over-watch and God allowed Joshua to lead the fight.   At the end of the battle and Israel’s victory, we see God wanting this battle written down and I rehearsed in the ears of Joshua.   This is the first steps in any succession planning.  Note Moses (and God’s) approach:

1. The plan is laid out for Joshua to lead under Moses’s watchful eyes and prayer. Allowing others to lead is the first sign of good leadership.   

2. There is an AAR (After Action Review) of the battle’s victory recorded.   They wrote down what happened.  This is a good way to see what happened. Putting it in print allows us to go back and study the battle.  The military, today, makes a habit of doing AAR work.  Good leaders do so, as well. 

3. The battle is “recited” in the ears of Joshua.   God wants Joshua to both remember and rehearse the battle.  Remember, Joshua will be the leader who leads the nation into the promise land.  This “reciting” of the battle is not just for celebration purposes.  It is to teach Joshua the key elements of leadership and victory in God’s care. 

We would do well to practice such leadership.  It is NEVER to early to put others in charge, watch and pray over them from a distance, and recite and conduct an AAR of the battle after they have completed it and won the victory.  God, throughout Scripture, demonstrates the need for succession.   

All God’s Promises Are Ours, In Christ! - 2 Corinthians 1-3

All God’s Promises Are Ours, In Christ!

2 Corinthians 1:20-22 (ESV)

20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. 21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, 22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

The fact that God promises us anything is amazing.   The fact that all of God’s promises are fulfilled in Christ and there for fulfilled in us, is truly mind-blowing.   Whatever God promised to the nation of Israel in the Old Testament is fulfilled in the Messiah (Christ) and therefore YES to us, as well.   The peace, the prosperity, the joy, the security, the assurance, the approach-ability, the strength, the steadfast love, the freedom from sin, the escape from God’s wrath, the light of life, the bread of life, the great shepherd to guide and the vine to produce fruit.  These promises are ALL ours in Christ.   We can’t find a promise in Scripture that was not fulfilled in Christ and that is not ours as we rest in Him.   Perhaps the greatest of all the promises is the promise of the Holy Spirit indwelling us as the guarantee of God’s power in us and care for us.  The Holy Spirit is our “seal of redemption” as the above verse states.  We can rejoice in all the promises but this promise is emphasized in the above passage to assure the church at Corinth that God was indwelling them to guide them and protect them from false teachings.   We have all the promises of God by our faith in Christ.   

God Enables Man to Kill Jesus! - Mark 13-14

God Enables Man to Kill Jesus!

Mark 14:59-65 (ESV)

59 Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. 60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” 61 But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 63 And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? 64 You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death. 65 And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows.

The trial of Jesus was a farce.  It would not pass muster in any court in our country today.    Or, would it?   The Chief Priests and the High Priests had created a problem for themselves.  Under Roman law they were not allowed to condemn anyone to death. So, they hav to make a case against Jesus that allowed the Romans (Pilate) to grant death to Jesus.   They brought numerous people to testify against Jesus, but they could not get it right.  Here is the ineptness of mankind.  They couldn’t even crucify Jesus without help from God.   To accommodate they task, Jesus finally gives them, by testimony, what they need.  He finally just admits He is God’s Son, the Messiah.  Of course, they didn’t believe that and did not want to hear that.   This is so ironic.  This is the group of people that knew the most about the coming Messiah.  They were the leaders who were in charge of preparing the people for the coming Messiah.  Here they have someone who did miracles to prove He was the Messiah.   Here they had Jesus confessing He was the Messiah.  Instead of worshiping Him they spit on Him.   Of course, Christ had to die.  He had to die to satisfy God’s wrath for sin ... for our sins.   But, mankind couldn’t pull it off without Jesus giving them what they wanted.   God help mankind kill Jesus so that in Jesus death He might save mankind!!  That is the Gospel.  

Wheat vs Straw? - Jeremiah 22-26

Wheat vs Straw?

Jeremiah 23:28-32 (ESV)
28 Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the LORD. 29 Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? 30 Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, declares the LORD, who steal my words from one another. 31 Behold, I am against the prophets, declares the LORD, who use their tongues and declare, ‘declares the LORD.’ 32 Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, declares the LORD, and who tell them and lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when I did not send them or charge them. So they do not profit this people at all, declares the LORD.

Of all the complaints that God had against Judah, perhaps the above is the saddest.   Jeremiah was sent to Judah to proclaim God’s displeasure for Judah’s behavior.  The above is a section of his explaining to the nation the cause of God’s displeasure: The false teaching of the prophets and priests.    We read in the above words of Jeremiah that the prophets and priests were speaking to the nation.  But their source of their message was their own dreams.   Instead of speaking God’s word, these false teachers gave their own dreams.   God tells them to go ahead and speak their dreams.  But that is like comparing straw with wheat.  God’s word is powerful.  Their dreams are weak and worn out.   God is against those who speak their “dreams” (their own philosophies) instead of God’s Word.  God’s word is final.   Man’s dreams are fickle.   God’s word honors God and His plan.   Man’s dreams put man at the center and honor man’s endeavors.  He ends the above dialogue with this statement:

“... So, they do not profit this people at all, declares the LORD.”

The nation of Israel suffered under the language, preaching and dialogue and philosophy of the false teachers.   Jeremiah was sent to make sure they knew the difference between wheat and straw.  

How To Rebuke a Friend - Job 31-34

How To Rebuke a Friend 

Job 33:1-5 (ESV)
1 “But now, hear my speech, O Job,
and listen to all my words.
2 Behold, I open my mouth;
the tongue in my mouth speaks.
3 My words declare the uprightness of my heart,
and what my lips know they speak sincerely.
4 The Spirit of God has made me,
and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5 Answer me, if you can;
set your words in order before me; take your stand.

The above passage is the opening comments from Job’s friend Elihu.   In chapter 32 we read the Elihu has been sitting along side Job’s other three friends this entire time.  But, because of his youthfulness he has refused to speak.  But, when Job stops speaking  and the three friends stop speaking, Elihu decides it is his turn.  He is going to rebuke Job and his three friends.   He sees them all in violation of the character of God.  In the above passage we see the following lessons about how to rebuke a friend:

1).  At some point and time we have to speak up!   Yes, Elihu waited and let the “aged” speak first.  He had respect for them.  But, that did not stop him from speaking.   

2). It is implied that Elihu is demanding that Job listen to his words.  He is not going to take “no” for an answer.  Job may not wanted to hear Elihu’s thoughts, but that was not going to stop Elihu from speaking them.  Sometimes, despite the resistance of the hearer, we have to speak up. 

3).  We have to speak with truth in our hearts and sincerity on our lips.   This is no time for fake empathy.  Elihu wants to speak truth to Job.  Saying he is speaking from an “upright” heart implies he is not trying to press his agenda, but rather truth he believes needs to be said.  We have to always realize we have to align our words with truth. 

4).  He openly admits that he is like Job and his only hope is his reliance on God.   He does not claim, like Job’s other friends, a superior nature to Job.  He simply states, “The Spirit of God has made me,

and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”  He knows that he is but a vessel for God.   

5).  He allows Job the opportunity to respond to the words he is about to speak.   He is open to correction.  He is open to a challenge.  He creates a pathway for Job to object.   Job will not, however.  Job never responds to Elihu.  But, Elihu does create the opportunity for Job to speak. 

We ought to be willing to correct our friends. But, we ought to do it in the right way and manner.   

God’s Silence is Deafening - Psalms 48-50

God’s Silence is Deafening

Psalms 50:16-23 (ESV)
16 But to the wicked God says:
“What right have you to recite my statutes
or take my covenant on your lips?
17 For you hate discipline,
and you cast my words behind you.
18 If you see a thief, you are pleased with him,
and you keep company with adulterers.
19 “You give your mouth free rein for evil,
and your tongue frames deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your brother;
you slander your own mother's son.
21 These things you have done, and I have been silent;
you thought that I was one like yourself.
But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.
22 “Mark this, then, you who forget God,
lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!
23 The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
to one who orders his way rightly
I will show the salvation of God!”

The above verses are a rebuke against those who forget God and/or mockingly claim His “statues,” but do not fulfill them.  Mankind thinks they can play with God and put Him away when they don’t need Him.   These verses gives us the outline of today’s modern “religious” practice.  We here people “claim” to be this denomination and that denomination but their lives have no reflection of who God is and what His statues really demand on us.   God is clear in this passage, “Mark this ...”, He says in verse 22.   He wants them to consider, to pay attention, to take heed of what He has to say.   They think because God does not immediately interact with them over their sin, that God is “silent.”  They think His inactivity about their sins makes him complicit and complimentary to them.  But, this is not the case.  They will all stand in judgment for what they have done.  God is not silent.  In fact, His inactivity is quite loud.   He recognizes the one who gives a sacrifice of thanksgiving.  He recognizes the one who “orders his way rightly,” according to God’s word.   God is speaking.  He speaks very loud to those who walk in His ways.  To those who “recite” His statues but do not do them, He may appear as silent.  But, His silence is dealing to them.   

Blinded by Revenge - 1 Samuel 1-4

Blinded by Revenge

2 Samuel 3:26-30 (ESV)
Joab Murders Abner
26 When Joab came out from David's presence, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern of Sirah. But David did not know about it. 27 And when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he struck him in the stomach, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother. 28 Afterward, when David heard of it, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the LORD for the blood of Abner the son of Ner. 29 May it fall upon the head of Joab and upon all his father's house, and may the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge or who is leprous or who holds a spindle or who falls by the sword or who lacks bread!” 30 So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon.

There is something about the revenge factor.  Mankind seems to always want to “pay-back” those who do us wrong.   We want to rejoice in their downfall.   In the above text we read about Joan getting revenge over his enemy, Abner, for the fact that Abner killed his brother, Abishai.  Now to be fair, Abishai was trying to kill Abner.  Abner warned him to turn away and not attempt to kill him.  In most courts of law, Abner would have been set free because he was simply defending himself.  But, Abishai would not turn around.   Of course, these facts would not convince Joan to back down on his revenge.   He would not listen to the facts.  He only wanted revenge.   Revenge in the heart causes us to forget things.  Revenge causes us to go blind to the truth.    Notice what Paul tells us about revenge:

Romans 12:14-21 (ESV)
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

We are not to seek revenge.   God is the only one who can, with complete justice, sort out the right form the wrong.   We are to allow Him the power of others who have done us wrong.   The only way to obey the text from Romans is to live by faith.  God wants us to obey Him and trust Him, even with our pain of revenge in our hearts.  Joab sought revenge himself.   David will actually bring a curse on Joab and his family as a result.  David will distance himself from Joab.   This will become Josh’s legacy for him and has family.    We would be best to allow God to fight out battles and bring revenge.  He is holy and just.  We are selfish and sinful.   Only God can get revenge in perfect righteousness.  If Joab would have listened to the truth he would not have killed Abner.   But, he was blinded by revenge.  

Followers Grumble - Know Who it is Against! - Exodus 13-16

Followers Grumble - Know Who it is Against!

Exodus 16:8 (ESV)
8 And Moses said, “When the LORD gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the LORD has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD.”

The above verse is taken at the end of the Red Sea crossing.  If you remember the story, the nation of Israel was lead out of Egypt by Moses and Aaron.   The Egyptians let them go after God killed all the first born of Egypt.   But, a few days after they left, Pharaoh had a change of heart.  He and his army and all his chariots pursued the nation to the Red Sea.  Pharaoh thought he had them trapped.  Instead, through the power of God, Moses parts the Red Sea.  The nation of Israel crosses on dry ground.  The Egyptians attempted to pursue them, but their wheels stuck in the mud.  You see that?  Dry ground vs stuck in the mud!  God made the surface dry for His people but muddy for His enemies.   God does that.   The nation of Israel JUST saw that done. In fact, they celebrated and wrote a song about it (see chapter 15).   Yet, here they are (above) grumbling about not enough food to eat.   They instantly went from celebrating to complaining.   This will become a cycle for them throughout their wilderness wandering.   Their wandering were forty-years of grumbling.  Moses and Aaron could be really frustrated by this. In fact, Moses does get frustrated.  When told to speak to a rock, out of frustration of the people’s grumbling, he strikes the rock instead.   He is not allowed to enter the Promise Land as a result.  Their grumbling got under His skin.  We have to realize, as leaders, the people will grumble.  We can’t stop their grumbling.  It seems to be part of follower-ship DNA.   What we can do is make sure we recognize the catalyst for the grumbling.  In this case, above, Moses and Aaron recognized that the people were grumbling at God, not them as the leaders.   The leaders often take the brunt of the complaints.  But, typically, there are other, deeper reasons for the dissatisfaction in follower’s lives.   We can take it personal, or we can dig deep and find the real source and reason for their discontentment.   Most of the time people complain because their expectations are not met.   God wants us to be content with what we have.  But, many times people are not.  That causes their complaint.  Since the earthly leader is the easier target, the leader gets the complaint laid at their feet.   As leaders we have to be able to recognize, as Moses and Aaron did above, that their complaint is not with the leadership.  It is with the Lordship, or lack of Lordship, in the person’s life.   When we are in harmony with what God is doing in our lives we can follow most people.   When we don’t like what God is doing in our lives, we tend to strike out and find an easy target to swing at.  Earthly leaders are easy targets.   

Faith is Demonstrated Via Love - 1 Corinthians 15-16

 Faith is Demonstrated Via Love

1 Corinthians 16:21-24 (ESV)
21 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. 22 If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Paul is ending his letter to the church at Corinth.    In the contents of the letter he has challenged them and has inspired them and he has instructed them.  He has even corrected them.   As he draws the letter to a close he gives them one last instruction and admonishment. After all he has said, these last words were the exclamation point.   Weaved into the typical farewell he gives them this final statement of clarity:
If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed.   

That is a very easy way to distinguish the sheep from the wolves.  This approach might remind us of Jesus’ conversation with Peter after His resurrection.  Note:

John 21:15 (ESV)
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”

Jesus goes on to ask Peter, the same question, two more times.  Our love for the Savior separates us form the world around us.  Notice how the writer of the book of Hebrews states it.  He realizes that the love for the name of Christ takes priority over all things we do:

Hebrews 6:10 (ESV)

10 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.

God wants us to love Him.  Jesus summarized the entries Old Testament Law as follows:

Matthew 22:37 (ESV)
37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

So, when Paul ends his letter with and admonishment to that those who do not love Jesus, we see why they are accursed.   By not loving Jesus with all their heart, soul and mind they are rejecting Him.  That rejection amounts to being accursed.   Paul is not just wishing ill on his enemies (and he did have some that had snuck into the Corinthians church).   Paul is saying this and ending the letter this way because those who do not love Jesus ARE accursed.   

Christ’s Authority Comes From God! - Mark 11-12

Christ’s Authority Comes From God!

Mark 11:27-33 (ESV)
The Authority of Jesus Challenged
27 And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, 28 and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” 29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.” 31 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32 But shall we say, ‘From man’?”—they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. 33 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

When the religious leaders confront Jesus about His authority, they had little real desire to know where it came from.   They simply were on a course, in this chapter, to discredit Him.   They feared the people would follow Him and they would lose their power and position and privilege.   Jesus will give them the answer to their question if they can tell Him where John the Baptist received his authority.   The key to this is found in what happened at Jesus’ baptism by John.   Note what happened after John baptized Jesus:

Mark 1:9-11 (ESV)
The Baptism of Jesus
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

When Jesus was baptized by John, God gave authority to Jesus by calling Him His beloved son.   The Chief Priests, scribes and elders did not really want to know this. This, however, is why Jesus asks them that question.   They thought if they answered they would either discredit the image of John the Baptist or incriminate themselves.   But, the real reason is that Jesus was public ally anointed by God at His baptism by John.  Christ’s authority was from his father.   He wanted them to admit it to Him and those around them.  But, their pride would not allow them to acknowledge this truth.   Jesus was given authority by the Father.   

Hebrews 1:4-5 (ESV)
4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,
“You are my Son,
today I have begotten you”?
Or again,
“I will be to him a father,
and he shall be to me a son”?

We can rejoice in the teachings of Jesus and trust in them because His teachings and life and death were all done by the power of God and authority of God.   We can have faith in these things Christ did because He did them in the power and authority of the Father.  

God Knows Our Deeds - Jeremiah 17-21

God Knows Our Deeds

Jeremiah 21:14 (ESV)
14 I will punish you according to the fruit of your deeds,
declares the LORD;
I will kindle a fire in her forest,
and it shall devour all that is around her.”

When reading the Scriptures we soon learn that salvation is from God and it is based entirely on His grace and His mercy in our lives.   We don’t have to read much to see that our works do not merit anything in regard to this great salvation that He has provided us.   However, do also don’t have to read much of the Bible to understand the truth spoken in the above passage.  NO, our works do not save us.  But, our works will condemn us.   God wants to save us and have us then, produce fruit in our lives:

John 15:16 (ESV)
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

Once God chooses us, He wants to produce fruit in our lives.   But, when we do not cultivate the fruit in our lives that He planted (because of our unbelief ... Hebrews 3-4), then God takes that into account in our lives.  Our works do not save us.  But our works do condemn us.   Our works can’t earn us merit from God.  But, our works can and do demonstrate His grace in our lives to be a light to the world around us.  When we refuse to be that light, like the nation of Israel, God brings wrath and destruction upon those who refuse to live in faith and follow the flesh instead.  

God Cares for the Poor, as Should We! Job 31

God Cares for the Poor, as Should We

Job 31:16-23 (ESV)
16 “If I have withheld anything that the poor desired,
or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
17 or have eaten my morsel alone,
and the fatherless has not eaten of it
18 (for from my youth the fatherless grew up with me as with a father,
and from my mother's womb I guided the widow),
19 if I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
or the needy without covering,
20 if his body has not blessed me,
and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
21 if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,
because I saw my help in the gate,
22 then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder,
and let my arm be broken from its socket.
23 For I was in terror of calamity from God,
and I could not have faced his majesty.

In this final chapter of Job’s plea to God for relief from and an explanation, for his suffering, Job lists out twelve “if” clauses.  He is trying to justify himself before his friends and wants them to know that he has NOT done these things.  But IF he has done these things, he is willing to admit that certain disaster should come upon him.   In the above passage he is talking about caring for the poor.  He notes that “from my youth” he was taught to care for the disadvantaged.  Social justice for the disadvantaged is not a constitutional right, it is a human right based upon the character of God.   Notice what Job states would be his penalty if he does not care for the poor and those who are in some kind of need.   He states:

21 if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,
because I saw my help in the gate,
22 then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder,
and let my arm be broken from its socket.
23 For I was in terror of calamity from God,
and I could not have faced his majesty.

He believes he should have his shoulder blade fall off!!   He believes he would be in “terror of the calamity from God.”  Remember, Job is claiming he was NOT like this.  But, he agrees that people like that ought to fear the terror of God’s justice when they are practicing injustice toward those in need.  God cares about the disadvantaged and so should we.  

Presence and Protection - Psalms 45-47

Presence and Protection

Psalms 46:11 (ESV)
11 The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Psalm 46 starts out with this opening remark;

Psalms 46:1 (ESV)
1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.

In between verse one and verse eleven are all the reasons why one and eleven can be stated.   God is our help and our refuge.   He is the strength we need for the battles of life.  God is our help in times of trouble.  Verse elevens states that He is the Lord of Hosts.   But the key is that God is “with us.”   That is the hope we have.    We have His presence at all times.   But, we also have His protection.  The second part of the verse states that God is our fortress.   In Christ we are in the presence of the God of the universe and have His protection.   There is nothing more comforting than those thoughts in our lives.   We can find refuge in God during trouble because we know He is with us and we know we have Him surrounding us.   His presence and protection is our strength in times of trouble and turmoil.  While the world seeks safety in its political systems, its financial institutions and/or its social structures, we, as believers, can find rest in the presence and protection of God over us.  

God Only Listens to Those of Faith - 1 Samuel 26-31

God Only Listens to Those of Faith

1 Samuel 28:3-7 (ESV)
3 Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the necromancers out of the land. 4 The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. 6 And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. 7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a medium at En-dor.”

What a blessing to have God listen to our prayers.   Prayer is probably the most underused, under appreciated and under cultivated gift we have in Christ.   Note what the New Testament writers say about prayer:

James 5:16 (ESV)
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Romans 12:12 (ESV)
12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Ephesians 6:18 (ESV)
18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

We simply, as modern day believers, don’t pray.  In the above text about Saul we see what happens when a man used by God, turns away from God.   Saul wanted wisdom from God, but, because of his sins, God turned away from him.  Note what we later read when Saul conjures up Samuel through a medium:

1 Samuel 28:16-17 (ESV)
16 And Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has turned from you and become your enemy? 17 The LORD has done to you as he spoke by me, for the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David.

God is not obligated to hear and respond to those who reject Him.  But, He will answer those who follow Him and seek Him.  The power of prayer is unmatched in the blessings of God to believers.   We ought to use it to the fullest.  Having God not listen to our prayers is terrible experience.   

God Destroys the gods! - Genesis 9-12

God Destroys the gods! 

Exodus 12:12 (ESV)
12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD.

The exodus from Egypt is an important historical fact of Israel’s national existence.    It also has significant theological purpose.  When Moses first approached Pharaoh, to demand that he let them go, Pharaoh resisted.   He even asked;

Exodus 5:2 (ESV)
2 But Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.”

Pharaoh did not know God.  That does not mean that Pharaoh didn’t know gods.  In fact, the Egyptians had many gods.  The ten plagues God is about to bring on their nation actually correspond with ten of their gods.   Since Pharaoh did not know God, God was about to introduce Himself to him, by destroying and mocking each of his and the Egyptians gods.  Note:

1. Plague #1 - Water of Nile turned to blood - Egyptian god: Hapi- the god of the Nile. 

2. Plague #2 - Frogs out of the Nile - Egyptian god: Heket - god of fertility and renewal (symbol was the head of a frog). 

3. Plague #3 - Lice from dust of the earth - Egyptian god: Geb - god of the earth.

4.  Plague #4 - Warm of flies - Egyptian god: Khepri - god of creation, rebirth (symbol was the head of a fly). 

5. Plague #5 - Death of livestock - Egyptian god: Hathor - goddess of love and protection (symbol was the head of a cow). 

6. Plague #6 - Ashes turned to boils and sores - Egyptian goddess: Isis - goddess of medicine and peace. 

7. Plague #7 - Hail rained down from the sky - Egyptian goddess:  Nut - goddess of the sky. 

8.  Plague #8 - Locust sent from sky - Egyptian god: Seth - god of storms and disorder.

9. Plague #9 - Three days of darkness - Egyptian god: Ra - the sun god. 

10. Plague #10 - Death of firstborn - Egyptian god: Pharaoh - the ultimate power of Egypt. 

God took apart the Egyptian entire worship center to prove who He was and to make sure they would know who the God of Moses was.   

Pursue Love, Desire Gifts - 1 Corinthians 12-14

Pursue Love, Desire Gifts

1 Corinthians 14:1-3 (ESV)
1 Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. 2 For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. 3 On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.

In the above verses Paul is continuing his instructions to the church at Corinth in regard to their pursuit and use of spiritual gifts.  To understand his teaching we have to understand the backdrop of their history and the Greek worship system.  These believes were are one time, “pagans.”   Note:

1 Corinthians 12:2 (ESV)
2 You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led.

In their pagan worship of “mute idols” the practice of gibberish was part of the worship service.   The Greeks thought this to be the language of gods.   The Corinthian church was starting to weave in their past practices with their current worship.  Paul found this wrong and was writing to correct them.   In the above passage he is telling them that in the act of using spiritual gifts (already explained in chapter 12) we need to first and foremost practice love (already explained in chapter 13).  But, the gift of tongues (what they were trying to simulate in the flesh like their pagan worship) was not as a preferred as the gift of prophesy (being explained in chapter 14).   Paul is going to use chapter 14 to outline why prophecy is a great gift and why they (the Corinthians) should don’t put so much emphasis on speaking in an unknown tongue.  They key Paul is stating here is that tongue speak in a mystery (if that) and do not edify the body.  But, prophesy (proclaiming God’s Word, plan and purpose) is edifying, upbuilding, encouragement and consoling to the entire body.   The Corinthians were, according to Paul, debase in their spiritual nature.  Rather than lift their worship to the level of God’s desire, they wanted to return to their old natures.   This is, however, all they new.  Paul is not, necessarily, admonishing them in anger.  He is teaching them in the Spirit about things they didn’t know.    Our worship ought not mimic what we knew in the flesh. It ought to be something we seek to glorify God, obey God and bring praise to God.   

Wealth and Salvation - Mark 9-10

Wealth and Salvation

Mark 10:23-27 (ESV)
23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

The backdrop to the above verses is about the rich man who comes to Jesus to ask what he must do to inherit eternal life.  Jesus knows he is rich and tells him to give away all he has that he might gain eternal life.   Jesus was not saying he could buy eternal life by doing the good work of giving away his goods.  He is showing him (and the disciples) that it is a matter of the heart.  The man had too much money and did not want to part with it, therefore he did not have God at the center of his heart.   Jesus uses this time to teach the disciples.   The disciples had no idea how to answer Jesus’ question.   This was typical of most of His questions to them. Jesus wants them to know:

1. The rich have many distractions in life.   Distractions cause us to look away from our eternal needs because we are so caught up in the world around us.  This is what James was warning us about in his epistle.  James was one of the three key disciples (along with Peter and John) and he might have been thinking of this event when he wrote this:

James 4:4 (ESV)
4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

The rich young ruler was a friend of the world and coveted his riches.  

2. The rich can be saved, but it is through the power of God.   Now, to be clear, no one has eternal life unless it is the power of God.  But, Jesus’ point, above, is that what seems impossible with man is possible with God.  Nothing is impossible with God.   Knowing that truth is vital to our working with those who reject God.  Even the riches, the most wise-in-their-own-eyes, and/or the most vial, who hate God, can be saved if God so wills it.  We ought not to give up on those who, at first reject Christ.   God is powerful.  He can turn the wicked heart and set it free from the bondage of sin. Or, the bondage of a 401K, a big boat, a condo on the oceans and/or a penthouse in Manhattan.   With God it is possible for anyone to inherit eternal life.  But, they will need to have Christ at the center of their lives.  

The Message Clarified and Messenger Encouraged! - Jeremiah 12-16

The Message Clarified and Messenger Encouraged!

Jeremiah 15:19 (ESV)
19 Therefore thus says the LORD:
“If you return, I will restore you,
and you shall stand before me.
If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless,
you shall be as my mouth.
They shall turn to you,
but you shall not turn to them.

In this section of Jeremiah we have several themes unfolding all at once.  We have:

1. God declaring His wrath on the nation of Israel is being declared. 

2. Jeremiah is offering his complaint to God for this work and for the way he is being treated by the nation of Israel for their reaction to God’s wrath being told to them by Jeremiah. 

3.  The nation of Israel’s reaction to God word and Jeremiah’s delivery of that word is being unfolded.  

In the above passage we have God trying to encourage Jeremiah, while keeping the severity of His words intact.   God wants, in the above verse, to unfold the following. 

1.  The repentance of the messenger.  God has heard Jeremiah’s complaint about how he is being treated.     He wants Jeremiah to get his mind straight.   A messenger of God needs to have their mind on the things of God.  God assures Jeremiah that he will “stand before me.”   That is a promise of God.  Jeremiah can hang his heart and head on that promise.  

2.  The refinement of the message.  God is also saying to Jeremiah that if he speaks “what is precious and not what is worthless” he will be as God’s mouth.  That is an amazing truth as well.  That truth can allow Jeremiah to tolerate the suffering in order to convey the message.  

3.  The reinforcement of the ministry.   God, in the last line, assures Jeremiah that his ministry WILL BE affective.   God states, “They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them.”  Jeremiah is assured that God will fortify the ministry, enable him in the ministry and provide fruit from the ministry.  This is a great principle for Jeremiah to remember.   God gives fruit for HIS work through OUR efforts.  

God gives Jeremiah a promise, a truth and a principle to enable his ministry to stand, despite the situation and circumstances he faces.    

Once Revered - Now Jeered - Job 29-30

Once Revered - Now Jeered 

Job 29:21 - 30:1 (ESV)
21 “Men listened to me and waited
and kept silence for my counsel.
22 After I spoke they did not speak again,
and my word dropped upon them.
23 They waited for me as for the rain,
and they opened their mouths as for the spring rain.
24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence,
and the light of my face they did not cast down.
25 I chose their way and sat as chief,
and I lived like a king among his troops,
like one who comforts mourners.
1 “But now they laugh at me,
men who are younger than I,
whose fathers I would have disdained
to set with the dogs of my flock.

The only way we can understand the above passage is to remember the very beginning of the book of Job and what God said about Job to start the story:

Job 1:1 (ESV)
Job's Character and Wealth
1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.

Job was a man of character and integrity.  God said so.  This is why we can read the above passage and not disdain Job for his boasting.   We need to rejoice in God’s understanding of Job.  Job, however, feels like the victim at this point. He feels as though God has forsaken him. He remembers the days that he was full of success and was revered by others.   Until he wasn’t.   When God allowed Satan to touch Job and his family and his wealth, Job’s status in the community was remarkably changed.  Once revered, he was now jeered.  God had allowed Job to experience a complete turn around in his life.  This was truly a test of his character, but more importantly, his faith.   Note what else he says about his plight:

Job 30:9-10 (ESV)
9 “And now I have become their song;
I am a byword to them.
10 They abhor me; they keep aloof from me;
they do not hesitate to spit at the sight of me.

God can allow tragedy to touch any over our lives.  He can allow us to be brought from riches to rags and back again (as He does with Job).   Our responsibility is to walk in faith no matter what.  Let us be as resolved as Solomon:

Proverbs 30:7-9 (ESV)
7 Two things I ask of you;
deny them not to me before I die:
8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that is needful for me,
9 lest I be full and deny you
and say, “Who is the LORD?”
or lest I be poor and steal
and profane the name of my God.

Does God Sleep and Forget Us? Psalms 42-44

Does God Sleep and Forget Us?

Psalms 42:3 (ESV)
3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while they say to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?”

Psalms 42:9-10 (ESV)
9 I say to God, my rock:
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a deadly wound in my bones,
my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?”

Psalms 44:23 (ESV)
23 Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?
Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever!

David is in a bad spot.   These verses all tell us that David is in a place of feeling abandoned, forsaken, attacked and alone.  These verses are probably in the context of Saul pursuing him. Or, it could be when his son Absolom tried to overflow his kingdom.   If we were to read only these verses we might be inclined to answer the above question, that, yes, God does sleep and slumber and neglects to care for us.   Yet, we also have this verse, found in Psalms:

Psalms 121:1-4 (ESV)
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

We do not have a contradiction of Scripture here.  What we have is the reality of feelings in the light of Biblical truth.   David is being pursued.   He “feels” as though God has rejected him and abandoned him.  Yet, just because we feel it does not make it true.  God does not expect us to NOT feel.  We will feel what our bodies feel. On the cross Jesus felt pain and sorrow.   In the garden he prayed that this bitter cup would be removed and he would not have to drink death.   Feelings are part of what we are as God’s created imagers.   Yet, we can’t allow our feelings to capture our doctrine, our truth.    We live in the world where feelings run people’s thoughts, hearts, minds and mouths.  Yet, God wants us to remember His truth.   This is why, along with the above verses, states the following in this song:

Psalms 42:4 (ESV)
4 These things I remember,
as I pour out my soul:
how I would go with the throng
and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
a multitude keeping festival.

Psalms 42:6 (ESV)
6 and my God.
My soul is cast down within me;
therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
from Mount Mizar.

David forced his mind to remember the great things of God and about God and what God has already done for him.   That work in the mind balanced and even cleared the work of the feelings.  Feelings and emotion are real. They are as real as anything else we have in our lives.  But, we ought not to allow them to be the rudder of our lives.   They do not chart our course.   They make the path we are on enjoyable or difficult, but they don’t change the truth that God has not, will not and cannot fall asleep on our problems.   His character will not allow that, even if our feelings want to cause us to think it.   

God Has to Intervene so Peoples Know Him - Exodus 5-8

God Has to Intervene so Peoples Know Him

Exodus 7:5 (ESV)
5 The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.”

After any disaster and/or crushing event, we often hear people ask, “Where was God?”   We seem to hear this when we see something bad happen to us or in the world around us.   The philosopher would say that God is either lacking in power to prevent these bad things to happen to mankind, or, He has power and is just uninterested in intervening.  But, God might have another answer/reason that we see stated in the above verse.   This verse is taken out of the passage where God is telling Moses to go to Pharoah (the leader of the Egyptian world), to release God’s people (Israel).  Pharaoh does not want to let the people go, as he has free slave labor to build his kingdom.   God wants to make a point to Pharaoh and to Egypt.  God wants to let them know just Who He is.   Earlier, Pharaoh had ask:

Exodus 5:2 (ESV)
2 But Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.”

God is about to show him who He is.  In fact, that is the point of all the miracles.   God is going to show these Egyptians, through the disasters He brings upon their nation, just who God is.   But, the Egyptians are not the only people God is speaking to.  Note:

Exodus 6:2-5 (ESV)
2 God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the LORD. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them. 4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. 5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant.

Not only will Egypt know God through theses disasters, so, too, will the nation of Israel.   God, at times, creates disaster to show His power and His intervention in the lives of mankind.   

Isaiah 45:5-7 (ESV)
5 I am the LORD, and there is no other,
besides me there is no God;
I equip you, though you do not know me,
6 that people may know, from the rising of the sun
and from the west, that there is none besides me;
I am the LORD, and there is no other.
7 I form light and create darkness;
I make well-being and create calamity;
I am the LORD, who does all these things.

Perhaps we would be wise to quit apologizing for God and give Him credit for the disasters.  He uses them to make His name known and to causes mankind do repent and do His will.   

Make a Decision - But Base it on Scripture - 1 Corinthians 11

Make a Decision - But Base it on Scripture

1 Corinthians 11:13 (ESV)
13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered?

Apparently, in the early church, there was a dispute about a man and a woman’s hair and the covering of their head, while in a church gatherings.   We have to realize, at first, the “church” did not meet like we meet today.   They meet in homes and in smaller groups.  They did not have buildings like we have today.   We are not exactly certain about the problem Paul is addressing.  That makes the interpretation of this section of Scripture.    

Isn't Paul telling right here to make the "judgement for yourself?"   He is not making it mandatory, whatever he is saying in the proceeding passages.  What we do know is the following:

1. Something was happening with dress in the early church that became disruptive to the church and to the pure worship of Christ.   Paul wants to correct that.  

2. Paul, in verses 2-12 gives us arguments to understand that, in his eyes and, more importantly, in God’s eyes, men and women are distinctively different and but mutually the same and co-equal before God. 

3. Paul azures from a theological argument, a natural argument, and philosophical argument that the truth of #2 should be considered when making the decision about dress and entire and appearance.  

4. When it comes down to making the decision, Paul is allowing the church to “judge for yourself.”   Although he begins by commending them for following his teachings  (vs. 2), he allows them to make the decision they need to make for their body of believers.   

However, Paul uses three compelling arguments to state his case that women, in the church, have different roles and thereby should be dressed appropriately to reflect those roles.  His arguments are:

1. God created a hierarchy:  1 Corinthians 11:3 (ESV) 3 But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.

2. God’s order of creation: 1 Corinthians 11:7-9 (ESV) 7 For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. 9 Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.

3. God’s way of procreation:  1 Corinthians 11:11-12 (ESV). 11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; 12 for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God.

Paul does not get into social norms, unless we understand this verse to be speaking about how men dressed and groomed in those days:

1 Corinthians 11:14-15 (ESV)
14 Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering.

Paul is first and foremost driven by arguments from Scripture and sound doctrine.   He wants them to make their own decision about this.  But, he wants them to follow strong, Biblical doctrine and teaching.   We are free to make decisions in our church about the “grey” areas of life.  But, we are not free to use our own logic to do so.  We are bond by the principles of Scripture.  Decide what we want, but don’t violate Scripture in the process.   

The Gain of the World Brings NO Profit - Mark 7-8

The Gain of the World Brings NO Profit

Mark 8:35-37 (ESV)
35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul?

We spend a lot of energy in this world “gathering.”   We engage much of our time and expend much of our energy accumulating.   We tend to value those who have more and, mostly, tend to think less of those who have little.   Somehow we are fooled into believing that the more we have the better people we are.   We would do well to read more of Solomon’s life experiment in the book of Ecclesiastes.  Here the riches man on the planet discovered and stated the following:

Ecclesiastes 2:11 (ESV)
11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

Jesus, in a conversation with his disciples, lays out the futility of riches and the world’s offerings.   It should be noted that Jesus is NOT telling them the world should be shunned or avoided or ridiculed.   We are in the world and Jesus died for those in the world.   We are to go into the world and teach the Gospel.  What Jesus is telling us concerns our loyal to it, our passion for it, and our worship of it.   Remember, the disciples had left all to follow Jesus.   Jesus is not condemning them.  Jesus is telling them as they move forward to build the church and navigate the world, to be careful and not allow the enticements of the world to trap us and fool us.  The world offers a peace that can be very deceptive.  It is a false peace that does not reconcile us to God. Jesus came to reconcile us to God by resolving the wrath between God and man and to provide a peace only the Spirit can provide.   Don’t be fooled by the world.  It can’t add profit to your life.   It is only a credit on your account, not a debit.  

God Fights for Us!! - Jeremiah 7-11

God Fights for Us!!

Jeremiah 11:18-23 (ESV)
18 The LORD made it known to me and I knew;
then you showed me their deeds.
19 But I was like a gentle lamb
led to the slaughter.
I did not know it was against me
they devised schemes, saying,
“Let us destroy the tree with its fruit,
let us cut him off from the land of the living,
that his name be remembered no more.”
20 But, O LORD of hosts, who judges righteously,
who tests the heart and the mind,
let me see your vengeance upon them,
for to you have I committed my cause.

21 Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the men of Anathoth, who seek your life, and say, “Do not prophesy in the name of the LORD, or you will die by our hand”— 22 therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: “Behold, I will punish them. The young men shall die by the sword, their sons and their daughters shall die by famine, 23 and none of them shall be left. For I will bring disaster upon the men of Anathoth, the year of their punishment.”

In the above passage, we read about a plot to kill Jeremiah by the priest of Anathoth.   Jeremiah actually comes from the town of Anathoth:

Jeremiah 1:1 (ESV)
1 The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin,

Jeremiah’s message to the nation of Israel and to their political and spiritual leadership was one of doom and gloom.  Jeremiah was communicating God’s displeasure, especially with the priest:

Jeremiah 7:1-3 (ESV)
Evil in the Land
1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2 “Stand in the gate of the LORD'S house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the LORD. 3 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place.

God is warning the priest to repent and He will allow them to continue to serve in their capacity.  If not, He will remove them.  Their response?   The above passage tells us their response.   They plotted evil against Jeremiah.  An evil, that according to verse 19, would, “.. cut him off from the land of the living.”  

God, instead, cuts them off.  Note in verse 23 that God states, “For I will bring disaster upon the men of Anathoth ... !”    God sees those who plot against His messengers and makes sure we are aware of it.  God avenges us.   We are not take matters into our own hands.  Note:

Romans 12:17-19 (ESV)
17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

We don’t have to worry about these dangers in life if we are walking in God’s plan and God’s promises. It is He who fights for us:

Exodus 14:14 (ESV)
14 The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

The Wicked Lose! - Job 27-28

The Wicked Lose!

Job 27:13-17 (ESV)
13 “This is the portion of a wicked man with God,
and the heritage that oppressors receive from the Almighty:
14 If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword,
and his descendants have not enough bread.
15 Those who survive him the pestilence buries,
and his widows do not weep.
16 Though he heap up silver like dust,
and pile up clothing like clay,
17 he may pile it up, but the righteous will wear it,
and the innocent will divide the silver.

Late in the 1990s there was a popular sticker to put on your the bumper of your car, especially a fast, fancy car.  It read:

THE ONE WHO DIES WITH THE MOST TOYS, WINS!!

That was the philosophy back then.  It is now.  And, apparently it was in Job’s day.   In these two chapters of Job, the wounded and broken man is still responding to his three “friends.”  They have disparaged him and diminished him and damned him, believing that his situation of distress was all caused by his hidden wickedness.  They are wrong, because Job was innocent.  Which is what he claims in the beginning of chapter 27.    But, as he begins to unfold his argument he points out (almost in agreement with them) that the wicked will lose everyone in the end.  Though they heap up possessions like piling clay upon clay, they will not be around to enjoy them.   The person who wins in the end is the one who understands the value of wisdom and where it comes from.  To close out these two chapters, note what Job states after talking about the emptiness of the wicked man’s pursuits as compared to the value of gaining God’s wisdom:

Job 28:23-28 (ESV)
23 “God understands the way to it,
and he knows its place.
24 For he looks to the ends of the earth
and sees everything under the heavens.
25 When he gave to the wind its weight
and apportioned the waters by measure,
26 when he made a decree for the rain
and a way for the lightning of the thunder,
27 then he saw it and declared it;
he established it, and searched it out.
28 And he said to man,
‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

There is no comparison.  The wicked lose out in the end.   All the toys in the world could not measure up to a thimble of God’s wisdom.   Gain wisdom, lose the toys.