One In Christ - Galatians 1-3

Galatians 3:28-29 (ESV)

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

In our country today we have, once again, started to define people by categories.  For being all grown up and modern we have fallen back to the days of Paul.   He, too, faced ethic, social and gender bias.   He addressed it with on bold statement:  You are all one in Christ Jesus.   With that statement he breaks down all classes of people.  With that statement he puts us at the same place with God.  Our spiritual riches in Christ are not tied to our experiences in this world.  In his day, Paul would have seen much class warfare.  In the Body of Christ we are one.  Jesus actually prayed that:

John 17:21 (ESV)

that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

We ought not contribute to the separation and categorial shaping of the world.  In the Body of Christ we are all one in Christ.  

Jesus the Light Will Expose those in the Dark - Luke 7-8

Luke 8:16-18 (ESV)

“No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.”

In this section of Luke’s Gospel he is introducing his readers to some of the teaching of Jesus.   In the most recent Jesus was with a crowd, a tax collector, religious leaders and His disciples .   In the above passage He is directly talking to the disciples.  His comments to them are about what God expects for our walking for HIm and declaring Him to others.  Since He is the light, we are to treat Him like we would a light in a dark place ... let Him shine.   

He interesting, however, turns from a theme in others Gospels about us simply declaring His light to a subject about using the light to expose the sins in a dark world.   He is telling us that He is the light and He will use that light to expose those who have much but not in the right way.  There is no doubt He is exposing the religious leaders of the day.   He knows that they will be exposed as imposters.  The power, the privilege, the positions they hold will be removed from them in the Kingdom and given to those who walk in His light.  We are to use the light to expose the darkness and that exposes those who have put themselves up.  They will be brought low by His light.  

God Sees Pride and Deals with Pride - Jeremiah 47-52

Jeremiah 48:29-31 (ESV)

We have heard of the pride of Moab—

he is very proud—

of his loftiness, his pride, and his arrogance,

and the haughtiness of his heart.

I know his insolence, declares the LORD;

his boasts are false,

his deeds are false.

Therefore I wail for Moab;

I cry out for all Moab;

for the men of Kir-hareseth I mourn.

Make no mistake, God knows our pride.  He knows our insolence.   He knows our haughtiness.  He knows our boasts are false. Note what other authors have said of pride:

Solomon’s comment on it:

Proverbs 16:18 (ESV)

Pride goes before destruction,

and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 11:2 (ESV)

When pride comes, then comes disgrace,

but with the humble is wisdom.

James’ comment on it:

James 4:6 (ESV)

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Peter’s comment on it:

1 Peter 5:5 (ESV)

Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

David’s comment on it:

Psalms 138:6 (ESV)

For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly,

but the haughty he knows from afar.

Jesus comment on it:

Matthew 23:12 (ESV)

Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.]

Paul’s comment on it:

Romans 12:16 (ESV)

Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.

Make no mistake.  God sees a prideful spirit and will bring it down.  

God Does Laugh at the Calamity of the World - Proverbs 1

Proverbs 1:26 (ESV)

I also will laugh at your calamity;

I will mock when terror strikes you,

When tragedy happens in the world today believers are often asking, "Where is God?" or "What does God think of this?"   Believers are, seemingly, looking for an answer to "explain" the tragedy in light of God's sovereignty.    We often come up with good statements and pass along our favorite verses to solace them or defend God.  Yet, it would be seldom, if ever, that we quote the above proverb.   When calamity comes upon us we don't tell the non-believer that God is "probably laughing!"   Yet, that is what "God says" He WILL be doing if people reject His Word and His Ways.   This proverb is in the middle of the passage that is telling us that "if" we walk away from God and "if" we refuse to hear His Word, "then" He will laugh.   We hate calamity and we are hurt deep in our hearts when it happens.  Yet, God says that if we are going to turn away from Him than He WILL laugh at us when we experience a calamity.  You can’t have God protect you and ignore Him at the same time.   Later in this same passage He says he will not answer those who reject Him when they call on Him when this calamity comes:

Proverbs 1:28 (ESV)

Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;

they will seek me diligently but will not find me.

God is a kind and loving God.  But God is a just God, as well.  If you ignore Him, He has told us what He will do.  He will laugh at those who laughed at His offer to rule their lives.  

Search and Desire God - Psalms 63-65

Psalms 63:1 (ESV)

A PSALM OF DAVID, WHEN HE WAS IN THE WILDERNESS OF JUDAH.

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;

my soul thirsts for you;

my flesh faints for you,

as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

God is the most important pursuit known to man!    Have you ever made a statement as the following:  "I am so hungry!  I am starving for _______!! Or, have you ever searched through the web for something like a car you desire, a chair to fit that corner of the room, a shoe type that perfectly matches that dress, or any other item you have scanned the complete internet to find?   Have you ever lost something in your home and turned the entire house up-side-down to find it?  You huff and puff until you blow up every room to locate that one thing you were so desirous to find.   Look through these statements and what do you find as a theme?  They are about having an earnest desire for something temporal.  No man is exempt from the pursuit of the temporal.   Yet, in the above passage David tells us of his pursuit:  The Eternal, Immortal God of the universe.   David sought God as though he were in a desert place, dying of thirst and God was his only water.   When we get a new car we look at it through the window and admire our purchase.  When we get a new home we take pictures and show our friends.   When we get a new job we shout from the rooftops about it.   These are things that are important but are only temporary in our lives.   I have lived in 20 different homes or apartments in my sixty-plus years of life ... that's assuming I counted them all.   They are all temporary.  God has given us Himself, an eternal Being to rejoice and long for.   We ought to measure our spiritual depth by how much we pursue our relationship with Him and think of Him.  A newly wedded couple spends the days and nights before and right after their wedding longing for each other.   That longing is what David is talking about in the Psalm.  If we are not in the mode of longing and we have something else in the way of that desire, we have something wrong in our daily life with Him.   He is to be longed for as though we are to die of thirst without Him!!!

Ask God For Wisdom - 1 Kings 1-4

1 Kings 3:23-28 (ESV)

Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son that is alive, and your son is dead’; and the other says, ‘No; but your son is dead, and my son is the living one.’” And the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought before the king. And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.” Then the woman whose son was alive said to the king, because her heart yearned for her son, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means put him to death.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him.” Then the king answered and said, “Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is his mother.” And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.

This is probably one of the most known of all acts of Solomon.   It is a legendary treatise on what practical wisdom looks like.   The ability to apply God’s truth and glory in practical ways is the greatness of God’s wisdom.    Remember, Solomon as asked what he wanted and he chose wisdom.  

1 Kings 3:5 (ESV)

At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.”

1 Kings 3:9 (ESV)

Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”

God will give wisdom to those who ask for it.  Note James’ words on this subject: 

James 1:5 (ESV)

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

When God gives us wisdom, notice what He promises with it:

James 3:17-18 (ESV)

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

God wants to give us this same wisdom to know how to “divide babies.”    There is nothing you or I are doing that God will not supply His wisdom to guides us in our decision making.  

Sabbath Rest - Exodus 33-36

Exodus 35:1-3 (ESV)

Moses assembled all the congregation of the people of Israel and said to them, “These are the things that the LORD has commanded you to do. Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. You shall kindle no fire in all your dwelling places on the Sabbath day.”

This is a reminder from Moses to the people about the Sabbath rest.  They were warned also told about this Sabbath rest when instructed that mana would fall from the sky:

Exodus 16:23-26 (ESV)

he said to them, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.’” So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it. Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.”

It was also given as one of the Ten Commandments:

Exodus 20:8-11 (ESV)

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

God first established the Sabbath rest when He completed creation.  Which means the concept of the Sabbath rest pre-dates Jewish law. 

Genesis 2:1-3 (ESV)

The Seventh Day, God Rests

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

We are instructed in the New Testament that we don’t have to observes special days, months or festivals given in the Law.  Paul was worried the church would turn back to these things, however:

Galatians 4:9-11 (ESV)

But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? You observe days and months and seasons and years! I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.

But since the Sabbath rest was observed by God at creation, we would do well to take some measure of the Sabbath rest in our lives today.  We should not observe it as part of following the Law, but rather as part of following God’s heart.  If God rested on the seventh day, ought not we?