Be careful who's counsel you listen to - Genesis 16-18

We don't always listen to the right people. However, sometimes even the people closes to us are the wrong people to listen to. In Genesis 16 we have the story of Sarah suggesting to Abraham the idea of him taking Sarah's handmaid to "fulfill" God's promise of a baby. Her lack of faith and Abraham's willingness to listen to her leads to a HUGE issue that still last today. The war between the Arab nation and the Jewish nation today is only one of the fallout's of Abraham's decision to follow the wrong advice. It is hard to not listen to bad advice in our lives today. Much less when it comes from those who say they love us. However, we are warned in Psalm 1 to not follow the advice of those who give ungodly counsel. Ungodly counsel is anything contrary to God's Word. In Genesis 15 we see that God had once again reiterated that He would supply an heir to Abraham and that heir would be from Sarah. Yet, despite God's explicit command he listens to his wife. Like Adam, someone close offers a suggestion and Abraham disobeys God's Word. We are to be careful to follow God's Word, despite who offers the advice. The best advice we can give our spouses is the advice of God's Word. Perhaps we should begin our speeches to our life partners with, "What does God's Word say?" We can be so easily led astray by those close to us. We should be closer to God's Word less we allow that advice to lead us astray.

Created again to bear fruit - Romans 7-8

The last time we read Romans (last week) we talked about "imputation." Imputation happened with Adam's sin was put on our account because we were "in" Adam. We now produce sin as a result of that imputation. Adam was not created to produce sin. But, he was given a choice and he choose sin - now we all produce, or "bear" sin in our lives because we were "in" Adam. However, believers were "in" Christ. And, Christ "Imputed" to us His righteousness. So, even though in Adam we bear sin, because we were "in" Christ we can now bear righteous acts of fruit (Romans 7:4). We have been "created" ("in" Christ) to bear fruit. The sign of our belief is not the testimony of our lips. The sign of our belief in Christ it the testimony of His work in our lives bearing fruit - fruit we can't and won't bear on our own (Romans 8:1-8). The flesh can't bear fruit. It is only when we, by faith in Christ, allow Him to bear fruit that we have the marks of Christianity. We were created to be fruit bearers for Christ. That is what Adam was supposed to do. But, we are created in Christ Jesus to bear fruit for the Savior AND by the Savior. It is the Spirit working in our lives that bears fruit for Him and before others (Romans 8:26ff). We are to allow the spirit to do the work through the work already done by the Son. That will produce fruit in our lives naturally, not because of some effort on our own. Fruit bearing comes from the work of Christ just like our salvation comes from the work of Christ. That is the point of Paul's argument. Quit trying to save yourself - you can't. Quit trying to produce fruit BY YOURSELF - YOU CAN'T.

Teaching and Healing - Matthew 8-10

Matthew was a tax collector. He not only wrote this Gospel he was, himself, a key player in the story. In 9:9-13 we read the story of Jesus coming to Matthew's house. The visit caused the Pharisees of the day to recoil and object. They didn't understand why a Teacher who claimed to be special would hang out with such low people like "tax collectors." Although we have the same feelings today for the "IRS" we probably don't understand the distain people had for tax collectors in that day. These low base fellows would not only collect tax but money for themselves in a large abuse of power. In this section Matthew gives us example after example of those Jesus healed. Most of this section is on that topic: Jesus power to heal. But, this small set of verses on Jesus coming to Matthew's house was the highlight of Matthew's life. This objection by the Pharisees really tells the story of what Christ was really about. He did come to heal, but He was not simply about healing the body. He was about healing the relationship between God and man. Matthew was an outcast who many would say didn't deserve grace and mercy. Jesus reaches out to Matthew. Matthew was "healed" by Jesus - not in a physical sense. But, Matthew was healed in regard to his personal relationship with God. The psychological impact of that on his life must have been powerful. Today we have people who don't think they deserve love and life. They are outcasts in our society or they are cast out in our circles. Jesus is in the same business today. He takes the outcast and those who struggle with identity and makes life for them. We seldom see the psychological changes that Christ can make but they are as powerful as a healed sight or lame walk. God reaches out and loves those who are unlovely. It is what Grace does.

Bare it all for God - Isaiah 18-22

I suppose chapter twenty of Isaiah is everyone's fear for following God. Every believer would like to follow God but they fear what that might "cost" them or might "take" them or might "subject" them to. I remember growing up and hearing stories of missionaries who went off to some far away land and left all behind and then were killed by the people of that land. Of course, the people were lead to the Lord in the process but never-the-less the missionary died. I struggled with how that was possible for God. I probably only heard one of those accounts but that was enough. Here in Isaiah 20 we the account of the prophet Isaiah taking up his cross to follow God. In this chapter God tells him to stripe down naked and walk around town. Yes, that is what God tells him to do. Modesty is not the point here with God's instruction. Isaiah is to take off his clothes, show his buttocks and allow the Israelites who escaped to Egypt to observe him. And, Isaiah is not to "streak" through the city hoping to give people a "glimpse" of him. He is to do this for three years!! This raises the bar for all "object" lessons. The purpose of the object lesson is to warned those who disobeyed God and sought "help" from the Egyptians that they would still be lead into captivity via the Assyrians. They would be lead away from Egypt and they would be "exposed" for the unbelievers they were (20:4). Isaiah was an obedient prophet. God uses an unusual method. I'm not sure what God would have you and me do today to be His instrument or voice. But, whatever it is, I doubt if we would be asked to do the same as Isaiah. But, would we be willing to do what God asked, if He asked?

Just repent and get right with God - Job 8-10

Now that Job's friend Eliphaz's argument of "just stand stronger in the face of suffering" had been dealt with along comes Bildad. Bildad (which means "confusing love") comes along and rather than tell Job to stand strong, he tells him to repent. His argument is that God only punishes those who do evil, so Job must have done something evil(8:3). He even believes Job's sons must have sinned and that is why they were killed (8:4). He wants Job to repent and then God will care for him and protect him against evil. Bildad's argument is that people who are "right" before God don't suffer like this. Job doesn't disagree (9:1). He too believes if you are right before God you won't suffer. But, he turns the tables on his friend and simply asks, "How can a man be right before God?" (9:1b). Yes, he says to Bildad, if we are right before God than God would have no reason to afflict us or allow affliction to find us. However, no one is "right" before God (9:4ff). We often think of pain and suffering falling on those who "deserve" it and we fail to realize that all men "deserve" any pain and suffering they receive in this life. If we truly received what we deserved all men would perish and die. No man can stand before God. That is Job's argument. He knows he did little to deserve his pain but the little he did do was indeed enough for him to have such affliction. We ought never think that we don't deserve pain and suffering, or that someone else does. Were it not for the grace of God in our lives we would all suffer much. When we don't suffer it is due only to grace.

Focus on the right thing - Psalm 9-11

When we see so much injustice in the world and see so many times that the unbeliever seems to be living in peace, believers struggle. We wonder, "Where is God?" Doesn't He see the wickedness of men? When one man shots and kills the innocent, where is God? When evil leaders oppress their subjects, where is God? When we read headline after headline portraying the wickedness of mankind, where is God? King David, in each of these three Psalms has similar questions. He wants to know why God seems to close His eyes to wickedness (10:1)? He wants to know why God allows the unbeliever to prosper (10:5). In each of the Psalms David struggles with the justice he knows about God on the one hand and yet the prosperity and peace of the wicked on the other. We all go through these type of thoughts at some time or another in our lives. When we are not grounded in the character and steadfastness of God we might be tempted to live our lives without considering God. But David knows of God's character (11:4). He knows God will care for all those who believe in Him in the end (11:7). Faith is the bridge that allows us to live above the swamp of evil and the dirty pit of self-rule. Faith in God's steadfast and unmovable character. These verses are not here to give us some special insight into how we are to deal with the prosperity and arrogance of the wicked. They are here to focus our eyes on the right thing - the character of God. We ought not to focus on the wicked and their arrogant activities but on the steadfast character of God (9:7; 10:14; 11:6). When you find yourself envying the wicked or questioning the value of following God, read these three Psalms and set you sights on God's Character.

How do you handle complainers? - Joshua 16-20

They are in every organization! They are lurking in most successful businesses! They stalk in every non-profit enterprise! They hang around in every church! They are called, "complainers." People who seem to make it there sole purpose to voice their displeasure with whatever is happening - especially when they don't get their way. We have more colorful ways and words to describe them but they are probably not appropriate on this blog. Complaining may be the oldest profession known to man. Eve actually complained about the food she could or could not eat in the garden. Complaining has been around so long we take it for granted that someone just has to fill in and do it. If we can finally dispose of a complainer someone just steps in to fill their spot. Joshua, too, had complainers. Remember, he and Caleb forty-plus years earlier went on a spy adventure and came back with ten complainers. Joshua heard all the complaining the Israelites did toward God but to Moses during the wilderness wanderings. He must have had his fill of it. But here in Joshua 17, once again, we see the tribe of Joseph complaining about the territory they were to possess. They thought the "hill" country and the "Canaanite" were too tough to conquer so they complained to the leader asking him to make it easier on them. I love how Joshua deals with them: He simply tells them they are big boys and can go get what they want. No political correctness on Joshua's part. No baby-them-so-they-feel-good-about-themselves for this leader. Joshua, in essence, tells them to "grow up and take what they want." No one is going to deliver it to them. We need more spiritual leaders who are like this. We need to tell people to quit complaining and be the warriors God intended them to be. People who complain in church should not be appeased and coddled. They should be told to grow up and start tackling the very problems with solutions they are complaining about. Joshua was a great leader - he knew how to handle the complainers in life.