In the world of Faith, do we need checks and balances? 1 Kings 21-25

Do all men need to be held accountable?  Or, are there times, when some men are just simply faithful and you can trust them to do their work and fulfill God's mission in their lives? These questions would be answered quite differently by a multitude of people.   We can certainly hear some tell us that all men are evil and all men need to be held accountable.   It was the philosopher Francis Scheffer who said, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely."  His thought would be that "unchecked" power completely corrupts.    That is one view point for our question.   Another view point is that God is the ultimate Person to hold people accountable and He does a pretty good job at it.  We are limited in our knowledge of others and therefore limited in our ability to hold someone accountable.   In our reading today we have an interesting story about a young king (Josiah) who wanted the temple rebuilt.   He instructed his leadership to count the money the people had given and then deliver the money over to the tradesmen who would do the work.   He then makes a profound statement to his leadership about the workers who would do the work:

2 Kings 22:7 - "Only no accounting shall be made with them for the money delivered into their hands, for they deal faithfully.”

Josiah was a man of The Book and of history so he might have grabbed that philosophy from King Jehoash, who was eight kings previous to him.   Jehoash did the same thing with his workers.  Both men felt that the workers were faithful men and therefore were to be trusted.  Their work would stand as a testimony to that faithfulness.   In the world of faith we have to come to the point where we are not so paranoid that we only trust when we have verification.  We live in a very suspicious world today.   We may think that Josiah today would be quite naive.  However, perhaps Josiah understood the principle that God is the ultimate one who holds people accountable with checks and balances.   We are to live by faith and accept that God will reveal the hidden things of darkness and let us know when others are faithless.  It seems in our age today we have come to the point we can't trust anyone.   Let's realize to some that is called prudence and wise.   But, let's also realize that God is the One who ultimately holds others accountable and sometimes we have to trust the faithfulness before our eyes.  

Does God accept a 90% effort? Leviticus 22-24

We are not to present anything to God that is less than the best.   That is what God told Moses to write for us in this book of Leviticus.   Of course, the problem with that is that we are all less than perfect and anything we offer would be less than perfect, since all things are sinful. The "demand" for a perfect sacrifice does not get voided because there is no perfect offering to present. This is why we need to look to Christ to be our perfect sacrifice.   He fulfills the Law's requirement and takes our place. His sinless body hung on the cross to fulfill Leviticus 22:20 which tells us to present a sacrifice with "defect."  This passage is a picture of Christ in the Old Testament.   Only Christ can fulfill the requirements. However, there is something else we can see here. When we, through Christ, present ourselves to God, we have an obligation to present our bodies as a "living sacrifice, holy and acceptable" before God (Romans 12:1-2).   We must never present ourselves to Him in a half-hearted and "defect" manner.   Everything we do for Him ought to follow this pattern of holiness and perfection.  We will fail, but that does not void the requirement.   We should never jump into something half-way or to get-by and call that an acceptable sacrifice to God.   We should plan and prepare and present a living sacrifice, holy to God.   Everything we do carries that mandate.   Just getting by is not a holy sacrifice.   God requires and "all in" manner to our worship and service ... He showed us that by the example of His Son who gave everything for us to His Father. 

How big of a noise do you make ... for Christ? 1 Thessalonians 1-3

1 Thessalonians 1:8 For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.

Has God's Word ever "sounded forth" from you?   Paul is writing to the churches in the area of Thessalonica, Greece.   They had a great testimony and a great faith that didn't just sit there in the four walls of their churches.   It "sounded forth".   The word in the Greek is, exēcheō ... the word literally means to "make a loud noise from."   The closes I can get to explaining that concept comes from a recent trip to watch a Detroit Tiger baseball game.   As we were sitting in great seats along the third base line we heard a loud noise from the fans along the first base line, deep into the corner.   We all stopped to see what the noise was about.   That is the thought behind the word "execheo."  The Thessolonians sounded out from their own place to the surrounding regions.   They sounded out so much that Paul had no need to say anything.  Think of that, Paul, an apostle and preacher, had "no need to say anything."   Is that not great.   Because the body of Christ was so loud the messenger for Christ had no need to preach.   So, if you want the preacher to stop talking, start making your own noise.  Sound out!!! Execheo!!

The world wants a miracle ... to impress them - Luke 23, 24

The world wants a show from Jesus.  The world, like Herod who wanted to see Jesus in hopes that he might see a miracle performed by Him, wants to see water turned to wine, water come out of a rock, or someone walking on water.   The world, especially if they come to a church service, wants a show.  And, why not.  Doesn't God - or at least the image of the name God - demand and/or invite a show?   He did make the stars didn't He?  He did create lighting didn't He?   He made huge mountains and deep valleys; certainly a "show" is within His capabilities ... isn't it?   Herod, like the world today, wants to see something special from God.   Yet, they have to look only as far as their hands to see a miracle.  Wiggle your fingers and there is a miracle.   Do some research on the character and power of lighting and the next time you see it you will stand in awe of the God who created it,   We have traveled east and west in this country and stood on the highest peaks and in the lowest valleys.  They are majestic and miraculous in their formation.   God did that.   Yes, we all want to see someone healed.  We want to see a leg restored, or sight repaired.  Yet, when God takes a drug addict or a simple sinner and gives him/her righteousness and changes their life, we simply let that slip by.  Herod wanted a miracle ... God provides them every day.   We don't have to look any farther than the amazing body He created and give breath everyday.  

God disciplines in open public sometimes - Ezekiel 37-42

Ezekiel 39:23 The nations will know that the house of Israel went into exile for their iniquity because they acted treacherously against Me, and I hid My face from them; so I gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and all of them fell by the sword.

Suppose God were to post a sign over our heads every time we sinned and every time He disciplined us for that sinning?  Wouldn't that be a hoot?  Instead "people watching" we could create a new game at the mall called, "sign checking."   We could simply walk around the mall and read peoples signs over their heads.   In one sense, that is what God is doing when He disciplines Israel and Judah in the midst of the other nations. He wants the other nations to know that His people have turned against His word and have sinned against Him.  He wants the world to know that when we do that we offend a Holy and Righteous God and deserve punishment.  We take sin so lightly that we stand in shock and awe at such a thought.   But, that is what God is saying in this passage in the middle of Ezekiel's prophecy. God has come to the end of the line in regard to their sin and His patience.   He has used the surrounding nations to punish them and to show the surrounding nations what it means to be God's people.   As God's people we need to realize how jealous God is for us and for our love.  He takes our commitment to follow Him seriously.   He takes our obedience to His Word seriously.   When we disobey God does not put a sign over our heads.   But, that doesn't mean He ignores our sin and fails to discipline.   

Do you mirror your friends character? Proverbs 13

Proverbs 13:20 - He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm.

Our modern day proverb states this same proverb, this way: "Birds of a feather flock together!"   The thought, however, in Solomon's truth is not how the company of people gather, but on what happens in the gathering.   Yes, like minds hang together.   However, that truth isn't productive.  The real question is, "What happens to us when we hang around with other people?"  According to Solomon we tend to become like them.   So, if you want to know what you will become look at your friends.   It is interesting how many people will point out with their spouse the little things that other couples do or say, that annoy them.   However, when you realize that truth you have to grasp what Solomon is saying ... we tend to mirror our friends.   So, if you want to be wise and spiritual and faithful, don't go to the movies with the foolish and carnal and faithless!   We can and should pick our friends wisely.   Because, when we do ... we will be like them.  

Have you ever been overwhelmed and felt alone? Psalm 87-89

When we fall into sin and therefore fall into discipline, who is in control?  Who is "doing" the discipline.   You can't help but read Psalm 88 and see who the Sons of Korah are appealing to in regard to their current state of being disciplined by God. In just 18 verses the writer uses the pronoun, "you" or "your" to refer to God's work in his life because of disobedience and faithlessness.  In 88:6-8 we read a remarkable set of statements about how God sometimes conducts discipline in our lives:

Psalms 88:6-8 You have put me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in the depths. 7 Your wrath has rested upon me, And You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah. 8 You have removed my acquaintances far from me; You have made me an object of loathing to them; I am shut up and cannot go out.

Have you ever been in this place?  Have you ever felt low and in a pit and in a place were we feel like we are overwhelmed with waves of grief? Perhaps verse eight is the worse where it says our friends have turned from us; they "loath" us! (The writer ends the Psalm with that thought by saying lover and friend have turned away ... 88:18.)   Being disciplined by God is not a good place to be.  Yet, throughout the Psalm we see the writer turning back to God and crying out to God.   We can think of Jonah ... in his running he cried out to God and God delivered him.   We can think of David ... in his running he cried out to God and God delivered him.  We can think of Paul on the Damascus Road ... in his running he cried out to God and God delivered him.   When God disciplines us it is HE who removes friendships, puts us in a dark place, and causes feelings that overwhelm us.   Like the writer in this Psalm the only relief we can hope for is to return to God and seek His mercy ... it is He who can save ... cry out to Him

Psalms 88:13 But I, O Lord, have cried out to You for help, And in the morning my prayer comes before You.