The End... And Yet Not The End

Psalms 90-92

Just finished the last reading of my 2010 Read Through the Bible in a Year Plan... except that it was a reading from week 31 that I missed while we were on the Zambia trip. The last words of Psalm 92 were the  final verses for the reading plan this year.

Even in old age they [the godly] will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green. They will declare, “The Lord is just! He is my rock! There is no evil in him!

While half of a century isn't that old, age has certainly caught up with me this year, but scripture says that there is still fruit to produce. Next year, I won't be blogging on my daily readings, but I do intend to blog on some devotional readings that I've been meaning to get to for a while. My intent for 2011 is to undertake the Radical Experiment. If you've read David Platt's book Radical, then I'd invite you to join me and thousands of others. During the Radical Experiment we are committing to five specific challenges:

1. To pray for the entire world
2. To read through the entire Word
3. To commit our lives to multiplying community
4. To sacrifice our money for a specific purpose
5. To give our time in another context

What's the Purpose?

2 John

When you put 2 John up against Romans, you have to think that either the early church fathers were totally off their rockers when they put the canon together, or that there was a spirit directing their every move. Not saying anything bad about 2 John, just that it is not the same as Romans, but God has his purposes. What's the purpose for 2 John... a purpose that isn't met by any other of the 65 books of scripture?

... I don't know, but what if it is in those words that John doesn't actually write in the letter, but is going to tell to the chosen lady face to face. Maybe that foreshadows our own meeting with the Lord face to face when he will tell us those words meant only for us.

What's a Leader to Do?

Nehemiah 10-13

After having led the effort to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and rededicate the people to the Law of Moses, Nehemiah returns to King Artaxerxes as he had promised. But when he returned later he found that the people had already reverted to their old ways... marrying Moabites and Ammonites, failing to pay the tithes to the Temple, despoiling the new Temple... what's a good leader to do?

About the same time I realized that some of the men of Judah had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. Furthermore, half their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of some other people and could not speak the language of Judah at all. So I confronted them and called down curses on them. I beat some of them and pulled out their hair [...] One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest had married a daughter of Sanballat the Horonite, so I banished him from my presence.

A good leader pulls the kids hair out... or the parents... hmmm! We are an ungrateful people, prone to wander and sin.

A Right View of Self

Psalms 143-145

One of the things that has always impressed me about David was his right view of self. While others honored him as King, David understood that God sees things differently... God doesn't just see the king, he also sees the man. David knows this well as he petitions God... "Don’t put your servant on trial, for no one is innocent before you." Regardless of how well others might think of him, David knows in his heart, that his sin will find him out before the throne of God.

Found, Missing Ark

Revelation 7-11

For centuries, explorers have searched the globe to find the Ark of the Covenant, but they were looking in the wrong place all along. Right there at the end of Revelation 11 it tells us exactly where it is... Then, in heaven, the Temple of God was opened and the Ark of his covenant could be seen inside the Temple. If we want to find the Ark... we just have to look where God put it.

Your Eyes Are Like Doves

Song of Solomon 1-2

There is a lot of scripture that I don't get, but I really don't understand "your eyes are like doves." What is that supposed to mean? How are eyes like doves? Is that good? I don't know.

Perfect?

1 John 4-5

For some time I've been thinking that the church has sold itself short in the area of Christian perfection. Too often I hear teachers of the Word say that we cannot reach perfection this side of heaven, but the underlying insinuation is that we will always sin until we die. I don't think that was the message that John was teaching...

We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.

If we are children of God, then we will not continue to sin. There should be an end to our sin, not just a lessening... we should be seeking hard after the Kingdom rather than the World.

One More Reason For Diversity

Nehemiah 5-9

I tire of the seemingly ceaseless fights among some Biblical scholars over which translations are the most anointed or most liberal etc.. I have little room in my faith for their legalistic wrangling partly because each time I read through the Bible, God opens new verses to me that I did not see before, or seeing didn't understand, or even understanding didn't trust. I seriously doubt that a well-intentioned, suitably educated translator of the Word can do harm to the Word... for the Lord directs our ways even now.

I read through today's reading during a break at work today in a compact NIV version I have at work. In that version, Nehemiah 6:15 reads as follows:

So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.

It is interesting that it took such a short time span for Nehemiah to rally the troops to repair the breaches in the wall, given how long it had been down and it makes one wonder why anyone else did not have the same success previously, but we can see that the Lord's hand was on Nehemiah and that it was the Lord who got it done, etc., but the verse isn't as readable or personal as it could be, partly because the "25th of Elul" means absolutely nothing to me.

In the New Living Translation, which I presently prefer for general reading, the verse is rendered slightly differently. It goes like this...

So on October 2 the wall was finished—just fifty-two days after we had begun.

Now that makes all the difference in the world to me, because October 2nd is my birthday. Logically I know that I share that same birthday with approximately 1/365th of the world's population, but emotionally it means something that the previous rendering left out. Vive la différence!

His or Their

Deuteronomy 23-25

In general, I'm neither friend or foe of gender neutral translations of the Bible. My tendency is to interpret gender-specific terminology as gender neutral based on the context anyway, so editorial decisions have little real impact on my reading in this regard. However, there are times when the general context would seem to allow for a gender neutral translation, but upon closer examination... I'm not so sure it makes sense. Deuteronomy 23:3 is just such a verse.

The New Living Translation renders the following:

No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants for ten generations may be admitted to the assembly of the Lord.

While the New International Version (1984) provides the following rendering:

 No Ammonite or Moabite or any of his descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, even down to the tenth generation.

I do not know how the Hebrew should be translated. In general, however, I would think that a gender neutral rendering would not present any problem with a verse like this. But when I think about Ruth and her great-grandson David, it suddenly makes a big difference. If none of the descendants of male Moabites are allowed in the assembly of the Lord, there is no trespass for David, but if no descendants of any Moabites are allowed, then David, the man after God's own heart, should not have been allowed in the assembly according to a strict legal interpreatation of the law.

Radical Belief

Acts 21-22

When Paul came back to Jerusalem to meet with the traditional believers at First Church of Jerusalem, he met some resistance. He had just given his report on the number of Gentiles being saved, when the leaders of the church at Jerusalem reminded Paul that many Jews had come to believe in Jesus, but they also followed the laws of Moses and would be offended by Paul's teachings. They weren't so much concerned whether Paul was preaching the truth, but rather that he was not preaching the old ways. Thus began the ending of Paul's ministry. However right Paul was... he was too radical for the old church. The establishment church doesn't beat radical preachers anymore, mostly it just hopes they will go away. I wonder how today's radical preachers will fare?

An Honest Prayer

Psalms 140-142

I like the honesty of David's prayer in Psalm 141...

Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips. Don’t let me drift toward evil or take part in acts of wickedness. Don’t let me share in the delicacies of those who do wrong.

There is no trace of arrogance here, just a desire to do right... to stay on the narrow path... to avoid anything that would even remotely carry him in the wrong direction.

The End is Near

Revelation 1-6

There is comfort in Revelation, even if there is also sometimes confusion.

God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.

 He is faithful to those who are faithful. May he find us faithful in the last days.

In Conclusion

Ecclesiastes 11-12

Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.

After living a profligate, hedonistic life, Solomon comes to the conclusion that everything is vanity and that we must simply fear and obey God. Too bad he failed to do the same and teach his children likewise, for it was during their reign that Israel first split. Is a lesson learned too late actually learned?

Didn't Just Hear About Him

1 John 1-3

I love the way John's first letter begins... John wants us to know that he didn't just hear about Jesus... he saw Jesus, touched Jesus, heard Jesus, was in his presence... and found him real. Modern believers don't have the same opportunity that the apostles had, but we can choose to either lean on their experiences or reject them. In the end, that gives us much the same choice since many of their peers evaluated Jesus and his teaching and walked away. We will join John in proclaiming that he is the one that brings eternal life, or will we scoff and walk away?

Good Grief

Nehemiah 1-4

When we grieve over the things that grieve God we have good grief... grief that has a purpose and a value. Nehemiah had good grief. He grieved over the state of his father's homeland and went to God in prayer. The result was that God blessed his efforts to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and return a faithful remnant.

Do Not Be Afraid

Deuteronomy 20-22

After 40 years of close fellowship with God, Moses knew that God could be trusted and that there was no need to fear or be afraid of anything that stood in the way... as long as God's commands were followed. He tries to pass on that knowledge to the Israelites, but they don't really get it. They, like we, think that he is simply espousing a righteous way of life, but he really is telling them to trust in the Lord. It is sooooo hard to really convey to others a heartfelt belief that does not conform to the ways of the world in a way that others will truly believe. Most people march to the beat of the world's drum and are incapable of comprehending a different beat.

Is That Good?

Acts 19-20

A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits in the name of the Jesus that Paul preached. The spirits were not impressed. They responded that they knew Jesus and that they knew Paul, but they didn't know these Jews. So my questions is... Is it good or bad if the evil spirits don't know you? It would seem that they know and fear their enemies, so if they don't know you, they don't fear you and thus don't worry about you... they can attack and destroy at will, but don't care to expend the energy unless you bother them.

Primitive Knowledge

Psalms 137-139

Too often I have heard people speak of how much more intelligent we are now than our ancestors... how our knowledge has superseded their knowledge... not just adding to it, but making it obsolete. To some extent, they look down upon this primitive knowledge with an arrogance that would throw out everything known by our ancestors as mistaken thinking while embracing everything we know now as perfect truth. How easily they forget the truths of the last decade that have been trumped, or the truths of the previous century that have come 'round again.

The psalmist speaks of some of these ancient truths of the creation of a child in terms that many modern thinkers should revisit. Instead, in their attempt to rid themselves of a moral law-giver, they would strip the psalmist of his truth and claim a purely biological cause (without ever stopping to consider whence biology came). The psalmist may not have had the detailed medical knowledge of today's OBs, but his incomplete knowledge was rooted in the same truths... truths that God instantiated in the beginning.

The Last Announcement

Malachi

The Book of Malachi ends with the last announcement of the one who is to come...

“Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives. His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse.”

It would be several hundred years before the fulfillment of this prophesy, but there were those who waited patiently for the coming Messiah. They didn't want to miss out on God's answer to man's problem, so when John arrived proclaiming the pending arrival of the Day of the Lord they were ready... ready to receive the promised blessings, instead of the curse. Even today we are faced with the same choice... life or death.

Incomplete Knowledge

Ecclesiastes 9-10

Solomon was filled with wisdom, but that doesn't mean he knew everything. In fact, his incomplete knowledge led him to draw conclusions that were incorrect... It seems so tragic that everyone under the sun suffers the same fate. Like many of his contemporaries, Solomon did not know that heaven awaited... that a Savior would deliver us from the same fate that awaited everyone else. As the wisest and wealthiest man to have ever lived, he found that knowledge and wealth provided no meaning or advantage over the rest of the people. God's gift of wisdom and wealth to him was to show, once and for all, that true happiness and meaning could not be found through earthly goods. Then having shown that the world cannot provide the answer, he unveiled his solution... his son.

Scarlet Letters

Ezra 6-10

When Ezra realized how the Israelites, including their leaders, had polluted the Jewish race by intermarrying with natives, he tore his clothes and begged God's forgiveness... then called all of the Israelites together to find out how extensive the sin was. They conducted a survey of all people to determine who had sinned and then named each one in scriptures for all time and all people to see... the ultimate scarlet letter. The punishment for each... to divorce their wives and children. A heavy price to pay, but the Lord demands that we be willing to sacrifice everything to follow him, obey him, love him.

Thou Shalt Not Lie?

Deuteronomy 16-19

The more I read the scriptures, the more I am amazed at how the modern church has modified the word to suit their own tastes and desires. The ten commandments contain the command that "thou shalt not bear false witness," but we have modified that to refer to lying in general. But, as our reading today reveals, there is a special importance to the command not to bear false witness. It only takes two witnesses to condemn a man to death by stoning, therefore if one bears false witness, there could be a miscarriage of justice that results in a man's death. I'm not saying that lying is okay, for clearly the scriptures (e.g., Psalms, Proverbs, James, etc.) speak about the problems of a deceptive tongue, but the law spoke of something different.

Live, Move, Be

Acts 17-18

The Greeks in Athens had a long history of philosophical debate and thought in the centuries leading up to Jesus' birth. About the time the Israelites were coming out of exile, Socrates came on the scene as the greatest philosopher... his best student was Plato... and his best student was Aristotle... and his best student was Alexander the Great. It was into this environment that Paul stumbled upon a monument to An Unknown God... a God that Paul describes as one in whom we live and move and have our being.

His Faithful Love Endure Forever

Psalms 134-136

Through it all, whatever the circumstances, wherever we are, his faithful love endures forever. If there is any lesson to be learned from Psalm 136, we can't help but see his faithful love endures forever.

Meaningless Writing

Ecclesiastes 7-8

Why if everything is so meaningless, did Solomon write so many words about how meaningless it is?

Most Important of All

1 Peter 4-5

Peter was the bold one who stepped out of the boat to walk on water... who declared that Jesus was the Christ... who denied Christ three times and who preached a sermon and instantly created a mega-church. So what would Peter say was the most important of all?

The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.

Prayer is important, very important, but most important of all, Peter says, is to show deep love for each other. How do we do that? By sharing our home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. When I think about the stalwart Christians I know, very few score well against those criteria. I can even here some of them now... "God wouldn't want me to place myself (my wife, my kids, etc.) at risk by inviting those people to eat and sleep at my house, would he?" I don't know, what does scripture say?

Separation of Church and State

Ezra 1-5

I don't think that King Cyrus of Persia got a copy of the letter that Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptists regarding a "wall of the separation between church and state" because as the leader of the Medes and Persians he wrote the following proclamation...

“The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any of you who are his people may go to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. And may your God be with you! Wherever this Jewish remnant is found, let their neighbors contribute toward their expenses by giving them silver and gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock, as well as a voluntary offering for the Temple of God in Jerusalem.”

The wall he created was not a wall of separation, but rather the walls of the Temple of God at Jerusalem... and he ordered the neighbors of the people of God to pay for it. God will be sovereign even if it means working through an enemy king.

Intolerance

Deuteronomy 13-15

There is much talk about tolerance these days. In general, tolerance is viewed as a "good" thing and conversely intolerance is viewed as a "bad" thing. So countries that allow complete religious freedom are viewed as tolerant and good, while countries that punish those who reach out to inhabitants on behalf of another religion are viewed as intolerant and bad. Imagine then the label placed on the Israelites by their detractors.

Suppose someone secretly entices you—even your brother, your son or daughter, your beloved wife, or your closest friend—and says, ‘Let us go worship other gods’—gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known. They might suggest that you worship the gods of peoples who live nearby or who come from the ends of the earth. But do not give in or listen. Have no pity, and do not spare or protect them. You must put them to death!

These are not the rantings of some pumped up priest, televangelist, or imam, but rather the Word of God. God commands that His people be intolerant of other religious views because he knows the Israelites will succumb to the temptations. So where does that leave us?

Just Curious

Acts 15-16

So Paul and Silas head to Philippi where they meet Lydia and her "church" down by the river. They preached the gospel and her heart was opened and she was baptized. Since they were down by the river already, it is easy to presume that the baptism occurred in the river. When Paul and Silas were later jailed and subsequently miraculously released, the jailer came to Christ. He and his whole household were baptized. Just curious if there is any reason to believe that they went down to the river versus sprinkling or pouring, and how old were his children? Hmmm.

Harmony

Psalms 131-133

Scripture makes it clear that harmony and unity in the Body of Christ is part of God's plan. Where there is disunity in the body, sin is often lurking around the corner. The psalmist declares...

How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe. Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion. And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting.

This same thought is expressed in Jesus's pastoral prayer in the Gospel of John. It is his heartfelt desire that all of his disciples live and work in harmonious unity... dedicated to spreading the Gospel and ringing in the Kingdom of Heaven. God's message to us today is no less clear, we are called to be one.

Are We Done Yet?

Zechariah 1-7

Seventy years into Judah's exile, in the fourth year of King Darius' reign, the people of Bethel asked a question of the Lord regarding whether they should continue in mourning or if the exile would end. God's response was probably not what they wanted to hear... he asked if their hearts had turned to him or if all of their sacrifice was for themselves and for show. We must remember, even today, that we may be able to fool our neighbors with our pious displays, the the intended audience of our worship is not fooled or amused... he knows our heart. Our only true choice is to turn to him with everything that we are or else we are turning away from him.

Meaningless

Ecclesiastes 5-6

It is meaningless to desire that which you do not have. God blesses those whom he will bless and if he blesses you with a gift, then enjoy the gift, share it with others and be filled with joy. But if curse instead is your lot, then be satisfied with what you have and be merry. To wish for different is to place your hope in meaninglessness. This then may be the true secret of the Beatitude Blessed are the poor... the blessedness comes in joyful acceptance of our lot whatever that is.

True Happiness

1 Peter 1-3

What would it take to bring true happiness to your life? Growing up, I just knew that true happiness could be found the the annual Sears Christmas Wish Book. Evey year when it arrived at the house, we would take turns (maybe nicely because Christmas was almost there) going through the Wish Book and developing our personal Wish Lists. Times haven't changed much, children (and sadly some adults) still think that true happiness comes from getting all the toys you want, but Peter had a different idea...

Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while.

 God has a present waiting for us in Heaven, there may be trials first, but the end is so worth it.

There Is That

2 Chronicles 33-36

Nebuchadnezzar totally destroyed Judah, he... killed the young men and young women, the old and the infirm, took all of the treasures from the temple and the palace, then burned them, tore down the walls of Jerusalem, completely destroyed everything of value, and took the few who survived were taken captive. How can there possibly be a bright side?

So the message of the Lord spoken through Jeremiah was fulfilled. The land finally enjoyed its Sabbath rest.

Oh, right... there is that... the land enjoyed the rest that God had always intended. Although he has given us freewill, we cannot thwart God's will, only delay it through our sin. His will be done.

Stop Being Stubborn

Deuteronomy 10-12

Moses is running through a synopsis of everything that has happened over the last 40 years to the Israelites as they sit across the Jordan from the Promised Land. He explains to them that all they need to do is to fear and love God, do what he says and everything that the Lord has (and he has everything) will be theirs. That's when he says... change your hearts and stop being stubborn. I think if Moses were here today he'd say the same thing. In our stubborn pride we toss out God's priorities for our own and then make up a story about how God would want it this way. It is easy to wonder at how the Israelites could have been so stupid... the hard part is seeing ourselves in the Israelites sandals.

Marks of Belief

Acts 13-14

I am struck by some of the marks of the believers in the New Testament church... the believers were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. You'd think that our churches would similarly be filled with people who were full of joy and the Holy Spirit, but that really seems to be more the exception than the rule in the modern church. I wonder if somewhere along the way we traded the glory of God for some paltry worldly substitute and it can never fill us with the joy that Christ gives because it is a sham. Seems to me that if this is so, we need to throw out the substitute and get the real thing and we'll know when we succeeded by the marks of joy.

How Much Do We Long?

Psalms 128-130

When the psalmist claims that he longs for the Lord, he quantifies that longing as... more than the sentry longs for dawn. It may not seem like a long time from the outside, but the minutes creep by so slowly, and eyelids weigh so much when you pull the midnight watch... and nothing seems better than the approaching dawn. How much do we really long for the Lord? Would we give anything to have him? Would we abandon all we have? He tells us we must.

Biblical Inerrancy

Ecclesiastes 3-4

There are a few biblical texts that give me pause in the area of biblical inerrancy... for me, it is not Jonah and the Whale, or Creation, or Noah's Ark or any of the miracles that some find so hard to believe. For me it is Paul's admonition "to the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord)..." (1 Corinthians 7:10) and parts of today's reading in Ecclesiastes.

I also thought about the human condition—how God proves to people that they are like animals. For people and animals share the same fate—both breathe and both must die. So people have no real advantage over the animals. How meaningless! Both go to the same place—they came from dust and they return to dust.

How does one treat these texts under the lens of biblical inerrancy? In the case of the passage from Corinthians Paul clearly says that this is his command, not the Lord's, while the second seems to more Solomon's opinion rather than God's. I guess it really comes down to what inerrancy really means. I lean towards the definition that says that the Scriptures are always right in fulfilling their purpose: revealing God, God's vision, God's purposes, and God's good news to humanity rather than the literalist view that focuses on the legalism of each word being exactly right. Just a thought...

Living Life in the Zone by Kyle Rote Jr and Dr Joe Pettigrew

Growing up in South Central Texas, the Kyle Rote name was very familiar to me, but when I moved away from Texas and started playing rugby the name dropped out my field of vision, that is, until I picked up a copy of his latest book Living Life in the Zone: A 40-Day Spiritual Gameplan for Men. Kyle Rote Jr teams up with Dr Joe Pettigrew in this 40-day devotional study aimed at sports-minded men.

For the man who feels guilty sitting at home on Sunday morning watching sports while his wife and kids attend church, this may just be the book that helps you put down the remote and get off the couch. The authors don't preach, but instead gently encourage you to re-examine the choices you make with compelling anecdotes and sound scriptural backing. Before the forty days are up you may just find yourself with a better relationship with your wife, your kids and your Savior. Pastors looking for sermon illustrations will also find a treasure trove of interesting stories that may just help to keep the Sunday sports fanatic coming back for more and men's groups looking for new study material will be thankful to find a study that speaks to men where they are. I've already loaned my copy out to my pastor and can recommend this study to any man searching for a simple bible-based study on marriage, kids, work and faith.

Disclosure of Material Connection: As a blogger, I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Final Words

James 4-5

The sermon series that we just finished at church was on the Book of James and how it provides a practical how-to guide for Christian living. But reading the last two chapters, it seems more like the last words that a parent is trying to get out as their child leaves for camp or college. "Do this, and oh by the way, don't forget to do this and that and that, and oh yeah I almost forgot that you need to make sure that you don't forget to do this because it's really important, oh and ..." James is all over the place wanting to make sure that he gets everything in before his time runs out.

Pride Goes Before Destruction

2 Chronicles 29-32

Perhaps as much as any other ruler, Sennacherib met defeat as a result of his arrogance. Outside Jerusalem, Sennacherib taunts Judah saying that their god cannot protect them anymore then the gods of all the other nations that he has conquered. His arrogance was in thinking that his ability to defeat non-existent gods, would help him in defeating the one and only God. Sennacherib went home with far fewer men. That should have been a lesson for Hezekiah, but he too fell to pride. Through grace and Hezekiah's decision to humble himself before the Lord, he was spared, but his great wealth and success would not bode well for his son to follow.

His Favorites

Deuteronomy 7-9

Who says God doesn't play favorites... "When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are about to enter and occupy, he will clear away many nations ahead of you: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. These seven nations are greater and more numerous than you. When the Lord your God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy."

Since the beginning of recorded history, God has definitely played favorites. He accepted Able's sacrifice, but rejected Cain's,,, he loved Jacob, but hated Esau... he has mercy on whom he has mercy and compassion on whom he choose too. This fact seems to offend some people, namely, I think, because they don't want to follow after God, but they still want his blessings (if he exists). If he doesn't exist (like they think) then I wonder who they think is being unfair? The creator has always had the creative freedom to discard one piece and keep another, without securing the permission of the pieces, why is it so surprising that God would have a similar choice? ... and he chose Israel, and then broadened the invitation to anyone who would put their faith in his son. What more could we ask for?

The Great Escape

Acts 11-12

One of my favorite movies growing up was The Great Escape where Steve McQueen "escapes" from a German prison camp many times but is recaptured each time. Likewise I have always liked Peter's escape from jail when the angel leads him out of locked chains and doors to freedom. The irony of poor Rhoda answering the door at prayer meeting being held at Mary's house is so excited that she slams the door of Peter to run in to tell everyone that Peter is at the door.

We too have been set free... maybe not from a jail with armed guards, but from a prison with chains just as surely. Sin holds us in bondage as long as we will let it, but Jesus will set us free. He paid the ransom and we are free to leave... free to live, but here's the kicker, we have to decide to accept the freedom that he bought us.

Guards and Locks

Psalms 125-127

Unless the Lord protects the city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.

I've always found peoples fascination with lock and alarm systems somewhat humorous. I used to drive a Toyota 4Runner with a canvas top, I decided early on not to lock my doors since a small pen knife could "unlock" the soft top at a much higher cost than any contents that would be stolen. So often, locks, and alarm systems and similar protection devices only protect contents from people who don't want them very bad. Any thief willing to break glass and move quickly can defeat most systems if the Lord isn't on duty too. But when you add the protection provided by the the one who moves mountains, spits out stars, and creates planets, now you've got a real guard who is able to protect.

Hard Work?

Ecclesiastes 1-2

When Solomon claims that he tried to find meaning in building a large home and planting beautiful vineyards, and building gardens and parks, and built reservoirs to collect water... but didn't find meaning, it occurred to me that I doubt he built any of it. While I have had pleasure and indeed a measure of worth in building things, I can't see how the same feelings would be engendered if you had your slaves build everything for you. I agree that all the material pleasures of this world cannot give meaning, but I think that is especially true when the cost is small. That which comes too easy, will never have much worth, and certainly not meaning. Perhaps true meaning really requires something that transcends life... something outside of life to provide meaning to life. In other words, meaning is endowed by something greater to something lesser, thus for human life to have meaning, it has to be bestowed upon humans by something greater... like a Creator.

Demonic Evil

James 1-3

How do you define demonic evil? What class of actions fall into the category of demonic evil? If you are like most people a class of actions comes to mind that are reminiscent of witches and the occult, or gruesome violence, but the Bible has a different depiction of demonic evil... jealousy and selfish ambition are identified by James as examples of demonic evil. That we don't have a similar definition probably says more about us... like wanting to excuse our sin as minor, than it does to refute James. A righteous understanding of God's commands to us will bring us to a similar understanding.

Poison Blowfish Sushi

2 Chronicles 25-28

There is a certain type of sushi called Fugu that is made from poison blowfish. If prepared correctly it is a culinary delight, but if prepared incorrectly it paralyzes the diner and death results within hours. Reading through the slate of Judah's kings in 2 Chronicles reminds me of poison blowfish. It seems that some of the kings were prepared incorrectly and lead to the paralysis and death of Israel, while their fathers or sons were wonderful kings who pleased the Lord. What ingredient in the makeup of man is it that can go so wrong... it all goes back to the garden when sin and evil entered into the DNA of man. We need a savior who can cleanse us from the poison; praise God we have one.

I Wonder...

Deuteronomy 4-6

I wonder if anything would have been different if Moses had handled the situation at Meribah differently. When Moses struck the rock at Meribah with his staff instead of just speaking the word as God had directed him, God pronounced that Moses would not be allowed to cross over into the Promised Land. That Moses wasn't satisfied with God's pronouncement showed when Moses begged God to change his mind, but God told him "Enough!". Now Moses isn't saying anything more to God about it, but he's not finished talking about it. He keeps telling the Israelites that it was their fault that he doesn't get to cross over... that God became angry because of them. But that wasn't the case. I wonder what would have happened if Moses had taken complete responsibility from the start. We don't know... and can't know, but God seldom rewards those who fail to repent.

Just Rewards

Acts 9-10

During our lesson at church this evening, we discussed an Andy Stanley video about personal spiritual  disciplines using the text from Matthew 6:1-6...

Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. [...]  Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. [...] But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

 One of the focuses, was on the reward part. Not that we do these things so that we receive a reward, but rather that when we do these things God does reward us. Today's reading from Acts shows the practical outworking of Jesus' words. There was a Roman Centurion named Cornelius who feared God, gave to the needy and prayed. An angel of the Lord appeared to Cornelius with this message... “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering!”

Even though we may not know how or why God works in a particular manner, we can place our full faith and trust in him... and that is just rewards.

Peace Within the Walls

Psalms 122-124


Pray for peace in Jerusalem. May all who love this city prosper. O Jerusalem, may there be peace within your walls and prosperity in your palaces. For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “May you have peace.” For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek what is best for you, O Jerusalem.

Who could ask for more for their house... that there would be peace within your walls and prosperity in your palaces. Even the prosperity is overrated when peace is missing.

Resolute Trust

Habakkuk

The prophet Habakkuk begins with a question reminiscent of King David... How long, O Lord, must I call for help? But you do not listen! However, God is listening and he replies. The answer catches Habakkuk off guard though. What do you do when you cry out to God for an answer and the answer comes back load and clear and not what you were hoping for? What do you do then? If you are Habakkuk, you ask another question, but this time, there is less confidence in your cry of indignation and listening and expecting the answer, you resolve to trust in the Lord's ways... whatever they are... for he knows better then you. You look to the skies and proclaim that you are filled with awe because of his amazing works, and you praise him in good times and bad. I will rejoice and be joyful in the God of my salvation.

The Other Half

Proverbs 31

It's not just about the virtuous wife... the other part of Proverbs 31 advises that women, beer and alcohol are not appropriate for kings. Okay, that may overstate King Lemuel's mother's advice about women, but beer and alcohol are out, because they may forget the law and deny justice to the oppressed. The oppressed on the other hand are welcome to the beer and wine that they may forget their troubles. I wonder what said said about the oppressed and women... that was probably what led her to the discussion of a virtuous wife.

Not My Home

Hebrews 11-13

This world is not my home. Throughout scripture, men of faith have found that their rewards did not come to them in this world... this world can only produce worldly good and worldly evil. It cannot provide the eternal rewards that faith promises. To the worldly, Paul lived a life to be pitied, but he knew something they didn't. He had confidence in the one in whom he hoped and assurance about things he could not see... he was a man of great faith, following in the footsteps of great men and women of faith.

We to can walk in that light if we so choose to throw off the weights of this world that hold us back, especially the sin that trips us up. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus... Jesus at home, Jesus at work, Jesus at play, Jesus at church, Jesus at WalMart. Wherever we are, Whatever we are doing, if our sights are set on Jesus he will bring us through any trouble... on the other side.

The Company You Keep

2 Chronicles 21-24

Many parents have advised their children to be careful of the company they keep, because the parents know by experience that we can become tempted by others to do things that we might otherwise have avoided. Kings are not immune from that temptation. While their were no angelic kings in Judah, by and large the Kings of Judah were more likely to do good in God's sight than evil compared with the Kings of Israel. That is, until  Jehoram King of Judah married Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab King of Israel. He was so evil that no one was sorry when he died and they did not bury him in the tomb of the kings of Judah. His son and wife succeeded him into leadership of Judah and brought dishonor to the nation. The trend wasn't stopped until the influence was completely removed by taking the baby Joash and secreting him away for his first seven years until he could be declared King.

Enough

Deuteronomy 1-3


When Moses had brought his people within sight of the Promised Land, and had led them in the defeat of Sihon King of Heshbon and Og King of Bashaam, he desired to cross over into the Promised Land with his people. He knew that God had already decreed that he was not to go into the Promised Land, but he desired it in his heart. So he pleaded with God, begging to be allowed to go into the Promised Land. Moses forgot who he was in relationship with... he forgot that God is the same yesterday and today... he thought he could convince God to let him go if he used the big puppy dog eyes. But God's response was firm.

“That is enough,” the LORD said. “Do not speak to me anymore about this matter. Go up to the top of Pisgah and look west and north and south and east. Look at the land with your own eyes, since you are not going to cross this Jordan. 28But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see.”

In essence, God told him the same thing that Jesus was to say to Peter many years later when Peter asked what wpould happen to John. God has a plan for each of us. He wants us to follow his plan. He will not cotton to our deciding that we want to execute someone else's plan. Enough.

Who Ya Gonna Call

Psalms 120-121

When troubles await, you do you call? Knowing where to find help and then seeking it is a mark of the mature. If you are the psalmist, your help comes from the Lord. The one that won't let you stumble... the one that watches over you... the one that keeps you from harm. Since he never sleeps or slumbers, he is always there... always ready. Why would you ever call anyone else?

Jonah's Dream Job

Nahum

Like Jonah, Nahum prophesies about Ninevah, but unlike Jonah, Nahum was able to prophesy their demise... like Jonah wanted to do. Ninevah was the capital of the Assyrian empire in the time of Sennacherib and Nahum's message to Ninevah was that it would cease to exist. True to his word, Ninevah was overtaken by the Medes and razed to the ground... this was exactly the message that Jonah longed to preach, but the Lord still had plans for Assyria in bringing Israel back to Him, so this message had to wait for Nahum.

Agur's Guest Appearance

Proverbs 29-30

Agur, if he is a real person, makes a small, but powerful guest appearance in the Book of Proverbs. His contribution to the wisdom literature presages Paul's advice to Timothy ("Every word of God proves true") and John's admonition at the end of Revelation ("Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you")... and yet he regards himself as "too stupid to be human."

New Covenant

Hebrews 8-10

If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. [...] When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear.

What is so difficult about this passage that so many Christians want to go back to the first covenant? I could understand if a Jew who did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah thought that the Ten Commandments were a binding law on our lives (not to mention all of the other Levitical laws), but why should there be any need for a discussion of whether the Ten Commandments still apply for a Christian? They easily throw away the requirements for animal sacrifice that the Old Testament clearly show as a lasting ordinance for all generations, but want to selectively keep the Ten, as if there were magic in those laws. Try as they might, Israel was never successful in keeping the law... even though they saw God miraculously split open the Red Sea and witnessed the awesome might of God in the pillar of fire by night.

Jesus brought a new law... a new covenant... a relationship in which God tattooed his laws into our hearts so that we can't miss them... so that we can't miss him. And yet, like the Israelites at the foot of Mt Sinai, we want God to push God away for a substitute. But this time, God will not allow Moses or the Ten Commandments, or anything else stand in for us... he paid too high a price. We either accept the relationship that he has created us for... or we reject him and walk away. There's no other choice.

Mid-Life Crisis

2 Chronicles 16-20

Early in his reign as King of Judah, Asa heard the word of the Lord from Azariah. He was advised that as long as he stayed with the Lord, the Lord would stay with him, but if he abandoned the Lord, the Lord would abandon him. For the first 35 years of his reign, he followed that advice and lived in peace, but then he got stupid. When Baasha, King of Israel decided to face off against his fellow Isaraelites, King Asa sought help from the King of Aram instead of the Lord. He may have won the battle, but definitely lost the war. The last four years of his reign were marked by war, and he died an ignominious death as he abandoned the Lord and refused to turn back.

Was this Asa's mid-life crisis? How many continue to follow in his footsteps? What will it take to keep others from taking the same path? Lord God, please guard my comings and goings that I may never abandon you.

Good or Evil?

Numbers 33-36

Encamped just across the Jordan River from Jericho, the Israelites received their final instructions before moving into the Promised Land. Like a father sending his child off into the world, God wanted to place a little focus on an very important issue, that he thought the Israelites might think wasn't so important.

“When you cross the Jordan River into the land of Canaan, you must drive out all the people living there. You must destroy all their carved and molten images and demolish all their pagan shrines. Take possession of the land and settle in it, because I have given it to you to occupy. [...] But if you fail to drive out the people who live in the land, those who remain will be like splinters in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will harass you in the land where you live. And I will do to you what I had planned to do to them.”

Those were pretty explicit instructions, but in their first battle at Jericho, one of the Israelite warriors decided to keep an idol he found... and then the Israelites were tricked into a peace treaty with some of the inhabitants... and God's instructions were not followed, but the consequences he foretold were. What is it about humans that make them feel they can play with fire and not get burned? How many go astray because they kept a "harmless" habit, that later destroyed them? How ironic that the "tree of knowledge of good and evil" placed us in a condition wherein we cannot recognize the difference between good and evil!

Spiritual Wannabes

Acts 5-6

The Acts Church must have been an exciting time of spiritual renewal... people were added to their number every day... the sick were healed by Peter's shadow... jail doors were opened... and people shared all that they had. Not surprisingly, some people wanted to be a part of the spiritual awakening without the commitment. Ananias and Sapphira sold a piece of land and conspired to pretend to give all of the proceeds to the early church so that others would think highly of them. Instead they instantly fell dead. What appeared to them to be a sure-fired scheme to success was their ultimate downfall. How often do we scheme in analogous ways... hoping that others will think highly of us?

Thy Word

Psalms 119

The psalmist waxes eloquently about the Word, but new ideas keep coming to his mind so it takes him 176 verses to gt it all out. In this the longest chapter of the Bible the psalmist constantly speaks of the Word saying...

• That it brings joy to those who follow it
• That he hides it in his heart
• That he will not forget it
• That he will meditate on it
• That it pleases him
• That he is revived and encouraged by it
• That he will cling to it
• That it gives him life
• That he trusts in it and it gives him hope
• That he will speak to kings about it and not be ashamed
• That it is worth more than silver and gold
• That it is a lamp to his feet

and so much more. Those who truly love the Lord, must  love his word too.

What Kind of Prophet Do You Seek?

Micah

Throughout scripture the prophets were ignored and insulted and if that didn't quiet them down, they were murdered. The people would shout “Don’t prophesy like that. Such disasters will never come our way!” Micah has the Israelites figured out. He suggests that the only kind of prophet they would like would be a prophet full of lies that would say to them, “I’ll preach to you the joys of wine and alcohol!”

Before we get onto the Israelites too quick, we need to review our track record for listening to prophetic words. If any should be so bold as to say he heard a word from the Lord today that doesn't pass the political correctness test, even many Christian ministers are quick to dispute the revelation. What kind of prophet would we listen to today? How much do they have to agree with us before we will take them seriously?

Understanding Justice

Proverbs 28

It seems everyone has an opinion about how God ought to run the world... even those who don't believe in God. They will ague that if God were really all good, all knowing, and all powerful, then evil and suffering wouldn't exist. In other words, they assert that if they were God, then the world wouldn't contain evil or suffering... but of course they've never really been God so they have no idea what they are talking about.

I think this must have been the type of thing that Solomon was talking about when he said that "evil people do not understand justice." People have a cause... the environment, AIDS, health care, poverty, gay rights, abortion, etc. and choose to elevate that cause to the highest form of justice... and assume that God must feel the same way. The problem with this way of thinking is that when our hearts aren't pure, we can't possibly think God's thoughts. When we are filled with evil (pride, greed, sexual immorality, etc.) our sense of justice is skewed and we emphasize things that God doesn't emphasize and likewise we deemphasize things that God values.

If we want to understand justice, we must first seek after God... to obey his commands... to surrender our will to his will. If we will do that, then we can begin to understand his justice, but anything short of that must cause distortions in our attempt to view justice.

Just Kidding

Hebrews 5-7
Ok, so I have a new life verse...

There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen.

Just kidding. But sometimes...

It would be nice to move off the basics and into the meat of the gospel, but our world is lost and getting more lost. We pore billions into new ways to sin and rebel against the moral law that God has set down, but virtually none to uphold his moral teaching. In each day we are given 86,400 seconds to budget, and the average person uses only a few devoted to God -- and those few seconds are often more in the form of a curse, than actually turning the heart towards God.

What if... a new national research project were created to delve into the spiritual depths and given a budget similar to that of embryonic stem cell research. If the greatest minds of our universities were pointed to the creator of the universe and really studied, what benefit would accrue to the nation?

Costly Forgetfulness

2 Chronicles 11-15

Even though I've read the stories over and over... and even though I am so forgetful... it still amazes (and scares) me how much the people of Israel forget the lessons of those who came before. It's a pretty simple formula... when they seek after God and obey his commands good things happen... and when they seek after other gods and disobey God's commands, bad things happen. So we see this cycle where they seek after God and they are blessed and they grow comfortable in their blessings and start worshiping other gods, and bad things happen and they come to their senses and turn back to God... over and over again.

Makes you wonder about us. Did everyone in Israel turn away from God or only the majority? Are we "safe" because we haven't turned away, or are we lumped in with the rest of the nation who have so turned away from God that they question his existence or worse they question his continued relevance? I doubt we can count on being safe. By all accounts it certainly looks like our country has felt the blessings of God and reckoned that those blessings didn't actually come from God, but came because we deserved them, so we have abandoned God and he will not be mocked. Father God forgive us our trespasses.

They Just Don't Get It

Numbers 29-32

Then the Lord said to Moses, “On behalf of the people of Israel, take revenge on the Midianites for leading them into idolatry. After that, you will die and join your ancestors.”

You would have thought that since this was going to be Moses' last battle that his people would be sure to do this battle right... one for the Gipper, so to speak. They fought valiantly, and were victorious (for the Lord was with them), and not a single one of their men was lost while all of the Midianite men were killed along with Balaam (for the Lord was really with them and he detested the Midianites and was sorely disappointed with Balaam). However, they completely failed at the finish line for they "captured all the women." Had they already forgotten that it was the Midianite women that had seduced them into sin, or were they remembering the Midianite women? How often do we unconsciously sin because the taste of pleasure is still in our memory? At least Moses saw the sin and called out the generals and captains for their lack of leadership with regard to the Midianite women, and then they stepped up and offered all of their share of the gold plundered (about 420 pounds of gold) out of thanksgiving to the Lord when they realized that none of their men had been killed. We need to always be on the lookout for the sin that creeps into our lives (to purge it) and the blessings in our life (to thank the great provider.)

Scary Prayer

Acts 3-4

After Peter and John were released by the Temple Guard for healing the lame man at the Beautiful Gate in the name of Jesus, they gather with the other disciples and prayed that God would give them boldness in proclaiming the name of Jesus. But they also prayed something else... they prayed that God would "Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus."

Too often when we pray we stay away from the scary prayers... those that our faith isn't big enough to allow us to proclaim with boldness. Notice that the disciples did not qualify their request with "if it be in your will" or "in your time." They simply brought their request before the Lord. The thought that God might not answer their request didn't seem to be a part of their belief. It was the same way with Peter and John at the gate. The lame man asked for alms and they instead boldly told him to get up and walk, and then leaned over to help him up. It didn't seem to occur to them that the lame man's legs wouldn't support him, they fully expected God to work right then to heal the man.

Why is it that we don't pray with that level of belief? Many Christians today don't even believe that miracles are still a part of God's plan... entire denominations refuse to accept that God is still in the miracle business. Perhaps we should not be too surprised that the atheists around us think of us as pitiful... an ignorant group clinging to myths from long ago. As a whole, we don't really seem to believe what we claim. True faith ought to step out with scary prayers... not to test God, but rather to be the voice of God manifested in a life in tune with God's perfect will.

Scrappy Verse

Psalms 117-118

The two verses that make up Psalm 117 qualify it as the smallest chapter in the Bible, but like the proverbial small guy on the athletic field of play, you could say of it that "it may be small, but it's scrappy." The terseness of the verse does not diminish the message, for the object of the psalm is anything but small. The Lord, our God Almighty is worthy of all of our praise for he loves us with a love that endures forever and his faithfulness endures for all generations. The only reasonable response to that kind of love and faithfulness... is praise... HALLELUJAH!

Many gods

Jonah

When the boat that Jonah escaped in encountered stormy seas, the sailors all began entreating their separate gods to get them out of the mess, but it wasn't working. The captain went below decks to find Jonah fast asleep. He woke him and asked Jonah to pray to his God.

In times of trouble people want to turn to a transcendent being... but if the god you believe in wasn't the God who created you and the universe and everything in it, there should be no reasonable expectation that your god can accomplish anything real. The sailors instinctively reached to someone who could fix their problem, but they didn't really know who that was. We later learn that Jonah prophesied to the citizens of Ninevah and introduced them to his God, but even before that Jonah introduced the sailors to his God... so much so that they were awestruck by God and offered him a sacrificed and vowed to serve him. When our eyes are opened to the one true God, our reaction should be the same as the sailors and the Ninevites.

Wayward Men

Proverbs 26-27

Solomon advises that "a man who strays from home is like a bird that strays from its nest." It is easy to picture what a bird who has strayed from the nest would act like... running or flying around aimlessly, no where to go, getting into fights as it tries to sleep in another nest. How much more so the man who strays from home? Not only does his home life suffer, but often the other aspects of his life start teetering too... the restlessness may affect his ability to concentrate at work, may make friendships more tenuous... and should he seek another "nest to sleep in," trouble is sure to follow.

Listen Carefully

Hebrews 1-4

How often do we hear without listening... or listen without understanding? The author of Hebrews reminds us that "we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it." The active listening that he is talking about is far more than merely translating sound waves into recognizable words, rather he is talking about taking the concepts communicated and living them... carefully, to ensure that you get it right.

It was this sin that angered God about all the adults that were brought out of Egypt, except Joshua and Caleb. After having seen how God would care for their every need, they turned away from his care and leaned on their own understanding. Since they drifted away from his word, they were not allowed to enter into his rest. We must be careful that we do not find ourselves in the same situation. Just because the rest of the world believes one way... does not make it right. We must listen carefully to the truth so that we do not drift away from it.

Reminding the Lord?

2 Chronicles 6-10

When Solomon has completed the construction of the Temple of the Lord, he holds a dedication ceremony. He uses the opportunity to remind the people of Israel that they are to be holy... and if they should sin, then they must repent. But he does something else too. It's almost as if he is reminding God of the promises that God has made.. as if God had perhaps forgotten and he wanted to make sure that God remembered.

Why do we do things like that? Why do we assume the the omniscient creator of the world would forget an agreement that he made with us, when we are the ones that tend to forget our side of the covenant? Is it to remind ourselves of the agreement or justify having broken it... as if he must have broke it too so it's okay that we did?

As Zealous As God

Numbers 25-28

How awesome would it be for God to tell the leader of your people that you were as zealous as he was? What would it take for God to say that about someone? Should we emulate the one that God said that about?

When the Israelite men sinned against God by taking the Moabite women and bowed down to the Moabite god Baal or Peor, God ordered Moses to take care of the problem. So Moses told the judges to to take care of the problem. At that moment, one of the Israelite men was seen taking a Midianite woman into his tent. Phinehas saw this happen, so he jumped up and left the assembly, grabbed his spear, went into the tent and thrust his spear through the man and into the woman. It was at this point that God commended Phinehas for being as zealous as he was in ensuring the purity of the Israelites... and he stopped the plague which had killed 24,000 people.

What is today's equivalent for Phinehas' action? How would God have us be zealous for him?

Cult Heroes

Acts 1-2

Normally, when I've heard pastors preach on the characteristics of the early church, they seem to skip over the cult-like qualities in favor of other characteristics that fall more into line with our modern church. What if we had a church that mirrored the Acts 2 description...

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

So what about it? If "all the believers devoted themselves" there would be only participants, no spectators. If we truly "shared everything we had" then none would be in need, and none would take advantage of the others. If we "worshiped at the Temple each day" instead of only one or two days a week, God would have a more significant place in our lives. My guess is that we'd also see "many miraculous signs and wonders" accompanying this total commitment and that the Lord would add to our numbers daily... and the rest of the world would call us a cult.

Blessed Child Remembered

Psalms 114-116

I read the book Blessed Child by Ted Dekker and Bill Bright many years ago. In the book, there is a point where Caleb, a young man with an incredible faith in God, is subjected to a constant barrage of The Smurfs on television. Even though the Smurfs are not evil, the barrage of mindless cheer, saps Caleb of his true strength... his faith. What does this have to do with Psalms 114 - 116? Trying to study the Word and extract God's message while the boys watch Saturday morning Disney TV is nearly impossible. These psalms are not the hardest to understand, but the mindless drivel of Zeke and Luther and other shows distracts.

In Psalm 115, David compares his God to the idols of the others. His conclusion? If your god cannot speak, see, hear, feel, or walk on your behalf, then it cannot do you any good. We may not still have idols carved in wood, stone and precious metal, but today's gods are no less impotent... yet they are still able to steal our hearts. The world will jealously get in the way... if we let it.

Esau and Jacob

Obadiah

Obadiah was called to be a prophet, but not to the Jews. When God placed his words in Obadiah's mouth, his intended audience was the Edomite descendants of Esau. Even though Esau welcomed Jacob back into the old country, his descendants looked with delight on Jacob's descendants' failure. When God brought his corrective punishment on Israel, he did not invite the neighboring countries to pile on... and he was angry with  Edom for doing just that. How angry? A "you will be filled with shame and destroyed forever" kind of angry. Even Paul later remarked how God loved Jacob but rejected Esau. Like their ancestor before them, the Edomites traded a lasting inheritance for a temporary pleasure (gloating over the Israelites troubles). May we never do the same.

Not so Obvious

Proverbs 25

Many of the proverbs of Solomon are common sense... wisdom that could have come from many different people, but some of the proverbial wisdom shared is not so obvious. When I offered to give a present to my wife in accordance with the wisdom of Proverbs 25:12...

To one who listens, valid criticism is like a gold earring or other gold jewelry.

she was not overly excited. Somehow I think she would prefer the gold. Other proverbial sayings make you screw up your face and turn your head sideways to see if you can get your mind around them like Proverbs 25:20...

Singing cheerful songs to a person with a heavy heart is like taking someone’s coat in cold weather or pouring vinegar in a wound.

Solomon possessed more wisdom than any other man, and yet he did not possess the will to follow through with the knowledge of his mind.

A Weak Spot

Philemon

Paul's plea to Philemon to free hi former slave sounds as if Paul did not expect Philemon to comply without a fight. Paul clearly respects Philemon for his spiritual maturity, yet Paul seems to know that Philemon still has a weak spot... a place where Philemon has every legal right to act in a way that might not be the most profitable from a kingdom perspective.

How many Christians today have a similar weak spot? An area in their life that is perfectly legal, maybe even ethically okay, but not necessarily the right path to the Kingdom... sort of like the rich young ruler who confronted Jesus with the question "What must I do to obtain eternal life?" Having met the criteria that the law posed for him, he was caught off-guard by Jesus' request that he go beyond the law and give his money to the poor and follow after Jesus.

Interestingly, we don't really know how Philemon or the rich young ruler finally acted... and their response is truly not important... our's is.

The Temple

2 Chronicles 1-5

I'd always thought of the Temple of the Lord that Solomon built as being a huge building, but the overall measurements were only 30 feet by 90 feet... 2700 square feet... smaller than many houses these days. Looking at the further descriptions, it becomes apparent that the Temple is not the same thing as a modern church where services are held, but rather a dwelling place for God. There appears to be little space for people within the Temple, as it was to be filled with the presence of the Lord. Quite a difference from some (if not most) modern churches, where there is a lot of space for people, but precious little for God.

Wasted Blessings?

Numbers 21-24

God blessed Balaam by granting him prophetic vision... the ability to see ahead of time whom God would bless and whom he would curse. At some point along the way; however, Balaam lost his way... he forgot that God was the one who blessed and cursed... not him. He allowed the worldly distractions of Moab to tempt him away from God and Israel. Though he was originally blessed by the Lord, he became the bad example to be used through the old and new testament of one who sold his blessings for naught.

Have we wasted blessings in a similar manner? Or more precisely, how often have we wasted the blessings that God has rained upon us, by looking elsewhere for pleasure?

Hedging Their Bets... Wrongly

John 19-21

Pilate could never be confused for a humanitarian. He finds Jesus innocent and yet has him flogged with a lead-tipped whip, crowned with thorns, and beaten by the Roman guards... not exactly the finding of innocence that I would seek. He then brought Jesus out to the Jews. Pilate had to bring Jesus out, because the Jews would not go into Pilate's house because they wanted to stay ritually clean for upcoming Passover during which they would remember God's act in delivering them from bondage to Egypt... not exactly the picture of purity God had in mind when he set forth the covenant. When Pilate hears that Jesus called himself the Son of God, he is afraid and asks Jesus if that is true... but he is far more afraid of what the Jewish leaders might do to him than what the wrath of God might do. In every circumstance, each group of people tried to hedge their bets by leaning in the way of the world, over leaning towards God and his righteousness. In every case, they were just wrong. You'd think we would have learned this lesson for today, but everyday finds a new Christian hedging their bet by leaning in favor of the world instead of trusting in the one who created the world. Will we ever learn? Who will stand up for the Lord? Those precious few who love God with all of their heart, mind, body, and soul. Will you be one?

Social Justice Upheaval

Psalms 111-113

What are the proponents (and opponents) of social justice do with Psalms 112 and 113? Psalm 122 tells us that those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying him will be wealthy, honored and influential and their good deeds will be remembered forever and their children will be successful. Thus throwing a wrench in the social justice gospel.  However, the very next psalm tells a different side of the story... a story that has the Lord lifting the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump to set them among princes and giving the childless woman a family.

I think the real answer lies not in a gospel of our own making... be it a gospel of social justice or a gospel of wealth. The only true gospel is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He confounds the wise and the religious, and speaks words that make no sense to the worldly of any stripe.

Who Will Listen

Amos 5-9

Amos shared the word of the Lord with the northern tribes of Israel, but they were not interested. Their chief priest Amaziah whined to Jeroboam the king, that Amos was prophesying bad things and that he should be made to leave. Then told Amos...

“Get out of here, you prophet! Go on back to the land of Judah, and earn your living by prophesying there! 13 Don’t bother us with your prophecies here in Bethel. This is the king’s sanctuary and the national place of worship!”

But Amos would have none of it. He first addressed the matter of pay, ensuring them that he was getting none. He was not a professional prophet, just a shepherd and gardener... who had a message from the Lord. He would not be deterred in pronouncing the message given to him by the Lord regardless of the cost. Are we pushing aside a messenger of the Lord today or has the Lord given us a message that we have failed to deliver?

Yearnings

Proverbs 23-24

Do not envy evil people. At first glance, that seems to be a no-brainer. Why would Solomon even put that kind of advice in there? But Solomon isn't necessarily talking about murderers when he says evil people, he is also talking about liars and cheaters and thieves who may amass worldly goods at the expense of good people. Don't envy their lifestyle for you may be tempted to to follow after them. Don't associate with rebels because they be suddenly hit with disaster. Solomon isn't giving us a new set of "Thou shalt nots," instead he is saying that if you want to be wise... if you want to be righteous... if you want to please the Lord... then don't do stupid things. Don't yearn after worldly things.

Purity

Titus 1-3

In writing to Titus, Paul wants to ensure that Titus is following after righteous teaching. There were some in Crete that were teaching a righteousness based on the law, and Paul wanted to make certain that Titus did not follow after them, and in fact ran away from them. Paul's advice is still needed today. He said...

Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving.

Too many Christians today want to follow after those same mistaken Cretans by putting laws on believers... don't drink, don't gamble, etc. We make a big mistake when we try to legislate the parameters of Christianity. Make no mistake, a person in love with the Lord Almighty and possessing a pure heart would not dream of doing certain things, but not because of a man-made law, but because love leads them in a different direction. On the other hand, those without pure hearts and whose love for good isn't pure, cannot be justified no matter how many laws they follow.

Are You Willing?

1 Chronicles 25-29

David is nearing the end of his life and wants to make sure that when he passes the kingdom over that there won't be the same problems as he previously had with Absalom. He starts off by telling everyone who is anyone in Israel that God has told him that Solomon will succeed him as king. Then he lays out the task that Solomon will need to complete... the Temple of the Lord. David describes the plans that the Spirit has given him, and all of the materials that he has pre-staged for the building. To top it off, David says that he will donate 110 tons of gold and 260 tons of silver from his personal stockpile. He then puts the question to the people of Israel... "Now, who is willing to consecrate himself today to the Lord?" The question is still valid today, "Are you willing to consecrate yourself to the Lord today?"

Their Share

Numbers 17-20

So all of the other tribes of Israel got an inheritance carved out from the Promised Land, but what did the Levites get? What was their share of the inheritance? I used to think it was those few towns that were set aside for the Levites, but that was not really their inheritance.

And the Lord said to Aaron, “You priests will receive no allotment of land or share of property among the people of Israel. I am your share and your allotment. As for the tribe of Levi, your relatives, I will compensate them for their service in the Tabernacle. Instead of an allotment of land, I will give them the tithes from the entire land of Israel.

Having "I AM" be your share of the inheritance has to be way better than a piece of the desert... and yet these same people were the ones who several hundred years later would lead the call for the crucifixion of the Son of God. We might arrogantly assert that we would not have done that, but in a smaller way we do the same thing when we denigrate those we love the most. Familiarity breeds contempt... the Levites became close to God, and in the process held his prophetic word in contempt, and our present day actions indicate we would have done the same. Thankfully, God is full of mercy and loving kindness.

Night Guard

John 16-18

What would it have been like to be on the night guard the night that Jesus was betrayed? As a Levite serving your priestly duties you are suddenly thrust into a situation that you either relish or abhor depending on your thoughts of Jesus. But since the High Priest has given you the task, you go out to the olive grove following Judas. As you approach Jesus, suddenly some calls out "Who are you looking for?" You answer back "Jesus of Nazareth" and he replies "I AM he." Inexplicably you lose your footing and fall to the ground. A force has been let loose at the sound of his voice... a power is there that is not of this world... and now you're having second thoughts... could this really be the Christ... the Messiah... the Son of God? Are you ready to die for him or will you go along with the crowd and arrest him. Caiaphas had said that it was better that one man should die than all of Israel, but now you're not so sure. Or maybe you're so full of your duties, that you can't be bothered to notice the supernatural force and just assign it to the wind. Let's get on with this so I can get back home to be with my family. What would I have done as a night guard? Father forgive me for all my transgressions, for not seeing you and believing in your power.

Faith and Confidence

Psalms 108-110

David sings "My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart!" After all that David has been through his faith is one filled with confidence. It's not a shaky faith that wavers with the circumstances that he finds himself in, but rather a confident faith that holds fast no matter the circumstance. He is ready to wait for the Lord to work in his time... although he often suggests to the Lord what his next action should be, especially when it comes to smiting his enemies. Why was it that the early church fathers had such a confident faith? What would it take for us to have that same kind of faith?

Is there a shepherd for today?

Amos 1-4

Amos was a shepherd from the town of Tekoa when the Lord gave him a prophetic message. The Lord told Amos many of the warnings that he had given to the people of Israel... hunger and famine, drought, blight, mildew, locusts, plagues and the destruction of cities, but still the people would not listen. Chances are, they didn't even regard these as messages from God to turn around.

Where is the shepherd today who will hear the prophetic word of the Lord? When the Lord speaks to the shepherd, will he tell of earthquakes, volcanoes, drought, flood, and global warming? Will he tell the shepherd that we were so foolish about how we handled the signs, by thinking that changing our light bulbs would solve the problem rather than changing our lives and turning to the light of the world. The people of Israel didn't get it, will we?

All God's Children

Proverbs 22

The rich and the poor have this in common... the Lord made them both. A simple reminder that in God's eyes all begin life equal as his creation. While working in a food closet several years ago, a tangible reminder of God's equality was set before me. A young mother came in with her mother and her baby. The grandmother was in her mid 30s, the mother in her teens, and the baby (named Joy) was only 1-2 months old. While the mother was searching for some clothes that might fit, the grandmother and I talked at length about her granddaughter. She was so proud of how the baby was laughing and rolling over... slightly ahead of schedule on developmental milestones. Since our youngest was still a toddler, it struck me that Joy was currently on equal footing with her peers as a healthy child of the Creator, but judging by the choices her mother and grandmother had made, I wondered how long Joy would remain on that same footing. Would she be coming by the food closet in 16 years looking for help for her baby, or would she make different choices that would lead her in a different direction? Out of love for his creation, the Lord has given us the freedom to make our own choices... what will we choose today?

Lukewarm Christians

2 Timothy 3-4

Paul is instructing his acolyte Timothy to follow hard after Christ. He wants to make sure that Timothy doesn't get distracted by the world or follow after some psuedo-god. His words are still apropos today as he instructs Timothy to avoid people "having a form of godliness but denying its power." I think this is perhaps one of the biggest problems in the church today. Too much of the church today is composed of Christians in name only -- Jesus called them lukewarm and said that he would spit them out of his mouth.

How is it that many modern Christians will say they believe that God created the universe and everything in it, that he parted the Red Sea, that he came to earth as a baby in a manger, that he raised Lazarus from the dead, that he himself was raised from the dead, and then he worked for a couple of more years through the apostles and decided that was the end... that no more miracles would be performed... that his power would not be displayed on the earth any more? How? Because they have a form of godliness but totally deny its power. They actually believe in some other god, maybe an ancient god, but not the Lord Almighty, the great I AM.