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.

Folly and Wisdom

1 Chronicles 20-24

David's folly and wisdom are both seen in 1 Chronicles 21. His folly is brought to fruition in the spring of the year when kings are supposed to go to war... the same circumstance that led him to Bathsheba... but this time it led him to call for census of his warriors against God's will. God had made it very clear that Israel's strength was from God's hand, not their numbers. Joab tried to get David to see his folly, but David would not be deterred. God therefore sent the prophet Gad to announce to David that he could pick his own punishment...

1. 3 years of famine
2. 3 months of destruction by the sword of his enemies
3. 3 days of plague brought on by the angel of the Lord

David picked the last one, but not because it was only 3 days long. Instead, David's wisdom was displayed as he chose to be punished at the hand of the merciful Lord rather than merciless enemies. The Lord's sentence was carried out swiftly, but as the Lord saw the destruction that was being wrought on Israel, he called a halt. If we repent and turn back to God, we will always be better off facing God's judgement than man's, but if we have not turned back to the Lord, anything would be better than facing the judgement of the Lord.

Caleb

Numbers 13-16

I never tire of reading about Caleb son of Jephunneh. Having explored the land of milk and honey, he found the land good, the inhabitants big, but God bigger. Along with Joshua, he declared that the giant descendants of Anak were helpless prey to the Israelites and their God. He didn't, but he could've said "the bigger they are, the harder they fall." Caleb was righteous and strong as the leader of the clan of Judah when he was 40, and 40 years later, after the rest of his generation has passed on, Caleb was just as tough at 80. He was ready to take on the giants because he knew even more then that his God was bigger than anything that grew in the hills of Hebron. We need more Calebs today. We need more men of God who have confidence that their God is bigger than any problem that faces them.

A Gift from Jesus

John 13-15

The first gift I think of when I think of Jesus is the gift of salvation, forgiveness, grace, etc. But on the night he was betrayed he told his disciples that he had a gift for them that was none of these. He told them...

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

Jesus was the Prince of Peace and offered us true peace, but that peace is not the same thing that the world refers to as peace. Too often when the world talks of peace, they mean the absence of war, regardless of the cost. But Jesus wasn't talking about this kind of peace at all. The world is able to give us a worldly peace between men, but Jesus said that his peace was something different... something better. His peace must be a spiritual peace between us and God that would truly give us peace of mind and heart, not a material peace between us and our fellow man that is too fragile for lasting peace. His gift of peace is beyond our understanding, but we can know it when we have it... a wonderful gift.

Continuously Seek HIm

Psalms 105-107

We are not called to remember the Lord once a year during passover. We are not called to remember the Lord once a day during our morning or evening devotions. It is the Lord's desire that we continuously seek him, for he is our Lord. He stands by his covenant always... a commitment he made to a thousand generations. History is full of the promises that he kept, the slights he overlooked, the mercy he granted, the blessings he rained down upon us... surely we can seek him continuously.

True Repentance

Joel

Burlap, ashes, and torn clothing were mark of the repentant sinner, but Joel tells us that God desires something different... saying don't tear your clothes in grief, but tear your hearts instead. God has never and will never need our sacrifices, but he desires that we turn over our very being to his will... rending our hearts so that our will is purged and his will becomes supreme. And if we turn to him... he will be sure to forgive for his is slow to anger and quick to forgive... abounding in mercy. Praise God!

Unto the Lord

Proverbs 20-21

It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider his vows.

That which is dedicated to the Lord cannot be taken back. Like Samson, you can break your vows, but the cost is high. According to Old Testament sacrifice laws, the one who made a foolish vow would be required to admit their guilt and make a sin offering. How many times does the average Christian make a promise to the Lord or try to make a deal with the Lord without considering the cost? Perhaps we need to revisit Solomon's advice more often.

Perfect Words

2 Timothy 1-2

In his sermon tonight, our pastor Craig Carter preached on The Wisdom of God. Among other things, he said that God reveals his wisdom through his word and we respond to God's wisdom by wise living grounded in scripture. To bring his point home he used the example that all of us have opened up the Bible and had that scripture speak to our immediate need. So that's the context in which I turned to 2 Timothy 1-2 tonight as part of my normal reading schedule. Four verses into the reading I read this...

I long to see you again, for I remember your tears as we parted. And I will be filled with joy when we are together again.

Today is the 244th day of 2010. If I had read this passage on any of those other 243 days, it would have meant very little to me... I probably would have slid right past it without a second glance. But today is not just any other day. Today is the day my first-born child Lauren left for a year long mission trip to Chicago with Mission Year. Today, I long to see her again, for I remember her tears as we parted (and mine later). And I will be filled with joy when we are together again (on December 17th). The remainder of the passage has Paul giving advice to his "son" Timothy... good advice for Lauren too (except I'm not in prison).

God's wisdom is perfect, and he has perfect words for each of us.