Who Christ Is - His Revelation

I finished the book of Revelation today, actually completing the New Testament in 90 days, chronologically. It is interesting to me how the end of Revelation is future, but has already happened, that is, it is already certain what the future holds. It kind of puts Matthew 6 in good perspective, storing up treasures in Heaven, and not worrying so much about what tomorrow brings, but keeping my focus on what needs to get done for God…today.

“Kings of Kings, and Lord of Lords” – we are so familiar with that expression, and we know that Christ is prominent in Revelation 19 as He triumphantly returns. Let me expand on this terminology, though, as it appears in the text, because I tend to gloss over it. I find great encouragement when I learn more details about how something is written, and what we can take from that. He is indeed this King, this Lord, and when He returns, all will know it

Take note of WHERE “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” is written. On His robe and on His thigh – more directly, the part of the robe that covers the thigh. For a rider on a horse, something written here would be in plain sight for all to see, easily read, not to be missed. When Christ returns, He will make it very clear, undeniable, in fact, who He is.

For Christians everywhere, He has already made that declaration, we know who He is. Yet I know I personally don’t fully grasp just all of what that means. But this I do know, we can read Revelation and try to be in awe of Him, that’s fine. We can also do our best to show the world who Christ is. That means talking to them about Him, demonstrating His Spirit at work in our lives, and defending His name to those around us who do not yet realize who Christ is.

Now, just as in the end times, Christ demands our worship. He demands to be known for who He really is: The Creator (Rev. 4:11), the Redeemer (Rev. 5:9), and the Conquering King.

What's your reason?

This past week I came close to making a potentially bad purchase, related to an ad I came across on an online classified ad site. Long story short, it was a “too good to be true” deal, though it seemed legitimate. In fact, the items for sale may indeed be very real and accurately depicted, though very likely stolen or ill-gotten, at best. I was a bit disappointed, because I thought I had found a great deal on something I had been patiently waiting for, only to find out I was chasing the wind

My 90-day Bible reading brought me this week to 1 Peter, which, in the past was a “go-to” source of mine for a reminder of the eternal security of salvation. After all, Peter uses the direct words for “born again”, followed by imperishable, incorruptible. But I was particularly drawn this time to a word I saw repeated four times in the first chapter, six times over all in the book of 1 Peter.

HOPE

Yes, we have eternal security, and yet we still live here and now, dealing with life’s ups and downs, and we are to be keeping in mind that big picture referred to as hope. Naturally, to hope in someone or something would necessitate that the object of that hope would be reliable, trustworthy, unshakable. That, my friends, is Christ. I can’t list the words that describe Him here, because none of them come close to matching the true glory that is His.

At Christmas time, we celebrate a very long story (eternal!) made to seem short as we see it through our very limited concept of time. God wrapped Christ in human flesh to save us, forever, so that we might place our hope in Him, not in the things of this world, but in Him! We place our hope in Christ, in SPITE of this world, in fact.

Jump ahead to 2 Peter 3:13, where Peter writes, “But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.”

God made a promise.
He backed it up with His Son.
He gave us the down payment of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 1:22), so that we might live according to that hope, and be ready to give a reason for that hope (1 Pet. 3:15).
And He’ll come again to gather us to Him. (2 Tess. 2:1)

Here’s to Hope!

What an Example

In reading through 1 Corinthians this week, I came upon a great description of an active Christian, as depicted by Paul and the apostles. Keep in mind, he also considered himself chief of sinners, so I am not trying to put him or them on a pedestal. Read on, I think you will see parallels in play even in our time. The text is from 1 Corinthians 4:9-13. I won’t list the passage hear, for the sake of space.

Take in mind this scene, though, as you read. Paul says he feels like the apostles are on display “last of all”, and the imagery he presents is that of a Roman general’s procession after a victory over some territory or foe. The soldiers who were captured alive were at the rear of the parade, on display for mockery and abuse. Now Paul is not saying that God intended for him to be abused, but he understand that the world saw him and Christ’s followers as such fools. This is the picture in play in this passage.

Keep in mind, throughout this letter, Paul is confronting what the Corinthians are doing poorly; he is confronting them Biblically, and he’s probably not making friends along the way. I find this book so very valuable in dealing with real life, real church, the real Christian walk, because we can get mired in the “what’s wrong” and forget to look for the Biblical answers and proper responses, both around us an in ourselves. The Christian reaction to problems is a key teaching point in this book.

Paul says the apostles are hungry, thirsty, poorly clothed, roughly treated. They work very hard, and when they are reviled (despised, hated), they bless in return. When they are persecuted, they simply endure. When they are slandered, they conciliate (make peace, or resolve differences). The NASB says they have become the scum of the world.

If this was all we had of Paul’s writings, we’d probably not rush out to be active Christians, but we know from his other writings that for him to live is Christ (Phil. 1:21), and all that he endures and deals with is so very worth it for the cause of Christ. The apostles found great joy in their Christian lives, in spite of the headaches. So too should we.

Holding fast to the name of our Creator.

Jesus' Message Requires Choice - 90 Days in the NT

I have been reading through the New Testament chronologically, jumping around to put events in the order in which they happened, and doing that over a 90-day period (Oct. to Dec.). I’ll post here from time to time some reflections of my reading.

I’m in the middle of the Gospels now, and was re-reading a few sections on the heels of an amazing evangelistic Sunday yesterday, seeing a number of individuals accept Christ after having God tug at their hearts through His Word.

I camped a bit at the end of Matthew 7, specifically verses 24-27. The wise man and the foolish man both build houses, on rock and sand, respectively. I have enjoyed this passage in the course of doing counseling studies, and in this text, this familiar story, we perhaps pass over the main point of Jesus teaching, in my opinion. Read on, you’ll see what I mean.

Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7 are what we know as the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus is teaching, and He covers a vast amount of topics, including: the characteristics of believers, those who will be in the Kingdom; salt and light; His coming to fulfill the Law (declaring salvation through Him); prayer; true wealth (treasures in Heaven); righteous/proper judging; the narrow and wide gate; and this is just to name a few.

Here is what I have missed before when wrapping up Jesus’ sermon. He has spent a good amount of time teaching and preaching, explaining to the crowd all about Him. And then he closes by talking about two foundations, rock and sand. OK, that I get, but look closer, and see what these two builders have in common. They both HEAR the teaching of the Word, and then make a choice. Both have the same information to work with, and then must willingly follow a course of action.

Those who hear and “act on them”, that is, they obey, are like the man building on rock. They have chosen the proper foundation.

Those who hear and “do not act on them”, that is, do not obey the Word, are like the man building on sand. They have chosen the wrong foundation.

My point is simple, we all have a choice to make. Yes, it is wise to build on the solid rock, the foundation that is Christ. My intent is not to diminish that aspect. Rather, I wish to raise awareness to the fact that when we tell people the good news of Christ, they have to make a choice. When we as believers are faced with trials, we must take responsibility and make a choice.

Unbelievers may choose not to follow Christ. That is hard for us to accept, and it is a real possibility. Believers may choose to not yield to the Spirit, also a real possibility.

We have the Word, we have the Spirit, and He may not verbally tell us every single action to take, and yet He tells us to be wise, and then deal with the consequences of our choices, good or bad, either way knowing that He is God and still in control. A solid foundation of Christ is the result of hearing His Word, and wisely choosing to hear and act upon it.

Following Christ is no accident; it is a conscious decision to do what is good and right, based on the truth of His Word.

Who's in Charge?

Just kind of rambling today, I’ll explain my thoughts here and there. I read a few psalms this morning, but then got to work and the happenings over the weekend drew me to Psalm 100.

“Know ye that the Lord, He is God. It is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves. We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.” (Psalm 100:3)

The reminder to me today was clear. God is in control. Only He can answer the questions that we cannot.

I rehearsed last night with a friend how my recent attempts to discuss personal salvation with a Jehovah’s Witness acquaintance had seemed rather fruitless. His inability to answer questions on assurance of his eternal situation left me disappointed. He actually would not even make the attempt, and I have been praying for him to take a good hard look at Scripture and what it says about eternal security based on the truth of the Gospel. I so badly wanted him to “get it”, and I was left simply leaving it to god to work on His heart.

That’s actually the best place to leave it.

An EMT acquaintance of mine in NJ lost his life today after a rescue accident in flood waters over the weekend. Though I barely knew him, I know a few of his co-workers very well. This stuff happens every day, accidents claim lives, it’s become part of the routine ho-hum nature of the news. Honestly, it left me wondering how we got to be so numb to hearing bad news. I don’t know if this man was a believer; our brief work conversations from a while back never got to that point.

Why have we as a society lost the urgency of concern over the loss of life? Why have we as Christians not been more diligent with our spiritual walk, so that anyone “touching” us at some point would see or hear the Gospel? I know I can say a lot and do little, but yet today I felt compelled to really tell God that I am trying really hard to understand just how great and awesome and holy He really is. I felt compelled to start anew in my efforts to live the life the believer should, to share the great news of Christ more than I ever have before. And I pray that I am not just saying that, and that He will help me do it.

God is not surprised at the actions of the Jehovah’s Witness response to me. Nor was he surprised at what I saw as an untimely death of a young man. When Jesus was faced with questions such as “why this”, or “why that”, He reminded those who would hear that the time to repent was NOW. If we truly see God for who He is, and understand His control over His creation, we just might find life a bit more urgent to be lived…FOR HIM.

“For the Lord is good. His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endureth to all generations.” (Psalm 100:5)

Thank You, Lord, for being so awesome that we cannot even describe You. Thank You, Lord, for Your Spirit, to give us the ability to know You and to be convicted to live for You, and to share You with those around us. Help us do that today. Amen.

Unity - Oil and Dew

Psalm 133
Another short psalm, so here it is in its entirety, but without line breaks, making it easier to pick up context, at least for me:

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!
It is like the precious oil upon the head, coming down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard, coming down upon the edge of his robes.
It is like the dew of Hermon coming down upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the LORD commanded the blessing—life forever.

A couple phrases need some exploring to really grasp the picture being painted here. Obviously, the context is about brothers being in unity, which is said to be good and pleasant. Hard to disagree. But again, if we leave it there, we miss the richness of the further explanation. How does this compare with oil upon the head of Aaron, or some dew of Hermon? How do these help explain the goodness of unity?

First, for the oil, refer to Exodus 20:22-33. The oil to be used in anointing the high priest, Aaron being the first, was to contain four different spices. A singular spice was not prescribed, but rather four different and distinct spices, which, when blended together in the oil made a wonderful fragrance. Kind of like adding multiple ingredients to a cookie recipe, none of which taste good by itself, but when added together make for delicious eating. What a great picture of unity. The psalmist, David, is very familiar with this oil, and he uses its imagery to describe the unity that should exist between brothers (God-fearers), no matter how different they are as individuals.

Remember, this is another song of ascents, so it would have directly applied to those heading for Jerusalem to worship, very likely including a diverse group of people, unique in personalities and the like.

Hermon was and is the highest point in Palestine (Israel today), high enough to have a snowy cap at its top. In dry times in the land, the dew descended from this snow, refreshing those who experienced the moist relief. We take water for granted today, and really, when do we really thank the Lord for the dew? These worshipers did, and they relished in the refreshment it brought them.

That same refreshment is to be felt among those with God in common. For us, we can easily apply that to our relationship with other believers. We differ doctrinally, personally, professionally, geographically, name the difference, we have it here. Yet believers are to dwell together in unity, with Christ as the common factor.

Going a step further than the unity is the primary importance of our relationship with the Lord. For one to experience the fragrance of the oil, or the dew from Hermon, he or she needed to be close to the source. God refreshment, His wonder and His very presence are only felt by those who are near Him, who are close to Him.

When we are close to Him, we get a feeling for the unity that He says is good and pleasant.

A Quiet Soul

Psalm 131.
Only three verses, here they are in the NASB:
“ O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty;
Nor do I involve myself in great matters,
Or in things too difficult for me.
Surely I have composed and quieted my soul;
Like a weaned child rests against his mother,
My soul is like a weaned child within me.
O Israel, hope in the LORD
From this time forth and forever.”


This is another song of ascents, typically a psalm to be repeated, perhaps spoken together as travelers would make their way “up” to Jerusalem, thus the term ascents. People literally ascended to Jerusalem, and they were on their way to worship. So they reminded themselves of preparatory elements like who God is, or how they as followers desired to be in relation to God.

Is this psalm, themes so relevant to us are present. A prideful heart, haughty eyes, trying to be “important”…all were struggles for the worshiper then, as now. But the psalmist camps on this idea of a quiet soul, and uses the imagery of a “weaned child” resting against his mother. We could stop and say that we see we need a quiet soul and be done. But when we can explore these metaphors, the psalms become even richer to read and dwell on.

As we understand this, a weaned child is one who is now old enough to take nourishment by other means than by nursing from his mother. Let’s back up for a moment. Prior to being weaned, a child instinctively (God-given) knows to get nourishment from his mother. Indeed, in those days, his very life may have depended on being able to do so. That it was instinctive implies that it was not a conscious decision or choice. Now that he is weaned, he literally no longer needs his mother for nourishment.

So why rest against her, if their nourishing bond is now broken? Because the child has learned, and understands that he trusts this woman, and finds great comfort in simply resting there. That’s why.

When we calm and quiet our soul, and truly put our trust in the Lord, we should do so consciously, on purpose, because we know that He alone is worthy of our trust and praise. I’ll speak for me here. I yearn for a heart that is empty of pride, for eyes that are not haughty, and to sincerely rest against our Lord.

My flesh battles against my spirit, and so the leaning on Him is not instinctive like the un-weaned child. Rather, I am presented with a place to rest, and whether or not I rest there is up to me. My spirit knows there is no better place! May we all hope in the Lord as we should.

The Watchmen Wait

“My soul waits for the Lord
More than the watchmen for the morning;
Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning.” Psalm 130:6

If you have ever been in a basement while a tornado raged outside above ground (which I have), you know the feeling when the “all clear” sirens sound and it is safe to re-surface. There is never a timetable that is certain, but you wait and hope for relief.

In Psalm 130, the psalmist is discussing his sin, his iniquity, and how he longs for forgiveness from God. He adamantly seeks to be right with the Lord. And he does so with the eagerness of watchmen waiting for the morning, even repeating the phrase. Nighttime was a dangerous time in the Ancient Near East. If there was a surprise attack, it would not be in broad daylight. So watchmen were posted to keep an eye out for the city’s safety. I can imagine that no watchman seriously wanted to see action during his watch, but the only real feeling of safety came when dawn arrived. What great imagery!

But the watchman had no other surety or security during the night. Hope as he might, only daylight would confirm that the city was indeed secure.

We, too, know that if God kept track of our sin and held against them against us without assuring us of His forgiveness, we would forever feel the angst of that watchman, with no relief. But God is so very faithful, as in 1 John1: 9-10, to forgive us of ALL our sins, that we can have that dawn-appearing feeling of security anytime.

We do cry to God from our own depths, just as this psalmist. We do plead with Him to hear us, to answer us, to forgive us, at least I hope we do.

Next time you see a sunrise, think of this psalm, think of the watchman’s relief, and then praise our Savior for the blessed hope He has guaranteed to every believer.

15 Years

The story of Hezekiah, I have often joked about, is my “back pocket sermon” in case of emergency. That is, should anyone approach me at the very last minute and ask me to give a devotional or a brief challenge, I reply with “I always have Hezekiah.” Though I have never really formally scripted this devotional, it is indeed a Bible account that comes to mind readily when I am scheduled to teach, though I have never used him specifically.

While continuing on in 2 Kings, Hezekiah is front and center in chapters 18 and 20, and is proceeded in death in chapter 21. Since the books of 1/2 Kings are more from Israel’s perspective, there are more details about him and his reign in the books of 1/2 Chronicles, more focused on Judah. But how would you and I answer this question. What would you do with a “free” 15 years of life?

Hezekiah sought to serve God as king in the right way. He got rid of high places of idol worship, which already elevated him to a stature above Israel’s (and some of Judah’s) kings. 2 Kings 18:6 says it best: “For he clung to the LORD; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD had commanded Moses.”

He saw Samaria, Israel’s capital, get besieged and taken away by Assyria. When Assyria turned its sights on Jerusalem, Judah’s capital, Hezekiah, though the spiritual support of Isaiah prayed for God’s intervention and saw 185,000 Assyrian troops (all of them) destroyed overnight by God’s own hand. God was indeed with him. But some chinks in his armor started to show a bit prior to this. Before praying to God, he sought to buy off Assyria with gold and silver, and only later did he realize he’d been deceived. But he did turn to God for help, and was answered favorably.

Fast forward now to Hezekiah’s illness and looming death in chapter 20. Realizing he is out of options, he petitions God for his health. God shows him a miraculous sign as verification of his healing (the shadow moves backward 10 steps), and he is told through Isaiah that he will have 15 years added to his life. God gave His word, and could now see how this kind act would be received.

Hezekiah is relieved when his illness is gone. Around that same time, though, the king of Babylon heard Hezekiah was sick, and he sent a representative to Jerusalem with well-wishes. Hezekiah pridefully shows this representative all the storehouses filled with treasure. God delivers the message that eventually Babylon will carry all the treasure away, and Judah with it. What he says next to Isaiah and what he thinks to himself are not compatible, and the disconnect speaks volumes. He tells Isaiah that what God’s said through the prophet is good. And all the while, he is thinking of his hope that the rest of his own days will be peaceful. Once healed, he seems to forget what God had really done for him, and turned his concern toward his own well-being for the remainder of his newly-found 15 years. He is no longer as concerned with leading God’s people.

Three years into his new lease on life, Hezekiah fathers Manasseh, and when Manasseh is 12, Hezekiah dies. One would think that a 12-year-old following his father would walk likewise, but as we see often in the Old Testament, such is not always the case. We don’t have recorded conversations between this father and his son. We don’t know what they talked about, or how involved Hezekiah was in his son’s life. We do, however, see Manasseh become the worst, most godless king Judah had, as he sought to undo all his father had done in ridding the nation of idol worship. 55 years Manasseh ruled, and God could only get his attention by having the king of Babylon remove him as if he were cattle.

SO WHAT???

So, as I said, we are not privy to the 12 years spent between Hezekiah and Manasseh. We like to think we’d do much better if God gave us a specific timeline to live. Truth is, we may or may not have 15 more years ourselves. I like to think that my children pay attention to what I do, and how I show them my view of God.

Oh wait, I do. Each and every day, I show them how I feel about God. So what do they see? What have they learned by watching me? Sure, they need to make their own decisions, yet they learn each and every day different aspects to use in making those decisions.

15 years, how much would I do for God if I knew that’s what I had left? Would it change my life today?

Our Own Idolatry - 2 Kings 17

I’ve been reading through 1 and 2 Kings devotionally lately, and I’ll be honest, who is ruling when and with whom, and who takes over after whom is tough for me to follow and track without a nice chart. Thankfully, charts are easy to come by, and for the most part I trust the conservative scholars who have put those together.

In the middle of all the leadership progressions are fascinating accounts of events that occurred to and around these Kings. 1 and 2 Kings primarily deals with the events from the prospective of the Northern Kingdom, or Israel, and a good, honorable king was a rarity. What is inescapable is God’s view of the sin that occurs during the reign of these leaders. And when I came to chapter 17 of 2 Kings, I really had to pause to consider what God thinks of the sin of believers today, of my sin, because the passages read like they could apply today. And in a very real way, they do. I am looking specifically at verses 7 to 19.

Since God never changes, He thinks no different of sin today than He did back then. Granted, I will stop short of comparing our country to Israel, because Israel was to be run as a theocracy, directly under God’s leadership. Today, we as individual believers still serve God directly, yet our country is not corporately called to do so, yet the principles are still rock-solid.

Verse 7 of this chapter begins to describe why Israel fell. Simply put, they sinned against the LORD by fearing (reverently serving) other gods. Having anything placed in priority above God was never acceptable. 1 John 5:21 even tells us “…guard yourselves from idols”. We certainly have a direct parallel to put into practice today. Really, what else does God need to tell us about His expectations. Sin is ultimately putting something, anything, before Him, and is thus idolatry.

Verse 8 then describes the extent of their idolatry. God had judged nations because of their wickedness and abject immorality, and here we read that Israel followed their customs, not God’s commands. The leaders introduced the pagan ways to a nation of God-fearers, and as a result, God decided to separate Himself from His own people. Verse 9 shows how the people thought their wickedness was being done in secret.

So Israel served idols, false Gods, in spite of God saying quite clearly “You shall do no such thing” (verse 12). Yet God never left His people guessing. He warned them repeatedly, which is rehearsed in verse 13. He gave them the Law, He sent prophets, fathers needed to raise their families in God’s way. He made His expectations very clear.

“However, they did not listen” (verse 14). They rejected…they forsook…they stiffened their necks…followed vanity…made for themselves…and even made their own children practice the pagan rituals of verse 17 (passing through fire - child sacrifice, witchcraft, divination, prostitution, etc.). “So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from His sight.”

Judah (the southern kingdom) was witness to all this. They had their own kings and leaders. So many of the minor prophets speak of Judah taking notice of Israel and what God was doing. Verse 19 speaks volumes, then, when you keep all that in perspective. “Judah…walked in the customs which Israel had introduced.” About 136 years later, Judah would go the way of Israel by way of judgment from God.

So what do we take from all this? I’ve already mentioned our own warning against idolatry. We, just like Israel and Judah have been warned directly by God. How closely do we associate with the pagan rituals surrounding us today? There may not be molten images of idols in our homes or in our society, but we have plenty to distract us from full-time attention to God. God promises that to follow Him will only result in eternal blessings, and yet we allow ourselves to regularly forget that.

God wanted a close relationship with His people in the books of the Kings. He wants the same thing now in the New Testament era. We are to pray to Him, hear from Him in His word, make decisions that demonstrate that He is central to our lives, be a shining light for the culture around us, that culture, while not being invaded by it. Israel and Judah both allowed their surrounding culture to dictate their spiritual walk. Quite the opposite was needed then. Quite the opposite is needed now from each of us. We as individual Christians can fall just as hard and devastatingly as Israel.

God loves us enough to warn us. He loves us enough to punish us. And He loves us enough to help us, if only we’d ask and yield to Him.

Death is the Enemy

A third contradiction is the major reality of death. If a Christian believes that the fossil record demonstrates millions of years, then he/she must also accept that the eons of death occurred before the Fall (because we can trace back the years to Adam and Eve, and arrive at just over 6000 years). To accept this death before the Fall is to then deny Romans 8:22, and Romans 5:12, and other key passages. Creation groans because of the Fall. Death entered the world because of Adam’s sin. The first recorded death would have been that of the animal used to make clothing for Adam and Eve after they sinned, in Genesis 3:21.

Death is the enemy of man (1 Cor. 15:26). Scripture makes it clear that man can be born once and die twice, or be born twice and die once. Christ died on the cross and rose again in order to defeat that second death. When a person believes and accepts Christ’s atoning payment, he/she experiences the second birth (born again), and thus is free from the second death.

So millions of years is not a salvation issue, per se, but it IS an issue of Biblical authority. The Gospel rests on the authority of Scripture, ultimately on God’s authority. Properly, Biblically, understanding death is then crucial to understanding the good news of the Gospel, and thus understanding its “timeline” helps one properly understand our true need for a Savior.

Look at the major biblical doctrines covered in Genesis 1-11, there for the simple reading and understanding:

God created everything - Gen. 1:1
God created man in His own image - Gen. 1:26-27
One man-one woman marriage - Gen. 2:24
Sin enters the world, by the first man - Gen. 3:1-24
God, from the beginning, promised a Messiah - Gen. 3:15
Death and suffering is the result of sin - Gen. 3:16-19
God sets society’s standards of right/wrong - Gen. 6:5-6
Our ultimate purpose is to walk with Him - Gen. 6:9-10
There is only one race, one human race - Gen. 11:1-9

Holding fast to the name of our Creator

Reference: www.answersingenesis.org

Contradictions in an "Old Earth"

Thorns, Disease, Diet: Contradictions between the Bible and Secular Thinking

We start with the authority of Scripture, and then filter what we experience through that reality. That is, we can’t pick and choose when we think the Bible is accurate, and when it is missing some scientific or historical point. A few contradictions are noted here, and when I say ‘contradictions’, for the purpose of this entry, I am referring to a Christian’s belief in millions of years not squaring with the Scripture’s teaching.

Genesis 3:17-18 shows us that thorns and thistles showed up AFTER the Fall and resultant curse. So we have a choice, we can believe this, or we can look to “science” to give us a better answer, which it will not. Christians really need to settle on God’s Word, and trust its truth. But look at some evidence we have at hand. Scientists have found in rock layers, believed to be millions of year old, thorns. Thus, they reach the conclusion that they, too, are millions of years old, and Christians are tempted to believe them, coming to the conclusion that thorns must have existed before man. If we stay true to Scripture, and realize thorns came after the Fall/Curse, we can also understand very easily that those rock layers are not millions of years old, laid down slowly over time, but the result of some catastrophic event, perhaps some sort of global Flood?

Something else scientists have discovered is fossil remains showing evidence of diseases (cancer, tumors, etc.). Again, since we are told that these fossils are millions of years old, then even the Christian who believes in Adam and Eve are led to believe that disease was here before the creation of man. Read Genesis 1:31. God said “very good” when Creation was done. Disease does not fit that perfect nature of God, and would not have been existent at that time. As we read these passages, and then compare them with what we hear from the secular realm, we really should be sharpening ourselves to and by the Word of God, trusting Him at His word, and realizing there are simpler, Biblical explanations for what we find in the fossils.

Genesis 1:29-30 explain the original diet, how man and beast alike were vegetarian prior to sin entering the world. What we find in the fossils is lots of evidence of animals eating each other, and again, we are led to believe that this occurred millions of years ago. Since we know the Bible is true, and we know that the original creatures were not meat-eaters, we then should, as consistent Christians, come to the conclusion that the fossil record is not millions of years old, after all, but more like 4000 years old, dating back to some catastrophic event, like a global Flood.

We need to change our way of thinking, Christians. When we filter what we actually see and experience today through the Scriptures, holding to their authority and accuracy, then we should find that God is no author of confusion, but rather of order. Sin disrupted the order established at Creation, and we now need to rely on our Savior to once again bring order. We certainly should look forward to that new Creation, written of at the end of His Word.

Holding fast to the name of our Creator

Reference: www.answersingenesis.org

Young or Old Earth

Consequences of Belief in and Old Earth:
Authority of Scripture

Do I need to believe in a young earth to be saved? How old is the earth, anyway, and really, for the sake of Christian unity, why on earth (pun intended) does it matter? Who cares if it is 6000 years or 4.6 billion years? I mean, we are all about the Gospel, the Old Testament looks ahead to Christ, we look back to Christ, being New Testament believers. So as long as we truly trust in Christ and His work on the cross, why make a big deal on how old the earth is?

Well, first, take a look at three bible verses:
1 Corinthians 15:17, John 3:3 (and 3:7), Romans 10:9-13. Clearly, none of these speaks to a young or old earth belief. And there are many other verses that are similar. So the short answer to the first question is “No,” one does not need to believe in a young earth to be saved.

Over time, many different theories of creation have developed, such as the gap theory, the day-age theory, theistic evolution, and so on. Newer ones include framework hypothesis (where Genesis is viewed entirely as poetry and allegorical) and progressive creation (big bang, creation “days” of long eras, local Flood, and creation of new species as extinction occurred). And these are NOT beliefs held by non-believers, but by believers, and the latter two are the most popular today in our seminaries and bible colleges.

However, believing in the age of the earth to span millions and billions of years has very severe consequences.

At the top of that list of consequences is the authority of Scripture. It was man who came up with millions of years, and so they attempted to fit those long time periods into the Bible somewhere, and the beginning of Genesis was very convenient. In essence, they took the authority of man’s teaching and place it above the authority of God’s Word. The vast number of Bible scholars, using sound interpretive methods (good hermeneutics), realize that the Hebrew text does not allow for the days of creation being anything but literal 24-hour days. But since “science” has purported to show otherwise, these same scholars are left to reinterpret the words, or to add a human concept to the meaning.

In doing so, they have undermined God’s authority, and thus opened the door to compromise. The danger is that subsequent generations will take that door and push it open further. In our country today, there has been a major loss of Biblical authority, because the church has not stood its ground.

Already, Christians debate whether or not Adam and Eve were real, historical people, or if they were simply an allegorical example of God working in humans once they evolved as such. This is a direct outcome from compromising on God’s literal account as written.

The time to take a stand is now. A young earth is an essential, foundational Bible truth. Simply believing what God said has never really been a cause for popularity. But as I take today and the next couple days to discuss why this earth age topic is serious, I pray that you will find renewed strength to continue the battle we face in this world, defending our Savior, as we point others to Him in our daily lives.

Holding fast to the name of our Creator

Reference: http://www.answersingenesis.org

God is...not like me

When we speak of foundations, we can never forget that we start with a sound working knowledge of just who God is. Not who we THINK He is, but really who He is. In reading through some Psalms last night, I was in Psalm 50. And in God’s perfect timing, which by now should really not surprise me, I picked up a recommended book today dealing with knowing who God is (“Knowledge of the Holy”), and the opening chapter deals with idolatry, and took me to that same Psalm. Here is the verse that the author mentioned, and God is speaking to His people:

“These things you have done and I kept silence;
You thought that I was just like you;
I will reprove you and state the case in order before your eyes…” Psalm 50:21

Our basic problem when it comes to our flesh, and our human way of thinking, is we tend to think that God is just like us, or that we think like He does. God says, “You thought that I was just like you”, and when we do just that, He faithfully says “Let me show you a thing or two. I’m God, you are not, now pay attention.” OK, so that is my paraphrase, and I praise God that He continues to be willing to show Himself to me, to show me where I am not like Him, to remind me where I fall short, and always so that I can be given the opportunity to grow, to learn more about Him, and to worship Him at a deeper level than I did the day before.

I’ve dealt briefly here with Creation, the Fall, the Flood, and Babel. And once we have these first 11 chapters of Genesis established as God’s accurate account of history, the rest of Scripture rests so firmly on the foundation He laid, as He describes Himself to us, who He is, and what He has done for us through Christ. My goal is never to “prove” these accounts, or to win converts just to belief in these accounts, but to win souls for Christ. And winning souls means dealing with sinful people, self included. And pride needs to be knocked down quite a bit, so as to let God work through me. All the knowledge in the world is wonderful, but only if I allow it to make myself more useful to Him and His purposes, His way of thinking.

When we take time to consider who God really is, we should be amazed; He should leave us in awe! There simply are not words to describe how we should feel and react. “Worship” sums it up Biblically, and even that word leaves us with questions. That’s OK, the main point He tells us is that He must be the object of that worship, and Him alone. When we seek to know God, when we listen to Him in our lives, we have all the foundation we need this side of glory.

Take time today to talk to Him, to listen to Him. We can so easily let what goes on around us take our hearts and minds away from Him; quite the opposite, we need our hearts and minds on Him to keep the world around us in proper perspective.

“Cease striving (be still) and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10


Holding fast to the name of our Creator.

Confusion over Babel

Questions to ponder…

Did the people ever finish the Tower of Babel at Shinar?
Was Noah still alive during the Babel incident?
How important was Peleg?

Another key foundational truth is the account of Genesis 11, specifically the Tower of Babel. Following the Flood, the command given was to be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. Children were born and generations developed, and yet the people, all of a common language, settled in Shinar, and remained localized. As the people grew in number, so did their impression of themselves, and they looked to make a name for themselves, pridefully opposing God. The account is short, and rather straightforward. God confuses their language and forces them to scatter, by language groups.

This is an important event, because it provides for a Biblical defense and explanation of why we have many languages today, and even why we have different and diverse “people groups” (think of the modern concept of races). The languages aspect is clearer and quicker to reconcile.

But why the people groups? As people were separated and isolated somewhat by language, so too would their genetic information eventually become similarly isolated. Take melanin, for example, the pigment in skin cells that regulate our color, or more specifically, our shade. Those with higher levels of melanin have darker skin, and are actually more protected against sun cancer. OK, so there were not oncologists at Babel, but the scattered groups would have likely consisted of various-shaded people, and those who migrated closer to the equator (much more direct and intense sunlight) with fair skin might simply have died younger, reproducing fewer offspring. No genetic information was changed, but those genetically-disposed to darker skin would have more offspring and as the gene pool effectively diminished, you would be left with a population of people in the equatorial region with predominantly darker skin.

And so it goes that each people group resulted from an isolation of genetic material, resulting in common characteristics of those people. All human, actually all of one “race”, all in the image of God, and yet diverse in superficial characteristics. Having a clear Biblical worldview would naturally lend a person to NOT be racist, but rather see the creativity of our Creator in the complexity of the possibilities of human characteristics.

Genesis 1-11 must be held to a literal reading and understanding, as these chapters provide the foundations for the Christian faith today. Creation is vital to our understanding of Christ, the creator, according to Colossians, the diversity of life forms that we see, which is not a result of some evolutionary process over billions/millions of years. The literal Adam and Eve and the resulting Fall are key components to our salvation. The Flood so easily and readily explains what we see today in geology and paleontology, as well as the preservation of those life forms on board the ark. Genealogies support a young earth, and observational science does the same.
Too many today forsake these sections of Scripture, rendering them less meaningful than the Gospel, and yet they are an integral part of that very Gospel message. If we allow Christians to chip away at the very authority of God’s Word in these areas, what’s next?

ANSWERS:
1) Yes, the tower was finished (Gen. 11:5, “The LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.”) It was done. The city, however, was not, until after the dispersion, and Nimrod took charge. Chapter 10, which in not in chronological order with chapter 11, says of Nimrod, “The beginning of his kingdom was Babel and Erech and Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.” (v. 10)
2) Yes, Noah was alive at the time of the Babel incident. He lived to be 950, 350 of those years after the Flood, and he was the great-great-great-great grandfather of Peleg. Noah would have been about 940 when Peleg died (at only 240). Peleg would have been born about 100 years after the Flood.
3) Peleg is noted in the genealogy in chapter 10 with this description: “in his days, the earth was divided”, a reference to the language division of Babel. Genealogies might seem boring to read, and God had them written down for a reason.


Holding fast to the name of our Creator, for His glory.

371 Days

Once we accept the historical, literal Adam and Eve, and thus the literal Fall, we then understand (or we should) understand our need for a Savior. We should be preachers of righteousness, as Peter described Noah (2 Peter 2:5), warning those around us of the coming judgment on this world by our holy and just God. But back to Noah, another foundation belief is that of a global flood described in Genesis 6 – 8. “Science” today starts with the presupposition that the earth is billions of years old (4.3B, I have read recently). But even a cursory look at flood geology overwhelmingly supports the Biblical depiction of events.

Yet I will not bore you with geology and tectonic plate theories here. I will, however, bore you with a good chronology of the Flood account I came across recently in a book by Dr. Terry Mortenson and Dr. Thane Ury, Coming to Grips with Genesis. When we believe and accept God’s Word as true and authoritative, it should only enhance our reading of passages that we might otherwise not give much time to. I have left out the days of Noah in this, but reading through these passages, we are told which year of Noah, which month, and which day, giving great accuracy to the 371-day account.

Gen. 7:11 Rising waters, the beginning of rain, and opening of the water sources beneath the ground and sea floor
Gen. 7:12,17 40 Days, the rising waters cause the ark to float
Gen. 7:24 150 Days, continually rising waters, due to rain and water sources, all land creatures outside the ark die
Gen. 8:4 Receding waters, waters begin to subside, ark is grounded (keep in mind, an ark of that size would have considerable displacement, and could rest on Ararat many feet below the water surface, even before any land being visible.
Gen. 8:5 74 Days since ark grounded, mountaintops appear
Gen. 8:6 40 days, Noah opens the hatch
Gen. 8:7 Raven released
Gen. 8:8 7 Days (?), Dove released
Gen. 8:10 7 Days, Dove released and returns with olive leaf
Gen. 8:12 7 Days, Dove released, does not return
Gen. 8:13 90 Days since mountaintops appeared, ground surface free of excess water
Gen. 8:14 21 Days now since water sources were stopped

OK, but SO WHAT??? Yeah, good question.

Geology and other observational science support the Flood being real. I believe strongly in strengthening our churches to not give way to the literal and historical accounts of the Bible, but rather resting on phrases such as “it’s all about the Gospel”. True, though, our lives are about the Gospel, which was given to us through the Word and in the Word, which also describes what we see today, both in nature and in sin and corruption. Christ was the answer to Noah’s family, by faith they entered the ark. The cross is the answer today. By faith we trust in Christ’s atoning death to pay our sin penalty.

If we allow the church to undermine God’s authority in Genesis, then the Gospel is not far behind. I expect a lost world to deny God. But Christians?? Already, many churches, Christians, explain away a literal Hell, for just one recent example (Love Wins).

The Flood was real. So was Christ’s death and resurrection. Both are literal and historical accounts. God’s grace provided then and provides now for a sure way of escape from His wrath. Let’s tell someone today.

In the beginning...

The beginning. Always a good place to start. But, the beginning of what? God tells us in Genesis 1:1 as He begins to speak to us in His revealed Word, “In the beginning…” The apostle John, in his gospel in John 1:1, tells us the same, “In the beginning…” So let’s start our discussion of Foundations there.

It is no coincidence that Answers in Genesis has released a new set of videos entitled “Foundations”, and the timing could not be better. The very authority of Scripture is under attack, perhaps more than ever, and sadly, leading the way in that attack are Christians who want to befriend secular science and avoid “divisive” issues such as creation vs. evolution, old earth vs. young earth, and several others.

The Gospel is at the very center of our faith, of our lives, of all that is was, is, and ever will be. No mistaking that truth claim. The Gospel rests on nothing, it is all-encompassing, having several components. I have heard personally, I have read it in lots of literature, and have heard this in the very words of Christians who want to minimize Biblical authority for the sake of “getting along” or “not offending”. What I hear and read is “Don’t worry about __________, it’s all about the Gospel.”

One of the first fill-in-the-blank topics is a literal Creation spanning six literal 24-hour days. Most Christians still agree that God created the earth, the universe. And since modern science has “proven” that the earth is billions of years old, then many Christians have accepted that notion, and tried to make it fit into the Bible somewhere, most conveniently before Genesis 1:1 or between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. Quotes from well-known theologians/Christians go like this: “A careful exegesis of Scripture shows literal days in the process of creation, and that the author (Moses) clearly wrote with the intention of conveying the same…BUT since science has shown billions of years, we need to make the Bible fit with what we know.”

This is alarming and disturbing, to put it mildly. But why is this so important as a component to the Gospel message? Several reasons, and I’ll be brief, so please ask for more detail if there is interest. For the Gospel to be true implies that sin is, too. And both Old and New Testaments are clear that our sin originated with Adam, a real, literal, historical, first-created man. Death began with his sin, and to marry the Bible with billions of years has to mean billions of years of death before Adam. The Gospel as we know it begins with Adam, and the promise made to him and Eve in Genesis 3:15. If Adam is allegorized or if he is the process of meaningless evolution, then really, why did Christ have to die? Christians certainly believe and accept that He did. Evolutionary fiction weaves its way throughout this topic, and billions of years is tied to evolution of man from some lower life form, and takes God out of the equation.

Theologians are apparently doing this themselves, either unknowingly or arrogantly telling God how it was. The Hebrew makes it clear (also in Exodus 20:11) that God used six days - as we think of literal days - to create this universe and humans, all to His glory. Further, God said He created all life forms to multiply after their own kinds, not through some mythological evolutionary tree.

I could go on and on. In summary for today, if God’s Word is authoritative from “For God so loved the world…” then it is likewise authoritative from “In the beginning…”


Holding fast to the name of our Creator, for His glory.

FOUNDATIONS - Psalm 11:3

I’m hung up on a word lately…Foundations. And maybe you know where I am going with this, so I appreciate you humoring me by reading along. A foundation is something of vital importance so as to be able to be built upon solidly. Anything built on an insecure foundation will fall, not "might" fall, but WILL fall. I challenged my son the other day to see who could build a taller “card house” using those square restaurant coasters. I quickly managed two stories, as did he, and we were both using the same number of building pieces. OK, I had one less, but I’m Dad, so I let him have the extra, figuring I’d beat him anyway.

I thought the contest was over, as nothing had been erected for a time, and then he looked at me with joy in showing me his three-story winner. A simple design, and when I tried to duplicate it, I failed repeatedly. He then showed me how he did it, and he emphasized the importance of a very stable first level, or foundation. After a few tries, I, too was able to reach three stories. A simple illustration, I know, and it makes the point so very clear. If you don’t start with a solid foundation, what can you really build on top? And secondarily, when one understands the foundational basics, he needs to share and pass knowledge along.

In construction, you really don’t see the foundation, but it has to be there and be secure for a building to last. And if that foundation is not settled and is likely to move and shift, then the stability of anything built upon it will be short-lived.

So I’d like to take a few days to discuss the foundations we as Christians must build upon. Psalm 11:3 says “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” And what is meant here by “destroyed” is essentially the equivalent of thrown away, torn down, or broken down. In all we will discuss, the ultimate foundation is the Word of God, not even debatable. And we know that God’s Word, The Word Himself, will endure forever, so it will never, ever be destroyed. So think of it this way, the base foundation, like the ground (or think bedrock) is used to build the next level foundation, such as pillars. But it may not be clear enough to say that God’s Word is that which all of life is built upon, as true as that it. 1 Peter 1:3 tells us that God’s Word is completely sufficient for all aspects of faith and practice, so I hope to examine those aspects of faith and practice which rest upon the sheer authority of God’s Word.

A main point along the way is that we as humans have so many other options to use for foundational “building material”. Our challenge then as Christians is to seek and use that which has eternal value, not just earthly value, since we realize that this world will someday pass to make way for that new creation of Revelation 21.

I hope I have whet your appetite to follow along, and I pray that we will all be encourage to study His Word along the way. Think on the foundations that we can find in the Bible. There are several, so where should we start? How about the beginning?

Literally speaking...

Literally speaking, the Bible is God’s Word. Surprisingly, this might shock many today, even many Christians who take very little time for the reading and studying of His great revelation to us.

What usually stops people in their tracks when it comes to the Bible is the word “authority”. We tend to not like being under the authority of anyone or any thing else. Or put it this way, when it comes to the Bible, we say that we believe it is indeed authoritative, and as soon as that becomes troublesome or problematic, we leave the authority aspect on our lips, and choose to walk as though that authority is only related to part of life, as opposed to all of it.

I was taught, and still believe, that a good place to start with evangelism is John 12:48, which says “He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.” Jesus, who is the Word (John 1:1) is the one and only, final authority. If someone will not accept the Bible as the authority, it may very well be impossible to accept the Gospel.

But let’s step back a bit from that. If I expect someone to accept the authority of Scripture, then they may well want to explore other areas of the Bible, which seems perfectly reasonable. And if I want to tell someone about John 12:48, and John 3:7, and John 3:16, and hey, why not toss in the Romans road, we are no doubt going to have to talk about sin. Since Romans brings Adam into the picture, that takes us back quite far in history, actually, very far, all the way back to the beginning.

Want to get a good debate going among friends, among church-goers? Try getting adamant about Creation being finished over a literal six-day period. You are likely to have strong disagreement among “Bible believers” when you do so. Yet God simply and plainly had Moses inscripturate the Creation account, and told him and us that six days (what we know today to be 24-hour periods) is correct. How much authority do you think that statement carries today? Churches have left that doctrine behind in favor of more pleasant topics these days. Isn’t it all about the Gospel anyway?

I challenge us to explain the Gospel, share Christ with someone without mentioning Genesis. We can’t do it, or we can’t share the Gospel properly if we do so. And just as literally as we take the death, burial, resurrection and coming again of Christ, so too much we take the literal-ness of what Colossians 1:16 says, that all things were created by Him, speaking of Christ. Who is Christ? Well He is the Word, according to John 1:1, and He was “in the beginning”, which is where we find ourselves when we turn to Genesis 1:1. We don’t even have to read very closely to find Christ there and immediately following, doing His creative work, literally, in six days.

Is there really any harm in believing the Gospel and also accepting evolution of man over millions or billions of years, or accepting a billions-of-years-old earth? Yes! Quite a bit. To believe such undermines the authority of Scripture, from the very beginning of Scripture. If I can make Genesis say something contrary to reality and actuality, then I can do the same with John 3, with Romans, with Revelation, and so on. Why should someone accept the authority of Christ and His Word, when we Christians are willing to compromise His very Word, because “science says so”? It is very much time that we get back to the foundational truths of Scripture, that we let the Bible speak, and then see clearly how science and everything else falls in line.

2 Peter 1:3 explains that the Bible is sufficient and authoritative for “everything pertaining to life and godliness”, and that includes anything and everything it touches. The Bible touches science, and history, and every other topic we can imagine, as well as human souls. I pray that we cherish just how firm a foundation we have in God’s literal six-day creation. It sets up the rest of time and eternity. And salvation rests upon it as well.

Oh that I can restrain my lips...

Just a simple summary today, out of Proverbs 10.

Verse 19:
"In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise." (KJV)

"When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable,
But he who restrains his lips is wise." (NASB)

If you are anything like me, you may tend to talk too much or continue on to drive home a point. We like to be right. Man, that's me, and I have grown to despise that aspect of my communication. For me, though, much of this conversation, much of the "too many words" takes place in my head, and I can end up frustrated and aggravated. On occasion, this has led to conversations that went too long with no real goal of agreement in mind, and the only result of such dialogue is sin, plain and simple.

As chapters 1-9 speak much on wisdom, chapter 10 begins to put some feet to wise living, and this verse lays so much groundwork for wise communication. Join me in repentance to God for failing to live up to His standards. He is so ready, faithful and willing to forgive, Amen!

Please pray along with me today that our conversation, our communication would be wise, full of well-chosen words, as we strive to properly fear our Lord, and seek to live and represent His Son in a way which pleases Him. He's sure to provide us with more opportunities, probably sooner than we expect.

The House of Wisdom

The ninth Proverb seems very appropriate for today, even for life in the 21st century. Wisdom is featured prominently. I pray this is a blessing for you as it was me when I read this morning.

Wisdom again is depicted as a woman who is prepared and invites those who would listen to her call. Here, she has built a ‘house’. Note this is different than the word for ‘tent’, sometimes used in the Old Testament as a dwelling place. A tent, or tabernacle, on the contrary, was temporary, to be portable. This house built by Wisdom is a firm, permanent dwelling, with seven pillars, a display of incredible strength. And within these walls awaits all the comforts of home. With her house prepared, she invites all to forsake their folly and live.

With wisdom comes proper, or skillful spiritual living. Correction and reproof are a part of the wise life, both in the delivering and reception of these aspects of the Godly life. And when we try to correct a scoffer, we can get our own dishonor. Think of a scoffer one who talks arrogantly or in a mocking (other Bible versions use “scorner” or “mocker”). Further, if we reprove (correct, rebuke, judge, etc.) someone who is wicked, we will get insults back as a result. That scoffer will hate us.

A wise person will take correction and reproof with love, according to verse 8. A wise person is seen to increase in wisdom by being corrected, or instructed. A righteous person’s learning is increased by teaching. Communication is therefore so vital. We must deliver correction and reproof properly. We must receive both equally as properly. Much, much easier said than done.

Where do we begin? The fear of the Lord, that’s where. The healthy, reverent, awe and respect for God is where wisdom begins. Wisdom is an eternal attribute of God, “she” was there before in the beginning with God (Prov. 8:22). Today, just as in all times past, we need a good and healthy fear of the Lord in our lives. With that fear comes wisdom, followed by knowledge, and understanding. To understand how we properly relate to God and to others first requires that we understand God and who He is. Really knowing God shapes and frames everything else in life.

The other “woman” we keep running into is Folly (the adulteress, the wicked, etc.). She, too, has a house, and she has placed it in a prominent location, also easy to see and find. Recall from verse 4 that Wisdom calls the naïve, and in verse 13 Folly is called naïve. But Folly does not heed that call; rather, she spends her time calling to, inviting those who are trying to make their paths straight. We see clearly here that some walk that path upon which Wisdom has placed them, and yet they are enticed by what is ultimately a death trap. The point seems to be that just because we get on the right path, we are not home free, at least regarding the skillful spiritual life. No, it takes continual effort to live wisely, and not naively. This is a clear pattern in the first nine chapters of Proverbs.

The encouragement is that wisdom CAN be attained to; skillful spiritual living can indeed be a realistic goal for the God-fearer. And it begins with that fear of the Lord, because only He, with His wisdom, using our knowledge and understanding of Him, can make that wise path clear to us. I pray that we all, naturally self included, will make good choices today, with a healthy fear of the Lord in mind. All the “stuff” that is not wise will certainly entice, even today. The challenge is to proverbially seek out the house built by Wisdom; this is the most secure place, covered by trusting in our great God.

If, Then...

Sinning, Rebuking, Repenting, Apologizing, Forgiving…

Today my thoughts continue to rest on a few concepts we are familiar with, and while I am not writing on a specific text, if I had to pick one it would be Luke 17:3-5. Very simple biblical commands of “if this, then that”.

Sinning really does not need much explanation, I trust that is a fair statement. We are good at sinning. And where there is sin, there needs to be repentance and forgiveness. God’s plan is very clear in very simple fashion in this text. I’m also fairly certain that when we sin, we know we do. Yet it can often happen that we are convinced of something one way or the other, and we may sin against someone and not be readily aware that the other party was sinned against. So we sin, agree?

Now, if someone sins against me, I am to rebuke that person (I’ll use “he/him” just to make things easy to type). If he sins against me, I must rebuke him. Note that Christ does not say “you can rebuke him if you like”, rather “if he sins, rebuke him.” We can talk proper rebuke another time; let’s just keep in mind that rebuke, whether gentle or harsh, is to be for the purpose of restoring a relationship, not destroying it. And in the Luke account here, the word form used in the word “rebuke” is indeed actually a very gentle form. In other NT references, when apostles are challenged with heresy, the rebuke is harsh and designed to preserve sound doctrine. Both rebukes are serious, and when dealing believer to believer, firmness with a gentle spirit is the desired form.

OK, rebuke takes place, now what? Repentance. If he repents (implying that he actually may not), then forgive him. Forgiveness is not a choice if he repents. So, a word (OK, several) on forgiveness. Biblically, the word is literally to mean “not remember”. And just to sound confusing, this is NOT forgetting. That is, “to not remember” is different than “forgetting”. The implication is that I could remember, but I choose not to. God could remember our old lost state, but since we have been saved, He looks on Christ, and chooses to “not remember” as it pertains to salvation. That is one amazing forgiveness! Naturally, the point is then if God can forgive me, surely I can forgive another.

And forgiveness is total. I must choose to “not remember” or “not recall” the sin to that person, to others, or to myself in my thoughts. If believers could get good at repenting and forgiving, wow, how great our relationships would actually be! And the process repeats, because we sin repeatedly, as seen by verse 4. If he sins against you again, and repents, then forgive.

Side note, we get “apologetics” from “apology”, which is actually a defense of one’s position or statements. In essence, to “apologize” is to defend one’s actions, and is greatly different from repenting. There is a time and place for both, and when we sin against another, we are to repent. “I’m sorry for_________, please forgive me.” No excuses. If explanation is needed, we should allow for that, and then ultimately we still need to end on repentance if sin has occurred.

I’m not sure which hurts more, being sinned against, or being unforgiven. Then again, I suppose they are the same. If someone has repented and not been forgiven, then the person who is not doing the forgiving is also sinning, so in essence being sinned against and being unforgiven will likely produce the same empty feeling. And they do. Just as not forgiving someone else leaves that same emptiness. “But he doesn’t deserve it!” Yeah I know, just like we did not deserve forgiveness through Christ. Praise God we are forgiven!

And I’m also not sure which gives a greater feeling, being forgiving TO someone or being truly forgiven BY someone. I say we try our hand at good repenting, and good forgiving, and God will work it out to His wonderful glory.

Verse 5: “Increase our faith.” Indeed. May that be our prayer as well.

The Lord Has...

When we praise God, when we worship Him, we ought to be taking some time to tell Him just how great He is. One reason the psalms are so powerful is because they serve as a great reminder of how great God is, often with a focus of the things He has done and continues to do for His people. The psalmists, mostly David, consistently and continually mention the great works of God in the lives of believers.

In reviewing Psalm 118 one more time, I specifically listed the ways this psalm completes the phrase “The Lord has…”

“…answered me.” David was in great peril, distressed, and he cried out to the Lord in prayer. We might not have real enemies trying to find us and physically kill us, yet we live in a fallen world, and can just as easily be distressed, and God wants to hear from us.

“…helped me.” David knew God helped him. We know it, too. But I am sure we have no real idea, that we cannot even fathom just how much is involved in God helping us. The degree to which He does so will not be realized this side of glory.

“…become my salvation.” David knew that God was the only one who could save him. Granted, David does not have justification in mind here, but to him, God was the great deliverer. God’s love for David had never changed, and by saying that God “has become” clearly implies that David had to choose to accept that deliverance, at least yield to the power that was offering such provision. Obviously, God becomes our salvation when we accept His Son.

“…disciplined me.” Not for a moment do we think David was perfect. On the contrary, we can often think we are nowhere near as bad as he was at times, and God called him a man after His own heart. David owned up to his sin, and he knew how to get right with God. And we are no different. We need to own our sin, get squared away with God, and yes, He might discipline us, too, to show us how much He still loves us.

“…not given me over to death.” Maybe it’s just me, I wonder at times why God spares my life, why He still feels the need to use me for His purposes and His plans. As David likely did, we, too, should be thanking God daily for giving us another day to serve Him. He certainly owes us nothing of the sort.

When we understand who God is, and that He consistently not only does all these things, but also much more, we should feel confident to approach Him, just as David does. “Do save.” “Do send prosperity.” Wealth and materialism are not what God had in mind for David or for us, but rather He desires our hearts. Some of His blessing may indeed be in the form of life’s pleasures, yet we must never forget He, and only He, is God. He will surely provide all we could ever need and hope for.

This psalm closes very fittingly. Is there really more to add to this?
“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Refuge in God

Psalm 118 is fast becoming a favorite of mine. With so many to choose from, that’s a bit like saying that I like one brand of chocolate over another. Chocolate just tastes good, period. Psalms refresh the soul, period. Well, that might be too simple. What I mean is that the Psalms give us a great look at how God’s people viewed Him then, how they reverently worshiped Him, how we can go to Him in good times and bad, and how we can tell Him anything, ANYTHING (since He already knows it anyway). He’s the same God today as He was then, and we can certainly use the Psalms to better understand Him, and only good in our lives can come from knowing Him better.

We know the familiar “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, His lovingkindness (mercy) is everlasting (endures forever).” And a few days ago I touched on the familiar verse “This is the day which the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” And rather than just take the highlight verses, I love to see what surrounds them in the text. New Testament authors quote this psalm on several occasions, too.

David writes several psalms in the midst of trouble, struggle, and strife. We know very well that David had an amazing heart for God. Just as well, we know he also sinned and well, acted human, too. For most believers, seeking God seriously results from “push coming to shove”. David went to God when things got tough, sure, and he also went to Him in times of rest, peace, and comfort.

This psalm seems to capture a little of each of that, though primarily, David is recalling crying out to God in distress, and God hearing and answering Him. His question “What can man do to me?” is so profound, so very true, and such thinking should be foundational in the Christian’s life. The question follows the statement “The LORD is for me; I will not fear.” Together, they sum up the source of our daily support. There is nothing or nobody stronger than God. What do I really have to fear?

But today, I was kind of “camped” in verses 7 – 9. I realize David was surrounded militarily as various times, and these verses lead into that. And he is also looking back on the situation, and is able to generalize a bit more. Keep in mind that some of David’s key enemies referred to in some psalms are not just Philistines, but rather those in his inner circle of friends or even family. Being rejected and attacked by such people certainly caused much distress in David’s life.

David knows where to turn for help and never-failing assurance in such times. He goes to the Lord, of course. He looked around him and saw people helping him; he credits God for putting those people around him as a way of showing that the Lord was “for him” (verse 7a). The verse is completed with mention of those who hated David, and how he looked on them “in satisfaction”, or some translations use “in triumph”. David knew that he could look on people who hated him in a way that reflected satisfaction, a sort of inner peace, because God had already given him people to help him. He could not dwell on those who hated him, as he could personally do nothing to change the hatred.

So often are we presented with a choice: take refuge in God, or trust man. Before we make it seem like a simple choice, we just saw how God gave people to David, to let him know that He was for him, and He can do that for us, too. We have no reason to think otherwise. But if I take God out of the equation, I am left to trust and follow man, or people, and it is no surprise that God directs us to Him, where we can find refuge, safety in the midst of storms and trouble we like to call “life”. Same goes for rulers (verse 9 uses “princes”). We have leaders, rulers, and even human government was instituted by God. And still I must constantly verify how such rulers want to steer society away from God, and I am not to choose obeying them over obeying God. Again recall “…better to take refuge in the Lord.”

SO WHAT?

So, we may not have enemies wanting to actually kill us, as with David. Yet we probably all know people we trusted, family members, friends, other Christians and their testimonies, who have positioned themselves against us, such that it could be hatred toward us.

So will I respond in a way that reflects the King, or in a way that will satisfy my flesh, my own desires? Or will I trust in God, find refuge in Him, and look on those who hate me in satisfaction, knowing that there are those who God has put around me, to show how He is for me. David was able to take satisfaction in that reality.

So, let’s keep reading Psalm 118, and keep pulling some great lessons from that sacred text. And let’s be careful in how we treat others, so they do not think we show hatred toward them. We always have to check our own motives first.

Be Glad In It!

“I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me,
And You have become my salvation.
The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief corner stone.
This is the LORD'S doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes.” Psalm 118: 21-23


There is something so very comforting about the psalms, and there are times when you read through a few, and something catches your eye, maybe like it never did before. I personally am amazed at the prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the Savior. Naturally, the Old Testament believer was looking ahead, looking forward to God’s promise of redemption in a messiah.

I read a psalm like 118, and find it easy to miss the mention of the chief cornerstone, and my mind immediately goes to the gospels and New Testament epistles, as Christ was the central theme to the apostles and prophets in the early church, properly so. Matthew and Mark quote this psalm, as does Luke in his gospel and in Acts. Paul quotes it to the Ephesians, and Peter recalls it in his first epistle. I can’t say that I have looked back to see where it was in the Old Testament before today. I’ve seen in my Bible where the quote was indeed Old Testament, but that was pretty much where I left it.

So I went back to read Psalm 118 today; it begins and ends with the exhortation to give thanks to the Lord, citing His lovingkindness to us. That lovingkindness is everlasting, eternal, forever. And yet, that lovingkindness can only be enjoyed by believers who have recognized the chief cornerstone and accepted Christ for who He is and what He has done for us.

Naturally, we celebrated this yesterday, and hopefully throughout the Easter season. The church is built upon this chief cornerstone. When building using masonry techniques, other stones are placed in reference to this cornerstone. Peter appropriately calls believers “living stones”. When we chose to accept Christ, our work for the Lord was to be in reference to Christ. And just like Jesus, rejected by many as that cornerstone, so, too will we be rejected and hated by those who refuse to accept what Christ has done for us and what He can do for them, by sharing His everlasting lovingkindness.

So for those who enjoy fellowship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ, read on in the psalm beyond verse 23. Go to the next verse, often quoted by itself to start the day, or a worship service, or some other setting in need of an appropriate opening line:

“This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Indeed! AMEN!

Good (Great) Friday

So we probably spelt well last night, and we woke up to what was likely a normal morning. Imagine being the average Jesus-follower in Jerusalem back in A.D. 30.

Over the course of the night, Jesus was betrayed, his friends were with Him until He was arrested, He had asked them to pray with Him and keep watch, and they could not stay awake. Jesus underwent two illegal trials, and the spiritual leaders of Israel had been plotting murder and engineered the false trials.

Peter tried to stay close enough to the action to stay in touch with what was going on, yet we know how he dealt with being asked if he was a follower of this Jesus of Nazareth. When that rooster crowed, Peter’s heart ached. So did Jesus’.

So with a crown of piercing thorns upon Head, having been scourged to near-death, He carried His cross until He could no longer physically do so, and the guards eagerly found some help for him from a man in the crowd.

And then, at what would be 9:00 a.m., they crucified the Savior. Let’s take time to really remember that today, even if not at 9:00. At noon, the skies went dark. By 3:00, it was clear that Jesus was all alone, and He died. These times can serve as great tools of memory today.

God then ripped the massive temple curtain in two, from top to bottom (humanly impossible), and earthquake struck, and some dead believers were brought to life (to appear after the Resurrection).

Some men, namely Joseph and Nicodemus, helped take His body down from the cross and they buried Him. And there the Savior lay, in the tomb, His sacrificial work complete, redemption soon to appear.

Let’s really stop for a bit today, sometime, just for a while, and allow the truth and reality of the cross to sink in, to humble us, and to take notice of how much God must love us. Not only did he endure the physical cross for us, but also He was willingly forsaken by the Father in order to carry and cover the world’s sin.

Let’s pray for an opportunity today to share this with an unbeliever. God loves him or her, too.

Thursday of Passion Week

Thursday of Passion Week begins the very familiar happenings of the end of the earthly ministry of Jesus. As I read through Matthew 26 today, I found it particularly unnerving that the day before, Judas made his deal with the chief priests, and then here at the Last Supper, he asks Jesus if he is the one who will betray Him. For whatever reason, I never really focused on that aspect of this timeline, and I am glad Matthew recorded it. Not that I need to be more angry toward Judas, but it must have saddened Jesus more to know what was happening, to state to His disciples what would happen, and then have Judas pointedly ask Jesus if it is him. That kind of thing just adds to the grief I feel for Jesus. I suppose only God could deal with knowing everything and still go to the cross for all sinners.

Sometimes the hardest lessons learned turn out to be the best. Jesus institutes the Last Supper, using the Passover meal, no less, to clearly signify the Passover Lamb pointing to the Christ. And the lesson He shares through this last meal with His inner circle of friends is for them to always remember. It was a clear theme in the Old Testament. The Jews were to wear tassels and use phylacteries to not show off, but to remember God, and remember His commands. Jesus says, do this in remembrance of me. Paul in 1 Corinthians rehearses Luke’s account of this meal, and adds the point of our call of proclaiming Christ’s death until He returns. “Remember” is the message I hear.

So when Jesus tells these men that they will each abandon Him before the next day is over (“fall away from Him”), each of them vehemently denies it, Peter being the most vocal. We know Peter’s story, yet before they leave the Garden of Gethsemane, all will have fled, every one of them. So of course, Jesus was right, that’s not the point. Each of them will later remember what He said, that it was true, that when push came to shove they “forgot” Him, in less than a day’s time.

So what would they do with the lesson, wallow in guilt and selfishness (Judas), or change the world? Tradition tells us much about the disciples, the first apostles, and how they each, except for John who was exiled, were martyred for their faith. When the opportunities again presented themselves to deny or stand for Christ, they upheld their faith and stood their ground on the truth to the very end of their lives on earth.

Jesus, as human as He was, prays for His task to be accomplished in another way, and yet remains in complete submission to the Father. “Remember”, He did this for all of us. He knew the agony that was now a day closer to reality. Luke records Jesus sweating drops of blood, which I believe was truly hematohidrosis, whereby one’s stress is at such a high level that capillaries burst, causing blood to exit the body through the pores with sweat.

He knew His friends would desert Him, and He planned all along to pass His ministry to them with the help of His own Spirit. “Remember”, we, too are part of that master plan of God. It may be difficult to really be in the moment with Christ, since we were not physically there. Yet if we believe in what He did, then we can just as readily remember.

SO WHAT?

So when we talk to friends and family through this Easter time, and beyond, let’s remember Jesus, remember what He did, and let’s remember what He said, He is coming again for those who will now accept Him.

So, maybe we should pray tonight a bit longer, a bit harder, in thankfulness to Him, and somehow try to “keep watch” with Him, perhaps identifying a bit better with what He would have been going through this vey night not quite 2000 years ago.

So, let’s let others see that our very lives show that we do indeed remember Him.

Wednesday of Passion Week

It would appear that the betrayal of Jesus by Judas takes place on Wednesday of Passion Week. This is when he made contact with the chief priests to make a deal for turning Him over to them. In supernatural fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah 11:12, the agreed upon price is 30 pieces of silver. In today’s terms, that might be around $950. During that time, this would have been sufficient to buy a small farm, so the deal was a significant bribe.

From that point on, Judas began to look for a good time to actually put the deal in motion, to find a time to actually put Jesus in the hands of those seeking to kill Him.

Otherwise, Wednesday of this week seems to be quiet, or at least with less activity on display, as least from the viewpoint of Scripture. We might assume more teaching went on in Jerusalem, either publically or in a smaller setting of just disciples. People would be busy about making final plans for the upcoming Passover, so the city would have still been a very active place.

Perhaps Jesus retreated to rest and pray, maybe even staying in Bethany with his close friends. We can probably think of times when something is coming up that we just don’t want to deal with, and during long periods of inactivity, our thoughts can run wild with anxiety, and so w find it necessary to busy ourselves to keep our minds occupied with other things. This does not appear to be so with Jesus, though stating this is clearly an assumption based on little or no evidence from the Gospel accounts. Yet the pattern of His life was such that he was known to retreat to prayer, for rest, for some quiet time, and knowing what was ahead, I would be comfortable believing that He simply took Wednesday to meditate on His task, to look back on His earthly ministry, ready to sum it up over the next few days.

The centurions who will be key players are oblivious at this point to what they will be doing in two days. Pilate is enjoying the swell of commerce and taxes into the city, unaware that he will soon be center stage with the Christ. Judas has his money in hand; the chief priests see the realization of their years of hoping this time would come. The stage is set for what you and I desperately needed and could get no other way.

Tuesday of Passion Week

Tuesday of Passion Week appears to be the most action-packed from Jesus’ teaching point of view. The day seems to span some of Matthew 21 to 26, perhaps with Judas’ betrayal marking the next day. Nearly twenty-five percent of this Gospel narrative takes place this day. We should probably take good notice.

There is so much teaching in these chapters, it would be reckless to condense much in a single entry here. But read through the Tuesday events, the parables, the “discussions” Jesus has with His opposition, and then take note of the replies Jesus gives, and the questions He asks that are so simply rebuking in and of themselves.

“Did you never read in the Scriptures…?”
“Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites?”
“You are mistaken, and not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God.”
“Do you not see all these things?”

All in a day’s teaching, He clearly sums up the commandments into two: Love God, love each other. He exposes the Pharisees for the hypocrites they are, and He does so with eight “woes”, the sound you’d hear from funeral mourners. “You do the easy stuff just to look good”, He basically tells them (my loose paraphrase). He calls them sepulchers, little devils, vipers. And for these same people will He ask “Father forgive them…”

He teaches on the universality of salvation, and does so in a way that is clear to a Jewish audience, based on His word choice in “many”. In using the word “many” in the Semitic sense of “all”, Christ showed that the scope of His death and the new covenant extended beyond Israel to all peoples. (Robert L. Saucy, “The Church in God’s Program”)

He masterfully quotes Scripture, which to Him would have been what we know as the Old Testament. And then in His primary teaching on the end times, in Matthew 24 and 25, He replies to the question of “…when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age?” He answers the “sign” portion, and never the “when”. If He would be pressed on the “when”, He’d point to 24:42, “Therefore, be on the alert for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.” Interesting to see that the Olivet Discourse takes place as He is leaving the temple, and His disciples are eager to point out the grandeur of the temple, so he leads them to discuss more important matters.

And in chapter 25, we see that if we wait to get ready, we will be too late, as depicted in the parable of the ten virgins. Again in verse 13, “Be on the alert…” I think Peter tells us that in his epistle, too. He was paying attention here.

Compassionate to listen and then to teach
Angry at unrighteousness and hypocrisy
A keeper of promises
Mindful of and faithful to Scripture, always applying the Word

OK, Jesus was here on earth and was still God, and yet these principles are ones that we, with His Spirit in us, can emulate, if we are willing to give it the effort required.

SO WHAT? So my question that I wrote to myself in my margin in Matthew 25, next to the parable of the talents, is this: What are we doing with our time here?

Passion Monday

Today is Monday of Passion Week. This is an excellent time to try to focus on and get in touch with what took place that week, culminating in the death of the Savior. Most of the next few days will be from the book of Matthew, starting around chapter 22, with references elsewhere for clarity. I find it helpful to look at the “normal” everyday life aspects of this time in history. There is much theological in the latter parts of the Gospels, as Jesus does a huge amount of teaching in just a few days of this week. And yet, it also helps to humanize the events that took place; it may be the only was we can really attempt to get in touch with the sacrifice that was made on our behalf.

Jesus has entered the city of Jerusalem the day prior, emphatically “cleansed” the temple, and retreated to Bethany for the evening. Bethany was where Lazarus (once dead, now raised) and Mary and Martha lived. Bethany was around two miles from Jerusalem (John 11:18), and this was a nightly retreat for Jesus and His disciples. With Passover that week, there would really have been no place to stay in Jerusalem anyway.

On Monday, on their way into the city, Jesus encounters the fig tree, a very familiar account. He displays His humanity in that He is hungry, and perhaps even gets frustrated. Taking advantage of a situation to instruct, He curses the tree and it withers by that evening. I believe His point was not just to point out to these men that He was also divine, but also to use the situation to make a bigger statement on the state of Israel, supposedly “God’s people”. The appearance was everything pointing to fruit-bearing, fooling the casual onlooker. But Jesus was intimate, and got up close and personal with the tree to see that it had no fruit, nothing redeeming, nothing refreshing, and His disciples could recall the lesson when they see and hear Him debating with the religious elite in Jerusalem. Jesus will die in just four days, and here He takes time to teach on true faith, obviously modeling the example.

When He teaches, his authority is challenged by the Pharisees and Sadducees. Rather than responding directly, He forces an answer to the question of John’s baptism, that is, what is the significance of John the Baptist’s ministry? Is it from God, or man? They know they cannot answer correctly, and so they choose to boldly proclaim “We don’t know.” Exactly! And thus, they should have listened and learned. Easy for us to say now, I get that.

Lastly here, Jesus uses a parable of two sons. Both hear the call to repent. One says he will and then does not, the other says he will not and then does. ‘Who is right?’ is the question. And it is the lowliest of sinners who understand and who will repent. The religious leaders only gave the message lip service, if that.

SO WHAT?

So, who could blame Jesus if He had other thoughts on His mind this week, that is, thoughts besides His own death? But He cared enough for people to teach them, right to the last moment He could. His perseverance is obviously enviable.

So, how can I better take advantage of opportunities to teach, to share what I know about our Savior?

Choices

The battle rages on between what God says and what the world says; what God wants, and what I want. The first nine chapters of Proverbs vividly shows this picture, God vs man, wisdom vs foolishness. And there is only one winner.

I really need to count how many times in these chapters the stress is on “listen”, or “pay attention”, or “remember”, and so on. There is a danger in believing we are living wisely and then putting our lives on auto-pilot. Temptation, the lure of the world, the attractive side of earthly living is always there, literally lurking while we live life.

Words of wisdom, God’s Word that is, really does need to be written on the “tablets of our heart”. We have those words in print, in our Bibles, on our computers, on all sorts of devices, and all of that makes no difference in the lives of believers if those words are not “on our hearts”. Do those words govern how we live our lives? Do those words even factor in when we have decisions to make. It is clear that when we sin, we have purposefully chosen to set those words aside. And when we have aimed to please God, then we have chosen to heed the advice of those words.

So we go about our daily lives. If we are not careful, we will walk about just like the young man in Proverbs 7. He is naïve, lacking sense. He is walking too close to where he should not be, basically, wrong place, wrong time of day. In verse 10, “behold” does not mean “suddenly”, but more accurately it means “meanwhile”. The adulteress is out there, always active, and she offers what seems to be so wonderful, what doesn’t seem to come from anywhere else. She looks and smells better than anything else. She talks like no other, almost too good to be true, and for good reason. It is.

For this man to give in to these desires is to willingly turn from the wise teachings available to him. His naïveté is not without excuse. We have already seen from earlier chapters that wisdom calls loudly, makes herself available and noticeable. It is not hard to see the wise choice, it literally “sits at the gates” for anyone passing by to see and listen to.

But so often we take the easy road, we take the choice that feels good NOW, and in the end, we find ourselves further away from the path we know we should be on. This adulteress and her house leads to death. When this young man figures that out, it is too late. And such is the teaching lesson for us. Rather than wait to find ourselves mired in sin, let’s be proactive, and avoid those sinful places altogether. The sinful places will always be there. Those sinful appetites, regardless of what they are, will remain with us while we are here. So will God’s Word. We have the cure for our sinful flesh, and that is the power of God’s Holy Spirit. If we will only listen, He’ll keep us in His Word and make available to us His teaching, His wisdom, His guide for us to live skillfully for Him.

The choice is ours. Wisdom is out there, clearly visible. Let’s pursue her!

WISDOM - Prov. 1-5

The book of Proverbs and wisdom go hand-in-hand, as lessons for “skillful living” are handed down from the Sage to the hearer, from dad (Solomon) to son. Vivid pictures are painted concerning the comparison of wisdom and folly/foolishness. The first 9 chapters consist of this comparison, followed by 23 more chapters of specifics, one-liners, and the reader must always be careful to use entire verses when considering Proverbs for life lessons.

The first five chapters are the topic today, and my thoughts are very much in summary format, including some specific applications and general thoughts on a Christian’s effort to live wisely for God.

Indeed, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, and fools despise wisdom, so we see a close link between knowledge and wisdom. We are to be careful, though, in that knowledge alone can certainly puff us up (1 Cor. 8:1). This leaves me to understand that to know how to live wisely for God, we must know who He is. Once we get that squared away, then it becomes evident that the wise life is the best response to Him and what He has done. So we have a choice to make in how we live.

We might think that God makes it hard to figure this out. On the contrary, in Prov. 1, verses 20ff, wisdom is in clear sight, easily heard at the head of the street above the noise, “she” is at the city gate, where anyone passing by will see and hear the call to the wise life. Some simply refuse that call.

In chapter 2, along with several other places, the repetition of the pleas to “hear”, “listen”, “receive my words”, “pay attention” and so on are so evident. The decision to life with God in mind, on purpose, is not just a given in the believer’s life. We see wisdom and foolishness on display regularly, and need to choose between them. The goal is to make more and more wise choices out of our conscious repetition, “good habits” if you will, but never out of rote memory, but rather from a willful obedience to God. The reason in chapter 2 is clear; the wise life is the secure life. We are to eagerly seek that life.

The familiar verses in chapter 3, where we are to lean not on our own understanding, are often left open without answering the question “why?” That answers follows in verse 8. Fearing the Lord and turning away (an active process) results in healing of all that hurts, refreshment to an otherwise starving existence. To the ancient reader, at times the act of lying down could be considered dangerous, because it left one vulnerable. God invites us to lie down in sweet sleep, resting in the security that life in Him really brings.

More actions are illustrated in chapter 4, to name a few: avoid the path of the wicked; put away a deceitful mouth; give attention to the words of instruction; keep your gaze straight ahead. A person living a God-filled life ignores the distractions of the lost life, and makes a conscious decision and effort to keep from the ungodly behaviors, and engage in the godly ones. That might seem general in nature, and the point is to include and involve God in all of our decisions.

Finally, take a good look at the trappings of immorality in chapter 5. What seems enticing, attractive, and almost “too good to be true” are hallmarks of temptation and options that lead to ruin in the Christian life. This “adulteress” is directly connected to death and destruction, and she does not for an instant seek the path that the righteous are to be on. That path, back a chapter, gets brighter and brighter as one makes more and more righteous decisions.

Yet we do not accidentally wander into temptation and sin. No, those elements are actively around us, on display, like candy on the store shelf for the simple buying. The skill in the life lived for God is developed with a reliance on Him and His Word for guidance. Join me in the seeking of His wisdom, and pray with me for the strength and faith to follow what He says.