Ps. 119:97 "O how I love thy law! it is my meditation all the day." Sept. 26, 2007
I was recently sitting in on a bible college class, in which the professor stated that the two most neglected duties in a Christian's life were probably prayer and bible study. If you think about it, the three most important things for a christian are probably prayer, (our communication to God) bible study, (God's communication to us) and fellowshipping with like minded believers, (our communication to each other). To think that we fall short of the mark on two out of three areas, is a pretty disappointing statistic. Yet I'm afraid it's true. As I examined my own life, I realized that I do fall short of the mark in my bible studies. David said that he loved God's word to such an extant it was his meditation all the day. What do we meditate on all day? Our job? The errands we still have to run? What time we have to pick the kids up from school? The cares of this world end up choking out any thoughts we had on God's word. Now don't get me wrong, I want you to be focusing on what you're doing when you are operating a piece of heavy machinery, and I want you to be focused on the road as you're driving, but so often we have a million things running through the back of our minds, and rarely is it God's word.
I would hope that you set some time apart in the morning to read the scriptures, and whether you read a few verses or a few chapters, whether you are in Numbers or Romans, I would encourage you to pick out a verse or set of verses that you can apply to your life. Then throughout the day, mull over that portion of scripture, think about what you need to do to make your life form around it, consider what importance it has in your walk with Christ, decide how it can help you live better with your fellow man, connect it with other portions of scripture you know. Let your mind meditate on the law of God, not a meditation that clears the mind, or focuses on some singular abstract, but the type of meditation that brings your focus back time and time again to the word of God.
The first part of this verse is critical in bringing the second about. Can't you hear the desire and passion in David's voice as he exclaims "O how I love thy law". It is a declaration of longing for the things of God, a true earnestness about finding out what it is that pleases God. If you read the scriptures because you want to be able to say you did if someone asks, or because you think it is a religious duty you must do to stay in God's good favor, you will never truly meditate on it the way David did. A true love for God and his word must precede meditation. If you've ever been separated from a loved one, you know you read every letter you get from them, not out of fear they'll ask if you did, but because you honestly want to know what they're thinking about and what you can do to help them. So it is with the bible, we must approach it with an honest love for the author, we must read it looking for his will for our lives. Then when we think about the bible verse we read, we won't be doing it out of obligation, instead it will simply be a natural occurrence, something we do because we want to, not something we do because we have to.
As read your bible tomorrow morning, think about the fact that God has preserved this word for thousands of years, because he wants you to know of his love for you. Think about the fact that this book is written by someone who gave his only begotten son to die for you, though you had done nothing to deserve it. Perhaps it will give you a greater appreciation for the bible, and just maybe that portion of scripture you picked out, will come back to your mind throughout the day.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
Potter and clay
Isa. 64:8 "But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou the potter; and we are all are the work of thy hand." Sept. 12, 2007
Isaiah brings out a good point in this verse, he reminds the children of Israel that God is the creator and they the creation. We would do well to be reminded of this fact on a daily basis, to have our memory refreshed and our pride crushed under the weight of the knowledge that we have no "rights" when facing God. Paul says it best in Rom. 9:20, 21 where he says "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the the clay; of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?" When we come to Christ, we have no chips to bargain with, we have no right to life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness. Isaiah says in the sixth verse of our text chapter, "All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags", so clearly we can not store up enough good works to out weigh the bad ones, because even our righteousness is as filthy rags.
I love America, I am fiercly patriotic, and I would gladly die to preserve the rights we have in this country. That being said, I am afraid that all the rights we have in this country have created an attitude that we have rights in every other aspect of life as well, and that is a misconception. You have a civil right to speak your mind, but a christian ought to forfeit that right if speaking his mind would offend a brother or cause shame to come on the name of Christ or his church. Before a judge we are innocent until proven guilty, and if proven guilty, good behavior can reduce your sentence. We enjoy no such luxury when standing before God, we are born guilty and no good deeds can reduce the sentence of eternal damnation.
This would drive many to cry "What then can be done for my soul?" It is here that the beauty of it all comes in, the creator, the one who has every right to life, the one who has every bit of innocence, can take on the form of the creation. The potter makes himself a vessel, the inventor takes on the attributes of the invention, and somehow the innocent takes all the punishment of the guilty, the one with all rights to life, dies. Is this fair? No, if fair prevailed we would all be in hell, but God so loved the world that he did the unfair thing and took the punishment on himself, through his son Jesus Christ.
With all this in mind, why do we think we deserve anything from God? What pride drives us to think we are worthy of his love? How could we stand before him and be justified by all our filthy rags (aka good works)? We ought to gladly throw down our rights, after all didn't Christ? We ought to gladly submit to the unfair and uncomfortable, after all didn't Christ? We ought to be willing to be used however God can best use us, after all we are the vessels, he is the potter, creator, inventor, and master.
Isaiah brings out a good point in this verse, he reminds the children of Israel that God is the creator and they the creation. We would do well to be reminded of this fact on a daily basis, to have our memory refreshed and our pride crushed under the weight of the knowledge that we have no "rights" when facing God. Paul says it best in Rom. 9:20, 21 where he says "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the the clay; of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?" When we come to Christ, we have no chips to bargain with, we have no right to life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness. Isaiah says in the sixth verse of our text chapter, "All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags", so clearly we can not store up enough good works to out weigh the bad ones, because even our righteousness is as filthy rags.
I love America, I am fiercly patriotic, and I would gladly die to preserve the rights we have in this country. That being said, I am afraid that all the rights we have in this country have created an attitude that we have rights in every other aspect of life as well, and that is a misconception. You have a civil right to speak your mind, but a christian ought to forfeit that right if speaking his mind would offend a brother or cause shame to come on the name of Christ or his church. Before a judge we are innocent until proven guilty, and if proven guilty, good behavior can reduce your sentence. We enjoy no such luxury when standing before God, we are born guilty and no good deeds can reduce the sentence of eternal damnation.
This would drive many to cry "What then can be done for my soul?" It is here that the beauty of it all comes in, the creator, the one who has every right to life, the one who has every bit of innocence, can take on the form of the creation. The potter makes himself a vessel, the inventor takes on the attributes of the invention, and somehow the innocent takes all the punishment of the guilty, the one with all rights to life, dies. Is this fair? No, if fair prevailed we would all be in hell, but God so loved the world that he did the unfair thing and took the punishment on himself, through his son Jesus Christ.
With all this in mind, why do we think we deserve anything from God? What pride drives us to think we are worthy of his love? How could we stand before him and be justified by all our filthy rags (aka good works)? We ought to gladly throw down our rights, after all didn't Christ? We ought to gladly submit to the unfair and uncomfortable, after all didn't Christ? We ought to be willing to be used however God can best use us, after all we are the vessels, he is the potter, creator, inventor, and master.
Biblical Authority
Rom. 13:1,2 "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God:" Aug 29, 2007
I was speaking with someone the other day, and we got to talking about the fact that in the south, people don't like to be told what to do. There are many people who might never go to Wal-mart, but if you told them they couldn't got to Wal-mart, they would go just to prove to you that they would do what they wanted to do. Unfortunately this is not just a southern thing, this is built in to every human being. When God created this world he created in a perfect state, he created man with only one rule, that they couldn't eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Satan, (who had already rebelled against God himself) convinced Eve to rebel and eat of the forbidden fruit, ever since man has had an intuitive desire to rebel against authority. There are those who say, "I will submit to God, but not a man, no man has the right to tell me what to do." The bible says otherwise, the bible says all the men that are in authority here on earth are put there by God and to rebel against their authority is to rebel against God.
When Adam and Eve were first created they were perfect, but when sin and rebellion entered there was the need for a new system to restore order and decency, God chose to use authority to do this. He placed the husband as the authority over the wife, he placed parent as authorities over the children, he put pastors over congregations, and civil authorities over governments, in order to restore a system of decency. We all know that a battle can not be won without an officer giving the commands, a football game cannot be won without a coach calling the plays, and families, churches and governments operate under this same principle. The devil also knows this and is working hard to destroy the biblical call for authority, he tells parents not to restrict their children, but instead to be their buddies, parents are not supposed to be their child's buddy but their authority! Satan tells us churches are made to be run as a democracy where everyone has equal say, pastors aren't supposed to be just another member with equal say, but an authority that will give an account to God for what the church did. Satan tells us that policemen, congressmen, the president, etc. are a bunch of clowns messing up our country, the bible says they were put in authority by God, and we as the general public are to submit ourselves to them.
Unless an authority commands you to directly violate scripture, you are to obey them. rebellion is not a joke, it is not something to be proud of, it is a sin that the bible likens to witchcraft (I Sam. 15:23). If I claimed to be a christian and a member of Wicca, any biblical church would kick me out, yet we have churches whose pews are filled with men and women that refuse to submit themselves to authority, and we think little of it. I would call on every man , woman, boy and girl, to examine their lives and make sure they are in biblical submission to authority. I would also ask every husband, parent, pastor, and civil authority, to stop tiptoeing around everyone's feelings and start asserting your God given authority. Because one day you will give God an account for how those under your authority acted, and you will have to explain to God why you chose to throw off your responsibility.
I was speaking with someone the other day, and we got to talking about the fact that in the south, people don't like to be told what to do. There are many people who might never go to Wal-mart, but if you told them they couldn't got to Wal-mart, they would go just to prove to you that they would do what they wanted to do. Unfortunately this is not just a southern thing, this is built in to every human being. When God created this world he created in a perfect state, he created man with only one rule, that they couldn't eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Satan, (who had already rebelled against God himself) convinced Eve to rebel and eat of the forbidden fruit, ever since man has had an intuitive desire to rebel against authority. There are those who say, "I will submit to God, but not a man, no man has the right to tell me what to do." The bible says otherwise, the bible says all the men that are in authority here on earth are put there by God and to rebel against their authority is to rebel against God.
When Adam and Eve were first created they were perfect, but when sin and rebellion entered there was the need for a new system to restore order and decency, God chose to use authority to do this. He placed the husband as the authority over the wife, he placed parent as authorities over the children, he put pastors over congregations, and civil authorities over governments, in order to restore a system of decency. We all know that a battle can not be won without an officer giving the commands, a football game cannot be won without a coach calling the plays, and families, churches and governments operate under this same principle. The devil also knows this and is working hard to destroy the biblical call for authority, he tells parents not to restrict their children, but instead to be their buddies, parents are not supposed to be their child's buddy but their authority! Satan tells us churches are made to be run as a democracy where everyone has equal say, pastors aren't supposed to be just another member with equal say, but an authority that will give an account to God for what the church did. Satan tells us that policemen, congressmen, the president, etc. are a bunch of clowns messing up our country, the bible says they were put in authority by God, and we as the general public are to submit ourselves to them.
Unless an authority commands you to directly violate scripture, you are to obey them. rebellion is not a joke, it is not something to be proud of, it is a sin that the bible likens to witchcraft (I Sam. 15:23). If I claimed to be a christian and a member of Wicca, any biblical church would kick me out, yet we have churches whose pews are filled with men and women that refuse to submit themselves to authority, and we think little of it. I would call on every man , woman, boy and girl, to examine their lives and make sure they are in biblical submission to authority. I would also ask every husband, parent, pastor, and civil authority, to stop tiptoeing around everyone's feelings and start asserting your God given authority. Because one day you will give God an account for how those under your authority acted, and you will have to explain to God why you chose to throw off your responsibility.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Seek ye first
Matt. 6:33 "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Aug. 22, 2007
In this portion of scripture, Jesus had just finished telling his disciples not to worry about their clothing or food or lodging, because God takes care of all nature, and he is surely able to take care of us. Now like anything, you could take this verse out of context and proportion and use it to excuse laziness or irresponsibility, you could say "God is going to take care of my needs, I don't need to work or provide for my family." However that's not what Jesus is telling them, he's telling them they need to prioritize. He says "Seek ye FIRST", the priorities need to be in the right place, if you don't have your spiritual state in order don't worry about the physical. The bible clearly states that there is no gain if you get all the physical benefits this world has to offer and lose your soul to hell.
The doctrine of fasting illustrates this point perfectly, when we are serious about some spiritual issue we forgo meals in order to pray without losing our focus on the matter at hand. We are admitting that there are issues that are more important than our physical well being, and that is our spiritual well being. We live in a society that is constantly catering to our flesh, it teaches us that we ought to have everything we want exactly when we want it. To withhold food, so that we can study the bread of life (the bible) more fully, is considered foolish by the majority of America. To deprive your body of sleep so that you may rest more fully in Christ, is a foreign notion to most Americans. Jesus Christ said that if your priorities were right (seeking the kingdom of God) then all these things, (food, clothing, housing) would be added unto you. All the physical pieces are able to fall into place once the spiritual one are taken care of.
In the Old Testament we read the story of David's death, and when David was about to die he gave the kingdom to his son Solomon, now Solomon was not the oldest or most experienced son, but David chose to give it to him anyway. Soon after this God appeared to Solomon in a dream and told him he would give him anything he wanted, Solomon asked for wisdom to lead the Israelites according to God's will. God told Solomon that because Solomon had asked for righteous wisdom instead of money or long life or prosperity, God would give Solomon wisdom as well as all the physical blessings, if Solomon would follow God the way David had. 2000 years before Jesus was ever born, God told Solomon since he sought the spiritual things first God would add to him all the other things. 2000 years after Christ's death the principle still stands, the priority is spiritual, the real important things of life are those that pertain to the kingdom of God.
Let's determine that we will not let the world brainwash us into believing the physical life is more important than the spiritual. Let's decide that we will make sure our walk with God is where it needs to be, before we worry about our job or bills. Let's make sure we are following Christ's will and not ours.
In this portion of scripture, Jesus had just finished telling his disciples not to worry about their clothing or food or lodging, because God takes care of all nature, and he is surely able to take care of us. Now like anything, you could take this verse out of context and proportion and use it to excuse laziness or irresponsibility, you could say "God is going to take care of my needs, I don't need to work or provide for my family." However that's not what Jesus is telling them, he's telling them they need to prioritize. He says "Seek ye FIRST", the priorities need to be in the right place, if you don't have your spiritual state in order don't worry about the physical. The bible clearly states that there is no gain if you get all the physical benefits this world has to offer and lose your soul to hell.
The doctrine of fasting illustrates this point perfectly, when we are serious about some spiritual issue we forgo meals in order to pray without losing our focus on the matter at hand. We are admitting that there are issues that are more important than our physical well being, and that is our spiritual well being. We live in a society that is constantly catering to our flesh, it teaches us that we ought to have everything we want exactly when we want it. To withhold food, so that we can study the bread of life (the bible) more fully, is considered foolish by the majority of America. To deprive your body of sleep so that you may rest more fully in Christ, is a foreign notion to most Americans. Jesus Christ said that if your priorities were right (seeking the kingdom of God) then all these things, (food, clothing, housing) would be added unto you. All the physical pieces are able to fall into place once the spiritual one are taken care of.
In the Old Testament we read the story of David's death, and when David was about to die he gave the kingdom to his son Solomon, now Solomon was not the oldest or most experienced son, but David chose to give it to him anyway. Soon after this God appeared to Solomon in a dream and told him he would give him anything he wanted, Solomon asked for wisdom to lead the Israelites according to God's will. God told Solomon that because Solomon had asked for righteous wisdom instead of money or long life or prosperity, God would give Solomon wisdom as well as all the physical blessings, if Solomon would follow God the way David had. 2000 years before Jesus was ever born, God told Solomon since he sought the spiritual things first God would add to him all the other things. 2000 years after Christ's death the principle still stands, the priority is spiritual, the real important things of life are those that pertain to the kingdom of God.
Let's determine that we will not let the world brainwash us into believing the physical life is more important than the spiritual. Let's decide that we will make sure our walk with God is where it needs to be, before we worry about our job or bills. Let's make sure we are following Christ's will and not ours.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Bearing each others burdens
Rom. 15:1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not please ourselves. Aug. 8, 2008
I heard a story some time back about some young men that had gone off to boot camp, and the last thing they had to do before graduating was run ten miles in full gear, boots, helmet, rifle, and backpack. They were all doing fine until the last couple of miles, it was at that point that one of them men started lagging behind. His buddy on the right reached over and took his rifle from him and carried it along with his own gear. This helped for another mile or so, but then the man began to fall behind once again, this time his buddy on the left reached over and took his helmet and carried it along with his own stuff. The weaker man ran with renewed vigor until the last half mile when once again he began to stumble and almost collapsed from exhaustion, the two men behind him then relieved him of his backpack and continued to run bearing his excess weight along with their own. The entire unit finished the course together.
When you think about it all those other men could have finished that course, probably even faster than they did, if they hadn't helped the weaker soldier, but they knew that the unit was important then themselves. Christians ought to think this same way. I wonder what would happen if more people began laying down their luxuries, their comforts, and even their rights, in order to promote unity. If our churches were filled with Christians who were willing to forgo some of their preferences in order to bear the weaker brother's burden, what great things could be accomplished? The fact of the matter is, most people are so focused on what pleases them, they aren't willing to follow Christ's example and humble themselves in order to maintain unity and harmony among God's people. We live in the Burger King generation, that says "I want, what I want, when I want it." Most of the previous generations were raised to understand that the only way you could survive in this world was to give a little, take a little. In other words sometimes you got what you wanted, sometimes you had give in and let the other guy get what he wanted. Our current generation is being raised with no idea of responsibility or give and take. The psychologists have told us "If they don't get everything they want it might make them develop an inferiority complex, and if they don't get it right away they may fell emotionally neglected." The biblical perspective is right the opposite, it says you win some you lose some, and whenever you are able you ought to forget about yourself and help the unit.
I would challenge you, when you go to church tonight or next Sunday, to lay your preferences down, if required, in order for the church to grow in grace and unity. Reach over to that person struggling next to you and take his helmet, relive him of a little of his load, that the entire church would be a stronger more unified body, that could finish their course with joy.
I heard a story some time back about some young men that had gone off to boot camp, and the last thing they had to do before graduating was run ten miles in full gear, boots, helmet, rifle, and backpack. They were all doing fine until the last couple of miles, it was at that point that one of them men started lagging behind. His buddy on the right reached over and took his rifle from him and carried it along with his own gear. This helped for another mile or so, but then the man began to fall behind once again, this time his buddy on the left reached over and took his helmet and carried it along with his own stuff. The weaker man ran with renewed vigor until the last half mile when once again he began to stumble and almost collapsed from exhaustion, the two men behind him then relieved him of his backpack and continued to run bearing his excess weight along with their own. The entire unit finished the course together.
When you think about it all those other men could have finished that course, probably even faster than they did, if they hadn't helped the weaker soldier, but they knew that the unit was important then themselves. Christians ought to think this same way. I wonder what would happen if more people began laying down their luxuries, their comforts, and even their rights, in order to promote unity. If our churches were filled with Christians who were willing to forgo some of their preferences in order to bear the weaker brother's burden, what great things could be accomplished? The fact of the matter is, most people are so focused on what pleases them, they aren't willing to follow Christ's example and humble themselves in order to maintain unity and harmony among God's people. We live in the Burger King generation, that says "I want, what I want, when I want it." Most of the previous generations were raised to understand that the only way you could survive in this world was to give a little, take a little. In other words sometimes you got what you wanted, sometimes you had give in and let the other guy get what he wanted. Our current generation is being raised with no idea of responsibility or give and take. The psychologists have told us "If they don't get everything they want it might make them develop an inferiority complex, and if they don't get it right away they may fell emotionally neglected." The biblical perspective is right the opposite, it says you win some you lose some, and whenever you are able you ought to forget about yourself and help the unit.
I would challenge you, when you go to church tonight or next Sunday, to lay your preferences down, if required, in order for the church to grow in grace and unity. Reach over to that person struggling next to you and take his helmet, relive him of a little of his load, that the entire church would be a stronger more unified body, that could finish their course with joy.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
A lively God
Heb. 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Aug. 1, 2007
About 200 years ago a preacher by the name of Jonathen Edwards preached on this passage, his sermon was entitled, "Sinners in the hands of an angry God". It is reported that he read this sermon word for word off his notes in nearly a monotone voice, and yet by the close of the service the listeners were clinging to the pillars of the building, screaming that it was as if they could feel the flames of hell licking at their feet. What caused this reaction, clearly had nothing to do with his delivery, but instead with the profound content of the verse. When we break it down, we find layer after layer of doctrine condenced into these fourteen words.
First off we see that falling into the hands of a God ready to take vengance on those whom vengenace is due, is a fearful thing. We often lose sight of the fact that we serve a God that is complex and multifaceted, we do not undersand evrything he does, we're not told to understand we're told to believe and accept it as holy. It is a very popular subject today to talk about the love of God, there's nothing wrong with that, God is love. (I John 4:8) The problem arises when we attempt to limit God to that single attribute, God is not limited and he is as fearful to those who reject him, as he is loving to those who are his children.
Second, we see that it is a fearful thing to fall into his hands. That is to find youself completely at his mercy. God can do all his holy will and "none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" (Dan. 5:35) Our God is all powerful, and at every moment of every day we are completely at his mercy, even "the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as rivers of water he turneth it withersoever he will" (Prov. 21:1) Once again we try to limit God to a position where he is convinient for us to access. God has hands that reach to every corner of the earth. To be at the mercy of such powerful hands and be deserving of punishment would be fearful indeed.
Thirdly, we see it is a living God. Whether you choose to recognize it now or at the moment of your death, there is a God and he is very alive. Two prevalent ideas in this age is that there is no God, or that God is not active. The secular realm sticks to the "no God" argument, the obvious point of this scripture is that the fearful thing is that he is alive. The "religious" crowd tries to tell you that God got this world spinning and then just sat back and let it alone. This word "living" however entails being "lively" or active, our God is not limited to heaven, he works in evryone's life, every day, acting for the good of his children and his own glory.
These are just the three most obvious points of this verse, but still enough to make us reconsider how we view God and fit him into our lives. Do we think of him as an unlimited deity that can do all his holy will, or a limited God that we have carved out to fit our wants? As C. S. Lewis said of Aslan "He is good, but he is not a tame lion."
About 200 years ago a preacher by the name of Jonathen Edwards preached on this passage, his sermon was entitled, "Sinners in the hands of an angry God". It is reported that he read this sermon word for word off his notes in nearly a monotone voice, and yet by the close of the service the listeners were clinging to the pillars of the building, screaming that it was as if they could feel the flames of hell licking at their feet. What caused this reaction, clearly had nothing to do with his delivery, but instead with the profound content of the verse. When we break it down, we find layer after layer of doctrine condenced into these fourteen words.
First off we see that falling into the hands of a God ready to take vengance on those whom vengenace is due, is a fearful thing. We often lose sight of the fact that we serve a God that is complex and multifaceted, we do not undersand evrything he does, we're not told to understand we're told to believe and accept it as holy. It is a very popular subject today to talk about the love of God, there's nothing wrong with that, God is love. (I John 4:8) The problem arises when we attempt to limit God to that single attribute, God is not limited and he is as fearful to those who reject him, as he is loving to those who are his children.
Second, we see that it is a fearful thing to fall into his hands. That is to find youself completely at his mercy. God can do all his holy will and "none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" (Dan. 5:35) Our God is all powerful, and at every moment of every day we are completely at his mercy, even "the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as rivers of water he turneth it withersoever he will" (Prov. 21:1) Once again we try to limit God to a position where he is convinient for us to access. God has hands that reach to every corner of the earth. To be at the mercy of such powerful hands and be deserving of punishment would be fearful indeed.
Thirdly, we see it is a living God. Whether you choose to recognize it now or at the moment of your death, there is a God and he is very alive. Two prevalent ideas in this age is that there is no God, or that God is not active. The secular realm sticks to the "no God" argument, the obvious point of this scripture is that the fearful thing is that he is alive. The "religious" crowd tries to tell you that God got this world spinning and then just sat back and let it alone. This word "living" however entails being "lively" or active, our God is not limited to heaven, he works in evryone's life, every day, acting for the good of his children and his own glory.
These are just the three most obvious points of this verse, but still enough to make us reconsider how we view God and fit him into our lives. Do we think of him as an unlimited deity that can do all his holy will, or a limited God that we have carved out to fit our wants? As C. S. Lewis said of Aslan "He is good, but he is not a tame lion."
Think on these things
Phi. 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." July 25, 2007
As the saying goes, "the mind is a terrible thing to waste." Why then are there so many people who do just that with their minds? I'm not speaking of those who never educate themselves as much as they could (although that's a problem too), I'm talking about those who trash their minds with pornography, explicit violence, curse words and blasphemies. They give into the pressure of the flesh to gratify their fleshy desires. When this happens to a lost man it's sad, but expected. The real problem arises when the children of God, those who have trusted Jesus through faith and proclaimed that to the world, think on these fleshly things. The church has been compromised over time, giving into the world in the little things, a little at a time and the end result is a far cry from the truth.
I personally know "good, christian people" that allow their pre-teen children to watch movies laced with profanities, sexual references, and suggestive clothing. Then we wonder why they end up pregnant at sixteen, or when they learned how to cuss out their parents. The under lying problem is their thought patterns, from there it's only a mater of time until their actions follow. So what should we be giving them, (and ourselves) to think on?
Things that are true, the bible is 100% truth, but how many of us read it on a daily basis? Things that are honest, you'll be amazed how much you learn by reading history and real events. Things that are just, this implies teaching them that there is a difference between right and wrong, and that when a rule is broken, justice demands punishment. Things that are pure, purity simply means without any blemishes or defilement, this would cover a vast multitude of academic and entertainment sources, just so long as they're not tainted with sinful undertones. Things that are lovely, we live in an age that says "What's right for you is right for you, and what's right for me is right for me." People following that train of thought say "Who's to say blue jeans and a t-shirt is any less appropriate that a suit and tie, or blouse and dress." Everything from our clothes to art to music has been infiltrated by this teaching of "Beauty is relative." The bible teaches absolutes and that carries over into loveliness, different cultures have different definitions, but every culture has a fairly clear ideal as to what constitutes beauty. Things that are of a good report. The vast majority of the media focuses on all the bad, because bad news sells better than good news. Christians ought to strive to find information that is optimistic, now I realize that it's hard to to put the Virginia Tech shootings, or 9/11 in a good light, but we're not supposed to be dwelling on these. We are to be meditating on anything that is full of virtue and praise.
Don't feed your body good things and then fill your mind with trash, commit to use your mind and body and soul for the glory of God, by thinking on good things and letting good actions follow.
As the saying goes, "the mind is a terrible thing to waste." Why then are there so many people who do just that with their minds? I'm not speaking of those who never educate themselves as much as they could (although that's a problem too), I'm talking about those who trash their minds with pornography, explicit violence, curse words and blasphemies. They give into the pressure of the flesh to gratify their fleshy desires. When this happens to a lost man it's sad, but expected. The real problem arises when the children of God, those who have trusted Jesus through faith and proclaimed that to the world, think on these fleshly things. The church has been compromised over time, giving into the world in the little things, a little at a time and the end result is a far cry from the truth.
I personally know "good, christian people" that allow their pre-teen children to watch movies laced with profanities, sexual references, and suggestive clothing. Then we wonder why they end up pregnant at sixteen, or when they learned how to cuss out their parents. The under lying problem is their thought patterns, from there it's only a mater of time until their actions follow. So what should we be giving them, (and ourselves) to think on?
Things that are true, the bible is 100% truth, but how many of us read it on a daily basis? Things that are honest, you'll be amazed how much you learn by reading history and real events. Things that are just, this implies teaching them that there is a difference between right and wrong, and that when a rule is broken, justice demands punishment. Things that are pure, purity simply means without any blemishes or defilement, this would cover a vast multitude of academic and entertainment sources, just so long as they're not tainted with sinful undertones. Things that are lovely, we live in an age that says "What's right for you is right for you, and what's right for me is right for me." People following that train of thought say "Who's to say blue jeans and a t-shirt is any less appropriate that a suit and tie, or blouse and dress." Everything from our clothes to art to music has been infiltrated by this teaching of "Beauty is relative." The bible teaches absolutes and that carries over into loveliness, different cultures have different definitions, but every culture has a fairly clear ideal as to what constitutes beauty. Things that are of a good report. The vast majority of the media focuses on all the bad, because bad news sells better than good news. Christians ought to strive to find information that is optimistic, now I realize that it's hard to to put the Virginia Tech shootings, or 9/11 in a good light, but we're not supposed to be dwelling on these. We are to be meditating on anything that is full of virtue and praise.
Don't feed your body good things and then fill your mind with trash, commit to use your mind and body and soul for the glory of God, by thinking on good things and letting good actions follow.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Praying with faith
Acts 12:5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church of God for him. July 18, 2007
Peter, in this portion of scripture, had been thrown into prison by the gentile king, and all the church gathered to pray for him. God heard their prayers and in order to show Himself mighty, He rescued Peter from the prison by an angel. Once in the street Peter went straight to the house where the brethren were praying for him, the servant who answered the door ran and told those praying that Peter was at the door, they wouldn't believe her. They said that either the servant was crazy or Peter had been killed and his ghost was there, until they saw Peter with their own eyes. They were praying with no expectation of God answering their prayers. How often do we pray this same way? We pray for the sick, never really attributing it to God when they recover. We pray for the lost, never expecting them to get saved. We pray for rain and then act surprised when we get it. Just like those Christians 2,000 years ago praying for Peter, human nature really never changes and we forget that the bible has promised that "The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." Do we pray because it's a religious obligation, or because we have a Father who cares for us and our petitions? Do we pray to be seen of man, or to be heard of God? In Matt. 7:9-11 Jesus said "Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gift unto your children, how much more shall you Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" Any father with natural affection for his children loves to give them the things that are good for them and make them happy. But what if your child walked up to you and in a monotone voice, made some generic request, without looking directly at you, then walked away without waiting for an answer. How would you feel about how much they really wanted what they were asking for? If we began praying like we talk to our fathers, maybe God would would reward our faith and trust. Instead of the way so many people currently pray, as if they're talking into the air and not to the God of the universe. I know it's easy to fall into the trap of disbelief when speaking to someone we can't see, but that is when faith comes into play, that's when it really matters. Anyone can believe in the things they see, but it takes true faith to believe in the God you can't see or hear, yet you can see Him at work. Like the wind you can't see it but you can see the work of it, so likewise we can't see God, but we can see his handiwork all around us. That ought to encourage us to take more time to pray with the expectation that God is not only going to hear our prayer but answer it. Let's learn a lesson from the account of those praying for Peter, when a prayer is answered we should be thankful, but not surprised.
God is greater than our heart
I John 3:20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. July 11, 2007
It seems as if the modern world we live in has completely forgotten that this verse is in the bible. The prevalent theme being pushed by Hollywood today is "follow your heart", and the modern Evangelists, for the most part, have latched onto it. After moderating the "conversion experience", the recipient will ask the evangelist "Now am I saved?" He replies "What does your heart tell you?"
Such an interaction teaches the convert that the status of his salvation depends on what his heart feels. Jeremiah 17:9 says "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" There comes a time in many believers lives when their highly deceitful heart tells them, "You can't be saved, you're not good enough." It is at that time that our confidence in the saving power of God coupled with his all sovereign, keeping power, takes over. The second part of what our heart told was correct, we're never good enough for salvation, however we can be saved if we remember I John 3:20 is still in the bible. We have a God who is greater than our hearts, and though the logic of our heart would seem to tell us we are headed for hell, our faith in a sovereign God overrides that.
When the greater part of Christendom begins rejecting or downplaying the sovereignty of God, it hurts all aspects of our life, but no one area is hit harder than the area of conversion. Because if we do not serve an all powerful God, what hope do we have for salvation? I know for a fact I'm not good enough to earn it, the bible tells me I'm not smart enough to choose it, and my heart isn't trustworthy enough to sustain it. My faith lies solely in the blood of Jesus Christ and the love and power of a God that saved me when I never did a thing to deserve it.
Last week we discussed the worth of a soul, and the fact that our souls are worth more than the entire world. If that is what God saved, what do you have to deserve God paying such a high price? Is baptism an act that merits salvation, does mere water have some sort of efficacy that makes it worth God's while? Is church membership worth more than all material gain on the globe, can we do any works that would pay for such a debt? Would God pay the price of His only begotten son dying on a cross, if it took our works to keep that salvation? Obviously the question to all the answers above is a resounding "NO"! Understanding the biblical doctrine of the sovereignty of God in conversion, leads us to an understanding of the fact that we belong to a God that is greater than even our heart. Such a God deserves our all, does he not? Our all will not save us, it will not repay the debt he payed for us, but it is a service we do anyways, out of love and worship for such a God as ours.
It seems as if the modern world we live in has completely forgotten that this verse is in the bible. The prevalent theme being pushed by Hollywood today is "follow your heart", and the modern Evangelists, for the most part, have latched onto it. After moderating the "conversion experience", the recipient will ask the evangelist "Now am I saved?" He replies "What does your heart tell you?"
Such an interaction teaches the convert that the status of his salvation depends on what his heart feels. Jeremiah 17:9 says "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" There comes a time in many believers lives when their highly deceitful heart tells them, "You can't be saved, you're not good enough." It is at that time that our confidence in the saving power of God coupled with his all sovereign, keeping power, takes over. The second part of what our heart told was correct, we're never good enough for salvation, however we can be saved if we remember I John 3:20 is still in the bible. We have a God who is greater than our hearts, and though the logic of our heart would seem to tell us we are headed for hell, our faith in a sovereign God overrides that.
When the greater part of Christendom begins rejecting or downplaying the sovereignty of God, it hurts all aspects of our life, but no one area is hit harder than the area of conversion. Because if we do not serve an all powerful God, what hope do we have for salvation? I know for a fact I'm not good enough to earn it, the bible tells me I'm not smart enough to choose it, and my heart isn't trustworthy enough to sustain it. My faith lies solely in the blood of Jesus Christ and the love and power of a God that saved me when I never did a thing to deserve it.
Last week we discussed the worth of a soul, and the fact that our souls are worth more than the entire world. If that is what God saved, what do you have to deserve God paying such a high price? Is baptism an act that merits salvation, does mere water have some sort of efficacy that makes it worth God's while? Is church membership worth more than all material gain on the globe, can we do any works that would pay for such a debt? Would God pay the price of His only begotten son dying on a cross, if it took our works to keep that salvation? Obviously the question to all the answers above is a resounding "NO"! Understanding the biblical doctrine of the sovereignty of God in conversion, leads us to an understanding of the fact that we belong to a God that is greater than even our heart. Such a God deserves our all, does he not? Our all will not save us, it will not repay the debt he payed for us, but it is a service we do anyways, out of love and worship for such a God as ours.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
A time to get
Ecc. 3:6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep and a time to cast away. June 27, 2007
As stated here there are appropriate times and things to get and lose, however when I read this verse I automatically thought of another verse in scripture that deals with getting and losing. Jesus asks in Matt. 16:26 "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" I would venture to say that all of us have to ask ourselves this question, How much is my soul worth? Is it worth the whole world? If you could have all the power and influence over the entire world, if all the kings, emporers, presidents, and prime ministers bowed the knee to you would it be worth an eternity in hell? If all the money, resources, and materials of the world were given to you, would you get that and lose your soul? The majority of this world goes on, so caught up with power, money and material gain, they never take a second to think about eternity. The sad end will be that they die and find out they traded a season of getting for an eternity of loss.
Would you not rather the trade of be the other way around? Wouldn't it be better to trade a season of loss for eternal gain? The bible clearly tells us that a believer ought to spend less time building up treasures on this earth, and more time doing spiritual work. I wonder what would happen to the world's economy if all christians decided they were going to spend less time getting "stuff" and more time pleasing God. If we christians decided that we would rather do without the excess, in order to have more time for God's work. Do you realize that if you have a roof over your head, a car, eat three meals a day, and have some money in your pocket, you are among the top five percent richest people in the world. So why then do we continue to strive to not only have a roof over our head, but also have two extra bedrooms? Instead of being content with a car, we have to have a new one every two years. It's not enough that we have some money in our pockets, we insist on having enough to splurge on all the unnecassary toys, to impress our friends. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all for comfort and fun, I like having the new toy as well as the next guy. But, when the work for all this starts getting in the way of God, when we can't go to church because we have to work on Sunday, when we don't read our bibles because we're too tired, we've gone too far. We now have other gods in our lives that are coming between us and the one true God. I'm afraid the end result for the modern christian, is that our lives are consumed with the time to get and when we get to heaven we will find out just how much we actually lost.
As stated here there are appropriate times and things to get and lose, however when I read this verse I automatically thought of another verse in scripture that deals with getting and losing. Jesus asks in Matt. 16:26 "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" I would venture to say that all of us have to ask ourselves this question, How much is my soul worth? Is it worth the whole world? If you could have all the power and influence over the entire world, if all the kings, emporers, presidents, and prime ministers bowed the knee to you would it be worth an eternity in hell? If all the money, resources, and materials of the world were given to you, would you get that and lose your soul? The majority of this world goes on, so caught up with power, money and material gain, they never take a second to think about eternity. The sad end will be that they die and find out they traded a season of getting for an eternity of loss.
Would you not rather the trade of be the other way around? Wouldn't it be better to trade a season of loss for eternal gain? The bible clearly tells us that a believer ought to spend less time building up treasures on this earth, and more time doing spiritual work. I wonder what would happen to the world's economy if all christians decided they were going to spend less time getting "stuff" and more time pleasing God. If we christians decided that we would rather do without the excess, in order to have more time for God's work. Do you realize that if you have a roof over your head, a car, eat three meals a day, and have some money in your pocket, you are among the top five percent richest people in the world. So why then do we continue to strive to not only have a roof over our head, but also have two extra bedrooms? Instead of being content with a car, we have to have a new one every two years. It's not enough that we have some money in our pockets, we insist on having enough to splurge on all the unnecassary toys, to impress our friends. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all for comfort and fun, I like having the new toy as well as the next guy. But, when the work for all this starts getting in the way of God, when we can't go to church because we have to work on Sunday, when we don't read our bibles because we're too tired, we've gone too far. We now have other gods in our lives that are coming between us and the one true God. I'm afraid the end result for the modern christian, is that our lives are consumed with the time to get and when we get to heaven we will find out just how much we actually lost.
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