Jacob Sets up a Standing Stone

Jacob has an incident—as he is fleeing to Haran, some 1000km away—that so impresses him that he sets up a stone as a memorial of the event. Indeed, in the Hebrew in Gen 28.11, it is referred to three times as "the place," emphasizing its importance.

"The place," Jacob will rename Bethel—the house of God. In order to remember where God reiterates the covenant he made with Abraham (and which he also made with Isaac), Jacob sets up a stone on it's end (in Hebrew a matseba) as a pillar of remembrance. The word means "a standing stone," and it was common to set one up as a reminder of something important. Moses will erect 12 of them around Mt. Sinai as a reminder of the 12 tribes (Ex 24.4). Jacob will set up one at Rachel's tomb (Gen 35.20). We begin to understand the importance of that place to Jacob when we see that he set up a matseba. The night will change his life.

KJV Word of the Day: Stave

A "stave" was a strong wooden stick used as a pole or weapon (OED). I take it from Matt 26.47: "And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people."

Watch and Pray

Christ's instructions to Peter, John, and James after they had fallen asleep while he was praying. He tells them: "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matt 26.41, KJV).

This is truth which obviously extends to every believer—the disciples would learn this lesson well. The antidote to falling into temptation is to watch and pray and we should pay very close attention to this statement. The word that the KJV translates "watch" means "to stay on the alert," which was an obvious reference to them falling asleep. However, I think that Christ has a double meaning here of both "watch so you don't fall asleep," but also "watch yourselves so that you don't fall away from following me."

The twin antidotes to falling into temptation is to carefully watch your life so that you turn away from every from of evil, and to pray. We would do well as followers of Christ to listen to his words and act.

The Least of These

Every time I read Christ's words in Matt 25.45, I'm haunted in a good way; in a challenging way. Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me (KJV), Christ says. In other words, "If you do not serve those who are naked and poor and hungry and in prison, you do not serve me, AND YOU ARE NOT A FOLLOWER OF MINE." Sobering words, indeed.

I'm challenged each time I read through this passage (twice a year) that I need to better live up to what Christ calls me here. Before reading Tim Keller's excellent book on what mercy ministry looks like, I was inclined to be too judgmental and overly critical of those in need of mercy. Thanks to the work of the Holy Spirit through Tim, I'm beginning to overcome that judgmental approach and take a much more grace-driven approach.

So I've felt free to buy a homeless guy breakfast in Los Angeles, and a different one lunch. Now I'm starting to want to hear their story if they're willing to tell it. Do we need to be discerning in mercy ministry? Sure. I STILL don't just hand out cash to the homeless, lest they spend it on their addictions. However, a grace-filled approach allows me to better see them as individuals and better serve them as a follower of Christ. I'm not where I should be yet, but I'm moving in the right direction.

KJV Word of the Day: Sod

Sod is the past tense form of the archaic word seethe, which means to cook by boiling. The metaphorical use of "seethe" is still in use in the English language—"when the IRS audited my tax return, I was seething with anger."

I take the term from Gen 25.29: “And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: ” (Genesis 25:29, KJV 1900).

Paul to Felix: "I am in Agreement with the Pharisees...sort of"

In Paul's defense before Felix (Acts 24.14ff) he acknowledges the areas of agreement with his accusers (who now seem to be Pharisees, or at least some of the Pharisees). He says that:

• I worship the God of my fathers
• I believe all things that are written in the law and the prophets
• I have hope toward God
• I believe in the resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust
• I work to always have a conscience void of offense both to man and God

In other words, Paul is saying that he agrees almost completely with his accusers. The area of disagreement is on the person of Christ. Paul says that Christ is the Messiah, his accusers disagree, and want to see him killed.

All in all it is a brilliant defense from Paul, and Luke clearly weaves into the narrative Paul's innocence, both from his own perspective and from the perspective of Felix, the one who could set Paul free.

Ruth as an Example of God's Grace

Reading in Neh 13.1, this morning, in which it says that, as they were reading the book of Moses, they read that the Ammonite and Moabite should not come into the congregation of God forever. Ruth was a Moabite, what gives?

It seems pretty clear that the prohibition was for the Moabites as a people, not as individuals. So you have God in essence cursing a people, but then we see him paving the way for individuals to be accepted into the congregation of God. This is grace in action. Ruth was accepted by grace, even though she was a Moabite. I take this to mean that any other Moabite who left their (false) god and turned to the true and living God would be accepted as well.

KJV Word of the Day: Stead

This word is taken from Gen 22.13: And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. It is an archaic word for place, which is still used in the words "homestead" or "farmstead."

God Did Tempt Abraham

Reading in Gen 22.1, this morning, where the KJV reads: And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham. The Hebrew word there is better rendered "to test," or "to cause or allow hardship in a situation." So the ESV translates it (better): God tested Abraham.

It was a severe test, no matter how one translates the word, perhaps the most severe apart from Christ going to the cross for our sins. "Take your son and offer him up as a sacrifice! Yes, the one through whom I promised you a multitude of descendants, as numerous as the stars in the heavens."

One struggles to find adequate words to describe Abraham's anguish as he climbed Mt. Moriah with the boy. Hebrews 11 tells us that Abraham believed that God could raise Isaac from the dead, so we can assume that Abraham thought that he would have to go through with what the angel of the Lord had commanded. It is a dramatic moment, one of the most dramatic in the Scriptures, and obviously a type of the full and final sacrifice of Christ at the cross.

KJV Word of the Day: Implead

I take this from Acts 19.38: Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies: let them implead one another. As KJB Word Book points out, implead is an archaic word for "sue in a court of justice," or "bring charges against." It is a lonely rendering, for the prior translations had “let them accuse one another” and the revised versions returned to that. RSV has “let them bring charges against one another” and “we are in danger of being charged with rioting today.”

The Great, the Mighty, the Terrible God

KJV actually does a more interesting translation of Neh 9.32 then the ESV does. KJV translates it: Now therefore our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy. On the other hand, the ESV renders it: Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love.

Which is better terrible God or awesome God? The translated Hebrew word is "to fear." It means "to be in fear of," "to shudder at," "to be awed by," "to overawe, or alarm." It is difficult to get an exact correlation from Hebrew to English because we are not supposed to fear God as we would fear danger, for instance. On the other hand if we were to translate it "to reverence" God, I think that is not strong enough, and awesome God is a nice try from the ESV, but I don't think that is strong enough either. Thus the difficulties of biblical translation.

This is the very reason that C. S. Lewis so brilliantly captures the character of God by using a lion in the Narnia Chronicles. The lion is kind and gentle (most of the time) to Lucy, Edmund, Peter, and Susan. When he needs to be the lion is absolutely fear-inducing. He is strong. He is terrible. This sort of gets at the truth of "awesome God" or "terrible God" here in Nehemiah. The minute we start thinking of God as a kindly, old grandfather, is the minute we start to go astray.

As Lucy points out to Mr. Timnus, "He is not a tame lion."

Mr. Timnus responds, "No, but he is good."

Just so.

The Great God

Thinking about Neh 8.6, this morning: And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God (KJV). I like the way the KJV translates this passage. It's interesting that the ESV figured it couldn't improve on the translation since it translates the passage the exact same way. Indeed the Hebrew reads pretty much the same except the order is: And he blessed, Ezra, the great God, which conforms to Hebrew word order.

The salient point is that we serve, we love, we worship, the great God. The Hebrew is not "a great God," but "the great God." The people who heard the words of the Scriptures that day were profoundly moved by having them read and then explained to them. Oh that we would be so moved as we read and understand them day by day.

KJV Word of the Day: List

I take this from Matt 17.12, where Christ says, "But I say unto you, Elias has already come and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed."

The word means "to desire" or "to wish." The KJV Word Book says that it is archaic now, but survives in the word "listless."

Paul at Athens

Reading in Acts 17.22-31, this morning where Paul gives his speech at Athens. I'm struck by Paul's boldness in flatly declaring: "Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you" (KJV). My sense is that Paul knew what he was doing when he started off this way. I'm guessing that he was getting their attention by, in essence, calling them ignorant (which as it so happens, they were).

The other thing that stands out to me here is how Paul describes the character of God, which stands in contrast to what he emphasized when he was speaking to a largely Jewish audience who were familiar with the Tanakh. He points out that:

1. God made all things

2. God is Lord of heaven and earth.

3. God does not dwell in any house made of human hands.

4. God does not need anything from man.

5. God gave life to all things.

6. God made all men from one person.

7. All men should seek the Lord.

8. God is not far from any man.

9. In God we live and move and have our being.

10. God is calling all men everywhere to repent.

11. Judgment is coming.

12. Christ, the risen, will be the judge on that day.

Lydia

Reading about the conversion of Lydia in Acts 16.14. Luke tells us three things about her: She is from Thyatira; she is a seller of purple; and she was a worshiper of God. Ben Witherington in the Anchor Bible Dictionary says that she was a Jew; Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible says that she was a Gentile who had not converted to Judaism, but joined in worship with the Jews—an interesting disagreement.

At any rate she comes to faith—and here Luke is very careful with his words—The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul (ESV), or as KJV puts it: Whose heart the Lord opened that she attended unto the things which were spoken by Paul.

Lydia, who as a seller of purple cloth was probably quite well to do—purple cloth was the color of royalty so it was worn only by the privileged classes—comes to faith, the first convert that Luke mentions in Europe. The first church in Europe is rapidly (the same day apparently) established in her own home. It is with good purpose that Luke mentions her by name in Acts.

We cannot all be entrepreneurs like Lydia; however, we can have our hearts opened to the gospel by the Lord. Like Lydia, our duty is to listen and allow the Holy Spirit to come to bear on our hearts.

When Christians Disagree

Acts 15.36-41 is an interesting passage. There is a sharp disagreement between Paul and Barnabas over whether or not they should allow John Mark—he had abandoned them during their first missionary journey—back onto the missional team. Barnabas, the son of encouragement, wanted him back on. Paul disagreed. Luke points out that the disagreement grew so sharp that Barnabas and Paul had to separate over it.

Notice, however, their separation. Both continue in the work of the gospel; both go their separate ways; Barnabas takes John Mark and goes to Cypress; Paul takes Silas and heads to Syria. In God's ever sovereign way, he uses the disagreement to effectively double the force of missionaries.

Paul will later realize that John Mark is fit for the ministry (Col 4.10). The salient points here are that, first of all genuine, faithful Christians are going to have disagreements about how ministry should be done. This is not in itself a bad thing. Second, God can use these disagreements to further the gospel. Third, it's perfectly okay to explore solutions to problems that stem from these disagreements. There is no evidence that Paul and Barnabas hated each other, or that their conflict was unresolved. The difficulty was resolved by them agreeing to separate, and continue further ministry.

KJV Word of the Day: Charger

"Charger" is taken from Matt 14.8; And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me John Baptist's head on a charger.

A charger was a platter large enough to be loaded with roast meat and served.

Boisterous Winds

I love the way the KJV translates Matt 14.30 where Peter walks on water—for a second or two. The KJV says, when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid. Whether or not the term "boisterous" should be in the text is not that crucial (the ESV does not have an adjective about the wind). I think it is a fantastic description of exactly what gripped Peter at the moment. He—in his all too human way—became more concerned about the boisterous winds and waves around him, then he did keeping his eyes fixed on Christ. (I'm not throwing stones here, I read this story and Peter is me!).

I also find it interesting that Peter only starts to sink. Even though his doubts have overcome his faith for the moment, Christ still saves him. It's a beautiful picture of grace.

May boisterous winds and waves not prevent us from keeping our eyes on Christ!

KJV Word of the Day: Dure

"Dure" is taken from Matt 13.21: Yet hath he not root in himself; but dureth for awhile. Dure is an obsolete word now, originally taken from the Latin durare. It has been replaced by "endure." The meaning is to remain or persevere or last.

Catcheth Away that which was Sown

Thinking about Matt 13.19 this morning where Christ warns his disciples that: When anyone heareth the words of the kingdom and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. It is a sobering warning. The goal of Satan is, if someone receives the word of God, to catch it away so that it doesn't take root and grow. The goal for us is to ensure that when people hear the words of the kingdom, they understand them so that Satan cannot catch away what was sown.

KJV Word of the Day: Quaternion

I take this word from Acts 12.4: “And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. ” (Acts 12:4, KJV 1900).

From the King James Bible Word Book:

QUATERNION means a group or set of four. The Latin word quaternio was applied to the number four on dice; the Greek tetradion refers to four days in one of the ancient papyri discovered within the last 70 years, and to quires of four sheets of parchment in another. When Herod put Peter in prison, he assigned four quaternions of soldiers to guard him (Acts 12:4). The word “quaternion” was taken by Wyclif, and later by Tyndale, directly from the Latin Vulgate, and was retained by subsequent versions.

“Quaternion” is still living English in the realm of mathematics, and in the field of publishing, where it means a quire of four sheets, doubled so as to make sixteen pages. RSV drops the term and says “four squads of soldiers.” The significant fact is not that each squad was made up of four men, but that there were four squads, each to be on duty during one of the four three-hour watches of the night. The squad of soldiers which was detailed to crucify Jesus seems to have consisted of four men (John 19:23). There is an interesting article on Acts 12:4 in Edgar J. Goodspeed, Problems of New Testament Translation, pp. 131–132.

The God of Heaven, He Will Prosper Us

Nehemiah's words to Sanballat, Geshem, and Tobiah when they opposed his plans to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem in Neh 2.20. Nehemiah's courage and trust really stand out here. He's presiding over a relatively huge city with walls that have been destroyed and are nothing more than rubble. The task is so big it's almost incomprehensible. He has influential men who oppose him, and he speaks by faith when he says that the God of heaven will prosper us. He is now out on a limb where, if God doesn't come through, at best he will look foolish, at worst he might be in grave physical danger. Such is the nature of faith.

Result of story. Nehemiah's faith is vindicated. The God of heaven, he DOES prosper Nehemiah and those who have come back to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

Faith wouldn't be faith if we could see exactly what God is going to do or how he is going to come through. Nehemiah's statement is made based on what he knew about God's character.

KJV Word of the Day: Winebibber

I took the KJV word of the day from Matt 11.19: “The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children. ” (Matthew 11:19, KJV 1900)

It's a pretty easy word to understand, and a fairly descriptive one at that. Here's what the KJV Bible Word Book says about it:

WINEBIBBER. From the Latin verb bibere, to drink, are derived the English verb “bib,” to drink or tipple, and the nouns “bibation” and “bibber.” “Winebibber” occurs three times in KJ. It is retained by RSV in Proverbs 23:20–21:

“Be not among winebibbers,

or among gluttonous eaters of meat;

for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,

and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.”

Here “winebibbers” represents a Hebrew phrase which means “drinkers of wine,” and “drunkard” stands for the Hebrew word which appears also in Deuteronomy 21:20.

“Winebibber” is not retained by RSV in the comment which Jesus quoted concerning himself: “Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Matthew 11:19 = Luke 7:34).

Thy Servants; Thy People; They Great Power; Thy Strong Hand

I like how Nehemiah prays to the Lord using four possessive pronouns in Nehemiah 1.10. It's not like he is pointing out something that the Lord doesn't know; it's that the Lord wants us to point these things out; he wants us to, in essence, hold him to his character. This is a good thing.

It's like Nehemiah says: "Remember Lord, we are talking about your people and your servants who you bought back with your great power using your strong hand. Surely you don't want to lose what you have bought back."

The result of Nehemiah's great prayer recorded here? God uses his great power and strong hand to bring his servants and his people back to the land from which God himself exiled them 70 years before. It's an amazing prayer and an amazing answer to prayer.

KJV Word of the Day: Gainsaying

My KJV strange word of the day today is "gainsaying," taken from Acts 10.29: Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for: I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me?

From the King James Bible Word book: GAINSAY, GAINSAYING, GAINSAYERS. “Gainsay” is not yet obsolete, but it has become a purely literary word, slightly archaic. It is the only word that remains of a set of compound verbs which were common in the middle ages. These verbs were formed by prefixing “gain” or “again” (both meaning “against”) to the verb root: “again-call” (to revoke), “again-rise” (to rebel), “gainstand” (to resist).

“Gainsay” means to speak against, hence to deny, contradict, oppose. RSV replaces the term in each of its five KJ appearances. “Without gainsaying” (Acts 10:29) is “without objection.” “A disobedient and gainsaying people” (Romans 10:21) is “a disobedient and contrary people.” For “perished in the gainsaying of Core” (Jude 11) RSV reads “perish in Korah’s rebellion.” “… able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers” (Titus 1:9) is more accurately translated “… able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to confute those who contradict it.” In Luke 21:15 RSV follows the ancient Greek manuscripts, in which the order of the words differs from the medieval manuscripts available to the KJ translators; it therefore changes “which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist,” to read “which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.”

Confess; Do His Pleasure; Separate Yourselves

Ezra's instructions to those Jews who had offended God by disobeying him and marrying foreign wives (Ezra 10.10-11). Ezra called these men to repentance, which would be demonstrated by: 1. Confessing their guilt; 2. Doing God's pleasure (in other words being obedient to God); and 3. Separating themselves from their foreign wives. This was a messy, difficult process and one which took time, but the ones who repented did do these three things.

What strikes me about this passage is that the process of disobedience had become entrenched and accepted. A man looked around him and saw other men taking wives who were not Jewish and said, "They did it, I suppose I can to." I'm wondering if this translates into our culture in the form of Christians taking on the forms and behavior and entertainment viewing habits and attitudes towards divorce of the world with little thought or discernment. Not that we set out to sin or to depart from holiness, but that we end up there by our undiscerning choices.

KJV Word of the Day: Suborn

Suborn is actually a word that is still in use legally; I use it simply because I did not clearly understand what it meant and found it interesting that the word was used in the KJV. It is used in Acts 6.11: Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. The meaning both in this context and legally is: To bribe or otherwise induce someone to commit an illegal act.

Harassed and Helpless

In my continuing journey through the KJV in celebration of the 400th year since it was completed (1611), I was reading in Matt 9.36, this morning. The KJV translates it as: “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. ” (Matthew 9:36, KJV 1900). The translation is based on an eighth century error in copying the Greek text. It is more accurately translated: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ” (Matthew 9:36, ESV)

Matthew's comment is interesting, what did he mean that Christ saw the crowd as "harassed and helpless?" Harassed by political authorities? By their economic situation? By their state of sin? The immediate context connects both physical affliction and illness and evangelism; indeed the very next verse is where Christ points out that "the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." I would tend to think that being "harassed" in this context would imply both physical and spiritual harassment and need. In other words the crowd was both physically and spiritually unsettled or troubled.

KJV Word of the Day: Haply

I figured that since I was reading through the KJV this year I would highlight an unusual word in the KJV once per day if I come across them. I do this with the help of the King James Bible Word book which defines and traces the use of these words. I'm enjoying highlighting them as I read through the KJV.

Today's word is haply which I came across in Acts 5.39: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.

KJV Word Book: HAPLY means by hap or chance, hence “perchance,” “perhaps.” It is used 6 times in KJ: “if haply” (1 Samuel 14:30; Mark 11:13; Acts 17:27); “lest haply” (Luke 14:29; Acts 5:39; 2 Corinthians 9:4). For some reason the revisers of the New Testament in 1881–1901 joined the word “haply” to “lest” in 20 cases where KJ did not have it. In 7 of these cases “lest haply” was substituted for “lest at any time”; in the other 13 “lest haply” took the place of “lest.” The RSV has eliminated “haply.” In almost all cases the element of contingency is sufficiently expressed by the simple “if” or “whether” or “lest.” RSV uses “perhaps” (Luke 3:15; Matthew 25:9); “might” (Acts 5:39; 27:29); and “in the hope that” (Acts 17:27).

It is an interesting fact that the original edition of KJ (1611) had “happily” in 2 Corinthians 9:4. This then meant the same as “haply,” as may be seen in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, IV, 2, 57 or Hamlet, II, 2, 402. The latter passage reads:

“Hamlet: That great baby you see there is not yet out of his

swaddling clouts.

Rosencrantz: Happily he’s the second time come to them; for

they say an old man is twice a child.”

They Ceased not to Teach and Preach

The last verse of Acts 5 (Acts 5.42). The pattern of the apostles in the days and months after Christ's ascension was to teach and preach daily. Luke says that they taught in the temple as well as in every house, meaning I think that they were happy to preach and teach wherever there were people willing to listen to them.

It is a good standard and a good pattern for we believers who follow the apostles 2000 years later. The gospel is not meant to be confined to the limits of a church building; it is to be proclaimed wherever and whenever we can gather a crowd who will listen.

We Cannot But Speak the Things

The testimony of Peter and John to the Jewish rulers in Acts 4.19-22. The Jewish rulers tell them to just keep quiet about Christ; the pair had, after all, just managed to pull off what even the rulers themselves recognize is a miracle. Peter and John's response: We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard (KJV). In other words, "we are compelled to speak," " we must speak about these things."

The pair are a good example of the power of the Holy Spirit in action. He compels them to speak; to testify of Christ; they must speak. Would that we would respond to the impulse of the Holy Spirit when he calls us to testify of Christ.

Prayer: O Lord God, may we be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and, like Peter and John, when he calls us to speak, may we testify as well: We cannot but speak the things we have read and believe.

The Wonderful Works of God

I'm doing my devotional Bible reading in the KJV this year to celebrate the 400th anniversary of its printing. I'm in Acts 2.11, where all of those who hear the disciples preach on Pentecost say that that in their own language they are hearing them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

Sometimes we can get so familiar with all that God does that we forget that his works are wonderful.

Pilate Meets the Son of God...and It Scares Him

Pilate has a fascinating response to finding out that Christ claimed to be the Son of God. When Pilate hears this he "is more frightened than ever." Perhaps because his own wife has already sent him a message saying, "have nothing to do with that righteous, innocent man." Pilate does not listen, nor does he give in to the inner voice that tells him, "your wife is correct, buddy. You'd better listen to her." Unfortunately (on the other hand, fortunately for us), but in God's divine plan and providence, Pilate condemns an innocent man to death, one whom, ironically enough, Pilate himself has declared is innocent.

You have the spectacle of a guilty man declaring himself innocent of condemning an innocent man to death, and the irony of knowing that by that innocent man, Christ, Pilate himself will be declared guilty. Strange doings in history.

He Has Avenged the Murder of His Servants

This from the vast crowd in heaven as they worship God the king in a praise song in Rev 19.1-2. Some might cringe at what appears to be the thirst for blood. I think it is better understood as the thirst to see God take his place for all time as king of all things. The people who murder God's servants are implacably opposed to God and all that he stands for, else why would they kill his servants. We think back to the cry of the martyrs in the great tribulation, "How long O Lord?" How long will you let this murder go on? How long until you stop these people who oppose and hate you?

The cry of the vast crowd in heaven is a cry that God would win out over his enemies; that he would act justly by punishing evil; that he would stop the murder of innocents. It is a good cry. It is a good prayer.

Come quickly, Lord, and avenge the murder of your innocent servants, in India, and Iraq, and North Korea, and China. and across the whole world.

The World's Sin

According to Christ the world's sin is unbelief: The world's sin is that it refuses to believe me; he tells the disciples in John 16.9 (NLT). This seems to fit squarely into Paul's description of sinful man and his penchant to worship anything and everything but the Creator.

Professing to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. (Rom 1.22-23, NASB).

Just so. It is not difficult to explain why this is. Mankind is prone to pride; refusing to believe that Christ is God is the outward indication of the desire to be one's own God.

Given Authority

Reading in Rev 13.7, this morning. And the beast was allowed to wage war against God's holy people and to conquer them, and he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation.

What strikes me here is that the text (NLT) says that the beast was given authority to rule. The beast doesn't take authority, though when it happens it may seem that way, he was given authority; given it by God. This fits neatly into the biblical theme of God's overriding sovereignty. Nothing happens outside of God's control and care. Even as we approach the true end of history (as opposed to Francis Fukuyama's now debunked theory), when it appears that the forces of evil are ascendant; their ascendancy is given to them by God for his good and wise purposes.

What are followers of Christ to do in light of this truth? God's holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful (Rev 13.10, NLT)

First Words

The first words of the company of the redeemed in heaven are recorded in Rev 7.10 [as opposed to the first words recorded in heaven in Rev 5.13, but this is all of God's creatures, not the redeemed]. Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb! The first word is salvation (in Greek "the salvation"). Place in the Greek language is important, so the first recorded words out of the mouth of the redeemed in heaven is "salvation." It seems to me that this puts the emphasis on God's greatest work in history, the redemption of his people. To whom does salvation belong? To us? To our ability? To our acute intelligence in recognizing our need for Christ? Not according to the song of the redeemed in heaven. Salvation belongs to God the king, and to the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

Apocalypse (Almost) Now

Thinking about Rev 6.8 this morning: "I looked up and saw a horse whose color was pale green. Its rider was named Death and his companion was the Grave. These two were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals" (NLT). This is an astonishing number—roughly 1.5 billion people today. How it happens and the time frame is not clear, it is after all the book of Revelation. What is clear is that this is a true apocalypse, a shattering of the complacency of the earth and it's silly theories that there is no God, nor any purpose to life, nor any ultimate truth or reality.

Faith is not a One Time Inoculation

The faith lesson I take from 2 Chron 16.7-9. Asa had won a great victory over a huge army of Ethiopians early on in his reign because he trusted in the Lord and the Lord provided a great victory. The next time a big test came up, he trusted the king of Syria, rather than the Lord. His punishment was that he would have constant war for the remainder of his reign.

You cannot assume that, because you had faith once, you are good to go for the rest of your life. A huge spiritual victory is no guarantee that the next time you have a battle you will also win a huge spiritual victory based on the last one. Faith is a living, breathing, never-sitting-still, never satisfied thing. You either grow in the faith or you go backwards; there is no such thing as "making it;" there are no plateaus upon which we may rest on our laurels. It is always and ever upward in the life of faith; trusting on God to grow us.

When Your Pockets Seem Full of Holes

Reading in Hag 2.14-19. I take a couple of faith lessons from this passage for us.

The first thing we should do when things go against us is to ask ourselves, "Is the Lord poking my pockets full of holes?" Which is to say, is the Lord bringing difficulty on me because I have not been faithful to him, or because he is trying to tell me something? God does not always bring difficulty because we have been unfaithful (witness Job's life); however, he sometimes does, which is why we need to rule that out first thing.

Second, the people had holes in their pockets because they were building their own stuff while the Lord's house lay in ruins. They were neglecting God's dwelling place among his people. God does not dwell in church buildings now, as he did among his people then (some deep theology here that I don't have time to go into. How can God "dwell" in the temple and yet be everywhere?). Where does God dwell? He dwells in the hearts and lives of believers, so in the same way the exiles should have been rebuilding the temple first, we should be, as the group Watermark put it, asking the Lord to "come and make my heart your home."

Clearly Predicted

On the road to Emmaus, Jesus, unrecognized by two of his followers, asked this question of the two: "Wasn't it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?" Christ goes on to explain to the pair how he (even though they didn't recognize him) fulfilled the Scriptures. The ESV translates the same expression "wasn't it necessary" which is more accurate. The word in its context here means to indicate that something that happened should by all means have happened (BDAG). So Christ's death and resurrection were meant to happen, and indeed, he goes on to explain to his followers just exactly what he meant by that. (Oh, if I could only have been a fly on the wall at THAT exegesis of the Scriptures!)

But Not Here!

Reading in Luke 22.27, this morning in the NLT. It does a nice job of this verse: Who is more important? The one who sits at the table, or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table of course, but not here! For I am among you as one who serves.

But not here. This is a good summation of the approach to greatness in the kingdom of God. In the world at large important people sit. In Christ's kingdom, important people serve.

Prayer: O Lord God, may I be a willing servant to people.

Two Characteristics of God Emphasized in Public Worship

Reading in 2 Chron 7.3, this morning where the people see the glory of the Lord and fire come down on the temple when it is dedicated. They burst out into praise of God. Their praise seems to be a liturgical formula that was used in worship to praise God (2 Chron 5.13). What I find interesting is that the formula emphasizes two characteristics of God: He is good; and, his covenant love (Hebrew: Hesed, a difficult to translate word because there is no comparable equivalent in English) endures forever.

It would seem that following this pattern in our own praise of God might be a good thing.

Observations on the Parable of Ten Servants

Reading in Luke 19.11-26 this morning, the parable of ten servants. Here are some observations not grouped in any particular order:

1. It is a parable of ten servants, but only the first three are referenced. I wonder if "ten" had any significance.

2. Luke says that the purpose of the parable was to dispel the notion that the Kingdom of God would begin right away. This is nice of Luke because we know what Christ's purpose was, which helps us interpret the parable correctly.

3. There is no difference between the servant who made ten times the original amount or five times the original amount. They get the same reception: Well done! However, their reward is different and appears to be based upon their output. The point is that the king tells them both, "Well done!"

4. The worst thing that one can do is nothing. The servant who did nothing with the money entrusted to him is given the harshest punishment. He loses everything.

5. While the punishment for those who did not want the king to rule may seem harsh to our modern ears, to Christ's hearers this would have seemed perfectly just and normal. A king was sovereign ruler, deciding on matters of life and death within his realm. He had certain subjects who were rebellious; who did not want his rule and reign. They were rebellious subjects and worthy of death. Christ's hearers would have agreed with him. This is what rebellious subjects deserved.

God is Good...Trouble Comes

I find it interesting how Nahum juxtaposes God's goodness with trouble coming in Nahum 1.7: "The Lord is good; a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him." Nahum saw no difficulty in the fact that God is good, and that he allows trouble to come into the lives of those who trust in him (actually he allows trouble to come into the lives of all people). We sometimes connect God's goodness to no trouble, the Scriptures never do. In this way the Scriptures face reality much better than we do. They obviously see no paradox between God's goodness and men's troubles. In other words it is quite obvious from the Scriptures that God is both good and he allows troubles to enter into men's lives. He does this for many reasons, some that make sense to us, and some that we cannot fathom, which is to be expected. He is God; we are not.

The second part of the verse is the one to hang onto here. God is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to all who trust in him. Are you in trouble? Do you trust in God? Then he is close to you. That's what you need to know. That is what you need to hang onto. That is enough.

Prayer: O Lord God may I understand deeply that it is exactly at the point of trouble and difficulty that you are most present; that your refuge is the strongest; that you are most demonstrating your goodness to us.

Dead Men Walking...and Talking...

...are no match for the Word of God. So Christ implies by his parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16.31). Every time I read this passage I am stunned anew by the hardness of men's hearts and the power of the Scriptures. Abraham states plainly that if men are not convinced of their need for a Saviour by the words of Scripture; they will not be convinced by dead men walking, and warning them of what lies beyond death.

In light of this truth, how ought we to evangelize? Scripture and more Scripture. Take every opportunity to get it before those to whom we share. Speak it. Teach it. Read it. Proclaim it. If men are saved, they will be saved through the Word of God.

The Promise of Freedom

Thinking about 2. Peter 2.19, this morning. Peter is severely taking to task false teachers in the church who promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you (NLT). Deep words. True words. How foolish we are if we turn aside from the excellency of Christ to pursue things that are useful in this world only. The endless pursuit of sex only makes you a slave to your sexual nature; there is no satisfaction to be found there. The same goes for power. The same for pride.

Don't shipwreck your faith in pursuit of a few colored glass beads and some temporal trinkets. True, lasting freedom is to be found in Christ alone.

Prayer: O Lord God, may I pursue Christ always. Christ before all things. May I see his excellency and desire him alone.

Don't Worry Mon

If we put Christ's message to his hearers in Luke 12.25-26 into a Jamaican context it would be "Don't worry Mon." As the NLT puts it: "Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can't accomplish a little thing like that, what's the use of worrying over bigger things?"

So easy to absorb, but living it out is a slightly different matter. Anxiety comes easy to me so it's a constant battle to give it to the Lord over and over and remind myself that he expressly said not to worry.

Location:George Washington Memorial Pkwy,Arlington,United States

Clean on the Outside; Filthy on the Inside

Christ accuses the Pharisees of being clean on the outside—of having the appearance of being righteous—but filthy on the inside in Luke 7.39-41. They were doing things that made them appear religious, but inside they were doing just the opposite. As Christ points out, they were full of greed and wickedness. Do something, Christ says, to rid yourselves of that greed, "give gifts to the poor," and you will rid yourselves of greed and at the same time you will both understand God's heart and train yourselves in living rightly.

We would like to think that we are not like the Pharisees, but in reality we are. All too often I am motivated by greed rather than generosity, and stinginess rather than freely giving. Christ condemns this attitude very strongly here.

Prayer: O Lord may I not be a Pharisee, but may I have a heart for the poor; a heart for those less fortunate; a heart filled with compassion; may I have your heart.

A Certain Immoral Woman

Christ was such a radical in some ways that his actions seem radical to the casual reader 2000 years after his resurrection. A case in point: The immoral woman. I like the way the NLT puts it: "When a certain immoral woman from the city heard that he was eating there...she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet and she wiped them off with her hair" (Luke 7. 37,38).

Two astounding things about this passage. First, Christ knows what the Pharisee in attendance is thinking about this whole encounter. Christ knows his mind! Wrap your brain around that.

Second, does anyone think that Christ didn't know the woman was immoral? I didn't think so. The woman was plainly immoral and known for it. Indeed, in the whole counter in Luke, she doesn't even say anything! The upshot: Her sins are forgiven. Wow! A truly remarkable encounter.

On Favoritism

My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? (James 2.1 NLT). So simple and direct. If we are followers of Christ, we should not show favoritism to the rich over the poor, or to the poor over the rich; to businessmen over the working-class or the working class over businessmen, etc. Every person is equally as valuable as the next because they are a person. I suspect that sometimes it is a real struggle not to do this and we need to check our hearts and actions so that we don't do it. We honor God when we treat every person as God created them: equal.

A Sword Will Pierce Your Own Soul

Simeon's words to Mary at the presentation of the baby Jesus at the Temple as recorded in Luke 2.35: As a result the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed and a sword will pierce your own soul. Simeon's comment is fascinating. Why does he say that a sword will pierce Mary's own soul? Mary's soul would not be unaffected by her own child. How so? She will come to the point where she will understand that her own son will bear her sins in his body at the cross. The baby that she had delivered would himself deliver her from the power of sin and the sting of death.

Amazing.

Nature Gives Thanks

Reading in Ps 145 this morning, where David writes: All of your works will thank you, Lord, and your faithful followers will praise you (Ps. 145.10 NLT). This is one of those passages in which nature is described as if it were animate. How can a rock for instance thank the Lord, and yet this is what we find again and again in the Scriptures.

I find this interesting. Why would God choose to use revelation this way? I'm wondering if it is a manifestation of how closely linked he is with his creation and how all of creation points us towards him. This is not to imply that God is a part of his creation, as if we believed in pantheism. I think it points more towards the wisdom and loving care with which God created and sustains the world. He did not set it adrift and step back to allow it to run on its own. He is actively, carefully, and wisely involved in guiding and directing all of his creation. This is the message of the Scriptures.

Prayer: Lord Preserve My Life

Isn't it a self-centered prayer to ask God to preserve my life? Answer: Maybe or maybe not. It depends on the motivation. If I am praying that God will preserve my life so I can live a little longer and enjoy this world a little more (and by default him less), then yes, it is a self-centered prayer. However, in Ps 143.11, we have a great example of David praying this exact prayer in a way that glorifies God.

For the glory of your name, O Lord, preserve my life. Because of your faithfulness , bring me out of this distress.

David's prayer is that in preserving his life, God's name will be glorified. David will get the help; God will get the glory. This is a God-centered prayer. When God demonstrates his faithfulness to David, it isn't David who will be praised, it is God.

This is why we can pray fervently and honestly for our own or other's restoration from illness. God is glorified when he heals people of illness, so it is good to pray that he will do so. Does he HAVE to heal them? Nope. He is God. He can do what he wants; however, he IS glorified; he is made to look great; his majesty and strength and power are demonstrated when he heals in response to our prayers.

So go on, O Christian. Are you sick? Is someone you know sick? Are you in danger? Pray fervently for God's preservation of life. As long as your desire is for God to look great!

Soliloquy from a Cave

In Ps 142 we have David's soliloquy from a cave. His lament. His difficulties poured out. It's not pretty; quite ugly in fact. David doesn't mince words.

He cries out to the Lord. He pleads for the Lord's mercy. He pours out his complaints. He tells God of all his trouble (If you're staying in a cave, then you're definitely in trouble). His enemies have set traps for him wherever he goes. No one cares. No one gives him a passing thought. No one will help him. He is very low. His persecutors are too strong for him.

And there in that cave, in the middle of his lament, we find the gem. "You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life." It takes desperation and a cave to strip away life to its bare essentials. A cave is a refuge when God is present, not because of the cave, but because of God. There is nothing else and David discovers that he has everything he really wants.

Prayer: O Lord God, may we understand what David discovered, that we need nothing else besides you.

Our Gracious God

I love Heb 4.14 in the NLT: So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. It's a rather stunning truth that we can come to the Creator of the universe boldly; this would be something akin to an ant coming to an elephant boldly. Such is the nature of our gracious God; he wants us to come boldly. What do we find there? Mercy and grace when we need it most. God is adept at giving us just what we need, just when we need it (and not a moment sooner usually).

Prayer: May I, Lord, come boldly to your throne. You are the gracious God. You promise mercy and grace. You will give what you promise.

Worship Worthless Things...

...and one becomes worthless oneself. So says the NLT's translation of 2 Kings 17.15: They rejected his decrees and the covenant he made with their ancestors, and they despised all his warnings. They worshipped worthless things and so became worthless themselves. I like the way the NLT translates this. How true it is that when we commit our hearts to worthless things, we become just like the things themselves.

Descending into Sin

We have a picture of the descent into sin in Hos 9.7b: "Because of your great sin and hostility [Israel] you say, "The prophets are crazy, and the inspired men are fools" (NLT). Israel has reached a stage in sin in which, not only do they reject the messages that God sends through the prophets, but they call the prophets themselves "fools" and "crazy." This is a sign of a hard heart indeed, and it is the nature of sin. When the descent into sin goes far enough then not only are we doing what we want without regard to what God says, but we are actively opposing all that he is and does.

Notice, however, that the people would probably answer this charge by saying, "Well, we are not opposing God at all, we are just opposing these prophets who are bringing such a simple message." It's easy to justify what one wants to do, especially when blinded by sin. They were oblivious to the fact that opposing God's messengers was like opposing God himself.

Sign of the Apocalypse: Hating what is Good

So says Paul to Timothy in 2 Tim. 3.3. In the last times, writes Paul, difficult days will come. Signs that we are in the last times are: [People] "will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good" (NLT). Whether or not, we as a world community are in the last days I can't say, but we in America certainly seem to fit the bill. In one generation we have gone from loving good and hating evil to hating good and loving evil. It is a remarkable shift, and one often seen in nations that have become morally bankrupt. Funny thing is, we are almost completely blind not to the shift per se because it is evident for all to see. We are blind to how immoral the shift is. We think it is a good shift, a good thing.

Suffer Well Christian, Suffer Well

Paul to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2.3 - "Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus." Notice that Paul assumes the inevitability of suffering for the Christian. It is something to be expected. "Endure suffering as a good soldier would endure suffering," says Paul. It is a metaphor which is close to my heart and one I understand well, having endured some suffering as a Marine. We are not instructed to escape suffering, though in some circumstances when we are able and it does not hinder the work of God, it is okay to do so. However, when we are in God-ordained, inescapable suffering, we are to endure it well.

Guard the Precious Truth

So tells Paul to Timothy in 2 Tim 1.14 - "Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you." I like the translation. The key word, it seems to me, is "guard" which is the translation of the Greek word φύλαξον, which means to watch over carefully. Timothy (and by application we) are to:

1. Guard the precious truth

2. Carefully guard it.

3. Guard it through the power of the Holy Spirit (who by the way lives within us).

All of this Paul communicates in 11 words in the Greek. A lot of meaning packed into just a few words.

The Velvet Mighty Hand of God

I'm studying in 1 Pet 5.6ff this morning and I've suddenly been struck by something. In vs. 6 Peter tells us to "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God." The preposition translated "under" refers again and again in the NT to submission and subjection; "And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church" (Eph 1.22).

But wait! Peter recognizes that this is in no way an onerous command because he immediately writes: "Casting all your anxieties upon him, because he cares for you." This is profound. The one to whom we are called to be "under" or in submission to, is the one who cares for us. The mighty hand of God, therefore, is a velvet hand; a hand of support and aid. C. S. Lewis captures this image brilliantly in the person of Aslan the Lion as an allegory for God. Aslan is strong and mighty and terrible. To his people, to Edmund, Peter, Lucy, and Susan, he is firm, but kind.

Submission to the mighty hand of God, then is for our good. Who would not flee willingly to the strongest bulwark when under attack? Who would not appeal to the President for aid if he just happened to be our father?

May we submit joyfully and willingly and with great zeal to the mighty hand of God, and in return we receive his help, care, and concern. God gets the glory; we get the help.

Everything Serves Your Plan

So says the NLT in Ps. 119.91. I like the translation: "Your regulations remain true to this day, for everything serves your plans." An alternative translation of the Hebrew might read: "Everything serves you." What struck me today was the word "everything." There is much about faith in Christ that leaves us baffled. Why does God call us to do certain things? Why does evil seem to run rampant and unchecked? Why do bad things happen to good people? Not all of these questions are answered in the Scriptures; however, the fact that everything serves God's plans, or everything serves God gives us a good start to an answer and the willingness to persevere in the faith even when we don't fully understand the God we serve. Everything serves God's plans. Everything.

My Only Hope...

...is your promise. So says the psalmist in Ps. 119.49 - Remember your promise to me, it is my only hope (NLT). Yay!! I love this translation. It demonstrates my utter dependence on God. It demonstrates God's utter commitment to me. God made the promise. His promise is my only hope. God gets the glory (for helping me); I get the help.

Now I Know

The confession of Naaman after he comes to faith in the God of Israel. As the NLT puts it: Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Quite a turn of heart as a reaction to his healing from leprosy, which was the incurable disease of the day and greatly feared by all. After he is cured Naaman's conversion is immediate and final. He will worship the God of Israel only. He will no longer worship Rimmon, the (false) god of Aram.

When we follow Christ it ought to be exactly as Naaman did: Once we make the decision there should be no hesitating between the world of unbelief and faith. It should be immediate and final.

Prayer: Oh Lord God, may we use the faith of Naaman as a pattern for our own lives, and see in him your ability to change, in an instant, whomever you call to faith.

We Were not Idle

Paul and those with him worked hard night and day both proclaiming the gospel and working (in Paul's case as a tentmaker) to support themselves on the road while pursuing his God-given mission of reaching the Gentiles. There is a great example here for us. We are not to aim for retirement per se; we are to aim for ceaseless labor for the cause of Christ, until he calls us home. If we are confined due to health then we can labor ceaselessly in prayer, but there is almost always something we can be doing in terms of ministry. Brothers (and sisters) let us not be idle.

Eternal Comfort; Wonderful Hope

Two results of grace listed in 2 Thess 2.16: "Now may our Lord Jesus himself and God our father, who loved us and through his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say."

Grace gives us eternal comfort through its promise of an eternal rest into which we enter. This is the hope that sustains us as we labor.

Everything God Does...

...reveals his glory and majesty. Beautiful words. Powerful words. The whole verse reads: Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty. His righteousness never fails. (Ps 111.1, NLT). The Psalmist connects God's glory and majesty to his righteousness in an interesting way. As if to say, in all that God does (which reveals his glory and majesty) he is and acts righteously. As we would expect God's righteousness is inseparable from his glory and majesty.

He is Able to Humble the Proud

Nebuchadnezzar's conclusion in regards to God's character after seven years living in the fields like a wild beast (Dan 4.37). God had humbled him. God IS able to humble the proud, but if we finish this story and all we take out of it is that Nebuchadnezzar needed to be humbled and consequently was humbled then we miss the point altogether.

We are the proud. I am the proud. I am Nebuchadnezzar. Sobering thought, no?

And It was Good

Reading in Psalms 104.31 this morning where the NLT says, "The Lord takes pleasure in all he has made. (The ESV translates this "May the Lord rejoice in his works," which I do not like since it seems to be calling for the Lord to do what he is already doing. The TNIV also has "may," so linguistically maybe it's correct).

At any rate, I'm wondering what it means for the Lord to take pleasure in all he has made. The UBS commentary points out that it looks backward to Genesis 1 and 2 where God declares all that he had made good. This seems to me to be the best interpretation.

When one looks at the world, everywhere and in all places (as Psalms 104 states emphatically) God's creation holds us in awe. Truly God made all things in wisdom and it is no wonder that he declared it good because it IS good; it demonstrates incredible wisdom and power, again and again and again.

Privilege of Trusting; Privilege of Suffering

Twin privileges that Paul expresses to the Philippians in Phil 1.29. These twin privileges were given to the believers in Philippi, or as Paul puts it: For you have been given, not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are surprised at this second privilege and it is here that we enter the deep waters of faith. It is a privilege to suffer for Christ? Isn't this something we endure; something that we bear up under until the weight of suffering goes away? A privilege?

I think that Paul would consider it a privilege because suffering is indicative of someone who truly believes. One's faith is tested at the point of suffering. It's easy to be a disciple of Christ when it costs me nothing, but when it is costly, then my commitment is truly tested. To the extent that the Philippians were bearing up under suffering, their faith was proving genuine, and this was a privilege indeed.

Darkness is my Closest Friend

Never accuse the psalmists of having a too optimistic view of people, neither of other men, nor of himself. I love the honesty in Ps. 88.18 - You have taken away my companions and loved ones; Darkness is my closest friend. A true experience of life, and one that neither the psalmist nor we should be afraid to express. Sometimes darkness is out closest friend and that is the way God, in his providence, has arranged things. Why does he do this? To teach us dependence for sure, but the fact of the matter is that he often does not tell us why he does these things. This is the nature of faith.

The Mystery and Hope of Adoption as God's Children

I am basking in the mystery and promise of Eph 1.5 (early) this morning. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. These words are fully of mystery and hope. What does it mean that God decided this in advance? How? Paul doesn't bother to dwell there, probably because God has given no direct answer to this question. It is a mystery that he has allowed to remain a mystery. I am grateful for God's action in advance, meanwhile I do not understand it.

On the other hand being adopted into his own family I do understand, at least partially. This fact gives me (and every follower of Christ) great hope because our lives have purpose and meaning, and there is an end, or purpose to all of this. I, We !, those who follow Christ by faith, are part of God's family. Incredible.

April 29, 587 B.C.

On this date Ezekiel, having received a message from the Lord, declares that Babylon will destroy Egypt; that Egypt's idols will be smashed and destroyed; and that her people will be carried off into captivity. The year before this Pharoah Hophra had come to Zedekiah's aid when Babylon besieged Jerusalem. He had been soundly defeated and went back to Egypt licking his wounds. After the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC, Nebuchadnezzar would invade Egypt and destroy her. So prophesied. So done. Egypt would never again be a prominent world power, to this day.

The point here, the faith lesson, is that God will do what he says he will do. Men are often stupid enough to mock God's promises because they have not all been fulfilled since the day they were made. This is a foolish position indeed. God doesn't feel the need to chain himself to man's expectations; this would be something akin to a lion responding to an ant; it is beyond the bounds of possibility. God holds his own council, but he accomplishes all he has promised. And by all, I mean all.

Dear Generation X...or Y...or Z...

What is God's message to each successive generation? I'm glad you asked. It's quite simple really, given to us in Ps. 78.7. Each generation should:

1. Set its hope anew on God - Which is to say, realize that whatever one feels about the environment or politics or war or the other hot button issues of the day, the ultimate answer to every problem of society and Man is for each generation to set its hope anew on God.

2. Do not forget his glorious miracles - What God has done in the past gives us hope, strength, and courage to persevere in the difficulties of our lives/generations. Never forget the past, O Generation X, Y, Z never forget all that God has done for his people.

3. Obey his commands - This sounds so easy, but its not so easy, we tend to prevaricate, to hedge, to fudge God's commands and turn them into our own policies as filtered through our hearts (aka idol factories). We must obey God's commands.

Prayer: O Lord God, may my generation do these three things, while not forgetting the 4th, to pass on a passion for God to the next generation. Do thou, O Lord, raise up the next generation that follows mine to have no other god, but you alone.

Want to be a Servant of God?

Then you cannot have as your aim to please people. This is a huge danger, especially if one is a people person. If people pleasing were my goal, writes Paul, I would not be a servant of Christ (Gal 1.10). Paul leaves no wriggle room for us in that statement. Either we are servants of Christ, or we are people-pleasers. We are never both. As servants of Christ we would do well to keep that fact in mind.

Prayer: O Lord God, may my aim be to serve Christ with all of my heart, soul, and mind, and not to attempt to please people.

Human Defiance and God's Glory

I love the way the NLT paraphrases Ps 76.10: Human defiance only enhances your glory, for you use it as a weapon. I'm not sure I agree with the whole paraphrase, but I do think they get the first part correct; human defiance does enhance God's glory, and it appears to be a fair paraphrase of: surely the wrath of man shall praise you (ESV).

How does human defiance enhance God's glory? When God overcomes it; when God demonstrates himself more powerful than human defiance, then his glory is enhanced. We see again and again and again in Scripture and history that indeed, God is always and everywhere more powerful than human defiance. In comparison to God's glory, human defiance is like a single ant attempting to destroy a huge concrete building. It's laughable.

Prayer: O Lord, your glory is enhanced by human defiance. May we not be defiant as followers of you, but may we side with the one who is all-powerful and will win any confrontation with human defiance. May we side always and ever with you.

A Strangely Contemporary Comment

In Ps 74.9-11, this morning. We no longer see your miraculous signs, all our prophets are gone, and no one can tell us when it will end, writes the psalmist in vs. 9. How contemporary this reads. God has gone silent (we do not see, at least in America, his miraculous signs, we do not hear from his prophets, indeed, we believe that verbal revelation has ended). This period seems much like the 400 silent years between Malachi and John the Baptist. The enemies of God seem to have the upper hand, or at least God is not fighting them overtly, and while the gospel advances in some areas, our experience here is that it is stagnant or even decreasing. Which makes us agree when the psalmists says, Why do you hold back your strong right hand, unleash your powerful fist and destroy them! Why don't you win this war, Lord, win now? Or as Matt Chandler tweeted last week when he dealt with two people whose loved ones had passed away, "Come Lord, and stop this madness!"

The mystery of God's silence and apparent lack of motivation to finish history. God doesn't feel the need to give us too much of his plans, and certainly none of his timetable (which is just as well because we would probably immediately sin trying to take advantage of it). This is where patience and faith comes in. Patience as we wait for God to destroy his enemies and end history, and faith that our hope in Christ is sure and certain.

Prayer: Maranatha (Come!), Lord Jesus.

We Can Ask Questions

Thinking through the implications of Ps. 73.21-23, this morning. Then I realized that my heart was bitter and all torn up inside...Yet, I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. I take from this that it is okay to have questions; it's okay to ask questions. God doesn't smack us down. Even though, in the midst of his questions Asaph was bitter and torn up, yet God did not leave him.

Go on then with your questions, O follower of Jesus Christ. You still belong to God. Indeed, God holds your right hand.

The Source of True Justice

Is...no surprise here, God. Solomon asks the Lord in Ps 72.1 to give him as the king, God's justice. The NLT puts it Give your love of justice to the king, O God. An apt paraphrase. God loves justice, true justice, because that is his character. He is a loving God. He is a just God. Both characteristics are true of God. Solomon realized that, as God's leader of the people, he needed to have God's sense of justice. Thus his prayer.

Prayer: O Lord, God may I love justice as you do, but, like you, may I mix it with love.

The Foundation of (Our) Generosity: God's Character

I love, love, love how the NLT puts 2 Cor 9.10: For God is the one who provides seed for the sower and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. This grounds God's provision AND our generosity in God's own character. It all flows from him, which is a reason for both humility and profound gratitude. Humility because I realize that, despite my own opinion, what generosity that can be traced to my character comes from God's blessing me in the first place. Profound gratitude because one of the very reasons for God's generosity to me is so that I might have enough with which to be generous to others.

O Lord God, forgive me for how I often try to steal your glory by attributing generosity to myself rather than to you and to your blessing in my life. I understand that all of what you have given could be (rightfully) taken away in an instant. May I not pursue the things you have given, but the One who has given them. And may I bless others; be radically generous to others because you have been radically generous with me.

For We Know...

Struck by a comment from John Calvin on one of my favorite verses this morning, 2 Cor 5.1. He wrote: Even the heathens had some idea of the immortality of the soul, but there was not one of them, that had assurance of it — not one of them could boast that he spoke of a thing that was known to him. Paul has no question at all that there is a building to come, made by God, which is eternal and will replace our earthly bodies. This is precious food for the soul, especially of a 50 year-old. This old body is a pretty good one, but it shows the marks of death and decay more and more. It will not last forever, but I will last forever. We know this. What great hope to read Paul's confidence in 2 Cor 5.1.

Prayer: Thank you, O Lord God, for the truth Paul states here. That we can know what lies beyond the grave; that it gives strong hope; that we will have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Bathsheba to David: I am pregnant

Thinking through the repercussions of 2 Sam 11.1-5, this morning. The narrative makes it clear that Bathsheba is pregnant and that she is pregnant by David. Neither David nor Bathsheba nor the author of Samuel have the least doubt that David is responsible. Her only recorded words in the narrative "I am pregnant," set forth a string of events that ends in the death of her husband with David being fully responsible for that death (after attempts at coverup). It is a shocking story; one designed to expose us to the reality and wide effect of sin.

Prayer: O Lord, may I understand more fully through David's actions the wide-ranging effects of sin that begin with such minor actions - he saw from the roof a woman bathing, and she was very beautiful.

Faith Without Love is Wasted

In 1 Cor 13.2 this morning: And if I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

Faith without love is wasted because it is nothing. The gift of prophecy and understanding all mysteries and knowledge, if I do not combine them with love is worthless. This is the importance of love.

Oh Lord God, may I remember that in your kingdom it is always love and... It is easy to deal with people on a practical level without thinking through what love would do in a situation. Sometimes love appears merciful; sometimes love appears judgmental; it takes great wisdom and commitment to understand the difference. May I love people, O Lord, as you love people.

Paul: Be Imitators of Me

A fascinating statement from Paul in 1 Cor 11.1, with many implications.

1. He implies that he has the authority to tell the Corinthians to imitate him. In other places he directly states that he has such authority because he is an apostle, on par with Christ's other apostles.

2. He implies that he is imitatable. By that I mean that he implies that it is possible for other believers to imitate his life and character. He was not a "super-saint," out of the reach of the normal Christian.

3. He directly states that his life and character imitate Christ's life and character and that such life and character is in the realm of possibility for his readers.

4. He implies that we ought to have a goal in terms of the Christian life and that goal ought to be to imitate Christ, with Paul as an example of how that is done.

A lot of power and truth packed into a few words.

Now to actually doing it...

The Source of all my Joy

Absolutely LOVE Ps 43.4 in the NLT: "There I will go to the altar of God - the source of all my joy."

Can the same be said for me? What would that look like in my life? The altar was a place of worship. Is worshipping the Lord the source of all my joy? Or does my "joy" too often come from what God has created rather than the one who created?

Prayer: Oh Lord God forgive me for too often taking joy in what you have made rather than in you alone. May my life agree with the Psalmist here. May the source of all my joy be in you alone.

Abigail

Pondering the character and conduct of Abigail this morning in 1 Sam 25. The name Abigail means: Abigail #1 (ab’-e-gul) = Father of exultation; father of joy; cause of joy; the joy of my father; exultation; joy; gladness; my father is joy. She was a cause of joy, perhaps, to her father? From her character and conduct one can imagine that she lived up to her name, although her marriage to Nabal was unfortunate (did her father give her in marriage to Nabal because he was wealthy? It seems like a genuine possibility).

We find her both honest enough to admit the character of her husband (which his servants also recognize and admit, this was not an embittered woman making things up) and filled with tact, diplomacy, and wisdom as she recognizes the slight to David's character by not reimbursing him for protecting Nabal's interests, and acts quickly to defuse the situation. She was also faithful to her worthless husband.

Her humble response to David's marriage proposal (she knew somehow that God had anointed David as the future king of Israel) reveals again her wisdom and tact. One imagines that she was a good wife to her (new) husband.

The Long Reach of Sin

It is to Jonathan's credit that he understands and accepts the fact that David will be the king of Israel and not him: And he (Jonathan) said to him, "Do not fear for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Saul, my father, also knows this (1 Sam 23.17).

Jonathan's plan is to serve with/under David when he is king. God's plan is different. Jonathan, while innocent of Saul's sin, is killed in battle along with Saul. We see here the long reach of sin. Saul destroys not only himself in his sin, but also his son, along with most of the rest of his household. What a heinous thing is sin, and how far the unforeseen consequences.

The Limits of (Human) Wisdom

You will never get to God through human wisdom, ever. This is the wisdom of God. So says Paul in 1 Cor 1.21. (For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preached to save those who believe). There is a wisdom of man, which will never get man reconciled with God. There is a wisdom of God (as Paul will go on to say in just a few verses, God's foolishness is greater than the wisdom of men—he leaves it to us to figure out what this would mean in terms of God's wisdom).

You will get to God by the foolishness of the cross and only by the foolishness of the cross.

Prayer: Oh Lord God may we gain a deeper understanding of the futility and limits of human wisdom in understanding you and your ways; and may we rest in the foolishness of the cross.

Cujo

A photo I snapped last night of Cujo, our Blue and Gold Macaw, with Matt. Anyone who owns parrots will tell you that they act like two year olds—sometimes they love you, sometimes they nip you. Yep, Cujo is a typical parrot.

When I picked him up from the breeder, I asked her, "why is he named Cujo?" (I knew that Cujo was the name of a famous rabid St. Bernard in a Stephen King novel). She answered, "Oh, you'll find out." When I opened his travel cage to let him out after we arrived home, he tried to bite me; then I understood.

Parrots need a lot of activity and interaction, so I try and keep him out of his cage as much as possible. He even sleeps on a T-stand in our room (yeah, I know it's weird, but then we are weird people, probably weirder than your average bird owners). They can also screech to wake the dead. Thankfully, Cujo is quieter than your average macaw (but yes, he can (and probably has) awoken the dead).

He's also EXTREMELY protective of his gang (that would be us). When Kelly's boyfriend first started coming over, he was harassing Kelly (in fun) and Cujo jumped off his cage, ran over and attempted to bite Andy. He has hated Andy ever since (parrots have long memories).

Speaking of gangs, parrots are flocking birds, so if you live in the house, you are part of his flock. This generally means that a. he likes you and will protect you, and b. if you are eating something, then he ought to be eating something as well (and not nasty bird food, real human food), after all we are part of the same flock and the flock shares its food.

Oh, and for some reason, he REALLY loves women in general, and blonde women in particular. He DOES NOT like strangers who talk loud and move fast, and he HATES Andy. Andy is the enemy.

Does God Deliver? Or doesn't He?

Reading in Psalms 34.17, this morning: When the righteous cry for help the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their trouble. I went immediately (in my Bible reading plan) to Lam 3, where (in part) I read: “He has walled me about so that I cannot escape; he has made my chains heavy; though I call and cry for help, he shuts out my prayer; he has blocked my ways with blocks of stones; he has made my paths crooked.” (Lam 3:7–9 ESV)

What's going on here? Does the Lord deliver, or doesn't he? I think that the answer is obviously, yes, He does; and no, depending on what we see as deliverance. This is a case where we must compare scripture with scripture. It would be easy to make a blanket statement "Based upon Ps 34.17, it's obvious that the Lord will deliver me out of any and all trouble I have when I cry for help."

Suffice to say, that part of the answer to this rests in the fact that our definition of what deliverance looks like and God's definition may be (and often is) radically different. This fact clears up a lot of misunderstanding. Notice also, that after Jeremiah laments for 20 verses that God is against him and blocks his way with blocks of stones, he suddenly pens out some of the most majestic words about God in all the scriptures: “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lam 3:21–23 ESV)

Sometimes deliverance can be in the form of "out of" our difficulties. Sometimes it can be in the form of deliverance "through" the problem. Other times it is deliverance "in the midst of." I don't think any of this deliverance violates what David has said. I say without hesitation that every martyr who has ever been killed on behalf of Christ would say, "Yes! God delivered me out of my difficulties (into life glorious and victorious)."

Surrounded by Hesed

"Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord." (Ps. 32.10)

When we are trusting in God (the truth here states), we will be surrounded by "unfailing love" (NLT) or "with mercy and lovingkindness" (AMP), or "steadfast love" (ESV), or "sa grace" (NEG). We struggle to come up with an adequate translation for the Hebrew word "Hesed."

Hesed is not easily translated into English. It could imply mercy, or loyalty, or "faithfulness to the covenant." In this case "covenant love" probably gets closest to the meaning. We are surrounded by God's love which is faithful to the covenant that he freely enters with those who trust him.

This truth will get us through a multitude of difficulties.

Prayer - O Lord God, may abide and rest in the comfort of your unfailing covenantal love, and may I pass that commitment on to others. May they see your hesed through me.

Location:SNA

Why Is Samuel Crying

In 1 Sam 15.11, this morning - "I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command." Samuel was so deeply moved when he heard this that he cried out to the Lord all night."

I'm wondering why Samuel was so impacted by God's statement. Because he had appointed Saul? He understood what it would mean for the nation? It wad what he had expected and warned about? Whatever the reason he was so deeply moved that he cried out to the Lord all night. (We wish the author had explained THAT as well). The upshot of a night spent crying out to God is that Samuel goes and explains to Saul that God has effectively removed him from bring king. Sobering words to a king. Samuel was more concerned with God's glory than he was flattering a king's vanity. Perhaps that is the lesson here.

Prayer - Oh Lord, may I be more concerned for your glory than I am the approbation of man, and may I be obedient to your commands.

Location:SFO

I am Sure/Confident/Convinced

Reading in Rom 8.38,39, which we might call the summit of Paul's theology, the apex. He begins it with this statement, I am sure (ESV). I don't really like the ESV's translation here because Paul uses the perfect tense which one uses of something that was true in the past, is true now, and willl be true into the future. It is a very strong tense, and Paul makes a very forthright comment. He deliberately uses the perfect tense (pepeismai), meaning, ‘I have become and I remain convinced’, for the conviction he expresses is rational, settled and unalterable. (John Stott).

So whether we translate it as I am sure, or I am convinced, or I am persuaded, or I am confident, Paul's message is that he has no doubt about what he is about to say; he is firm; he is without hesitation. Of what? That any created thing would or will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. THAT you can take to the bank.

Free From Sin; Slaves to God

Paul describes the change in our lives when we come to faith in Christ in Rom. 6.22. Human nature bristles at the suggestion that we are slaves to anything (except our own passions, to which we seem to have no problem being enslaved). The reality, as Paul understands very well, is that, by nature, we are going to serve something or someone. This is how God created us. It might be false gods, it might be Satan, it might be ourselves (this is the typical state of modern man, we are usually serving ourselves); hopefully it is the Lord, but we ARE going to serve something. Of course we must not neglect the end result of being slaves to God, the fruit you get, says Paul, leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. Personally, I'll take that deal.

Insight for Living

I like the way that the NLT translates the second phrase in Psalm 19.8 -

The commands of the Lord are clear,

giving insight for living.

Just so. Perhaps this is where Chuck Swindoll got the idea to name his ministry. The point, however, is that God's commands give us wisdom into how to live our lives. We often think of them has hindrances to our freedom, and burdens to be borne. David understands them for what they are, limitations by which we thrive in life. God's commands allow us to live abundant lives, which is what we were looking for all along. How foolish of us that we do not see this.

In the Footsteps of Abraham

Reading in Rom 4.24,25 today where Paul tells us that, if we follow the Lord by faith then we walk in the footsteps of Abraham. In the same way that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness, so it will be to us also. Neither Abraham, nor we are justified by works, we are all justified by faith in our Lord Jesus.

Hannah

I am in Samuel 1, this morning, and struck again with the character of Hannah. As the New American Commentary points out, this is no accident. The narrative is constructed to point out Hannah's character in such a way that we do not miss it.

Hannah is portrayed as the most pious woman in the Old Testament. Here she is shown going up to the Lord’s house; no other woman in the Old Testament is mentioned doing this. In addition, Hannah is the only woman shown making and fulfilling a vow to the Lord; she is also the only woman who is specifically said to pray (Hb. pll; 1:10, 12, 26–27; 2:1); her prayer is also among the longest recorded in the Old Testament. Furthermore, her prayer includes the most recorded utterances of Yahweh’s name by a woman (eighteen). She is shown avoiding the faults of the first infertile covenant woman by seeking help from Yahweh rather than pursuing crafty schemes (cf. Gen 16:2). She also avoided the fault of Jephthah, who likewise made a vow that separated him from his child; whereas Jephthah gave his daughter as a burnt offering, Hannah gave her child as a living sacrifice (cf. Rom 12:1). NAC

In addition there is also a mystery here. What is the point in emphasizing Hannah's barrenness which the writer specifically says came from the Lord?

The Lord had closed Hannah’s womb. This surprising affirmation—without parallel in Hebrew narrative regarding the Lord’s people (but see Gen 18:20)—appears twice in these verses (vv. 5–6). Hannah’s infertility was no accident of nature; it was the deliberate work of the Lord. There is an inescapable irony in these statements. The same God who in the Torah commanded humanity, and specifically Israel, to be fruitful and multiply (Gen 1:28; 9:1; 35:11) had made Hannah the Israelite incapable of fulfilling the divine command. The text’s statement that it was God who closed Hannah’s womb is significant here, for biblical narratives usually use God’s personal name when they describe activities that are significant in Israel’s covenantal relationship with God. Yet in this pair of statements lies a mystery: What good covenantal purposes can be accomplished through a woman’s sterility? NAC

Don't be fooled into thinking that this is an accident; that the writer did not understand what he was doing. He fully understands the tension between God's command (Be fruitful and multiply) and God's action (he closes Hannah's womb). That is exactly the point. He wants us to see the difficulty here.