Redeeming the Time

Eph. 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. . Thinking about this verse this morning. The word "redeeming" means:

ἐξαγοράζω exagorazō; from 1537 and 59 ; to buy up, i.e. ransom; figuratively, to rescue from loss (improve opportunity): — redeem.

We are called to buy up the time, or more correctly to rescue it from loss. It would be easy to go overboard with this command and insist that every moment must be somehow linked to service of God; I do not think Paul meant to be legalistic like that here. Rather, I think he meant to make sure that we aren't letting life drift by without thinking about how we use time and how we might use it more profitably.

This phrase translates the Greek exagorazō, which can also mean “redeem” or “purchase.” Christians must actively take advantage of the opportunity to do good (cf. Ps. 90:12 ). Wisdom is especially needed in an evil age where the pathway of holiness is not always immediately clear until one reflects upon God's Word and discerns his holy will. ESV Study Bible

Ephesians 4:17

17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

Paul calls followers of Christ to be different than the world. The world (here signified Gentiles) walks in vanity of mind, or in foolishness or futility. Louw-Nida defines "vnity" as: pertaining to being useless on the basis of being futile and lacking in content—‘useless, futile, empty, futility.’ There thoughts are futile and without (true) content; they think wrongly, because their minds are blinded by Satan.

We (followers of Christ) are to be different. We are to walk with a mind that follows Christ, or as Paul succinctly puts it the truth is in Christ, vs. 21.

Mystery Revealed by Revelation

Eph. 3:3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,

Paul says that his understanding that Gentiles along with Jews were able to receive the grace of God was given by revelation (apocalypse) from God. This matches with Peter's same revelation as recounted in Acts 10.9-16.

This is also our hope as non-Jews. What God had planned, but kept hidden from the foundation of the world, was now made clear in Christ. All people could follow Christ by faith.

The Middle Wall of Partiton

Ephesians 2:14 - For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

The middle wall of partition was a wall that separated the court of the Gentiles from the rest of the temple. Any Gentile that went beyond that partition was subject to the death sentence! In Christ? No longer. He broke down this wall making the two peoples one. Bringing both parties into peace with God. Christ is our peace! That is the point.

Peace with God means that we are no longer at war with him, no longer subject to his wrath, no longer in danger perdition. Christ has changed all of this in his body at the cross.

A New Creation

Galatians 6:15
15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

Reading in Gal 6 this morning where Paul tells the Galatians, dead works—even dead works of circumcision—are useless when it comes to the Christian faith. What God wants is from uses to be new creations in Christ, and this is something that does not come by works. It comes by faith.

What does it mean to be a new creation? Paul has already told us in Gal. 2.20; we are to be crucified with Christ so that Christ lives in me. See also 2Cor 5.17.

"The Dead Bodies of Thy Servants"

Every once in awhile the Scriptures are just shocking.  Never more so than in Ps 79.1-5.  Here Asaph (or a descendant of Asaph?) describes what Jerusalem looks like after it has been destroyed by the Assyrians (or Babylonians?).  God's people lie dead in the streets in such great numbers and without any burial, that they are food for the buzzards of the air.

Notice that the protagonists here, the ones who do the killing, are a country that does not believe in God, indeed that is dismissive of the God of Israel.

So we have the picture of God's people slain, by pagans at God's will and plan!  If that doesn't shock you, not much will, I'm afraid.

Imagine living through this experience.  Do you think it would shape one's theology of God just a little?  Imagine trying to explain this, theologically.  Yes, it happened due to the sins of God's people, but still the result is shockingly unexpected

In Weakness; Strength

I'm reading in 2 Cor 12.10 this morning where Paul sets forth one of the fundamental aspects of the Christian faith:  Strength comes in weakness, or, as Paul puts it: "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."

If persecutions, infirmities, and distresses are for Christ's sake (as opposed to our own stubbornness or foolishness), then God uses them for our strength.  There are any number of Christians who can attest to the empirical truth of Paul's statement:  Joni Eareckson Tada comes to mind.

To the world, weakness is weakness.  To the Christian, one's weakness is God's strength.  Indeed, as Paul points out (vs. 9), Paul's own experience with weakness was sovereignly brought about by God.

So many mysteries and surprises to the Christian faith.

To Draw Near

Reading in Ps. 73.28 today.  "It is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works."  This is Asaph's summary and conclusion.  He has wrestled with the fact that the wicked seem to prosper in this life and seem to be free from the difficulties of those who are faithful to God.

The God who seemed to allow the wicked to go unpunished (though as the psalmist himself concluded, this was not the ultimate truth), it is good for me to draw near to that God.  I have put my trust in that God.  It is done.  It is decided.  This is the life of faith.

Soli Deo Gloria

Reading in Psalm 72.18-19 this morning, as John Calvin points out, a passage that ends the second book of Psalms and so serves as a climax and summary statement. "Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory."

Soli Deo Gloria. To God alone be the glory. This is the way that the second book of Psalms ends, and a fitting ending it is. God alone does "wondrous things." God's name alone deserves to be blessed forever and ever. God's glory alone is what the earth ought to be (is!) filled with.

Oh, that Soli Deo Gloria would be the guiding philosophy of our lives.

God's Concern for the Poor and Needy

Sodom (and Judah) are condemned in Ezek 16.49 for several things: They were filled with pride; they were full of bread; they had an abundance of idleness (free time?); and they did not strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. It's quite clear that with resources (full of bread) and time (abundance of idleness) Judah (and Sodom) COULD have shown mercy to the poor and needy. They did not. They are condemned for this.

Our culture sounds a lot like that of Sodom and Judah (our churches sound a lot like Sodom and Judah). We as Christians must battle the materialism of the culture and grasp (in philosophy and action) God's heart for the poor and needy. The church has done this throughout history (or ought to have done so). We need to make sure that we do not neglect it.

A Steadfast Heart

Reading in Psalm 57.7 this morning where David writes: "My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise" (KJV). Actually the literal reading is "Fixed, my heart, O God; fixed, my heart" as David emphasizes that his heart is fixed, or as the ESV translates it "steadfast."

According to Webster, steadfast means "firmly fixed or established." So here David is emphasizing that his heart (the center of his being, as we would also describe it in our culture) is firmly fixed in an attitude of worship and dependence upon God. A heart like this will not change due to circumstances or emotions.

This passage reminds me of Paul's admonition to the Corinthians in 1 Cor 15.58: "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord." With David our hearts should be fixed, steadfast, immovable, devoted to God despite our own feelings or emotions at the moment. Because we know—as David points out in vs. 10—"for your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds."

This God is Our God

Reading in Psalms 48.14 this morning. "For this God is our God forever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death" (KJV). A precious truth; a precious promise.

The precious truth: This God is our refuge in Zion (vs. 2); He is infused with lovingkindness towards his people (vs. 9); this God is our God.

The precious promise: "He will be our guide even unto death."

As Charles Spurgeon points out: "He will be the covenant God of his people world without end. There is no other God, we wish for no other, we would have no other even if there were."

"I Married a Fool"

No, this is not Cherie's description of our marriage. This is Abigail's description of her marriage in 1 Sam 25.25. This is another instance where it pays mighty dividends to study the definition of Hebrew proper names. Abigail is married to Nabal. The word Nabal means "a fool."

One wonders what exactly his parents were thinking, "Let's set the little boy off right in life, let's call him "The Fool." We don't know how he got his name, whether it was a nickname he earned through his behavior, or whether that was his name from the start and it doesn't really matter. Nabal means "a fool" and he acts like a fool. He's also described as "churlish and evil" (KJV). One would have to search long and hard to find anyone in the Bible described in a worse way.

One thing that fascinates me about the narrative here is Abigail's character. She is married to a fool, she knows it, the servants know it, David certainly knows it, but what do we find her doing? Being a good wife to Nabal. She ends up saving his life! This is a woman of character.

After Nabal dies (the Lord smote Nabal [KJV]), David sends his servants to take Abigail as his wife (When my wife—who is on the same Bible reading plan as I—read this passage, she said, "Wow, way to woo a woman, David. Send servants to propose." Strange culture, that).

A couple of things stand out to me in this story. First, it's possible to be the richest man in your neighborhood and still be a fool. Second, it's possible to be married to the biggest fool in your neighborhood and still live righteously.

Avoiding Sinners

Paul explicitly explains what sinners to avoid in 1 Cor 5.9-13. He says to avoid fornicators and idolaters and drunkards and extortioners, people like that. With one important caveat. He does NOT mean to avoid people like that who do not claim to be Christians, because then one would have to exit the world (and if we do that, how do we evangelize the world). We are instructed to avoid so-called Christians who unrepentantly engage in such behavior. This is the important point.

Christians that act like the world and do not wish to change; are not concerned with repentance; want to keep on doing what they are doing, are to be avoided. Their lives deny Christ overtly. Avoid these types of people.

As to unbelievers who are fornicators and idolaters and drunkards, etc. Love them and tell them that Jesus can save them from all of that.

Disciplined, not Abandoned

Reading in Psalm 38 this morning. A psalm that starts with: "O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath," ends with "Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation." It's such a beautiful psalm because in it we see that even though we sin and fail God (as David readily admits to doing), we can be sure that God will not abandon us. David has sinned, and yet God is still his salvation.

God will discipline us; he will never abandon us.

Symbiosis: Our Trust/His Salvation

Thinking about Psalms 37.40 this morning where David writes: "And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; he shall deliver them from the wicked, because they trust in him." In the Hebrew literally it says: "And delivering, he will deliver them," which is a construction that means "The Lord will surely deliver his people from the wicked."

The foundation for this deliverance on the part of God's people is their trust in him; "because they trust in him." The foundation on the part of God is his own character; he will do what he says.

There is this interesting symbiosis here between our trust and God's salvation. When we trust in our God, he will surely deliver us from evil. When we do not trust in our God, then we are practically acting as if he were not our God. Why deliver people who don't trust in God as God?

The action point for us is that we work on continually and completely trusting in God at every moment, for every thing.

A Faith that Stands

Reading in 1 Cor. 2 this morning where Paul is concerned with communicating a faith that stands (1 Cor 2.5). One real danger to Paul's way of thinking was imparting a faith that stood upon the wisdom of men. Paul doesn't explain what he means here, but I don't think it is too hard to figure out. Faith that rests upon the wisdom of men is faith that always makes sense, that always has an explanation. Ultimately this is not faith and one understands that the wisdom of men comes to the point at which it stands silent before Almighty God, unable to fully explain him. Paul fully understood this danger, so he was careful not to lay a foundation of rational, man-centered religion, but faith that is grounded and explainable only in Jesus Christ and him crucified. This was a faith that stands.

That No Flesh Should Glory

I'm reading in 1 Corinthians 1.29 this morning: "That no flesh should glory in his presence." God is rightly concerned for his own glory and has so constructed salvation that no person can glory in his salvation. It all comes from the Lord with the aim that no one else can glory in salvation, but God alone.

"Grace is the glory of God, not the merit of him who has been freed." Prosper of Aquitaine

Beloved

Reading in 1 Sam 16.13 this morning where the reader is introduced to David. It's a fascinating scene where Jesse brings his sons before Samuel one by one and the Lord says "no, that is not my anointed." Finally, they go out and get his youngest who is tending the sheep. This is God's anointed. His name is David. David means "beloved."

We see God's providence here. Jesse named the boy, not God. Presumably because he was a "beloved son." In God's providential ordering of things, Jesse's beloved son is God's beloved and a man who will become the OT type of the coming Messiah.

The Armour of Light

Paul contrasts the gospel and evil metaphorically as light and darkness in Rom 13.12. He calls his readers to "cast off the works of darkness"—obviously speaking of evil and wickedness, indeed in the next verse he helpfully categorizes some (but not all) of what he means: rioting, drunkenness, chambering, wantonness, strife, envying—and to put on the armour of light (KJV). I find that reference interesting. Light (acting righteously) acts as our armor.

Armor is meant for protection so in some way acting righteously protects us. Obviously Paul does not mean that acting righteously saves us for that would contradict what he has already written. He must mean that acting righteously inoculates us from the grip of evil which lurks in every dark corner waiting to devour us, even in corners that appear benign. This is the nature of evil.

Goodness and Mercy? Of Course!

I'm reading in Ps 23.6 this afternoon and struck by David's words at the end of this beloved psalm. "Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life." How did David know that? He knew it because he was owned by the Great Shepherd; the one who made him lie down on green pastures; who led him beside quiet waters; who restored his soul. That Shepherd!

How can goodness and mercy NOT follow you all the days of your life when you have a shepherd like Yahweh? What else COULD follow you? This is our Great Shepherd; a shepherd of goodness and mercy at all times, in all ways, to his flock.

Dear Christians: Use Your Brains. Love Paul

I am reading in Rom 6.11 this morning where Paul says "Likewise, reckon ye also yourselves dead unto sin" (KJV). The word that the KJV translates "reckon" means: "To determine by mathematical process as a result of calculation." In other words, Paul wants his readers to think through what he has written so that they can come up with the right conclusion. "If Christ conquered death, and you are Christians, then you are no longer under the power of death, or the dominion of sin." This is not a matter of faith, but of thinking through correct doctrine. Which is why we can summarize Paul's message as "use your brains" or "think!"

As Christians we should never be afraid to use our brains or to encourage others to do so as well. In no place do the Scriptures tell us to check our brains at the door before we come to the Bible. We use our God-given brains to investigate God-glorifying truth.

At the House of Salvation

Is it any surprise that when the Philistines sent the captured Ark back to Israel that it stopped at the house of Joshua the Bethshemite? Joshua means "The Lord is salvation," and here came a key piece of that salvation up the road on the back of a cart. It's as if the Lord is reminding the Israelites that salvation comes through him.

Joshua starts out well. He immediately breaks up the cart for wood and then offers up one of the cattle as a burnt offering. The men of Bethshemesh do not end so well. Some of them look into the Ark and a number (the text says 70 and 50,000 which seems improbable and we know that the book of Samuel is the worst preserved of any book in the Scriptures, so there is a good possibility that this is an error in passing down the text) are struck down and die, thus demonstrating that God is holy and his instructions should be followed.

One of the things that strikes me about this whole episode is that God does all of the work himself. The Israelites TOTALLY blow this episode, but the Ark is returned by God's work and initiative. Grace and mercy in action here.

"Who's Portion is in This Life"

Who would not want to be like the people described in Ps 17:14? God! Fills "their womb with treasure" (KJV). "They are satisfied with children"(KJV). These people are so wealthy that they leave their abundance as an inheritance to their children. What a fantastic life! Whom would not want to be these people?

I would not want to be these people for two reasons: First, David calls these "men of the world" "the wicked" in the previous verse. Think about that. God gave them their wealth; God "blessed" them in this life. They are wicked. Second, David throws in a little phrase that changes the whole tenor of what he is saying about them. He writes: "Men of the world whose portion is this life." That little statement means everything.

All of their wealth and apparent blessing are for this life only. It lasts a short time and then they are gone to their (lack of) reward. Who wants this? I do not! I want rewards that will last for eternity. I want what these guys already have, but I want it to last forever. I want Jesus, not the stuff that Jesus has created. Jesus lasts forever. He is worth having nothing in this life because he means everything.

Location:Petoskey

Wrath and Fury

So much for political correctness from Paul in Rom 2.8. He says that there will be "wrath and fury" for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth. Ouch! That is a harsh truth. Of course the reason that Paul proclaims it is to shock people out of the stupor of unrighteousness in which they live. He will call them to faith in Christ in this way.

The modern world simply declares the message intolerant and gives it no further thought.

If we are to preach Christ, then we must preach the fact of wrath and fury on those who reject Christ.

The Gospel; always the Gospel

I am struck again this morning as I read through Rom 1.1 of Paul's laser-like focus on the gospel. He was set apart for the gospel; he preached the gospel (centered on the person of Christ). He was not suffering severe depredation and persecution in order to shower people with his own opinions about life. He had a message; he stuck to the message.

I wonder how well my life sticks to the message? No, I have not been given the same proclamation ministry as Paul, but I have been given the same direction. My life ought to reflect the gospel out of every nook and cranny. It should inform the way I interact with people; the way I love my wife and kids, my interaction with neighbors, my attitude to the government.

The gospel, John! Always the gospel.


- "Grace is the glory of God, not the merit of him who has been freed." Prosper of Aquitaine

Location:Petoskey,United States

All Eyes on Naomi

I'm grateful to Dale Davis for pointing out how the narrative of the book of Ruth goes back to Naomi's welfare again and again. In chapter 3.17, after the famous encounter at the threshing floor, Boaz makes sure to give Ruth a massive amount of barley for...Naomi. At the end of chapter 4, the women of Bethlehem rejoice because a son has been born, not to Ruth, but to Naomi.

Despite appearances, God could not keep his eyes off of Naomi and her welfare. She is provided for again and again. As Mr. Davis points out, the lesson for us is that whatever circumstances in which we find ourselves we just do not have enou information to despair, somehow God is working out his good and wise plan.

The Faith of Ruth

Ruth's genuine faith is fully demonstrated by Boaz's words in Ruth 2. 12. He pronounces a blessing on her: "A full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust" (KJV). The rest of the relatively small community of Bethlehem had seen that Ruth had committed herself to worship the Lord God of Israel. Her faith was obvious and genuine.

Is yours?

Full Emptiness: Naomi's Experience

I love the book of Ruth and I love the character of Naomi because she is so human. In Ruth 1.21 she says: "I went out full and the Lord hath brought me back empty" (KJV), which to all outward appearances was a correct statement. Her husband was dead; her sons were dead; one of her two daughters-in-law had stayed in Moab, all she had was a Moabite daughter-in-law...Ruth. And Ruth would turn out to be Naomi's fullness.

Rather than the Lord bringing Naomi back empty, he had brought her back chock full of blessings, although she didn't see them at the time. Ruth would marry a wealthy man, thereby ensuring that Naomi would be well taken care of in her old age. Ruth would bear children who would sit on Naomi's lap, making her elderly years full of joy. Ruth would be the great grandmother of David, making her in the line of the coming Messiah! With what great fullness God had sent Naomi back to her home village. She just didn't see it yet.

Appointed to Know His Will

Paul uses some interesting verbiage in Acts 22.14. He quotes Ananias, who is the first Christian to show up after Paul's encounter with Christ on the way to Damascus, as saying: "The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will," or as the KJV puts it: "Hath chosen thee, that thou shouldst know his will."

What is going on here? What did Ananias mean? We know for sure that it was God who acted and not Paul, God appointed; God chose; God was the active one here. While dramatic, Paul's conversion does not appear to be any different from the way God draws all others to himself. He acts first; He draws; He chooses. Can I fully explain this? Um...no.

I take "to know his will" as a euphemism for drawing Paul to faith in Christ. That is surely the outcome that we see from this encounter.

The question that one must ask oneself is: "What am I to do with Christ?" Am I to follow him by faith, as both Ananias and Paul did? Am I to give my life to him? Am I to respond to the work that the Holy Spirit is doing in my own heart right now?

No Need for Spices

Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome (probably among others) headed out to the tomb on the first day of the week. They carried spices with which to anoint Christ's body. The great stone about which they were worried as to who might move it? It was rolled away. Christ had risen. They had no need for spices (Mark 16.1-3).

Finish Your Course with Joy

I'm amazed at Paul's words in Acts 20.24. He understood that due to the course he was on, "bonds and afflictions" (vs. 23) awaited him. Having experienced bonds and afflictions before, he fully understood what this meant. And yet he says here: "None of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy...to testify of the gospel of the grace of God" (KJV).

For Paul the very thing that caused him bonds and afflictions was what would allow him to finish his course with joy. We understand from this that joy then, must come despite bonds and afflictions. This is supernatural joy; this is the joy of the Holy Spirit.

What are we to make of this? I understand it to mean that we ought to finish well by continuing to do what God has called us to do; to minister as he directs; to walk before him faithfully; to do what he calls us to do, and for all of us to testify of the gospel of the grace of God to whomever will listen.

Watch (for my Return)

In Mark 13.37 today, where Christ tells his disciples to watch (for the time of his return). Indeed, what he says is, "Not only do I tell you to watch, but I say it to everyone (who follows me).

Watch means "to be alert" or "to be awake."

As Christians we do not know the day or hour of Christ's return, but we can certainly watch for the signs of the time. We can be alert. We can be awake, so that it does not come upon us as a surprise. And if we watch our whole lives and Christ does not return? Then we pass on to the next generation this responsibility to watch.

Are you watching?

Have You Not Read This Scripture?

Reading in Mark 12.10 this morning where Christ asks those who are disputing with him, "Have you not read this Scripture?" He then quotes from Ps. 118:22,23.

What strikes me here as I've been preparing a sermon on devotional reading of the Bible is that Christ asks this question multiple times. Certainly the Jewish leaders had read the Scriptures and both Christ and his audience knew this. However, they had not read with proper understanding. In essence Christ is saying, "You should know the answer to your own question, haven't you read the Scriptures where this is answered?" He expected them to read and understand, but they had only read and did not understand.

It is something that we shouldn't miss. To just read the Scriptures, but not to spend the time to understand them is doing us the exact same amount of good that it did the Jewish scribes and leaders: None at all. We ought to read and strive to understand what the Scriptures say.

Notice that Christ assumed that accurate understanding was entirely possible.

The Danger of Power Over Truth

Reading in Mark 11.31-32 this morning where the chief priests and scribes—those who know the Scriptures the best among the people—are trying to wiggle out of the trap into which Christ puts them when they ask him by what authority he does what he does. He responds with another question: "Is John's baptism from men or from God?"

The obvious answer, and one that every person who was familiar with John's ministry would give is, "from God of course." Those who opposed Christ were not interested in truth, they were interested in power. So they say, "if we admit the truth, we are exposed; if we say that John's baptism was not from God, the people themselves will rise against us, because everyone (including ourselves) believes that it was from God."

For the sake of power, they do not face the truth.

One can replace power with anything else people hold that keeps the from the truth. For the sake of possessions, or money, or a person, or anything else, people do not face the truth of Christ.

What barrier keeps you from seeing the truth?

And There They Preached the Gospel

I'm reading in Acts 14.7 this morning, such a short, benign verse: "And there they preached the gospel" [in Lystra and Derbe]. That's it. Not much of significance there, right?

Wrong. The reason they came to Lystra and Derbe was that they had to flee Iconium because the Jews had whipped up the people to stone them to death. The verse prior to this says that "they fled to Lystra and Derbe;" fled for their lives, that is.

Then notice what they did; they did the exact same thing in Lystra and Derbe that got them within a whisker of being stoned to death in Iconium; they preached the gospel. Remarkable men! Admirable men! Obedient men. God had called them to preach the gospel, so preach the gospel they did.

Of course the question for us is: Are we demonstrating like commitment to Christ? God does not call all of us to work under threat of death (though he calls some), but he does call all of us to work despite whatever opposition arises. May we have the same obedience and faith that Paul and Silas did.

Sometimes Love Appears Harsh

I'm struck by Christ's demonstration of love to the rich young ruler in Mark 10.21. In answer to the man's question: "What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" Mark begins the verse with something unexpected. He writes, "Then Jesus, beholding the man loved him." Love in this instance was demonstrated by telling the young man to sell everything he had and give it to the poor, because it was those things that were keeping him from following Christ. While Christ looks harsh, telling the man to give up what he has, he is actually acting very kindly and lovingly because there is a barrier for the man to inherit eternal life and the man needs to rid himself of that barrier.

Perhaps one of the saddest verses in the Scriptures is the very next verse: "And he was sad at that saying and went away grieved: for he had very great possessions." Interestingly, the young man does not argue with Christ; he seems to fully understand and even agree with Christ's analysis. The problem is that he cannot give up the wealth.

What is it that stands between you and following Christ?

A Most Extraordinary Statement

Paul makes a most extraordinary statement about those who were responsible for crucifying Christ in Acts. 13.27. He is preaching in a synagogue in Antioch Pisidia to an audience of Jews and he says because those who dwell in Jerusalem and their leaders did not know him (Christ) or the prophets—which, oh by the way are read in the synagogue EVERY SABBATH DAY, those very same people FULFILLED the prophecies of the prophets by condemning Christ!

Amazingly blunt statement by Paul here (which, knowing what we know about Paul comes as no surprise). How condemnatory is it that those who crucified Christ certainly could have heard the words of the prophets every sabbath day and yet missed the fact that the Messiah had arrived. Of course what is worse, they were now responsible for killing the Messiah and thereby fulfilling the prophecies of the very same prophets that they were hearing every sabbath!

One of the things that I take from this is that we ought to read/hear the Scriptures with understanding. It is not enough to simply read them or simply hear them, if we do not understand them and apply them to our lives, then we might end up like those who were responsible for putting Christ to death.

Who Are Modern Day Tax-Collectors?

I'm reading in Mark 2.15 this morning where Christ is reclining at the table with "tax-collectors and sinners." The tax-collectors were part of the native population hired by someone who had won a government contract to collect taxes in that particular location. They were universally despised because, according to NIDNTT, "The prevailing method of tax collection afforded collectors many opportunities to exercise greed and unfairness."

The way society perceived them at the time can be readily ascertained since they are connected in the gospels with sinners, heathen Gentiles, prostitutes, extortioners, imposters, and adulterers. Ouch! They were hated and despised and yet here you have many following Christ and him appearing to accept and even love them.

This makes me wonder who the modern day tax-collectors are. The people who we think do not deserve to be saved because they are such slime balls that grace shouldn't extend to them. Casey Anthony comes to mind. Imagine if she showed up at your church to hear the gospel. I think in a lot (not all, but a lot) of churches she would not be well received because we think she really doesn't deserve forgiveness and restoration, she deserves judgment. Of course we conveniently forget the we too deserve judgment, and we too are sinners, and we too are in need of God's grace. Christ never forgot this.

Prayer and the Ministry of the Word

Reading in Acts 6.4 this morning where the twelve tell the new church that their priorities are prayer and the ministry of the word. Of course they are more emphatic than that; the word that they use which the KJV translates "give ourselves continually" to prayer is a very strong one. Louw-Nida says that it means: "To continue to do something with intense effort with a possible implication of despite difficulty."

The disciples were not giving lip service to prayer, they were devoting themselves to it with intense effort, implying that this sort of devotion was what was required to accomplish God's work.

This is a great lesson for us. If we are to do God's work, it ought to be accompanied by intense devotion to prayer for without prayer we will be working in vain. As Adam Clarke comments at this verse: "A minister who does not pray much studies in vain."

His Name (Alone) is Excellent

I like how the psalmist strains to find words to proclaim the praise of the Lord in Ps. 148.7-13. He calls for anything and everything that he can think of to praise the name of the Lord. Dragons, deeps, fire, hail, snow, vapour, stormy wind (fulfilling his word), mountains, hills, trees, cattle, birds, creeping things, kings, princes, judges, old, young. Listen all you people/things/events, "praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is excellent."

There is a lot of theology in that list. Notice how the psalmist puts in the aside comment, "stormy wind—oh yeah, that stormy wind that knocks over stuff seemingly willy-nilly? That wind fulfills his word." Fire? "Yep, that too." Hail? "Yep." Creepy crawlers? They do also. And in some sense creepy crawlers and birds and cattle can praise the name of the Lord (I'm thinking its because he is their creator).

I think what the psalmist is getting at is that everything—yes, everything—can, should (and at least when it comes to nature, does)—praise the name of the Lord.

How about you? Do you praise the name of the Lord?

Constructive/Destructive

Reading in Jeremiah 1.10 this morning in which God describes to Jeremiah what his ministry of prophecy will look like. It will be constructive or destructive, meaning it will either encourage the people or declare God's judgment to the people. Judging from the words (and as proven by history) it will end up being more destructive than constructive, because Jeremiah is the last of the prophets before the exile to Babylon. He will proclaim God's words to Judah. They will not listen.

A ministry which proclaims God's judgment is not an easy one to carry out—who wants to hear THAT message—but Jeremiah faithfully proclaims the word that God gives him, despite opposition, oppression, and imprisonment.

He is a good example to us to be faithful to do what the Lord calls us to do, even when there is opposition, and even when that opposition comes from the "church."

Rahab's Scarlet Cord

Reading in Joshua 2 this morning, the story of Rahab and the spies. Rahab was a prostitute. There is no getting around that fact. Amazingly enough she understood that Jericho was going to fall to the Israelites because their God was the true and only God; or, as Rahab put it: "He is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath." Remarkable. Here is what Francis Schaeffer says about her:

How did she know that? We are not told. Often in Scripture we find that people knew things, though we are not told how they came to know them. But Rahab knew! And what she knew was totally against her culture. She believed in a new God, a God totally and diametrically opposed to the gods of Jericho, but a God above all other gods, a universal God. In the midst of the Canaanites, the Ammonites, the Amorites — in the midst of their horrible, polluted worship, laden with sex symbols and sex practices — Rahab affirmed a true theological proposition about who God really is.

The scarlet thread is, no doubt for Rahab, a sign of salvation, and indeed when Jericho falls, she and her family are saved. The church, going all the way back to Clement, has seen the scarlet thread as a symbol of the salvation coming in Christ. Indeed the term "scarlet thread" has become a metaphor for tracing salvation through the scriptures or through history.

God's grace pops up in the strangest places again and again and often without any real explanation how grace arrived. This is the mystery of God's providence and grace.

The Necessity of Light

Light is weird stuff. Sometimes it behaves as if it is a wave; sometimes light behaves as if it is individual photons. We need light to live. Light, according to Isaiah 60.19, is necessary in the life to come, at least for followers of Christ. However, the light will come from God himself (he INVENTED light after all) so there will be no need for the sun or the moon.

This is not to say that God is nothing other than light. Perfect light is one of his characteristics, not the sum total of his being. However, it is about as close as we are going to get in this life to understand his being. "The Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light."

A Day of Salvation, not Judgment

Christ has a dramatic moment in Luke 4.18-21. He takes up the scroll of Isaiah and reads Isaiah 61.1-2a, then sits down. He tells his listeners, "Today is this scripture fulfilled in your hearing." Since both Christ and his listeners understood that the passage was about Messiah, what a moment it must have been when one-by-one the men in the synagogue must have realized, "He is claiming to be Messiah!"

When Christ reads Isaiah 61.1-2a, he ends at "to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." He does not continue with the next phrase "and the day of vengeance of our God." Why not? I assume because Christ did not come for judgment he came for salvation. The day of vengeance of our God will come, but this was not that day. Christ came for the cross. He came for salvation.

How Great the Darkness

Reading in Matt 6.23 this morning, "But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness...how great is that darkness."

The eye is such a crucial organ, we walk by it, we depend on it in 100's of ways that we don't even realize (think of peripheral vision and how it is passive until we sense a threat, then the brain takes it active instantaneously with really no effort on our own part). If the eye is giving us bad information then we will act on bad information. If the eye is evil then we will act and live on evil. This causes, as Christ points out, great darkness in a moral sense. Christ is not speaking of the physical eye here, he is using the eye as a metaphorical representative of our moral life.

John Calvin: "The light is said to be turned into darkness, not only when men permit the wicked lusts of the flesh to overwhelm the judgment of their reason, but also when they give up their minds to wicked thoughts, and thus degenerate into beasts."

A House of Prayer

Reading in Isaiah 56.7 this morning where Isaiah quotes God saying, "For mine house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples" (KJV). Christ will quote this as recorded in Luke 19.46 and John 2.16 as he is casting the guys who sell things in the temple out of the temple. Rather than being a house of prayer they have made it "a den of thieves."

It is a pretty straightforward interpretation from Christ here of the words of Isaiah. God's house is to be a house of prayer and when he saw that it was something else, or something added on—as if it could be a house of prayer AND a place of profit—Christ threw them all out, and in a rather violent manner, one must say. He didn't ask them kindly to leave, he overturned their tables and sent them running.

It might behoove us to have the same zeal that Christ did for the worship of God. I don't know that the application is for a church building per se, but to see God worshipped as he should be and have a grieved heart (and who knows, maybe even overturn some tables) when he is not worshipped correctly.

This Glorious and Awesome Name

Moses calls the people to do all that is in the Torah so that they may fear this glorious and awesome name, the Lord God (Deut 28.58). I love the ESV translation of this verse. It is a glorious and awesome name and we ought to do all that God calls us to do because it demonstrates that we do fear this glorious and awesome name.

This is the nature of God. He has a glorious and awesome name, meaning that his character and all that he is exists as glorious and awe inspiring and worthy of obedience and trust. When the people did not follow his law, they demonstrated their lack of fear for his name, and of course all of the punishment mentioned in the long chapter of Deut 28 came upon them.

We, no less than Israel, are called to fear this glorious and awesome name in our daily lives.

Equation of Salvation

Reading in Isaiah 53.6 (a favorite verse) today, one finds God's equation of salvation. We = sheep. Sheep = wanderers (metaphorically - sinners). God = judge. Suffering Servant (Christ) = Punishment bearer. We = saved. Yep, seems to add up to me.

Marked with the Brand of God

For everyone who loves tattoos, they will be excited to see that we will be tattooed in heaven...sort of. Rev 22.4 says: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads (KJV). "In" is probably better translated "on." The point is that somehow we will be marked with the brand of God. We will be marked as owned by God, as devoted to him. On the earth we often like to wear stuff that marks us as fans of Michigan football, or the Detroit Tigers for instance. In heaven we will receive something permanent which marks us as God's own people. This will last for eternity. I don't think anyone will be sorry to receive a mark of God.

Remembrance and Dependence

I'm reading in Isaiah 51.10 today where Isaiah calls God to remember his past deeds; specifically to the crossing of the Red Sea—this seems to be the key event to look back on and see God's deliverance for God's people. Isaiah is calling God to remember his great deliverance "a way for the ransomed to pass over" he puts it, and to act again in the same way on behalf of his people.

It's a huge lesson for us. Calling God to remember the great works that he has already done for his people is a way of expressing our dependence upon him and asking him to do the same work on behalf of his people again.

Stooping Down to See the Heavens and Earth

Reading in Ps 113.6 this morning. The KJV translates the passage: "Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth." I like to think of it as God "stooping down" to see what he has created, implying as we certainly believe, that God is far greater than we can even comprehend.

Spurgeon points out that, if God stoops down to see the heaven and earth, what does it further say about him, that he watches even the humblest of his servants: What, then, must be his condescension, seeing that he observes the humblest of his servants upon earth, and makes them sing for joy like Mary when she said, “Thou hast regarded the low estate of thine handmaiden.”

They Soon Forgot His Works

The psalmist describes the generation of the Exodus in Ps 106.13. The people had seen the great deliverance from Egypt; they had experienced deliverance at the Red Sea; they drank water that came from a rock; every morning they woke up they picked up manna off of the ground, but as soon as they were in trouble or difficulty, they forgot everything.

We would like to think that we would be different than the generation of the Exodus, but we are them. We are prone to forget all that God has done for us in the past as soon as the present difficulties get too bad. As one commentator put it (EBC): "They readily gave in to impatience when he (God) did not anticipate their needs." Yep. That's us. That's me.

No Repentance

Reading in Rev 9.20 this morning. Despite one-third of humanity being killed by horses (the identification of which everyone argues about) the rest of humanity "repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils" (KJV). Amazing. One thinks of the judicial hardening of Pharaoh by God. When Pharaoh hardens his heart, then God hardens Pharoah's heart and this is a hardening which cannot be explained on a rational level, for it totally destroyed Egypt's economy and land. The non-repentance of those who clearly see judgment and devastation is akin to that type of hardening.

The dangers of a hardened heart are laid out clearly here. We must work to keep our heart soft to the leading of the Holy Spirit, so that we do not fall away.

Dear Sennacherib:

I like to think of Is 37.22-35 as a letter from God to Sennacherib. Verse 22 might read: "Dear Sennacherib: The Israelites will be laughing at you, thanks to my intervention. - Your mortal enemy, God."

I think that sums it up pretty well. So prophesied. So done.

One Refuge

As followers of Christ we are to have one refuge and one refuge alone. God. The psalmist makes this point in Ps 91.2: "I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust." There it is, the whole Christian life summed up in one verse. God is our refuge. God is our salvation. We will trust in God. And nothing else.

The Ransomed of the Lord

Isaiah 35.10 is one of my favorite verses. "The ransomed of the Lord shall return." That's me! That's you! (if your sins have been paid by Christ at the cross). We shall return to Zion, to God's place with great joy and with everlasting songs. There is no boredom in heaven. None. Zilch. Nada. There is also no sorrow and sighing. Those are gone, replace by joy and songs.

Building Up Yourselves on your Most Holy Faith

I like the way the KJV puts Jude 20: "But ye, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith." What struck me as I read this verse was that one has to work at one's faith.

It is not enough for someone else to build up your faith, though that is certainly a good thing. You must build yourself up. I take that to mean that I must apply myself to understanding and growing in my relationship with Christ. Growth will not come by osmosis, by hanging around other mature Christians and sucking up their maturity. Growth comes when I do the hard work of building myself up by getting into the word daily and by praying.

It is a "most holy faith" we pursue; we ought to pursue it with all diligence on our part.

"Transgress" or "Go on Ahead?"

I'm reading in 2 John 9 this morning and see a conundrum between the KJV and the ESV. The KJV reads: "Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ." The ESV translates this phrase: "Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ." Weird. Is it "transgress?" Or is it "goes on ahead?"

BDAG says that when it is used transitively the word παραβαίνω means "to break or transgress." When it is used intransitively it means "to go aside." I wonder why the ESV chose "goes on ahead here." Mysterious.

At any rate, the key teaching here is that the best evidence of whether or not one "has God" or "has both the Father and the Son" is whether or not they abide in the teaching of Christ. This seems to be the gold standard of whether one is truly a follower of Christ or not.

Reversal of Fortune

This is a theme that runs throughout the Scriptures. In Is 26.5 this morning it is reversal of fortune in a negative sense. Those who are lofty will be brought low. So low that God will bring it (here a city, but applicable to all) to the ground, indeed, smother it in dust.

What man exalts, God brings low. Why? Because anything that is exalted tries to in essence take the place of God. Since God is the highest conceivable being in the universe, it is morally wrong for anything else to try and take his place. This would be like trying to call an ant an elephant. It is laughable and offensive to the true elephant.

God must bring the arrogant low because now they are set into their proper place in relation to the one who created the universe, and it is an act of mercy because being made low is perhaps the only way to open one's eyes to the fact that they are not God. Perhaps then they will look for the one who is indeed God.

Behold, This is our God

I love, love, love Is 25.9. When God returns and reveals himself in all of his glory, we who are followers of God will boast, "Behold, this is our God." This is the one about whom we have been talking. We have waited for him and now he has arrived. We have waited for him and now we get to experience his salvation. What a day of joy and praise that will be. One strains to find words in the English language to express the emotions of that day.

Tanks run out of Gasoline and Artillery have no Ammo

Reading in Ps 76.6 this morning. "At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, Both the chariot and the horse are cast into a deep sleep" (KJV). Chariots and horses were much feared weapons of war, especially to the Israelites who were sorely lacking in both. It would be the equivalent today of saying that, at the word of God "tanks run out of gasoline and artillery have no ammo." God speaks and mighty weapons are impotent.

Calvin: We are thus taught that all the gifts and power which men seem to possess are in the hand of God, so that he can, at any instant of time, deprive them of the wisdom which he has given them, make their hearts effeminate, render their hands unfit for war, and annihilate their whole strength.

Beware Lest Ye Also

Peter tells his readers to "beware" lest they are led away with the "error of the wicked." The word "error" there means to wander from the path of truth. The wicked then, are defined by those who do not follow the path of truth, which Peter understands as that which is revealed by and about Christ. In wandering from the path of truth the follower of God is in danger of falling "from your own steadfastness" (2 Pet 3.17). The word "steadfastness" means "a state of security" or "firm conviction to belief" or rather both here, so "a state of security grounded in firm conviction to belief."

This is why truth is so crucial. We are not saved and kept save by an emotional commitment to Christ, we are saved by response to what is true, that Christ died for our sins according to the gospel, that he rose again, and that he will return. We should give careful attention to the truth in our own lives so that we do not wander away from it, for then we are in very grave danger.

Damnable Heresies

The KJV uses pretty colorful language in 2 Pet 2.1, when speaking about false teachers. Peter says that they "shall bring in damnable heresies." There is a certain resonance to that translation, although it is not altogether accurate. The ESV is more accurate, they will "bring in destructive heresies." The Greek word means "the destruction that one causes or experiences." Here BDAG says it is the destruction that one experiences because this type of heresy has the potential to destroy one's faith, and certainly to destroy the church.

This is exactly why both Peter and Paul wrote so strongly against false teachers and against heresies. This is also why we need to carefully guard the heart of the gospel. Satan is always working against the gospel in any way he can, by undermining it, by questioning it, by subverting it. False teachers aid and abet him.

There Shall Be Desolation

In Isaiah 17.9 today at the end of which, this ominous statement comes: "There shall be desolation" (KJV). The word "desolation" means "an area deserted and thus arousing awe or terror." I like to think of it as wandering around a deserted factory complex on a moonless night, the sheer creepiness of the surroundings abetted by one's imagination would make it an interesting experience to say the least.

The reason there will be desolation? Stated in the next verse: "Because thou has forgotten God, the God of thy salvation." Forgetfulness of God leads to desolation in life.

Fervent, Persevering, Sin-Covering Love

Peter writes to fellow believers: "Keep loving one another earnestly, for love covers a multitude of sins" (1 Pet 4.8) There is a lot said in a short amount of time when you begin to think about it. Take the little word "earnestly" for example. In the Greek it is a word that means to persevere, but also carries the implication that you don't waver in your interest or devotion while you persevere. This is perseverance that costs you something. It takes commitment, effort, and the resolution not to quit.

So we are to love one another with this love that doesn't quit. Yep, even when the other party isn't interested in returning your love. Indeed, Peter tells us to love one another fervently, earnestly, and perseveringly (is that a word?) because this type of love is a sin-covering love. It "covers a multitude of sins."

Tall order isn't it? Especially when it comes to your kids...or your spouse...or Mr. Prickly Pear cactus who always seems to drop in at the most inconvenient times. If it were easy, we wouldn't have to depend on the Holy Spirit, would we?

God is not a Man that he should Lie

Reading in Numb 23.19 this morning. John Calvin is pretty good: "Hence, however, a lesson of supreme utility may be extracted, namely, that men are altogether wrong when they form their estimate of God from their own disposition and habits. Still, almost all men labor under this mistake. For how comes it that we are so prone to waver, except because we weigh God’s promises in our own scale? In order, therefore, that we may learn to lift up our minds above the world, whenever the faithfulness and certainty of God’s word are in question, it is well for us to reflect how great the distance is between ourselves and God."

This is so often our mistake. We form our estimation of God and what he does and how he acts by looking at our own actions and attitudes. Indeed the gods of the Ancient Near East cultures (as well as Roman and Greek gods) were like men with the same greed, desires, and attitudes, only they were more powerful and lived longer.

This is not our God. We must understand that there is a great difference between us and God.

Willing Ignorance

Peter doesn't shy from the truth as is obvious from his words in 3 Pet 3.5 (KJV). He says that those who do not believe that God created the universe are willingly ignorant of that fact. I take this to mean that there is sufficient evidence to convince them, but that they will not be convinced, not due to the paucity of evidence but to the darkness in their own heart.

Christ: Shepherd; Me: Sheep

The writer to Hebrews says: "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep" (Heb 13.20, KJV). Christ is the shepherd. We are the sheep. The shepherd leads; the sheep follow. The shepherd guards; the sheep are guarded. The shepherd protects the sheep from harm; the sheep are protected. Sheep go astray; the shepherd finds them and brings them back into the fold. Sheep need food; the shepherd leads them to "green pastures." Sheep need water; the shepherd takes them to "quiet waters."

We sound so dependent, don't we? Which is the point. Sheep are dependent. This is the aim of our great God. He wants us to be dependent on him. He created us to be dependent on him. When we are independent, we get into trouble and go astray (and being the great shepherd that he is, he goes in search of us).

If you pay attention to the course of your life, you will see that one of the things God is always doing is giving you the opportunity to be a good sheep. He is (and will be) a great shepherd. Your responsibility is to be a great (which is to say, dependent) sheep.

With Reverence and Godly Fear

In Heb 12.28, this morning (well, afternoon, I had a redeye from LAX to TPA). The writer to Hebrews says that our desire ought to be to receive the grace of God so that we may serve God "with reverence and godly fear." It's interesting that he connects grace with the ability to serve. Our service comes from the grace that God provides and it should be marked by reverence and godly fear. Our culture tends to play down the reverence and godly fear stuff and we like to approach God as if he were our buddy, buddy friend (witness the rap song lyrics: "Who's in the house? J.C."). We fall short here, I think because our age does not understand the weightiness of God and the gravity of serving him. How do I know this weightiness? I certainly didn't figure it out myself. The very next words penned from the author of Hebrews: "For our God is a consuming fire."

God is...

According to Ps. 46.1, "our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (KJV). I love the simplicity of that statement. God is; not God and; or "put anything else here." When we have trouble—and we will have trouble—our refuge is not our bank account or our wisdom or intelligence, God is our refuge when our world falls apart. He is our solace when we get that nasty medical diagnosis. He remains when our financial world crumbles.

And that...we find out, is all that we really need. Him.

Be Like Abraham, not Like Mike

I'm reading in Heb 6.15, this morning where the writer to Hebrews sets up Abraham as an example of patient endurance. "After he had patiently endured," comments the author, "he obtained the promise" (speaking of Isaac, the promised heir).

The word that the KJV translates "patiently endured," is a word that BDAG says means: "to remain tranquil while waiting." After Abraham's failed machinations to bring about God's promise from his own plan, he "patiently endured" the wait for the promised heir.

The author of Hebrews points out Abraham's example because he wants to teach us a lesson. "Be like Abraham," he says. "As he patiently waited for the fulfillment of God's promise, you also wait for the fulfillment of God's promise that you will enter his rest." Indeed some of the most soaring and inspiring words that the author pens are in this section. God swore by an oath in order that "we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us" (vs. 18, KJV). "Which hope we have as an anchor for the soul, both sure and steadfast" (vs. 19, KJV).

O Christian, be like Abraham!

Elishama: My God will Hear

I'm reading in Num 7.48 today. I like to look up the meaning of Hebrew proper names (fortunately this is easy with the resource The Exhaustive Dictionary of Biblical Names). In this long chapter which essentially repeats the same thing 12 times! (quick truth test: Last time you read through this chapter did you read the first day and skip the next 11 and call it good? I pronounce myself guilty). So in Num 7.48, Elishama the son of Ammihud offered the offering for the tribe of Ephraim.

Elishama means "My God hears." I love that name. I'd like to think that he was named in an answer to prayer. His parents prayed that God would give them a son who could care for them in their old age. God gave them a son, so he was christened "Elishama." Of course I'm not sure that is a true story, but it sounds good doesn't it?

True or not, his parents were communicating something about God by his name. The God they worshipped and served was a God who hears (not like Baal at Mt. Carmel, by the way).

Our God hears. We worship the same God as Elishama's parents do. He hears us. He listens. He is living. He is active. He is concerned for his children. May we have the same faith that Elishama's parents did.

Heed or Drift

The writer of Hebrews (whoever that may be) gives us a warning in Heb 2.1. He says "give...earnest heed to the thing which we have heard." If we do not give heed to what we have heard (that is to the gospel of our salvation), then we will be in danger of drifting away. In other words, if we don't give heed we will drift, or as the KJV puts it: We will "let them slip."

This is a warning that Hebrews repeats over and over. Don't neglect salvation lest you drift away from it and find out that you have left the faith.

Reversal of Fortune

One of the grand themes of the Scriptures is that of reversal of fortune. I came across it again in Ps. 37.35-36 (KJV) this morning. "I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree; yet he passed away, and lo, he was not: Yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.

There is the appearance that the wicked are prospering. Everyone sees it; everyone acknowledges it. He is like a gigantic tree that stands over the landscape and everyone who passes by remarks, "What an incredible tree!"

The day comes when the tree dies; the wicked passes away. Everyone looks for the giant tree, but it no longer exists. There has been a reversal of fortune. The wicked had the appearance of prosperity, but it was only an appearance, only for a time. There will come a day when the wicked will be held responsible for their wickedness. God will be justified.

Live Like You're Dying

Tim McGraw wrote a hit song called, "Live Like You Are Dying," which ironically enough instructed you to, live like you are dying. His philosophy wasn't original, Solomon had come up with that particular truth 3000 years ago. Here's how he put it: "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might, for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave whither thou goest" (Ecc 9.10, KJV).

At first glance we want to say, "Gee Solomon, could you be any more depressing than that?" Start thinking about it, and his wisdom bursts through. Remember that in God's unfolding revelation, at the time of Solomon, no one knew what lay beyond the grave, it was a mystery.

Solomon is saying in essence, "we do not know what lies beyond the grave, but it will certainly not be like this life. Live this life while you can. Do what God has called you to do with all your might because one thing is for sure, you will not be able to do it after you die. Live in light of the fact that you are headed for the grave;" or, as Tim McGraw wrote, "Live like you are dying," because you surely are.

Reversal of Fortune

A reversal of fortune is one of the prominent themes of the Scriptures. We see it again and again. Joseph, stuck in an Egyptian prison and not having a single advocate in all of the land, suddenly becomes the second most powerful person in the country. Naomi—she who would be renamed Mara, or "bitter"—comes home with no prospects of happiness or wealth, and ends up being the grandmother of David. The Jewish people are doomed by the machinations of Haman, until suddenly it is Haman that is destroyed through the efforts of Mordecai and Esther.

Reversal of fortune is the theme in Ecc 7.12: "Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it will be well with them that fear God, which fear before him." "I know that there will be a reversal of fortune," says Solomon. "Evil will not prevail. It will be well with them that fear God."

The ultimate reversal of fortune was at the crux of history. Christ went to the cross and died for sinners. God the father must turn his back on him. Yet three days later, Christ rises from the dead. He conquers death, and suddenly every man has the possibility of turning from death to life in Christ.

Strength in Dependence

This is exactly what Paul is getting at in 2 Tim 2.1: "Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus" (KJV). "Be strong," says Paul, not in your own strength and effort, but "be strong in grace that is in Christ Jesus."

We cannot give ourself grace any more than we can give ourselves talents and abilities. Grace comes from the Lord Jesus. We are dependent upon him to provide it. If we do not have grace we cannot be strong in it. So our strength then, comes in dependence. This is just the way the Lord wants it. We depend upon him. He gives us strength. We get help. He gets glory.

He is the Saving Strength

Reading in Ps 28.8, "The Lord is their strength and he is the saving strength of his anointed" (KJV). I like the way the KJV translates this. The ESV is pretty good as well: The Lord is the strength of his people, he is the saving refuge of his anointed."

Saving refuge. Saving strength. Both describe God's power equally well. We have nothing to fear from the enemies of God because God, by his power, will prevail over them.

This is such an easy concept in theory, why do we struggle so much with it in practice? Most likely because we cannot see the spiritual realm very well. We are prone to rely too much on what we see, and not enough on God's promises.

God Directs, Man Directs?

Paul makes an interesting comment here (2 Thess 3.5). He doesn't say "Make sure to direct your hearts into the love of God," although he certainly could have. He in essence says, "May the Lord direct your hearts…"

I think there is a sense in which we make the effort to direct our heart to the love of God, and God directs our hearts to do the same thing.

Condemnation or Consolation

Such a strong contrast Paul makes in the space of just a few verses in 2 Thessalonians 2. The contrast is between condemnation or eternal consolation. In 2 Thess 2.8 he writes: "In order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

Those who take pleasure in unrighteousness; those who reject the gospel will be condemned, Paul says. Straightforward and blunt. Indeed, the KJV translates this: "That they all might be damned who believe not the truth." Ouch. No political correctness in Paul's words there. Yet this truth ought to be the driving force of our motivation to share the gospel with blood earnestness. These are weighty matters; matters of eternal and lasting consequences.

Just a few short verses later, Paul contrasts condemnation with the hope of those who have been covered by Christ's righteousness. "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace" (2 Thess 2.16).

The contrast could not be more stark. Condemnation or eternal consolation through God's grace established by Christ at the cross. Which will it be for you condemnation or consolation?

Vengeance

Startling wording from Paul in 1 Thess 1.8,9. What awaits those who "know not God" and who do not "obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" is "everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power." This is not politically correct wording, with which Paul was not in the least concerned. Rather he was concerned about communicating the truth just because he understood the reality of "everlasting destruction."

That No Man...Defraud his Brother

According to BDAG the word translated "defraud" in the KJV (1 Thess 4.6) means: To take advantage of, outwit, exploit, cheat. While the context is of sexual sin, and it certainly has application to that, the broader application is to any number of things. For instance, selling your brother something that you know is worth much less than you sell it, like it is broken and you know it, but he does not. Cheating is similar, an example might be buying something from him that you know is much more valuable than what he is charging, but he doesn't know it.

He who Avenges Blood

This is a revelation of God's character that we don't often mention, but the psalmists (David here) are not so reticent to point it out. "When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: He forgetteth not the cry of the humble" (Ps. 9.12, KJV). Vengeance for innocent blood is God's responsibility, and here we are promised that he will carry out his responsibilities. This is why as Christians we do not seek vengeance. Indeed we are called to love our enemies. God, who is the perfect judge, will carry out vengeance for innocent blood.

Here we find the beautiful thing. The same God who is a God of vengeance, is the one who sent his only son, Jesus, so that we who are guilty—we who ought to receive God's vengeance—can be delivered from it. This is why, while a man breathes, there is always hope that he will come to his senses and follow Christ.

Safety Belongs to the Lord

"The horse is prepared against the day of battle," writes Solomon, "but safety is of the Lord" (Prov 21.31, KJV). The ESV translates it: "but victory belongs to the Lord." The Hebrew word can mean "salvation, rescue, deliverance," so it can mean either of the two translations, or more likely, both.

God's providence, as worked out in the Scriptures, is responsible for both victory and safety. This does not mean that we do not prepare, that we just sit back and expect God to win the victory with us doing nothing, "the horse is prepared against the day of battle." It means that ultimate victory and safety in any situation is firmly in the hands of God and of his providential care and conduct of history.

Here is what the New American Commentary says about these verses. "Verse 31 gives a concrete example, from a military setting, of what v. 30 describes abstractly. Readying a horse for battle is the application of technical skills in pursuit of a goal (in this case, military victory). Just as a trained, prepared army can be defeated if God wills it, so also all efforts at success in life (the goal of wisdom) without God are vain. The text does not demean practical skills (e.g., horsemanship), for that also is part of wisdom; but it says that all knowledge is hollow without God."

If Ye continue in the Flesh

Colossians 1.23 (KJV). This is the consistent biblical position on the perseverance of the saints. Paul says that Christ has reconciled believers in Colossae "to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his right: If ye continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel."

"Continue in the faith," Paul encourages the Colossians, "be not moved away from the hope of the gospel." These are crucial words to heed.

He saw, and Believed

John's succinct comment on the beloved disciple's (John himself?) response to the empty tomb (John 20.8). I find the comment fascinating. Obviously, when the disciple witnessed the empty tomb everything that he had seen, witnessed, and heard from Christ came rushing back and he understood; he perceived; he believed.

The beloved disciple is the only one in the gospels who is described as believing at the sight of the empty tomb (although it appears to be implied that Peter also believed at that point). Everyone else would need to understand the empty tomb AND see the risen Christ. As one commentator put it: "The beloved disciple, however, is here viewed as the model for the church."

The Eyes of the Lord

"Are in every place," writes Solomon, "keeping watch on the evil and the good" (Prov 15.3, ESV). The Scriptures speak remarkably consistently in regards to God and on whom he keeps his eye. Ps. 139.7-12 works out this same truth. No matter how far we run or how much we try to hide, God is never far from us. This is a good thing. This is a remarkable thing. This is the God whom we serve.

He that Hath Seen Me Hath Seen the Father

Christ speaking in John 14.9, a chapter in which the Triune God is stated perhaps more clearly than any other chapter in the Scriptures. Stated, but not explained, the Scriptures leave it a mystery.

Christ's statement is breathtaking here. "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father." He fully understood the import of his statement. He was, in a few short words, claiming to be equal with God the Father. His resurrection proved it. His disciples believed it. They sacrificed their lives to that particular truth.

I believe it.

And It was Night

John slips in this comment at the end of John 13.30 so that we almost miss it. He is certainly not just making a reference to the time of day here. There is something going on far deeper than that. Darkness is a time of evil because evil hates the light and Christ is the light of the world. When else to betray Christ except at night?

Adam Clarke puts it most succinctly and well: Under the conduct of the prince of darkness, and in the time of darkness, he did this work of darkness.

Doth Not Wisdom Cry?

Sometimes the KJV is just better than anything else in English ("Doth not wisdom cry?" (Prov 8.1 KJV), and this is one of those times. Compare the ESV: "Does not wisdom call?" The ESV is bland and boring; the KJV is majestic.

Just saying.

The question in Prov 8.1 is a rhetorical one. Solomon means for us to answer it yes, and for the rest of the chapter explains why wisdom cries and to whom. I think that there is no better place in the Scriptures where the truth and implications of wisdom are worked out. One would be wise (no pun intended) to spend a lot of time thinking through the implications of what Solomon says here.

Perhaps the most shocking thing that Solomon writes is at the very end of the chapter. "All they that hate me (wisdom) love death" (Prov 8.36, KJV).

He That is of God...

...heareth God's words (John 8.47, KJV). Christ to the unbelieving Jews. The second half of the sentence is: "Ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God." Christ was never one to hold back truth when it needed to be spoken, as it did here. His most direct comments were always made to those who were the most self-righteous; one assumes because others knew they were sinners, the legalists, not so much.

This is why we should always be evaluating our own theology and motives. Who knows that self-righteousness hasn't crept in when we weren't looking. Humility is the key. The humility to reexamine ourselves and ask, "have I wandered away from the truth?" "Am I more interested in my own theological scheme than I am in ferreting out the truth?" "Can I be wrong here?"

This lays a healthy foundation for, as Millard Erickson once put it, holding our theology with humility because we may be wrong, as the unbelieving Jews were wrong here.

To Whom Shall We Go?

Such a pertinent and crucial question from Peter. He rightly understands that apart from Christ we have no hope. Apart from Christ to whom shall we go to for salvation? Who will cleanse us from our sins? Who is able to make us right with God? Who can solve the desperate broken nature of the world? None but Christ. In this incredible moment, Peter understands. Christ has the words of eternal life. Christ alone.

"Then Simon Peter answered him, "Lord to whom shall we go? Thou has the words of eternal life" (John 6.68,KJV)

The Lord Gave

Reading in Job 42.10, this morning. The writer of Job (Job himself?) makes a peculiar point. He says that the Lord gave Job twice as much AS HE GAVE HIM BEFORE. We shouldn't miss that little remark because it goes to the heart of who God is and who we are. We would like to think that what we have is the result of our own efforts and talents, which is true so far as it goes. Ultimate responsibility rests with God. This is the whole message of Job. God gave Job blessings; God took away those blessings; God gave them back double. Humbling, but true.

Location:OAK

Doth the Hawk fly by Thy Wisdom?

God to Job in Job 39.26, KJV. Answer: No. Implication: It is by God's understanding and design that the hawk soars. Man's proclivity is to look only at the construction of the hawk and understand how it soars and what makes it do so. Man never asks why the hawk soars or how it got that way. God says that it got that way because of his understanding, because of his wisdom. Since he created hawks, he would know.

Fightings and Fears

I love Paul when he sounds the most like me because it gives me hope that I can do this thing called "The Faith." This is why 2 Cor 7.5 resonates so much with me: "For when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears" (KJV). Yes, this sounds like me, wrestling with fears on the inside and difficulties on the outside.

Difficulties and fears are a normal part of living out the Christian faith. Indeed, I would argue that God brings difficulties and fears so that we learn to depend on him alone, rather than on our own abilities or strength. They are blessings! Sure they don't seem like it at the time, but neither did Joseph perceive his time in an Egyptian prison as a blessing, until he saw what God was up to. Then his testimony became: "You (his brothers) meant your actions for harm, but God meant them for good."

KJV Word of the Day: Surfeit

A surfeit of anything is too much of it. The word was applied to excess eating or drinking, to the consequent sickness and nausea, and to the resulting disgust or loathing. As such it was a natural translation of the Greek word kraipale, which stands for carousing, intoxication, and the subsequent headache and hangover.

Luke 21.34, KJV.

Your Redemption Draweth Nigh

And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory, And when these things shall begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth night (Luke 21.27,28 KJV).

Christ is speaking of his second coming here. This statement encompasses our hope and the promise of the gospel. We hope that this life is not all there is; that there is ultimate meaning and purpose to our existence; that there is a God who created all things and who is working all of history to a conclusion and summation in Christ; and that he loves us intimately and has gone to prepare a place for us, "That where I am there you may also be" (John 14.3, ESV).

The key sign that the end is here will be when we see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. This is the fulfillment of the promise. Lift up your heads, O followers of Jesus Christ, stir in your graves, O Christian who has died before the coming of the promise, for as surely as God's promises are true, your redemption draweth nigh.

And He was a Samaritan

Christ healed ten lepers; only one of them returned to thank him. They ought to have all thanked him—a fact which Christ points out. Only one returned. The returnee gives us a real shock when Luke tells us: "And he was a Samaritan" (Luke 17.16). Ouch. That hurt. We don't know what race the other nine belonged to, what we do know is that the only one who showed proper gratitude was the one who belonged to the hated race of half-breeds. Their theology was mixed up. They were no pure Jews. They were worthless. In this incident, the Samaritan is the only one who acts properly. It is apparent that the Samaritan's faith makes him whole, not only in body, but in spirit.

Paul's Purpose/Our Purpose

Paul had such a clear understanding of his purpose in life. He states it succinctly in 2 Cor 1.9. His purpose was to make known to anyone who would listen that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. To him there was no higher purpose; no higher reason to be alive.

We are not all called to be evangelists like Paul. We are all called to live out our lives in the same way he did, in order to make Christ known as the Son of God to men. We can have no higher purpose.