Shalom

 
14 I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. Ezek 34:14

When I read this verse, I can close my eyes and visualize the scene. I’m sitting in a gently sloping meadow surrounded by sheep. Some are lying down, and others are grazing nearby. There is a gentle stream flowing down the side of the meadow. The meadow overlooks a lush valley and far down in the valley is a white church with a steeple and a cross on it. It is a vision of peace and closeness to Jesus, who is my Shepherd and watches over me. All is well in the world and with my soul, it is shalom.

You have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Heb 5:11-14

The author rebukes the Hebrews for being dull of hearing regarding things about Jesus. They have been Christians long enough that they should be able to teach, but they need to be taught the basics. Because they are still having problems paying attention to the gospel, they are in danger of drifting away.

This is the state of most people in the US who call themselves Christians. They know just enough to understand that salvation is in Jesus. But, they don’t have enough understanding about the gospel to realize that that the gospel pertains to every aspect of their lives. It is about how to live holy lives, to overcome temptations, how to treat others, how to be more like Jesus and less like the world around them.

Why are they in this “barely saved” condition. The end of the paragraph is the reason. They have not become mature in their faith because they don’t have discernment. Discernment can only come by constant practice identifying good from evil. In other words, they have not been consistently studying their Bibles, the whole Bible, not just favorite passages or books. If they are reading, they are cherry picking the verses that tell them what they want to hear. They listen to preachers who tickle their ears with what they want to hear. They don’t check what their teachers are telling them against the Bible. If they are saved, the remain baby Christians feeding only on milk and not solid food.

Lord, help me to be consistent in my Bible study. To become mature and live a life that brings glory to you.

Contentment and Godliness

 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 1 Tim 6:6-7

Some questions: Is godliness without contentment any good? Is contentment without godliness any good? I had to laugh at myself for even typing that. That one is too easy – of course not. In fact, that is probably one of the biggest reasons people don’t consider salvation through Jesus Christ. They are quite content in their own little kingdom thinking they have it made. No thoughts for the future beyond their death. They are lulled to sleep by sinful pleasures and the world that is now telling them there isn’t anything beyond the grave.

But the first question is a bit harder to answer. Certainly, there are many godly people who serve the Lord, living holy lives, and being obedient. Even though they are to all appearance to others and even to themselves, they are godly, but are they content? Sure, some are content and even though they are quite godly, we know that no one is completely godly. Even so, a lack of contentment exposes the sin that hinders growth in holiness and therefore a deficiency in godliness.  

Contentment in this context of 1 Timothy 6 is primarily with money and what happens when we are not content with what we have. But it doesn’t stop with money or other possessions. The big question that will lead to contentment and godliness is, are we content with our godliness. This too can go in different paths. I can be content with my godliness and therefore think I’ve arrived (bad path). Or I can be discontent with my godliness and realize how far I still need to go (good path). Or I can be content with knowing that God is in control and is working in me and bringing me forward in sanctification (better path). That is when godliness with contentment is great gain.

Lord, help me be content in you and keep on growing in godliness, not arriving but looking forward to the day when it will be complete.

Bargaining with God

 17 But let your hand be on the man of your right hand,
the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!
18 Then we shall not turn back from you;
give us life, and we will call upon your name! Ps 80:17-18

I find this same concept in places in the Bible. Here, Asaph asks God to save them through the king or possibly the nation (vs 14-15). He could be talking about asking for the Messiah to come and that is certainly the way some have looked at it. But I think he is talking about the king that is currently on the throne. In the psalm, he has asked for God to turn and restore the nation probably just before Jerusalem was destroyed or the first time Babylon took away captive, so I don’t think he had the Messiah in mind. What I see is someone, or a people, who are in desperate need and ask for deliverance before they will repent. This is a foxhole prayer. Save me from the enemy then I will go to church.

When I was in the Navy and flying over the ocean. I had been working in a back compartment and had returned to my seat as the radioman. I looked out my window and it was covered with oil. The propeller on the one engine was not turning. I put on my headset and listened to the conversation between the pilot and another aircraft. The other plane identified itself as “Dumbo 73.” I thought, wait, Dumbo is a designation for a search and rescue plane. My plane was search and rescue plane but the pilot was using standard designation. That’s when it hit me. While I was in the back, the engine on our plane sprung a leak and was shut down. The other plane was coming to escort us back to Midway Island and rescue us if we went into the drink.

That’s when I, a non-believing catholic prayed. “Lord if you get us back safely, I’ll go to church every Sunday. Then I stopped and said, no, I probably won’t do that, but I’d still like to get back safely.” I wanted to bargain with God. And quite frankly, it is still a temptation and in some ways, I think I still do.

Lord, help me serve you without any hidden agenda or motivation. You have already saved me so help me serve you without any “ifs.”

Bodies in Heaven

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (2 Cor 5:1 ESV)

I've pondered this before and I will probably ponder it again. When we get to heaven, before the resurrection of the dead, are we going to have bodies? I've heard preachers say different things and most of the Reformed say that we will be in an intermediate state. That is probably because they quote the Westminster Catechism (32:1). But verse 3 clearly says that we will not be found naked. The NLT goes even further by saying, “For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies.” The clear implication of the verse is that we will have some kind of body in heaven. The NLT clearly conveys this idea but it is not what the Greek says.

If this were the only verse in the Bible that helps understand this, it would be puzzling because it isn't crystal clear. However, I can look at one other passage in the Bible that doesn’t speak directly to this but provides information. This comes from the transfiguration (Matt 17:2-4, Mark 9:2-5). On the mount, Jesus talks with Moses and Elijah. They both appear in bodily form without any mention of being transfigured like Jesus. OK, Elijah didn't die so sure, he could have a body. Moses died and it says God buried him (Deut 34:6). Yet the disciples were able to identify both. They appeared to be people. They weren't spirits and they had some kind of body.

My conclusion is that in heaven before we are united with our resurrected body, we will have some kind of body. What it is and what it can do is beyond me, but we will be recognized and recognize others.

Thank you, Lord, that this body will not be the one I live in forever.

God of this World

 

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Cor 4:4)

I've read this verse and even memorized it but never stopped to ponder how Satan could blind unbelievers. Some translations insert Satan into the text because it is universally believed he is the god of the world. How many unbelievers are there? Billions. We acknowledge that Satan is a created being and then deduce that he can't be omnipresent or omnipotent. So how does he blind billions of people? Possibly, it is his will being carried out by his minions. That means there must be billions of demons. Yet most theologians say that demon activity is far and few between because they don't see it in the world at the level anywhere near the level of what was shown during New Testament times especially in the Gospels.

Back to pondering, if Satan has blinded all these unbelievers, then there is satanic activity far greater than we imagine. But the good news follows, and that is that God has given us light to see his glory in Jesus. There is hope and the knowledge that no matter how powerful Satan is, God is more powerful.

Thank you, Lord, letting me see the light of Jesus in the Gospels.

Elihu - Humility about Wisdom

In Job 33, Elihu starts his speech against Job. Some people say because his name means, “He is my God” and that God does not rebuke him that he is actually speaking for God or represents God. Yet later, God ignores him saying neither good or bad about him when He rebukes Job's friends and commends Job. So how do I understand whether he really speaks for God or not?

I’ll look at his words to decide. He burned with anger because Job’s three friends could not get Job to admit his wrong or convict him of sin. In Job 32:6, 10 and 17, he doesn't attribute his wisdom to God but his own opinion.

He thinks way too much of himself! He says he doesn't know how to flatter (Job 32:22). Then in Job 33:33 he says he will teach wisdom. So, the friends couldn't teach wisdom and Job doesn't have it, but he can teach wisdom? Wow! He goes on for a long time, but I don't see anything that the friends or Job haven't already said.

It is easy to become angry when someone is unable to prove another wrong, especially on theological or moral issues. I've seen it up close. It is easy to think I have wisdom better than anyone else.

Lord, help me live out, “I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment” (Rom 12:3).

When Evil Prevails

1 Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! 2 For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. (Ps 37:1-2)

7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! 8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. 9 For the evildoers shall be cut off,

but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. (Ps 37:7-9)

 With the way things are going in the US but even more so with Ukraine and Gaza, evil is evident. It is all kinds of evil, not just politics, and I'm pretty sure it isn't just media bias. So, these verses are what I must remember every day. Wait for the Lord. The Lord is forever, eternal, and His justice will prevail.

The ones causing evil are temporary. A president lasts four to eight years; it is but a blink in God's eyes. I think about all the evil kings in Judah and Israel, some lasting 50 years or so. How did people hang on that long?

Those who know the Lord are waiting for an eternal city and endless peace and righteousness. I need to remember this while evil seems unstoppable.

Evangelism 101

 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:6

Paul wrote this a few years after preaching on Mars Hill in Athens. There he used a rather apologetic style to try to convince the intellectual elite. Here, I believe, is what he learned from that experience and wisdom given over the ensuing years.

Evangelism that is effective must include the word of the cross because it is the power of God (1 Cor 1:18). People won't be won by debate because that isn't how God has chosen to save people (1 Cor 1:20-21) or by signs alone (1 Cor 2:4).

God chooses those He wants from all walks of life and it isn't up to them to choose. Otherwise, they could boast about their wisdom to choose (1 Cor 1:29). The only thing we can boast about is that God chose us and that isn't true boasting. It is admitting that we wouldn't believe unless he chooses us (1 Cor 1:26-31).

So don't worry about getting all the theology right but present the basics of the gospel. Let the Holy Spirit work then their salvation is in God's power and not in our persuasion (1 Cor 2:5).

There will be plenty of time to expand on deep theological principles after a person is saved. It will be over their heads if they aren’t saved.

Help me Lord, speak the gospel of the cross to unbelievers.

Art and Worship

Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke in pieces the pillars and cut down the Asherim and broke down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. 2 Chronicles 31:1

In 2 Chronicles 31:1, the people went through the cities and country to break the altars to other gods and cut the Asherim and tear down the high places. How would we view that today? We would probably say that it was horrible that we were destroying art and history. We would be appalled. Think about trying to destroy totem poles in the Pacific Northwest or disturbing sacred grounds in Hawaii. The public outcry would be great.

But some of the reformers tried the very same thing with icons, statues, and breaking stained-glass windows. Luther had to stop them. Why? Wasn't this the pattern or principle established in the Old Testament? Other reformers prevented musical instruments from being used in church; some still do that today. I think this boils down to 3 categories.

1.    Public – we are not a Christian nation with rules that govern objects of worship as did Israel. So, we don't have the right to break down public idols, we can protest if they are immoral such as some of art exhibits have been.

2.    Churches – since the only places this would happen now is if a church suddenly believed their stained-glass windows were idolatry. They would have to see that it was leading to idolatry and if so, yes, they should destroy them.

3.    Personally – in our homes this is where each of us have all the authority to destroy art if it becomes or is an idol. Some art such as Tiki Idols from Hawaii maybe considered art, but why have one in your home?

While all three have their place in history #3 is what I must consider for my life regardless of what the world or church is doing. Lord, help me to always put you first and have no idols before me.