As I spoke on Sunday, Psalm 119 is a wonderful expression of the love that one individual has for the Word of God. We were able to get through the first 11 verses of this in the time that we had, but I wanted to highlight a few others in the psalm that make me think.
Verse 13 - Do we take the time to actually talk to other people about the Word of God? Have we made it such a "personal" and "devotional" experience that we forget that it is to be shared? We need to talk about God's Word!
verse 23 - Even when people are against us, is the Word of God more important to us than what they are saying about us? This is especially challenging as a pastor sometimes!
Verse 28 - Do we allow the Scriptures to be a source of help in our grief? Do we turn to all others places that we think might help and then go to God's Word or do we go to God's Word first?
Verse 34 - I am here reminded that the purpose of the Word of God is again to change my behavior. Do I ask God to help me understand that I might change? I think that far too often it is too easy to use God's Word as a bully to change the behavior of others, but how often do I look into my own behavior and see what God wants me to change?
And there is more. This psalm is a treasure trove of material for giving me a better appreciation for the written Word of God!
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
The Start of Another School Year
This one goes out to all of the students out there. Be you in elementary or Junior High, High School or college, I hope that this will encourage you today. You have a purpose in life. Right now. Your purpose is right now. I think that often we are bad as adults, and as churches, by making it seem as though life begins in your twenties. It is true that you should probably wait at least that long to consider yourself an adult. It is true that your maturity level is such that for the most part adulthood brings growth in a way that you may not be able to see yet. But that does not mean that we should all just sit back and watch you become an adult. You have a purpose. God has put you in your family, in your school, in your job (if you have one) on purpose. You have the responsibility of bearing His name wherever you go and so your purpose is simple - represent Christ well.
This is something that is given to you at the moment of salvation. When Christ redeems you - you are literally bought at the price of His blood. And at that moment, no matter what your age, your life has a purpose renewed. The purpose for which you were created - to glorify God - is once again enabled in you. No longer do you live for self, you live for God. You do not live to please others, you live to God. And in this newness of life you have one restored purpose - to glorify God.
It is interesting that God does not put very many limits on this purpose. He does not tell us that we must achieve a level of obedience before we start glorifying God. Nor does he call us to do this once we have attained maturity in Christ. Nor does he say that we only have to do this if all the others around are doing the same. We are called to live for Christ. So if you are in Second Grade, or this is your final year of High School - if you belong to Christ - your purpose is to glorify God. Glorify God in your speech, in your homework, in your test taking, in your interactions with teachers, in your interactions with your parents and siblings, in your work, in your play, in your thoughts. In whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God. (Col 3:17)
This is something that is given to you at the moment of salvation. When Christ redeems you - you are literally bought at the price of His blood. And at that moment, no matter what your age, your life has a purpose renewed. The purpose for which you were created - to glorify God - is once again enabled in you. No longer do you live for self, you live for God. You do not live to please others, you live to God. And in this newness of life you have one restored purpose - to glorify God.
It is interesting that God does not put very many limits on this purpose. He does not tell us that we must achieve a level of obedience before we start glorifying God. Nor does he call us to do this once we have attained maturity in Christ. Nor does he say that we only have to do this if all the others around are doing the same. We are called to live for Christ. So if you are in Second Grade, or this is your final year of High School - if you belong to Christ - your purpose is to glorify God. Glorify God in your speech, in your homework, in your test taking, in your interactions with teachers, in your interactions with your parents and siblings, in your work, in your play, in your thoughts. In whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God. (Col 3:17)
Tuesday, September 4, 2018
The Meaning of Work
So often we get to Labor Day and we celebrate because we do not have to work! Many of us view work with a little bit (or perhaps a lot) of disdain. If we could have it our way, we might do away with work altogether. After all the "non-work" fun that we can have seems to be more enjoyable than the paycheck we are attempting to earn. And were it not for the paycheck, most of us might not work at all!
It might surprise you that the Scriptures have a rather unique and different view of work. I will not go into the full detail as it would take far too long, but let us suffice to say that it was challenging to me when I started to think about the subject and study it.
Take for instance the beginning when things were perfect and man walked and talked in perfect harmony with God and creation. Have you considered that in this Edenic state, Adam had work to do. There is the command to be fruitful and multiply. There is the command to subdue the earth. There was to be a demonstrated rule over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moved along the ground. Admittedly, this work was unhindered by the difficulty of sin, but it was work none-the-less. There was still the work of picking the ripened fruit to eat and of the harvest. There was the God-given work of naming the animals. There was work to do!
Fast forward a bit to the book of Exodus and the giving of the ten commands at the base of Mount Sinai. Notice verse 9 of chapter 20 of the book of Exodus and realize that part of the law was to do your work within the 6 days of the week and leave the 7th day for rest - the Sabbath Day. Work was a commanded part of the will of God and then the rest was to be all the more meaningful because of the work that was being done.
Consider the command of Paul in the book of 2 Thessalonians to those who were simply waiting for Jesus to come back by sitting at home and being totally passive. In verse 10-13 he commands them to work in a quiet fashion and to provide for their own bread.
I could also talk about the Proverbs, the Gospels and many more, but I will end with the end. After the consummation of all things, in Revelation 22 we are free from the curse, free from sin, and God will be on the throne and it says that "His bond-servants will serve Him." Even in the newly created heaven and earth we will have work to do.
The Scriptures are clear that being human involves doing the work that humans are created to do. Namely this is to bring honor and glory to God. It is to provide for oneself and ones family. We must not make work divided into secular work and sacred work. The missionary and the garbage man are called to the same purpose - to do what they do to the glory of God.
So when you go to work next, remember you are there not for man, but to bring honor and glory to God in that which He has given you to do!
It might surprise you that the Scriptures have a rather unique and different view of work. I will not go into the full detail as it would take far too long, but let us suffice to say that it was challenging to me when I started to think about the subject and study it.
Take for instance the beginning when things were perfect and man walked and talked in perfect harmony with God and creation. Have you considered that in this Edenic state, Adam had work to do. There is the command to be fruitful and multiply. There is the command to subdue the earth. There was to be a demonstrated rule over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moved along the ground. Admittedly, this work was unhindered by the difficulty of sin, but it was work none-the-less. There was still the work of picking the ripened fruit to eat and of the harvest. There was the God-given work of naming the animals. There was work to do!
Fast forward a bit to the book of Exodus and the giving of the ten commands at the base of Mount Sinai. Notice verse 9 of chapter 20 of the book of Exodus and realize that part of the law was to do your work within the 6 days of the week and leave the 7th day for rest - the Sabbath Day. Work was a commanded part of the will of God and then the rest was to be all the more meaningful because of the work that was being done.
Consider the command of Paul in the book of 2 Thessalonians to those who were simply waiting for Jesus to come back by sitting at home and being totally passive. In verse 10-13 he commands them to work in a quiet fashion and to provide for their own bread.
I could also talk about the Proverbs, the Gospels and many more, but I will end with the end. After the consummation of all things, in Revelation 22 we are free from the curse, free from sin, and God will be on the throne and it says that "His bond-servants will serve Him." Even in the newly created heaven and earth we will have work to do.
The Scriptures are clear that being human involves doing the work that humans are created to do. Namely this is to bring honor and glory to God. It is to provide for oneself and ones family. We must not make work divided into secular work and sacred work. The missionary and the garbage man are called to the same purpose - to do what they do to the glory of God.
So when you go to work next, remember you are there not for man, but to bring honor and glory to God in that which He has given you to do!
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
The Lord Reigns
"The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many islands be glad."
Psalm 97:1 (NASB)
These are the opening words to Psalm 97 and a consistent theme throughout the Scriptures. We talk about the reign of God, but I wonder how much we really think about the reign of God.
We have a disadvantage because of most of our political background. I live in the United States of America. We elect a new leader every 4 years and our new leader is in very few senses "in charge". In fact, in terms of reign and rule, we implement a system of checks and balances. We reject the power of totalitarian rulers. We look down upon dictators and have little understanding of monarchy. In fact, in most cases we even misunderstand our own system of government and think we are democratic and have rule by the people. (What we actually have is a representative republic, but this is not a civics class.) At the end of the day we have a hard time understanding a system in which we have but one choice - obey or rebel.
Such is the Theocracy with which God rules. God is in charge. I am not in charge. I do not even get an equal say in the decision making process. What God says will happen is what is going to happen. I do not get to dialogue with God in the process of Him making His will. God reigns. God is in control. God is in charge.
At the core, most of our theology is deficient and ascribes God reign and rule when things are going well and then when things go poorly we defend God by claiming human free will. So God gets credit for all of things that go well but at the end of the days that go poorly we act as though he was not in control of those things. Or we beg God to show His control in precisely the way we think He ought to. And when He does not choose our way, we despair. God reigns. God is King. God is Lord. He is the one to whom our only response is obedience and worship.
What is surprising is that the reign of God in the Scriptures is reason for gladness and joy! When we serve a King who is seeking His own glory and honor first we can trust in the character and nature that He has revealed to us. We can trust that He will do nothing to harm His own glory and therefore we can rely on Him. Even in the difficulty we know the promises that He has made and that He, as ruler, will never default on.
So God reigns - let the people be glad!
Tuesday, August 7, 2018
Do you think about what you sing?
Visiting with my parents this weekend we were having a conversation about theology as it is taught through song and how often there are errors in the songs that we sing that we do not even think about. Or perhaps "errors" is the wrong word. I don't know that I can tell if an author has written the theology purposefully, or if they have erred by simply not putting thought into what is being taught.
In this discussion I am looking past things like "We Three Kings" that is based on tradition instead of biblical data. I am instead concerned with songs that teach at best incomplete theology.
Please understand that in drawing attention to this theme, I am not in any way intending disrespect to those that authored these songs, or those that might hold them dear. I am simply asking if we really have thought about what we are singing.
For example - a song like "Softly and Tenderly" encourages us to remember that Jesus is standing at the portal and watching for poor sinners to come home. This song downplays sin and makes Jesus completely dependent upon our action. God does not view sinners as poor souls - he views them as dead in their trespasses and sin. And apart from His quickening of their Spirit, they will remain dead. A similar theme is found in "Jesus is Calling". The truth is that Jesus does not wait for us. God acts upon our hearts and when He does, we respond.
And then there is a whole other category of missed theology when we sing words that have great theology, but we don't really think about them at all and go on living life as though we are in charge. "Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus" has a line that states that we will cease from sin and self. And then we sing it and complain that the worship was not what it should be. Or that the church is not meeting my needs. Or that someone ignored me at church. And we forget that we sang we would cease from self.
In all of these things I simply point out that we sing without thinking about the truth that we are saying to music. We need to stop and think about what we say, and about what we sing. And in so doing we will find our hearts drawn into God and His Word!
In this discussion I am looking past things like "We Three Kings" that is based on tradition instead of biblical data. I am instead concerned with songs that teach at best incomplete theology.
Please understand that in drawing attention to this theme, I am not in any way intending disrespect to those that authored these songs, or those that might hold them dear. I am simply asking if we really have thought about what we are singing.
For example - a song like "Softly and Tenderly" encourages us to remember that Jesus is standing at the portal and watching for poor sinners to come home. This song downplays sin and makes Jesus completely dependent upon our action. God does not view sinners as poor souls - he views them as dead in their trespasses and sin. And apart from His quickening of their Spirit, they will remain dead. A similar theme is found in "Jesus is Calling". The truth is that Jesus does not wait for us. God acts upon our hearts and when He does, we respond.
And then there is a whole other category of missed theology when we sing words that have great theology, but we don't really think about them at all and go on living life as though we are in charge. "Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus" has a line that states that we will cease from sin and self. And then we sing it and complain that the worship was not what it should be. Or that the church is not meeting my needs. Or that someone ignored me at church. And we forget that we sang we would cease from self.
In all of these things I simply point out that we sing without thinking about the truth that we are saying to music. We need to stop and think about what we say, and about what we sing. And in so doing we will find our hearts drawn into God and His Word!
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
Teach Me Your Way
"Teach me your way O Lord; I will walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name."
Psalm 86:11 (NASB)
I think that often times we get things backward. Prayer is one that sometimes reveals more about our theology than we would even care to think about. For instance. If we were to ask the question of who comes first, God or you, how would you answer. Most of us would of course answer that God and His desires and commands come first and that I am secondary. We know that this answer is good theologically. And then we pray.
I want to run a simple test. Pick a time that you plan on praying and just do a few basic mathematical calculations. Every time you say something about God and His character and His nature add 10 points. When you give God praise for things He has done that do not directly involve you or someone close to you add 10 points. Then make a second column. In this column, add 10 points every time you ask God for something. In the second column, add 10 points every time you request something from God on behalf of someone that is close to you. Add 10 points every time you tell God the best thing that he should do. Add 10 points every time you wonder what God has not done what you have been praying for. Now compare the two columns. An even score would mean that your prayer is 50/50 focused on you and God. I am not sure that is even a good number, but so often my prayers are not even. My prayers tend to be out of balance on the side of focusing on me and my needs. I need the AC to come back on at work. I need the struggle I am having to be resolved. I need my friends' illnesses to be cured. I need my acquaintances' family members needs to be met. I need provision. I need compassion in a difficult problem. I need, I need, I need, I want. And at the Amen, I have spent far more time talking about me than about God.
All of this is not to say that asking God for the cares of our hearts is a bad thing, it is not. It is a very good thing and is even commanded in Scripture. But I think when the psalmist prays that God would teach him His ways, this is a much needed element of our prayers that is often missing. We focus so much on what we want God to do that we miss the work He needs to do in us.
Teach me God to walk in your way. I want to do the things that please you instead of demanding that you do the things that please me. Make my heart to desire to serve and obey you in all that I do and use my prayer life to enable and accomplish this. Amen.
Tuesday, July 10, 2018
Family
This last week my in-laws came for a visit. What kind of blog do you anticipate will follow? I think that so often we lose the value of the impact of family in our lives. We often focus so much on difficulty and differences that we miss opportunities for impact. I am reminded of the exhortations to Titus to allow the older men to strengthen younger men and older women teaching younger women. What a blessing when this can happen in the context of a family as well.
I for one am so grateful to see the impact that my in-laws (and my parents as well) have on my kids. The way that they are so spoiled is a small price to pay for the investment their grandparents are making in their lives. If there is no other impact other than to let my kids know that time with them is valued, I believe it is worth the investment. My kids know that their grandparents want to spend time with them. This in turn supports the value that my wife and I consistently remind them they are created with. But there is the joy of knowing that my parents and in-laws share the same values that we do. We serve the same God together. This is incredible.
I could go on and on, but I simply want to give a public thank you. I want to remind all of us of the incredible value of pouring into and investing in the life of someone else. Perhaps you cannot do this with your own family for whatever reason. In this case, find someone younger than you and work to pour into their life. Listen to them. Spend time with them. And in so doing you will be accomplishing something far deeper than you may ever know. Your investment will have long-lasting rewards!
I for one am so grateful to see the impact that my in-laws (and my parents as well) have on my kids. The way that they are so spoiled is a small price to pay for the investment their grandparents are making in their lives. If there is no other impact other than to let my kids know that time with them is valued, I believe it is worth the investment. My kids know that their grandparents want to spend time with them. This in turn supports the value that my wife and I consistently remind them they are created with. But there is the joy of knowing that my parents and in-laws share the same values that we do. We serve the same God together. This is incredible.
I could go on and on, but I simply want to give a public thank you. I want to remind all of us of the incredible value of pouring into and investing in the life of someone else. Perhaps you cannot do this with your own family for whatever reason. In this case, find someone younger than you and work to pour into their life. Listen to them. Spend time with them. And in so doing you will be accomplishing something far deeper than you may ever know. Your investment will have long-lasting rewards!
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