Slow Learner

Since last September some men I have known for about 40 years, and I have been studying 1 Corinthians.  We meet each week online and compare notes.  It is a good time.  There is no pretense.  In the early part of last October, during my quiet time I was reflecting on part of 1 Corinthians 13.  Specifically, verses 5 and 7 (here @ BibleGateway).

The notion that love, “does not seek it’s own,” caught my attention.  It made me think of Philippians 2:3 (here @ BibleGateway).  The idea that we are to “do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than” ourselves, seemed to echo Paul’s thought in 1 Corinthians.  

That thought – the “nothing” – took me to Philippians 4:6 – 7 (here @ BibleGateway), we are to “be anxious for nothing”.

As I pondered these three passages, I concluded that these instructions are impossible for me to do.  I am not sure I have ever had an unselfish thought, if so, it was probably by mistake, in a moment of weakness.  The truth is that in my own strength I can’t.  Without Christ in me, without His strength, without His enabling grace, and without the leading and transformation of the Holy Spirit – there is no way.

I am grateful that He is patient with the process of moving me in these directions.

Help for Struggling Prayer

(Normally I write these in an hour or so.  This one I have been working on for 3 or 4 days.  It is long.  I considered breaking it into two or three posts but decided against it.  I think that would have diminished the message.)

Full Disclosure
I struggle with prayer.  I can study the Bible for hours, but I will fall asleep, like the disciples, when I try to pray for thirty minutes.  I share that as a preface to what I have been challenged with in the Word over the past few days.  I share it because I do not want you to think that what I am about to write about prayer, is in any way a declaration that I have this figured out or am doing well with this spiritual discipline.

Source of This Post
For some context, I am working through Revelation (here @ Bible Gateway) in three Bible studies: one on Monday morning, and two on Tuesday morning.  So, I am working through the book verse by verse three different times.  Most of what follows is a result of those studies.  

The Importance of Prayer to God
In Revelation 8:3 – 5 (here @ Bible Gateway) there is a picture of the importance and effectiveness of prayer that overwhelms me.  What John sees is an altar, a golden alter, before the throne of God.  We see in verse 5 (here @ Bible Gateway) that the altar has fire.  In verse 3 (here @ Bible Gateway) we find that the prayers of all of the saints are on that altar.  Think of that.  Your prayer, my prayer, are on the altar before God.  

If your experience is like mine, sometimes it feels as if my feeble prayer does not get past the ceiling of my office.  Yet here we find that these prayers, feeble as they may be, are on the altar, seemingly as a burnt offering to our God.  

But that is not all.  In Revelation 8 (here @ Bible Gateway), the angel comes to the altar and adds much incense to the prayer on the altar.  I understand that this is after the seventh seal, so, we cannot assume that this happens now.  However, the altar seems to be there now.  Regardless, the actions of the angel with the incense, the fire from the altar, and the censer, seem to underline and emphasize the effect of our prayer.

Hope In My Feeble Prayer
It has been of help to me to consider what John saw and recorded in Revelation 8 (here @ Bible Gateway) as I begin to pray.  To understand that my prayer will be on the altar before God, gives me hope.  Hope even though I am so weak in my prayer.

But there is more hope.

In Romans 8:26 – 27 (here @ Bible Gateway) I am greatly comforted about my feeble prayer life.  There we read that – but wait, the first words we read are, “In the same way”, that makes us look at the previous context to see what that “same way” could be, we see, among other things, the ministry of the Spirit in our lives assures us of our adoption and gives us hope.  That hope is a direct reflection of Paul’s point in Romans 5:1 – 11 (here @ Bible Gateway) where, as we exult in our tribulation, the Spirit produces love in our hearts, as we persevere, we develop proven character in and through that perseverance, and that results in hope.  

So as the ministry of the Spirit helps us to walk in Christ, assures us of our adoption, and gives us hope, “in the same way” He helps our weakness.  He helps in one of the areas in which I need great help, prayer.  The text says that we do not know how to pray.  This “we” includes the author, Paul.  Paul, like me, like us, struggled with prayer.  But here the Spirit inspires him to encourage “we”.  We are helped because the Spirit takes our weak, feeble prayer, and intercedes for us.  

The Full Engagement of the Trinity in Our Prayer
However, it gets even better.  Look at the last clause of Romans 8:27 (here @ Bible Gateway):

“because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God,” (NASB95).  

Note that the words “the will of” are in italics which indicates those words were added by the committee to make the translation “make more sense”.  Regardless of which version or translation you consider those words are added.  The Greek literally says:

“because according to God He intercedes on behalf of the saints”.  

While I understand the addition of “the will of”, from my perspective the addition significantly diminishes the point Paul is making.  The Holy Spirit intercedes for us according to God.  While the will of God is certainly in mind, I believe that “according to God” indicates all of God’s nature and character, all His glory and excellence.  Paul’s Holy Spirit inspired choice of vocabulary, highlights and underscores the fullness of the Holy Spirit’s participation with the Father and the Son as God, bringing that participation fully into His intercession for us.

This is not a minor point.  You will note that Romans 8:2 – 39 (here @ Bible Gateway) is the explanation of and support for Romans 8:1 (here @ Bible Gateway) (notice all of the verses in your Bible that begin with “for,” “for” is a structural marker (click here for more on structure in the Bible or search this blog for the word "structure") that indicates support for or result of something that has been stated.  Throughout this chapter Paul is substantiating what he has declared in 8:1 (here @ Bible Gateway)).  For those of us who are in Christ, there is no condemnation.  

Part of the reality that we are under no condemnation is what we are considering here.  We are still weak.  We are still needy.  Even though it is declared that we are in Christ in 8:1 (here @ Bible Gateway) and that the Spirit (8:9 (here @ Bible Gateway)) and Christ (8:10 (here @ Bible Gateway)) dwell in us.  In 8:26 – 27 (here @ Bible Gateway) we are told that “He who searches the hearts” knows the mind of the Spirit.  It is the Father that searches the hearts (consider: 1 Samuel 16:7 (here @ Bible Gateway); 1 Chronicles 28:9 (here @ Bible Gateway); Proverbs 17:3 (here @ Bible Gateway); Jeremiah 11:20 (here @ Bible Gateway); 17:10 (here @ Bible Gateway); 20:12 (here @ Bible Gateway); Revelation 2:23 (here @ Bible Gateway)).  The Father searches the heart of the believer, the Spirit prays for the believer and the Father and the Spirit are completely in sync, which brings the full force of the nature of God into that prayer.  To cap all of that off, we read in 8:34 (here @ Bible Gateway) that the Son is also interceding for us at the right hand of God.

Summary
So as we struggle with prayer, it helps me to remember, that my feeble attempts of coming to my Lord in prayer, are absorbed by the Holy Spirit, compared with the actual needs that I have, the Spirits understanding is completely understood by the Father, who has searched my heart and understands my needs, then the Spirit prays for me to the Father with groanings too deep for words – He is pouring His soul out for us – while at the same time the Son is at the right hand of the Father also praying for us, and all of this time, our feeble prayer is on the golden altar that stands before the throne of the Father.

Conclusion
That is help.  That truth has helped me rest as I pray.  It has taken away some of the struggle.  It has caused me to rejoice and praise Him who has engaged so completely in my efforts to come to Him.  It is an overwhelming picture of God’s love and effective working of His grace in our lives.

Long Lead Items

I am learning to deal with the effects of the chemo – not very well, yet – thus, the blog is sporadic.  Please pray Ephesians 5:15 – 16 (here @ Bible Gateway) for me.

I worked, while in seminary, and for a time afterwards, in project controls, or management, or scheduling – a combination of all the above.  There were several different types of projects from significant infrastructure projects, to large automated warehouses, to technical development of software.  While all of the projects were different, they all had similar pieces that had to be tracked and managed.

One of the more impactful items in any of those projects were “long lead items”.  These are critical materials or functions that require a significant amount of time to either produce or acquire.  They vary from project to project, but their delay of one day, will delay the project by one day, they are that critical.

In the past several years, it seems like the Lord has identified several “long lead items” in my life.  Things I need that seem to be taking an inordinate amount of time to appropriate into my life.

As we were starting to put together this ministry from scratch, the thing that I kept hearing from the Lord was, “Trust me.”  When I prayed about any issue, whether financial, spiritual, opportunities to serve – whatever, the answer was always the same, “Trust me”.  I found that was easy to write in my journal.  To acknowledge as a direction from the Lord.  It was and is a whole lot harder to actually live.

Shortly thereafter, and currently, there has been another message that is similar.  Isaiah 40:31 (here @ Bible Gateway) tells me that if I wait on Him, He will give me strength.  Paul, echoes this in 2 Corinthians 12:9 – 10 (here @ Bible Gateway).  There he reminds me that Christ’s power is perfected in weakness.  So the message was I needed to rest in Him and live and serve out of His strength.  I have no idea.  Again, easy to record in the journal.  I can make observations about the text, even delve into the Greek or Hebrew – but to live it?  I struggle.

This morning the Lord took me on an extended journey through several passages on prayer.  Some of that I will possibly share in a later post.  But the “long lead item” that stood out for me this morning was the admonition in Ephesians 6:18 (here @ Bible Gateway) to “pray at all times in the Spirit.”  Confession, I do not think I know how to pray at anytime in the Spirit.  I pray.  I cling hard to Romans 8:26 – 27 (here @ Bible Gateway).  I do not know what else to do.  From where I am now in this journey, it seems I am completely dependent on His lavish grace to do any of this.  Which aligns very well with what I read in John 15:5 (here @ Bible Gateway).

There seems to be a lot in this journey with which I struggle.  A lot that I seem to understand but do not apply very well.  It is more than amazing that in spite of all that floundering, He loves me, died for me, and is working to perfect me, even when I can’t manage the “long lead items.”

The Use of Secondary Sources

Over the years the Lord has provided me with several opportunities to share with people why they need to be in the Word of God for themselves.  What that means is that they are not using secondary sources but directly reading and studying the Bible.

Secondary sources include but are not limited to:

• Notes in a study Bible
• Commentaries
• Devotionals
• Books about the Bible or Topics in the Bible
• Messages live or recorded
• Fill in the blank or other types of Bible Study guides.

Now before I explain why I encourage people not to use these, full disclosure, I have every one of those resources in my office and on my computer, in addition to some technical resources that I have not named.  Further, I have at various times derived benefit from all those types of resources.

Why then, do I encourage people not to use them?

The answer is priority or sequence.  These are appropriate after we have studied or attempted to study a passage on our own.  If we pick up one of these at the beginning of our study or interaction with the Word of God, what is said in the resource will become a filter for what we see in the text.  On the other hand, if we engage in the Word ourselves first, then when we utilize the resource, we are comparing what is said there with what we have seen.  So instead of it becoming a filter, it then becomes a supplement, another set of eyes on the passage.  Then we are in a dialog with the one who created the resource.

According to Jesus, and I will take Him at His word on this, one of the purposes of the Holy Spirit other than inspiring the Word of God, is to help us understand it, John 16:13 (here @ Bible Gateway).  If when we are working through a passage we bail out of the text and go to secondary sources as soon as we hit something that challenges us, we are not leaving room for the Spirit to lead us into truth.

We need to let Him do what He was sent to do.

Not Void

Isaiah 55:11 (here @ Bible Gateway) is a passage to which I return often.  I have written about it often here.  Many times I couple the verse with Hebrews 4:12 – 13 (here @ Bible Gateway).  It has been, and it still is, my belief and conviction that God’s Word does not return void. 

In part I have been applying that by getting men into the Word and allowing the Word to work in their lives, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  My conviction and experience is if men get in the Word and I get out of the way, the Lord will lead them into truth.

Problem.

I read a lot.  Theological journals and some scholarly works are part of that reading.  I benefit from reading those – caveat: my primary time for input for my walk with God, is time with Him in the Word, I read the journals to understand what they are dealing with, but I do not accept anything I read without validating it Biblically.  The challenge I have encountered in reading these is that I find men who are “scholars” who are espousing some incredibly unbiblical positions.

How does that align with the Word of God not returning void?  How does that align with the Word being piercing?  Why are they not led into truth?

Thinking and praying through this over time I think an answer may be emerging for me.  You may already have figured it out.  But, I am a slow maze learner.  The last portion of Isaiah 55:11 (here @ Bible Gateway) states that the Word won’t return, “Without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”

If the Lord’s purpose in a person’s life is to draw them to Himself, the Word will do that.  If it is His purpose to push them away, the Word will do so.  It is His purpose that is important, not mine.

It is a further reminder to me, a rebuke, that I am not in control.  It is His Word, His ministry, His gospel, His choice that matters.  He determines what is void and what is not.  My role is to still get men into the Word and get out of the way and let Him do with them what He desires.

Accountability

You have probably heard of accountability groups.  You may be in one.  There is a lot of talk and a lot written on holding each other accountable.

You may have heard about or experienced the use of questions in these groups.  Here is a list of several, here are five that I have experienced:

1. Have you been with a woman anywhere this past week that might be seen as compromising?
2. Have any of your financial dealings lacked integrity?
3. Have you exposed yourself to any sexually explicit material?
4. Have you spent adequate time in Bible study and prayer?
5. Have you given priority time to your family?
6. Have you fulfilled the mandates of your calling?
7. Have you just lied to me

This idea of accountability has gained a lot of traction in the Church.  One problem, the word “accountable” does not appear anywhere in the text of the Bible as a directive or description of the relationship between individual believers.  Instead the word is used to describe our relationship to God.  Check out:

• Daniel 6:2 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Ezekiel 3:18 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Ezekiel 3:20 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Ezekiel 33:6 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Ezekiel 33:8 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Ezekiel 34:10 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Jonah 1:14 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Romans 3:19 (here @ Bible Gateway) (not only the only time the English word appears it is the only use of the Greek word in the New Testament)

You will note that in the Bible the idea of accountability in these texts, and they are the only places that the English word “accountable” appears, is toward God not toward man.  By the way these are all the passages in our English Bibles that have any Hebrew or Greek word translated accountable...

So what do we make of this?

The Bible does give us direction on how we are to engage with one another (not an exhaustive list):

• John 13:34 – 35 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Ephesians 4:11 - 16 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• 2 Timothy 2:24 – 25 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• 2 Timothy 3:14 – 17 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• 2 Timothy 4:1 – 2 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Hebrews 3:13 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Hebrews 10:24 – 25 (here @ Bible Gateway)

The words used in these passages are words like build up, encourage, reprove, rebuke, exhort, teach, correct, and arguably the most important, love one another.  I ran across an article that had a paragraph that seemed spot on:

In The Duty, Owen writes that church members should, of their own accord, “assemble together, to consider one another, to provoke unto love and good works, to stir up the gifts that are in them, yielding and receiving mutual consolation by the fruits of their most holy faith.” During these gatherings, Owen tells believers to warn the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak (1 Thessalonians 5:14 (here @ Bible Gateway)), help one another understand the Word of God better (Acts 18:26 (here @ Bible Gateway)), help one another be on guard against the heart-hardening effects of sin (Hebrews 3:13 (here @ Bible Gateway)), gently restore those who have are trapped in sin (Galatians 6:1 (here @ Bible Gateway)), encourage and build up one another in the faith (1 Thessalonians 5:11; Jude 20 (here @ Bible Gateway)), and pray for one another (1 John 5:16 (here @ Bible Gateway)). – How John Owen Would Run an Accountability Group.  Links to Bible Gateway added.

It would seem from considering the text of the Bible that possibly the idea of holding one another accountable is a means of attempting to deal with sin by asking questions rather than building up one another in our relationship and dependence on Christ and the Holy Spirit.

What do you think?

Dealing with the Matrix

You may be following what is happening in the confirmation of the president’s nominee to the Supreme Court.  This is not going to be political, per se.  However, one of the realities that face us as believers is living in the midst of a broken world that is under the domain of a murderer and a liar.  How we react and respond to what we encounter in the midst of that reality becomes either a testimony to the glory of our Lord in and through our lives or else a blight on His name.

Different experiences in the Word aligned this morning as I was working through my devotional, quiet time, and then as I turned from that to write this post.

I reviewed a journal entry from April of last year.  Psalm 33:10 – 11 (here @ Bible Gateway) was the passage and it aligned perfectly with what the Lord showed me this morning in His Word.

Rather than tell you what I saw, here are the passages that the Lord took me through.  Spend some time looking at them and think through what is going on in your life and how they apply:

• 2 Samuel 17:14b (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Psalm 72:18 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• James 1:20 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• 2 Corinthians 10:3 – 6 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Ephesians 6:10 – 20 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Romans 8:26 – 27 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Psalm 33:10 – 11 (here @ Bible Gateway)

If you do work through this, let me know your thoughts.

Continually Stunned

The workshops that the Lord has allowed me to conduct over the past 10 years focus on 2 Peter (here @ Bible Gateway).  Depending on the amount of time that is scheduled we cover from one to seven methods of investigating the text.  In the process of interacting with those who are participating in the various workshops, one of the points I share is that even though I have the book memorized, have read it more times than I can count, and have studied it over a hundred times, still, every time I read it, come to its pages, I see something I missed previously.

This morning 2 Peter 1 (here @ Bible Gateway) came up in the reading plan I have been following for the past three years.  True to form, the Lord showed me something I had never seen before.  This time, however, I did not make it much past the first 4 verses (here @ Bible Gateway); which depending on how the version you read deals with the Greek, is the first couple of sentences Peter pens to the recipients.

What I saw is not the point.  The fact that I saw it, that it was new to me after so much engagement and exposure to this letter is.  As I turned to the book I wondered if, in fact, my experience of seeing something new would again hold true.  As I shared, I didn’t make it past the first two sentences.

In Psalm 119:18 (here @ Bible Gateway), David prays that the Lord would open his eyes so that he could behold wonderful things from the Law, His Word.  That’s the point.  This Book, the Bible, is unique.  Inspired by the Holy Spirit, revealing the nature and character of God, with unfathomable layers of knowledge of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

I am continually stunned at its depth.

Dive in.

Some Observations – Part 3

There are more observations, more lessons, but for now, this will be the last and perhaps the most important.

There is a danger in equipping people to more effectively observe the text of the Bible.  It is subtle.  One can become so engrossed in the process of observation that one misses the point of doing the observation.

The purpose of any engagement with the Word of God is ultimately to know the Lord, John 5:39 – 40 (here @ Bible Gateway).  The purpose of equipping people to be more effective in making observations, enhancing the effectiveness of their Bible study, is not to give them more to say or share in their small group or Sunday school class.  It is not to increase their ability to connect thoughts and topics in the Word of God – though that may be a side effect.  No, if that is the outcome of equipping people to do more effective Bible study, the effort is an abject failure.

If when we ask what are the most important take aways from this study, and the answer is centered around the structure of the text or some interesting turn of the grammar or vocabulary, we need to reexamine how we are either asking the question or equipping the person.

What we should hear is a clearer understanding of one’s relationship with and grasp of the person of Christ.  Or, a clearer understanding of how He desires to use the way He designed us in the building of His Kingdom.

When I hear a recitation of the structure of the text rather than a personal and heartfelt response to the result of that structure, I am saddened.

All of the methods we can learn, all of the questions with which we pepper the text, are ultimately tools for us to partake more richly in the divine nature that is revealed in the sumptuous feast that is the Word of God.

Some Observations – Part 2

The Word of God continues to astound me.  Consider for a moment 2 Peter 1:1 – 4 (here @ Bible Gateway - it’s one sentence).  The astounding part for me is in verse 4 (here @ Bible Gateway).  Peter states that we can become partakers of the divine nature through His promises.

Of course, it is in His Word that we find His promises.  The implications of this continually amaze me.  When we are in His Word, He is revealing His nature and character to us through what is written.  Luther was amazed by the reality that the Creator of the universe reveals Himself in a book.

If and since that is the case that seems to add near incalculable importance to each of us that claim to know Christ and follow Him to spend not only quality but a significant quantity of time partaking of His nature in His book.

Because I use 2 Peter (here @ Bible Gateway) as the central text for each of the workshops, I am really familiar with the book.  I have studied it over 200 times.  I have the book memorized.  I have outlined and charted the book more times than I can count.  But, as I tell those in the workshops each time I read the book, I see something I have not seen before.

In the past few days, I have been wondering about that.  How is it that there is something new each time?  Some new insight, some connection that I have not seen before?

I think there are at least two factors that contribute to that consistent experience.  First, Hebrews 4:12 (here @ Bible Gateway) reminds us that the Word is living and active.  We know that the Holy Spirit inspired the text (2 Peter 1:20 – 21- here @ Bible Gateway); 2 Timothy 3:16 - 17 - here @ Bible Gateway), is tasked with leading us into truth (John 16:13 - here @ Bible Gateway), and indwells us as believers (Romans 8:9 - 11 - here @ Bible Gateway).  So, perhaps it is the case that the Spirit working in us shows us more and more as we return again and again.

Second, as I engage in the Word, applying it to my thought and behavior, when I return to its pages I am a different person than I was the last time I was there.  2 Peter 1:1 – 11 (here @ Bible Gateway) speaks to this at a significant level.  Peter tells us there that when we start with true knowledge and build our life on that knowledge it increases our true knowledge.

There are probably other factors in play here.  Those are the ones that have come to mind.

There is a bit more I need to share.  I will do so in the next post.

Some Observations

The Lord has had me in two countries in Africa in the last three months.  The purpose of the trips was to expose and equip pastors, couples, and those training to be pastors in making the Bible their primary source for both their messages and their personal walk with God.

That may sound like an elementary goal.  What pastor or aspiring pastor would not view the Bible as their primary source?  The answer is many.  Not only in those countries.  Men that I have worked with in other countries have focused their study on commentaries, books, and messages by other well know pastors or authors.

There are several reasons for this.  One of the primary reasons is that they are not confident that they can effectively study the Bible for themselves.  They do not trust what they see in the text.  Further, there are many who have not been shown how to study the Bible.  Or they start with the wrong questions.

What I have seen in six different countries that included people from three more, is that if we give men simple tools with which to engage in the Word, they not only make good observations but their confidence in their ability to make those observations soars.  Helping them to stay in the text rather than quickly moving to or starting in secondary sources, allows the Holy Spirit to do what Jesus promised He would do in John 16:13 (here @ Bible Gateway), He leads them into truth.

Prof always said that “In the midst of a generation screaming for answers, Christians are stuttering.”  It is my belief that the reason for the stutter is Biblical anemia caused in part by an abandonment or misunderstanding of Ephesians 4:11 – 16 (here @ Bible Gateway) by many who lead churches, ministries, and organizations.

We seem to be living in an environment where we have delegated the responsibility to study and understand God’s Word to a select small group of people.  Those people seem to be using secondary sources first.  Which makes me wonder if they have forgotten or ever known how to do the work themselves.  It seems to be apparent that they are not passing on how to study the Scripture on one’s own.

There is more to say on this.  I will continue to share some thoughts in the next post.

Not a Solo Flight

Ten days from now I will get on a plane and fly to Togo, West Africa.  Four days later I will work with students in a Bible school equipping them to study their Bibles more effectively in a four-day seminar.  But that is not the only goal.  The time is designed to give them tools for their own study that are transferable to the people to whom they will minister.

They speak French.  I speak Texan.  Since Friday I have been reconstructing the handout into French from a translation of the material that was done by a faculty member at a seminary in Cameroon.  I ran into some challenges with the translation and asked questions of Ben, my host in Cameroon four weeks ago.  He communicated with the translator and got me an answer within an hour or so.  That interaction was through Facebook Messenger.  At the same time, I was contacting Pierre, my host in Togo, for information through Skype.

Earlier this morning I got three emails from men in three different states.  One was sharing what they would be specifically praying for me; one was checking to make sure that I had all of the finances I needed for the trip, one, a long time mentor, was writing to strengthen me for the challenge.

That’s six men in three different countries, three different states unified in helping me engage in that for which the Lord designed me and provided opportunities to steward His design.  That does not count the literally hundreds of others who have invested in this financially, in prayer, and in equipping me to fully utilize the gifts and design of the Father.

We live in a culture that values independence.  We celebrate the maverick, the solo artist.  Proverbs 18:1 (here @ Bible Gateway) does not celebrate independence.  There the Holy Spirit labeled flying solo, foolishness, the opposite of sound wisdom.

We desperately need each other.  In multiple passages, the Bible makes it clear that we are dependent on the gifts of others.  Ephesians 4:14 – 16 (here @ Bible Gateway) is one of those passages.  There Paul clearly states that each member of the Body contributes to the growth of the Body.

I may be the one leading the seminar 15 days from now.  But there are hundreds of the members of Christ’s Body who have placed me there.  The fruit of this project is theirs.

Not Empty

Isaiah 55:10 – 11 (here @ Bible Gateway) tells us that God’s Word will not return to Him empty, it will accomplish that which He desires.  Hebrews 4:12 (here @ Bible Gateway) reminds us that the Word of God is powerful, piercing.

In the past 11 years I have seen the reality of these passages played out in 8 nations.  I have seen men and women respond with joy to the reality that they could understand the Word of God on their own.  Given some simple direction, they were able to ask some general questions of a passage, thereby opening up their understanding of the text.

I have seen excitement, confidence, hope, and commitment to share their experience with others.

For the last two weeks I saw it again in Cameroon.  Through five events in 15 days many responded the same way.  It is my conviction, and I saw it again over the last two weeks.  If you get people into the Word of God, having given them some simple tools on how and for what to look, and then get out of the way, in every case the Spirit of God does just what Jesus said the Spirit would do.  He leads people into truth, the truth that He inspired (John 16:13 (here @ Bible Gateway); 2 Timothy 3:16 - 17 (here @ Bible Gateway).

It is more fun to watch that than I can possibly explain.

Bringing our Loved ones and Friends to the Lord

You may remember that the last book in our Bible is Revelation.  You may be put off by its imagery and apocalyptic discourse.  At a significant level, I am.

In one of the studies that the Lord allowed me to lead, I was asked several times to cover Revelation.  Each time I was able to deflect the request to another book.  However, at one point I finally gave in.

Typically I do not use commentaries in my study.  Why?  For the most part the commentaries do not address the questions that I bring to them.  I have found that if I invest the time in prayerful observation, that John 16:13 continually is validated as true.

But for this study, Revelation, I acquired multiple commentaries.  Most of them did not help, two did.  But again it was the prayerful observation that yielded most in the study.

With that in mind look at Revelation 9:20 – 21 (here @ Bible Gateway).

I have been in many conversations over the years that went somewhat along the lines of, “If only God would punish __________, people would repent and follow Him…”

However, these verses seems to throw buckets of cold water on that notion.  It seems that punishment for sin, no matter how dire, will not bring men to repentance.  If anything they seem to dig in their heels and fight harder for the right to continue in sin.

Rather, it is the draw and conviction by the Holy Spirit alone that will bring men to dependence on Him.  To accept the lavishly gracious offer of a life free from the reality of the punishment that our sin demands.  To accept life from Him rather from the death that we have purchased with our rebellion.

So, if you are concerned about one of your family or friend’s standing with Jesus.  Rather than continually push them or guilt them toward Christ, pray.  Pray that the Spirit will draw them to the Lord.  This combination is most clearly shared by Paul in 2 Timothy 2:24 – 25 (here @ Bible Gateway).  We share in kindness knowing it is the Lord that grants their decision to change their mind about Him, to repent.

It is not in our control.  That is a real challenge for most of us.

Preface to Distraction – Summary

For the past five days we have been looking at 2 Chronicles 15:2 – 7 (here @ Bible Gateway).  The series was called “Preface to Distraction” because I had earlier written about Asa focusing on the end of his life.  To summarize his life, in 2 Chronicles 15 (here @ Bible Gateway) Asa does really well.  In 2 Chronicle 16, not so much (here @ Bible Gateway).

What is the difference?

In 15 (here @ Bible Gateway) Asa listens to the prophet Azariah, he sought the Lord.  In 16 (here @ Bible Gateway) he chose not to seek the Lord, but rather sought an alliance with Damascus; and he chose not to listen to the prophet Hanani, rather when Hanani confronted Asa, Asa threw him in the clink.

There are a number of lessons here.  Asa listened to Azaiah at the beginning of his reign.  He was relatively new to the job.  He was not too proud to take the advice.  When the problem reoccurred in the 36th year of his reign, he had much more experience.  Rather than seeking the Lord, he figured he could solve this one on his own.

It looks like he became comfortable, over confident, and complacent in his extensive experience.  Thus, he did not need to seek the Lord or listen to the counsel of a man of God.

Scares me.

It is a common tale.  One starts well and finishes poorly.  Why?  Confidence in one’s own wisdom and distancing oneself from godly counsel.  That seems to be a recipe for disaster, or in Asa’s case really bad feet.

What can we learn from Asa?  How can we avoid the downward trajectory of his life?  The first part, seeking the Lord, is really easier for us than it was for Asa.  We have the full text of the Bible, probably on our phones, he had scrolls but those scrolls seemed to get misplaced often.  He was supposed to make his own hand written copy of the first five books, Deuteronomy 17:18 – 20, but there is no indication that he did this.  We have an embarrassing amount of Bibles and Biblical resources there are over 3,000 in my Bible program.  For us it is as simple as a disciplined quiet time.  If you do not know how to do that, let me know, I’ll help.

There are few if, in fact any, prophets wandering around today.  I can say that I have never met or heard one.  So how do we avoid Asa’s second problem, not paying attention to men sent into his life by God?  That again may be simpler than it would seem.  If we look at the New Testament, one of the recurring themes is men encouraging other men.  So it would seem that we all need others around us who are committed to having those men in our lives.  Men who are struggling to walk with God in this life as we are.  Men who are in the Word of God.  Men who will encourage us from their life and their time in the Word.

It would seem to me that not to follow those two suggestions, to do what Asa did at the first of his reign, would insure that we will end up like him at the end of his reign.

I am not interested in that program.

Preface to Distraction – Part 4

We started this journey by stating that Asa did well for a time.  It was a result of his response to Azariah’s exhortation. 

Stop and think about that for a minute.  Azariah was not a public official.  He was confronting the king on the basis of the Holy Spirit’s prompting and Asa responded.  That underscores the importance of one individual acting on the leading of God.  It made a huge difference in the life of Asa, as long as he listened and responded accordingly.

But there is more.

Focus on 2 Chronicles 15:7 (here @ Bible Gateway).  Think through the context.  The nation is in distress.  There is no one to teach them the Law.  Yet God allows them to find Him.  Then Azariah encourages Asa that he is to be strong, that there is a reward for his work.  That immediately reminded me of 1 Corinthians 16:13 (here @ Bible Gateway) and 2 Timothy 2:25 – 25 (here @ Bible Gateway). 

These passages seem to reveal two sides to the same coin.  We are to depend on God for all that we do.  Thus, the premium put on seeking him before work in 2 Chronicles 15:7 (here @ Bible Gateway), but we are to work, engage, expend effort, knowing that through that dependence on Him, He will accomplish His work through ours.  That is really clear in 2 Timothy 2:24 – 25 (here @ Bible Gateway), we confront those who are in opposition, but it is God who changes their mind.

Think through these last few posts.  I will share some summary thoughts tomorrow.

Preface to Distraction – Part 3

The last couple of days we have looked at Azariah’s council to Asa.  The next part of that council is 2 Chronicles 15:5 – 6 (here @ Bible Gateway).  I am calling this series of posts “Preface to Distraction,” these verses are part of Azariah preparing Asa for what he was going to encounter.

We would do well to listen to Azariah as well.  The core of his message is that things have been in the toilet before.  People have abandoned the Lord in the past.  The reality is that they will do so again.  The first part of the exhortation is that even for those people if they seek the Lord he will let them find them.

In our lives, when we are going through difficulty, we can become laser focused on our situation.  We forget, or better, do not consider that others have been through similar or worse and will do so again.  Azariah’s exhortation to Asa would be a good place to turn at times like that.  We should acknowledge that others have had it as bad or worse.  We should take comfort in the reality that if we seek Him, He will let us find Him.

That is really good news.

Preface to Distraction – Part 2

Focus on 2 Chronicles 15:3 – 4 (here @ Bible Gateway) for a minute.
Note how the nation is described:

• Without the true God
• Without a teaching priest
• Without Law

This created a situation much like we see today.  Spend any amount of time on a news channel or broadcast and note the number of stories that document despair.  That is the prevailing condition in most of our world.

Notice however the continuation of the theme of seek me and you will find me.  Without a teacher, without a law to draw them to God, Israel sought Him.  In desperation, looking for a solution the Lord allowed them to find Him.

That should give one hope.  The grace and mercy of the Lord is not hindered by the absence of a priest or teacher.  I know a pastor in a predominately Muslim country who, in desperation sought the Lord.  He allowed my friend to find Him.  He is still drawing near and learning more of the Lord on a daily basis.

If we are desperate, if we are seeking, He will help us to find Him.

That is really good news.

Preface to Distraction

Asa, is one of those men who did well – for a while.  For a time, he responded well to the Lord as he was confronted with truth.  But, as I have written before, he did not end well.  It is to our advantage to consider his life and ponder what we may learn from him.

Asa had the advantage of having a man in his life who would encourage him in the Lord.  Azariah was that man. A prophet.  Take a look at Azariah’s message to Asa in 2 Chronicles 15:2 – 7 (here @ Bible Gateway).

There is much in these few verses we need to unpack.  For now focus on verse 2 (here @ Bible Gateway).

This first part of Azariah’s exhortation is fairly straight forward.  It is one declarative followed buy two conditional statements.

The declaration:

• The Lord is with you when you are with Him.

The conditional statements;

• If you seek the Lord, then the Lord will let you find Him.
• If you forsake the Lord, then the Lord will forsake you.

Seems pretty simple on the surface.  But, as I reflect on these as I have typed them out, for those of us now it raises multiple issues that in a few sentences are impossible to fully cover.  Before we go further I acknowledge that there are layers here, but for the sake of time and space, let’s stipulate that at a significant level Azariah’s exhortation to Asa is readily applicable to us here and now.

The interesting thing is how Azariah, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, expands his encouragement to Asa in the next few sentances.

We will continue to look at this through the next post or so…

Avoiding Epic Stupidity

Every time 2 Chronicles 25:2 – 15 (here @ Bible Gateway) comes around in my reading or study, I am stunned and challenged.  It is troubling to read that Amaziah sought the Lord, however, there is a “but”.  The writer tells us that Amaziah did not seek the Lord with a whole heart.

Then later we read that after Amaziah utterly defeats the Edomites he brings their gods into Jerusalem and bows down and worships the gods that were unable to protect his enemies from his assault.  What?  The Lord God Almighty enables Amaziah to defeat his enemy and then in gratitude Amaziah begins to worship the gods of the ones he defeated.  Not only illogical but epically stupid.

Good thing none of us ever do anything like that.

Not so fast – how about overcoming lust through our relationship with Christ and then choosing to watch movies or programs that promote adultery or focus on physical beauty.

How about – struggling with our tongue, using speech that is not edifying and then reading, watching, or listening to speech that demeans people or dishonors God.

How about – declaring that I am devoted to my relationship with Christ and yet unwilling to spend time engaged in personal time with Him in His Word.

Personally, I would rather that my Lord would not ever say about me that I did not follow Him with a whole heart.  That is my prayer.  Unfortunately, like Amaziah, I struggle with compromising with the world, briefly or unconsciously embracing the world’s standards.

That happens mostly when I am lax in my time with Him in the Word and prayer.  Based on what I read about those whom the Spirit has given us as examples in the Old Testament, that is pretty much normal.  So I need encouragement.  I need others to walk with me through this struggle.  I need to be engaged with men of like heart who are struggling with the same condition.  Hebrews 3:13 (here @ Bible Gateway) reminds me that I need to encourage those men on a daily basis – I need that encouragement as well.