Why Affliction?

 

One of my go to passages in Scripture is Psalm 119 (Here at Bible Gateway).  In verse 67 we read, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word.”  This passage puzzles me.  You may ask the question I do, “How does affliction move me toward obedience?”

You might answer that that affliction is caused by disobedience, but one of the purposes of Job (Here at Bible Gateway) is to prove that is not the case.

Perhaps it is because of weakness.  John 15:5 (Here at Bible Gateway) reminds us that apart from Him we can do nothing.  Since we are weak, perhaps it is about us learning to trust in Him during weakness.  I cannot deal with weakness unless I trust and abide in Him.

Or perhaps the answer is in 2 Corinthians 1:3 – 11 (Here at Bible Gateway) that we are afflicted too make us more effective in our ministry to others.

At this point in my journey, I lean toward the last option.  Affliction seems to make me lean on Christ more, which allows me to embrace the truth of His Word more, which then comforts me, causing me to understand and apply the Word more effectively in my life.

What do you think?

Responding to the Call

Most mornings the first thing I do is open my Bible program Logos.  A while back I did and when the program opened, Deuteronomy 32:18 (here at Bible Gateway) was in the middle of the screen and caught my eye.  It is a powerful passage.  Even more so, when you read the context.  

Tonight, I went with my brother to his church in Houston.  A pastor I had shadowed while taking a leadership course in seminary was leading a class on John 15 (here at Bible Gateway).  It was interesting to see how what he said in the 90 minutes that we spent together aligned with what I saw when Logos opened to 32:18.  One of the points he made was that Jesus gives us three callings:

• Come to Me
• Come after Me
• Abide in Me

He pointed out the density of the repletion of the word abide (Greek, μένω) in John 15.  Then he pointed out that John uses the word even more densely in 1 John (here at Bible Gateway).  I just checked, abide shows up 24 times between 1 John 2:6 and 4:16 (here at Bible Gateway).  The speaker’s point was that more people respond to the first two calls than those who respond to the third.

That mirrored my response to Deuteronomy 32:18.  In my journal I wrote, “People who do not choose to abide in His Word are those who have forgotten Him and neglected Him.  Lord, show me how I have neglected you?”

This morning I was talking to a pastor at our church.  I was sharing some quotes from the book, These Words upon thy Heart, I had shared with him that I searched for this book on the recommendation of Prof for 40 years.  It was  worth the search.  Here is one of the quotes we discussed:

“…we truly inherit nothing except what we also discern.  Nothing is ever really ours, however it may be presented to us except we discover its truth and except it prove itself again in our experience…mere acceptance of the conclusions of others… is not the way which we…lay broad and deep foundations.  With eyes bandaged in formulas we see only the aspect of life the formula allows…they grow accustomed to the half light…and with all the colors of it toned down to suit the somber hues of a twilight soul.” (Kuist, Howard Tillman. These Words upon thy Heart.  Richmond, Virginia: John Knox Press, 1947, P 56.)

The point is, we must respond to Christ’s third call.  To not do so is to lead a anemic, muted, colorless, Christian life. 

We Do It Our Way

We tend to be independent.  We tend to want to do things our way.  It seems that we are born that way.  I have 10 grandchildren divided equally between the binary genders.  In each case they are all independent.  They all go through the stage where “no” is the most common word out of their mouth followed closely by “mine.”  They are not alone.  I would wager that if you have children or grandchildren you have experienced the same phenomenon.

It is genetic.  Not – well yes, it is from me.  But it is really a function of being human.  There is an example of how this plays out negatively in 1 Kings 12:25 – 33 (here @ BibleGateway).  Jeroboam, wanted to reunite the kingdom, so he did it his way.  He built a couple of golden calves (where have we seen that before?) and set them up in a couple of places so Israel could worship “god” without going to Jerusalem.

There were several problems with this approach.  Not the least of which was the fact that God had centered worship at the temple in Jerusalem.  But Jeroboam had a problem that he needed to solve so he figured that it would be more efficient if there were a couple of places that the people could go to worship, it was a much better setup than having everyone trek to Jerusalem to worship.  Great idea, other than the fact it was a direct violation of the second commandment and the directions God gave about where to worship.

It is a good thing that we do not do this anymore.  We don’t come up with better alternatives for obedience to God.  

When Jesus says that if we are to be His disciples in John 8:31 – 32 (here @ BibleGateway), that we are to abide in His Word.  It would be just as good, actually, more efficient if we would read books about His Word.  That way we don’t have to do the work of study ourselves.  We can just read about the work others did.  Nothing wrong with that.  Much easier.  I can even listen to those books in my car on the way to work.  

Also, there are great teachers in my church and the pastor has a seminary degree.  I can learn from them.  That way I don’t have to think I can just soak up their knowledge.

Right.

Facing the End?

Two days ago I wrote about the email from the LLS that told me that the chemo I was taking rendered the C19 vaccines useless for me.  I mentioned at the end of the post that 8 days later both my wife and I got the virus.  The day we found out we were exposed, My journal had a rather long entry.  Beyond what was in my reading, the Lord took me to the following passages:

• James 4:14 – 15 (here @ BibleGateway)
• Job 7:7a (here @ BibleGateway)
• Psalm 39:5 (here @ BibleGateway)
• Psalm 144:4 (here @ BibleGateway)
• Philippians 1:21 (here @ BibleGateway)
• 2 Corinthians 12:5b, 9 – 10 (here @ BibleGateway)

Note that they are all dealing with the brevity of life here.  I will let you work through how you respond to those passages.  I would encourage you to write your responses down somewhere you can remember and easily retrieve.  If you are up to it, share with me what the Lord showed you through those passages.

All that we had heard about the virus indicated that I was in the high-risk category.  The combination of cancer and chemo, with the result of a significantly compromised immune system, suggested that if I got the virus the outcome would not be that great.  “Coincidentally” I had intravenous immunoglobulin g the day before my wife tested positive.  That infusion takes about 5 – 6 hours and its purpose is to boost my immune system, to give me some resistance to bacteria and viruses.  After we tested positive, both of us got the monoclonal antibody infusion the next day.  

It was overwhelming how the Lord took care of us.  I only had one day where I felt really bad.  The day I go the monoclonal infusion.  They warned me that might be the case.  

Our Lord is gracious and good.

With Us

You probably have Matthew 28:18 – 20 (here @ BibleGateway) memorized.  There is much in there to consider; but focus for a moment on the last part of 20 (here @ BibleGateway), in the NASB, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  In the Greek literally it says, “and behold I with you I am all the days until the end of the age.”

I especially like the literal because of the emphasis on the day-by-day presence of the Lord.  The “always” is vague and macro.  Whereas “all the days” is each and every day and reinforces His presence continually.  This is not the first and only place that we encounter the personal commitment of the Lord to be with us.  Look at Deuteronomy 31:6, 8 (here @ BibleGateway), Joshua 1:5 (here @ BibleGateway), and Hebrews 13:5 (here @ BibleGateway).

The notion that the Lord is continually with me, day by day, is incredibly encouraging to me.  In the midst of any trial in which we are facing, we are not alone.  He is with us.  It is the same idea we see in Psalm 23:4 (here @ BibleGateway).  In all we experience, think of it, the Lord, the one who emptied Himself, came as a baby, lived, died on a cross, was buried, rose again, ate with the 11, and ascended to the right hand of the Father where He continually intercedes for us, is with us continually.

Worshipping the Blessing – Part 2

Yesterday we looked at how Gideon and Israel focused on what they gained from God’s help, blessing, in dealing with the Midianites.  However, following the Lord for the wrong reason, or focusing on what He gives rather than Him, is not limited to the Old Testament.  Spend some time reading through John 6 (here @ BibleGateway).

Note that in John 6:26 – 27 (here @ BibleGateway), Jesus rebukes those following Him because they were following for what they could get from Him, namely bread, rather than following Him to know Him.

All of us face this challenge.  The 12 did as well.  Look at John 6:59 – 71 (here @ BibleGateway).  On the one hand all of us want to serve and obey Christ, to labor with and for Him in the harvest.  On the other hand, the main thing is to seek Him and to know Him.  We should not measure our walk with God by the effectiveness of our ministry, but on the quality of our relationship with Him.

Going back, full circle, to Gideon, look at Judges 8:33 – 35 (here @ BibleGateway).  Before Gideon’s body was cool, Israel switched worship from the Ephod to Baal.  It seems that focusing on the blessing that following and depending on God brings, can lead not only to following Him for the wrong reason, but it seemingly sets us up for even further idolatry.  Perhaps it is a slippery slope.

Worshiping the Blessing

You know the story of Gideon.  You know that the Lord called him to judge his people.  You know that Gideon was reluctant and asked for a sign, twice.  You know that Gideon led Israel to a great victory with a limited number of warriors.

At the end of his victories, Israel asked him to rule over the nation.  He refused.  That was good, Judges 8:23 (here @ BibleGateway).  Then Gideon, as an alternative asked them to give him one earring from each of the warriors’ spoil, 8:24 (here @ BibleGateway).  They did and that was 1,700 shekels of gold, which is approximately 42.73 pounds of gold.  At today’s gold price, $1,820.74/oz, that is $1,244,674.95 worth of gold.  So, a nice sum.  

Gideon made an ephod out of the gold.  Essentially a breastplate of gold.  Note what happened next, Judges 8:27 (here @ BibleGateway), “all Israel played the harlot with it…”  The nation worshiped the Ephod.  Further, “it became a snare to Gideon and his household.”  Gideon was caught up in the “harlotry”.

It was God who enabled Gideon to be successful in judging, freeing Israel from the oppression of Midian.  However, rather than giving thanks and worship to Him, the nation and Gideon worshiped the spoil of the victory, the blessing that God had provided.

How often do we do that today?  How often do we seek what God can do, or the result of His grace in our lives rather than seeking Him for Him?  In Psalm 27:8 (here @ BibleGateway), David declares that when the Lord says, “Seek My face,” David’s response is “Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.”

We get excited and share answered prayer, whether it is for healing, or for financial issues, or whatever.  Should not that focus be on He who answered, healed, or granted resources?  We memorialize what He has done.  Shouldn’t we simply come to Him in grateful worship?  A question I have to ask myself, am I grateful that He has called me to Himself, or am I overwhelmed by the reality that He has opened up the way for me to be in His presence, to know Him, and to worship Him.

Lessons – Appendix

Thinking about the last post it was obvious that one lesson was omitted.  It was one of the first lessons to which the Lord led.  It is an extension or corollary to this post I wrote back in February last year.  

I do not remember how, or why I was reading Philemon (here @ BibleGateway) in May; it was not in my reading program in that month.  Regardless I started reading Philemon soon after I found out I was going to start treatment and before my first infusion.

I did not get far.

I was stopped short at the sixth word of Philemon 1.  It reads. “Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus…”  Wait!  Paul is in a Roman prison; chained to a Roman guard; incarcerated under Roman law; yet he describes himself as a prisoner of Christ?  What the fat is that about?

Stunned I stopped to pray and think.  Slowly (emphasis on that word) what was going on began to glacially dawn.  Paul viewed his current “situation” as his assignment from his Lord.  He literally was chained to his “captive” audience.  This is validated in Philippians 1:12 – 13 (here @ BibleGateway), the whole praetorian guard, whole, all, had heard from Paul as well as everyone, again an inclusive, expansive word, had heard as well.  

It was his ministry assignment.  It was the fulfillment of Jesus’ message to Paul in Acts 23:11 (here @ BibleGateway).  Acts 28:16 (here @ BibleGateway) gives the context for Paul’s comment in Philemon 1 (here @ BibleGateway) and Philippians 1:12 – 13 (here @ BibleGateway).

So, I pondered what were the implications for me as I faced the next 20 months being seated for four days every 21 days for multiple hours in the midst of people whom I did not know?  A question formed, “What would it be like to be a cancer patient of Christ Jesus”.

As I considered this.  A plan formed.  I would ask those that were to be taking care of me how I might be praying for them while I was bound to the chemo chair.  I would also ask the doctors.  So at the next appointment I asked, it was when I was getting prepped to get my port.  I asked the nurse who was working on me how I could be praying for her.  As I recall she looked at me as if I was from another planet and had no response.  Ok.  I’ll keep trying.  So, the next nurse, and the next, and the next doctor.  

Some reacted like the first nurse or said they could not think of anything.  But, many more, most in fact, while surprised, were grateful.  I would write the requests down, pray over them, and then ask about them next time I saw the person that gave me the prayer request.  It became known that I was doing that.  Some began to share requests with me without my asking.  It became a way for me to thank and in a real way serve those who were serving me.

The lesson, at least for me, is that when we are in a circumstance where our situation is the focus, it is unexpected that the needs of those who are tasked to help us or serve us are not necessarily considered.  If I understand the way Christ ministered to people, He was always thinking about the needs of those around Him, even as he hung on the cross.  

I hesitated to share this and at the same time I was eager to share it.  I do not want to present as one who has all of this stuff figured out.  There were times when the meds just knocked me out, there were times when I forgot to ask.  Only one of the doctors responded positively, and that changed our relationship for the better. 

I share this as a possible encouragement, as an implication of the reality of God’s sovereign intention in all that he brings into our life.  If He meant what He said in Matthew 6:33 (here @ BibleGateway); I assume He did.  Perhaps regarding all the “circumstances” we find ourselves as Paul did his imprisonment in Rome, may be one way to follow him.  You may ask, “How can I be an engineer of Christ Jesus?”  “How can I be a teacher of Christ Jesus?”  “How can I be a football player of Christ Jesus?” etc.

Traversing Affliction

This morning I was reading in Exodus.  The chapters assigned were 1 – 2.  Actually, that was the reading last week some time.  But, because of chemo and getting the second Covid vaccine, I was not able to think or read after Tuesday morning, so I am doing some catch up.

I was struck, not for the first time, by Exodus 1:10 – 14 (here @ Bible Gateway).  Some context, for a while now, I have been pondering how or why the Lord is using the past five years and specifically the cancer to equip my wife and me for that which He designed us.  Reading Exodus 1:10 – 14 (here @ Bible Gateway), and thinking about God’s knowledge of our path, Psalm 139:3 (here @ Bible Gateway), it occurs to me that what comes into our lives is intentional, purposeful.  To validate that for yourself, consider Ephesians 2:10 (here @ Bible Gateway), Hebrews 12:4 – 10 (here @ Bible Gateway), Romans 5:1 – 11 (here @ Bible Gateway), 2 Corinthians 1:3 – 11 (here @ Bible Gateway).

Back to Exodus…  We know from the rest of the book that Moses is going to lead the nation out of their bondage to Egypt.  That is not a trivial journey.  The nation is going to have to flee the Egyptian army, cross miles of wilderness, essentially living off the land while carrying everything they can including shelters.  Serious backpacking trip under duress. 

Note what happened prior to Moses showing up.  The Egyptians forgot Joseph.  They began to afflict Israel.  They gave them difficult, physically demanding work.  They “compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously”.

Since we see in the Word that the Lord is sovereign, able to control the hearts of kings, Proverbs 21:1 (here @ Bible Gateway); isn’t it reasonable that the Lord used the Egyptian’s fear of Israel and their response to compel them into rigorous labor as preparation for the rigorous journey out of Egypt that was just around the corner for the nation?

So, if we are facing difficult times, perhaps we should be asking the Lord to help us understand it as prep.  We certainly may not, and probably won’t, get an explanation as to the specifics of the reason for the prep.  But, praying or asking in that way will remind us that is the case, it is prep.  

It may be as simple as creating for us a platform from which to encourage and comfort others who are going through similar trials as 2 Corinthians 1:3ff (here @ Bible Gateway) suggests.  It may be to develop our character as Romans 5:1ff (here @ Bible Gateway) and Hebrews 12:4ff (here @ Bible Gateway) declare.  It may be for reasons that we never are able to determine.  It is still prep.

Regardless, whether we understand or not, praying for understanding will remind us not only that He is intentional in what He brings into our lives, but also that we can trust Him through the process.

I do not pretend to suggest that this will make any of the difficulties less difficult.  However, it could more accurately align our focus and faith.

What do you think?

Introduction to Dads Teach the Bible

Last Monday night, Entrusting Truth hosted an online introduction to Dads Teach the Bible, our core seminar.  Click here to watch and listen.  The presentation starts at 2:31.  Let me know what you think in the comments.

Invitation

Monday, June 15, at 8:00 PM, I will be giving a live 30ish minute overview of why we offer the Dads Teach the Bible Seminar.  We will do this on GoToMeeting the credentials are:

DTTB Intro
Mon, Jun 15, 2020 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM (CDT)

Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.

https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/336264957

You can also dial in using your phone.
(For supported devices, tap a one-touch number below to join instantly.)

United States: +1 (786) 535-3211
- One-touch: tel:+17865353211,,336264957#

Access Code: 336-264-957

New to GoToMeeting? Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts: https://global.gotomeeting.com/install/336264957

We can accommodate 150 people on this video conference the first 5 who join with webcams will be on screen with me, the others will be audio but will be able to see the presentation.

There will be a Q&A session at the end.

If you are interested you do not need to RSVP, just mark it down on your calendar, I will send a reminder on Monday.  If you know someone who might be interested in this, please feel free to forward this email to them.

I look forward to either seeing you or hearing you on Monday evening.

Work and Grace

These are the two quotes to which I referred four days ago.  The first is by William Wilberforce.  You may remember that he was the British Lord who led the fight against the institution of slavery.  His life is worth getting to know.  One of several things about him that challenges me was his habit of quoting Psalm 119 (here @ Bible Gateway) from memory on his walk home from the house of Lords each evening.

The second quote is from Grant Osborne.  He was professor of New Testament focused on hermeneutics, or the science of interpretation, at Trinity.  His book The Hermenutical Spiral is a standard work on the subject.

Wilberforce
And why, it may be asked, are we in this pursuit alone to expect knowledge without inquiry, and success without endeavour?  The whole analogy of nature inculcates on us a different lesson, and our own judgments in matters of temporal interests and worldly policy confirm the truth of her suggestions.  Bountiful as is the hand of Providence, its gifts are not so bestowed as to seduce us into indolence, but to rouse us to exertion; and no one expects to attain to the height of learning, or arts, or power, or wealth, or military glory, without vigorous resolution, and strenuous diligence, and steady perseverance.  Yet we expect to be Christians without labour, study, or inquiry.  This is the more preposterous, because Christianity, being a revelation from God, and not the invention of man, discovering to us new relations, with their correspondent duties; containing also doctrines, and motives, and practical principles, and rules, peculiar to itself, and almost as new in their nature as supreme in their excellence, we cannot reasonably expect to become proficient in it by the accidental intercourses of life, as one might learn insensibly the maxims of worldly policy, or a scheme of mere morals.
Wilberforce, William. A Practical View of the Prevailing Religious System of Professed Christians, in the Middle and Higher Classes in this Country, Contrasted with Real Christianity. (pp. 10-11). Kindle Edition.

Osborne
The big problem with Bible study today is that we think it should be easier than other things we do. We study recipes for quality meals, how-to books for all kinds of things—carpentry, plumbing, automobile maintenance and so on—and read vociferously for our hobbies. Why do we think the Bible is the only subject we should not have to study?! Let me challenge you—make the Bible your hobby. At one level I do not like the analogy; the Bible must be so much more than a hobby! But at another level, what if we spent as much time and money on Bible study as we do our hobbies? What if we took the same amount we spend on golf clubs and courses or on skiing equipment and skiing trips, and put it into Bible study? Yes, encyclopedias, commentaries and other reference materials are expensive. But so is everything we do. The question is about priorities: what is important enough for our time and money?
Grant R. Osborne, The Hermeneutical Spiral: A Comprehensive Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, Rev. and expanded, 2nd ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2006), 25.

Did you catch the similarity?  Wilberforce would have said this in the early 1800’s.  Osborne’s quote is from the 2nd edition of his work, published in 2006.  They were speaking to similar issues 206 years apart.

What would you consider to be the key implications of the reality that two men, strong believers, are concerned about the same issue 206 years apart?  In a later (I’ve given up on trying to do this daily) post, I will share my thoughts on this.

Abiding in Sin

This is substantially a continuation or a further development of yesterday’s post.

In the time with the Lord this morning one of the passages to which I was directed was Jude (the reading plan I use had Jude yesterday but I misread it and jumped into Revelation, oops).  In Jude 4 (here @ Bible Gateway) we read that there are those in the community who turn grace into licentiousness.

Thinking through that, and there is much to which that applies, more than I want to explore in this post, several other passages came to mind.

Romans 6:1 – 2 (here @ Bible Gateway): Paul emphatically states that we are not to claim the grace of God as a covering to remain, continue, or abide in sinful behavior.  Which would, it seems, be what Jude suggests is turning grace in to licentiousness.  Interestingly, the word that is translated “continue” (NASB) here is in the same word group as the word that is translated “abide” in John 8:31 – 32 (here @ Bible Gateway).  Galatians 5:13 (here @ Bible Gateway), echoes the thought here in Romans 6:1 – 2 (here @ Bible Gateway).

James 4:17 (here @ Bible Gateway): James reminds us that if we know what is right and do not do it.  That is sin.

John 8:31 – 32 (here @ Bible Gateway): Jesus said that if we are going to be His disciples, we will abide, continue, in His Word.

Luke 6:46 (here @ Bible Gateway): Jesus asks a significant question.  Why are you calling me Lord if you are not doing what I tell you to do?

All of these together would seem to suggest that if we claim to be followers of Christ – note that in Acts 11:26 (here @ Bible Gateway), those who are called Christians were first disciples – one of the distinguishing marks of a Christian, a disciple, is that they are those who abide, remain in, continue in, His Word.

That would seem to be the right thing to do, would it not?  So, if we are not, are we not abiding in sin?

Change?

Six years ago, the Lord allowed me to study Jeremiah four times in a row.  Four different Bible studies with four different groups of men.  One of the major lessons, was that the leadership of Judah had abandoned the Word of God and began to proclaim to the people their own dreams and ideas.  Since most of the people did not have YouVersion on their phones, they were not exposed to the Word of God and had no access to it.

One of the applications from that study is I began asking men who were in leadership, “What is the Lord teaching you from the Word these days?”  It has gotten to the point that many now anticipate the question and tell me before I ask.

A few weeks back I was praying through the Church’s (note that is big C the entire body of Christ not a specific congregation) engagement with the Word of God.  I was reflecting on Isaiah 55:11 (here @ Bible Gateway) and Hebrews 4:12 (here @ Bible Gateway).  I was asking God why if His Word does not return void and if it is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword, why then, have so many of His people abandoned it?  Why have entire Christian organizations chosen to ignore it?  Why have Bible publishers worked with secular publishers to make it more “attractive” to this generation?  Why does the Lord not draw people to Himself through His Word.

As I considered these, I will admit that I was struggling with some level of despair.  I am deeply troubled by the seeming lack of hunger for God’s Word in many professing Christians and equally disturbed by what is considered “good” Christian literature.  Thinking through this another question, really a subset of the first began to form.  I’m still working on the precise language, but it goes something like, “How has the Word challenged what you believe or how you live out your walk with God recently?”

If it is the case that Isaiah 55:8 – 9 (here @ Bible Gateway) is true (it is), then if I am in the Word, abiding in the Word as Christ said that His disciples would do (John 8:31 – 32 (here @ Bible Gateway)), then it would be a continual experience that my thinking and knowledge of Him would be challenged and corrected.  My world view would be continually being shaped, transformed, as Paul describes it in Romans 12:2 (here @ Bible Gateway), by my exposure to God’s nature and character as revealed in His inspired Word.

So, “How has the Word challenged what you believe or how you live out your walk with God recently?”  How has it caused you to change?  How has it transformed you?

Overcoming the Obstacles – Part 2

Yesterday, I suggested that you invest some time in 1 Peter (here @ Bible Gateway); specifically, 1:3 – 4 (here @ Bible Gateway), it really should have been 3 – 6 (here @ Bible Gateway).  In there you might have found a couple of thoughts about how to overcome the obstacles we face.

Mauri’s comment on the post yesterday was apt.  We face multiple kinds of obstacles.  In the world things like financial issues, health, relationships that sour, people that hate us.  When we add the reality of the spiritual life, we face the certainty of constant and increasing resistance from the enemy of our Lord whose goal is to devour, destroy us.  That resistances increases as we engage in a life that seeks to follow hard after our Lord.

Then as Mauri noted, as we mature, as our understanding of our Lord grows as our time with Him lengthens, we become physically weaker.  It is my belief that is intentional.  Seemingly, 2 Corinthians 12:9 – 10 (here @ Bible Gateway) validates that thought.

There are those who proclaim that if we follow the Lord, the obstacles will be removed.  In fact, some claim that if they are not removed, that we face obstacles such as cancer, financial pressures, etc. it is evidence that we lack faith.

That does not seem to be the message of either Peter or Paul.

Peter, in 1 Peter 1:3 – 6 (here @ Bible Gateway) gives us two things to which we are to hold on tightly as we face “various trials”.  They are and imperishable and undefiled inheritance and a salvation.  Note, however, when the inheritance and the salvation will be revealed.  The inheritance is reserved in heaven and the salvation will be revealed in the last time.  They are not promised to be revealed now, or amid the various trials.

No, in fact they are the anchors of our hope.  They are the means of our perseverance.

In the midst of all of the difficulty we face as believers in a fallen world, with the certainty that we will, if we wish to live godly, will be persecuted, 2 Timothy 3:12 (here @ Bible Gateway), our certain inheritance and our salvation is that to which we cling.

Romans 5:3 – 5 (here @ Bible Gateway) exhorts us to exult in our tribulations, our certain tribulations; Peter shows us how.

Overcoming the Obstacles

First, I did not plan on this break.  It was the result of travel and some changes to my schedule that created obstacles that I did not navigate well.  I share that before we get into this to, well for one reason, to confess that I am struggling on this journey as well.

We are exhorted in Scripture to study, to abide, to practice what we encounter in the Word of God.  The purpose, according to Peter in his second letter chapter 1 verses 3 – 4 (here @ Bible Gateway), is that we can become partakers of the divine nature, to truly know Him.

For the past several years it has been my mission to equip as many of those who were willing to do, at least the first couple of those.  The main problem has been that there are seemingly few who are willing to engage for themselves.  Many would rather feed at the trough of those who would study and then tell them what they found; tell them what to believe.  While that may seem easier, it is not what is imagined as the normal Christian experience.

However, there are those who seem to wish to engage.  Those who do will face resistance in multiple forms.  The enemy does not wish for men to seriously engage in the Word of God, to be equipped to take on the full armor of God, Ephesians 6:10 – 20 (here @ Bible Gateway).

So, what I share here, I do not claim to fully and completely practice.  I strive, weakly.  I am facing the reality that instead of becoming stronger, I am becoming weaker.  I tire more easily than I did.  I read that I can live in His strength, but I don’t seem to be able to do that well or consistently.

All that is a preamble to what was intended to follow the last post.

Which is…

If you would please look for a moment at 1 Peter 1:3 – 9 (here @ Bible Gateway).  This is a small portion of the larger answer that Peter outlines in this letter.  It would be a profitable investment to read the entire epistle.

I will, through God’s strength, share observations on how to overcome in the next post, tomorrow.

Spiritual Obstacle Course

In Paul’s final letter to his protégé Timothy he proclaims that he has fought the good fight, finished the course, and kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7 (here @ Bible Gateway)).  Have you known those who have not done so?  Have you known those who have stumbled in their race, fallen and not returned?  I have.

There are other passages that challenge us in this.  1 Corinthians 9:24 – 27 (here @ Bible Gateway), Hebrews 12:1 – 2 (here @ Bible Gateway), and 2 Timothy 2:5 (here @ Bible Gateway) are a few.

We know that the race is such that some do not finish.  In Paul’s circle Demas deserted, he loved the present world more than he loved Christ (2 Timothy 4:10 (here @ Bible Gateway)).  John speaks of those leaving the race, 1 John 2:19 (here @ Bible Gateway).

It is not only in the New Testament that we see this.  A cursory reading of Kings and Chronicles will yield a list of those who started and did not finish well.  Focus for a moment on Genesis 49:15 (here @ Bible Gateway).  Jacob is prophesying over the 12 sons.  Note what he says about Issachar.  He found a resting place that was pleasant, bowed his shoulder to bear the burdens of that place, and became a slave to it.  He chose to rest rather than to fight.

Peter shares a similar warning in 2 Peter 2:19 (here @ Bible Gateway), by what a man is overcome, he is enslaved.  Issachar was overcome by a desire to rest in a pleasant place.  Demas was overcome by a love for the world.

This journey is a long obstacle course.  We continually confront distractions, difficulties, detours, that would take us out or take us off course.  In a competition if we fail to win, fail to finish, there is always the next race.  In this race, this journey, there is not.

What must we do to finish, and finish strong?  We will look at that next time.

God Revealed

In 1 Samuel 3:21 (here @ Bible Gateway) we read that the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel by the Word of the Lord.  In John 5:39 – 40 (here @ Bible Gateway) we read that the Scriptures, that is, in context, the Old Testament, reveals Christ.  2 Peter 1:1 – 4 (here @ Bible Gateway) tells us that we can become partakers of the divine nature through the promises of God.

Reflect on those passages.

In both the Old and New Testaments, we find that if we want to know the Lord, the Bible is the means to do so.

So, if someone says they want to know God, and they are not in the Word, it is going to be very difficult for them to achieve their goal.

Unfortunately, there seems to be a lot of people who are attempting to know Him by other means.  They will fail.

Out of Touch

Ever feel abandoned by God?  Ever feel like your prayers are bouncing off the ceiling?  You are not alone.  Read Psalm 10:1 (here @ Bible Gateway).

In reaction to this verse I jotted down several passages, Jeremiah 23:23 – 24 (here @ Bible Gateway), Psalm 139:7 (here @ Bible Gateway), and Hebrews 11:6 (here @ Bible Gateway).

This is the dilemma, on the one hand it seems, as the psalmist says, God is nowhere to be found in times of distress or trouble.  On the other hand, He permeates the universe and beyond.  I cannot, we cannot, escape Him and cannot hide from Him.  So what is the deal with the feeling of abandonment?

It may be that it is the Lord’s desire that we learn to trust Him in the midst of the silence.  That we rest in Him when He seems far off.

How?

How do I rest in Him, trust Him, when it seems as if He is not there?  Here the psalmist prays.  He shares with the Lord through prayer the feeling of abandonment.  He codifies and shares with the Lord his doubts and fears.  Perhaps Psalm 73:17 (here @ Bible Gateway) is a partial guide.

It seems that an approach might be:

1. Pray
1. Acknowledge the problem.  Tell God how you feel – all areas, frustrated, angry, hurt, etc.
2. Ask why
2. Remember what the Word says - Here is where passages that we have covered, or the Psalms may be of great benefit
3. Review what He has done for you - Here is where a journal will be of benefit.

There are probably other approaches that will help.  These seem to be what is suggested by the passages we covered.

Let me know what you have found.

Subtle Snares

Gideon was a judge of Israel, the fifth mentioned in the book of Judges (here @ Bible Gateway).  The Lord led him to save Israel against Midian with 300 men.  We looked at that a couple of days ago.

Read through Judges 8:22 – 27 (here @ Bible Gateway).  There is an interesting lesson here.  Gideon was asked to lead Israel.  He was a hero.  He had earned the people’s allegiance.  But when asked he refused.  Instead he asked for one gold earring from each.  That resulted in Gideon having about 70 pounds of gold.  In todays dollars that works out to be about 1.7 million.

Gideon brings the gold back and makes a 70-pound ephod which is the part of the priestly garment that is over the robe.  He places it in his home town and it becomes an idol that Israel and Gideon worship.

There is a lesson here.

Success and devotion to the Lord does not insure finishing well.  Things we do to honor Him may become, like it did for Gideon, a snare for us.  We can become focused on those things rather than the Lord.  For instance:

• Worship – Our worship, or how we do it, becomes the focus, not the Lord.
• Bible – The knowledge of or about the Scriptures becomes the end not the means of knowing Him.
• Religion – We work hard as pleasing what we think is God rather than living in His grace.
• Service – Our service to Him, be it missions, teaching, serving, whatever our gift or what He has equipped us to do becomes the end, our focus and not Him.

There are probably other ways we can get off track, those are just a few.  Gideon’s means of remembering his defeat of Midian became his god.  We have to guard daily against making what we do well for Him a similar thing for us.