Study from God’s Word… Isaiah, Chapters 18 – 19; 20: 1 – 6; as well as Chapters 30 and 31: 1 – 9 … Passage for Reflection: Isaiah 30 : 10 – 11 … NIV 10 They say to the seers, "See no more visions!" and to the prophets, "Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. 11 Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!"
My Journal for Today: Judah was a bad child of God, rejecting Isaiah’s word from the living God, wanting to look everywhere but at THE TRUTH. And today’s readings in my “Daily Bible” studies document Judah’s desire to blissfully ignore God’s warnings and His mirror of truth. And that is so much like what we see going on in the world today, … and yes, even the way those who think of themselves as “christians” isolate themselves by self-denial and the lack of willingness to confront the truth of the Gospel and God’s word.
Today’s highlight passage, drawn by Dr. Smith from the readings from Isaiah’s prophesies, could be speaking to those in today’s post-modern church who are in serious denial as they stick their heads (and minds) in the sand, unwilling to read or hear what God’s word really says about what’s happening in the world. Certainly non-believers don’t want to even hear the truth from God’s word. No, they’d rather have their minds tickled with new-age fantasies and the tasty non-truths coming from the “church of Oprah” or the psychobabble of Dr. Phil.
But that’s not surprising at all. I used to be one of them, calling myself an “agnostic,” and thinking of myself as an “intellectual,” I tried to fill the hole in my soul with all kinds of far-eastern religious thought process. At this time in my life, if it had “ism” after it, I was probably pursuing it, trying to find the answers for life from those who were very simply and literally “devil’s advocates.” So, again, I’m not surprised at any pagan pursuing pagans who bear untruths which tickle the fancy of our sin-bound nature.
It’s those who call themselves “christian,” and are unwilling – or unable – to see themselves trying to be entertained in “churches” rather than enlightened. So, those who fancy themselves as “believers” flock to hear the pseudo-teachings of teachers/preachers like Joel Osteen, hearing the warm fuzzies and sugar coated half-truths which concern me so greatly and lead them down a garden-path of destruction. And as the lives of these so-called “christians” become imprisoned by habitual sin, such as addiction to pornography or eating disorders or the chemical chains of drugs or alcohol, the first symptom for those who think of themselves as disciples of Christ is to fall prey to the seers of the world, not wanting to hear teachers/preachers who really are proclaiming God’s truth. Today “Christians” are turning away from God’s truth, unwilling to get into and surrender to God’s word, and moving away from churches where they have to look into the mirror of truth from God’s word every Sunday.
The words of today’s highlight passage, though directed by God, through Isaiah, to the tribes of Judah, could be words describing today’s Christian climate of isolation from the truth of Scripture. When Joel Osteen will tell Christians how great they can be by declaring their own self greatness, many would rather hear that than the messages of truth from God’s word; and so the witness of Christians becomes diluted and dampened by believers turning away from the discipline of pouring God’s truth into their minds through deep and abiding study into God’s word daily?
So, my friend, we all need to be asking ourselves: Do I really seek God’s truth? Am I willing to look deeply into the mirror of God’s word daily, digging for God’s wisdom, … mining for the mind of God; … or … am I in isolation from God’s truth, avoiding the die-hard disciplines of the faith such as a deep/abiding daily devotional time with God and His word – EVERY DAY? Does my Pastor tickle my mind with comfort every Sunday; or am I shaken by my Pastor in church weekly to pursue Christ and share Him with others?
My dear one, you have to answer those questions for yourself; but I hope that you’re not trying to avoid God’s message and His mirror of truth. I will pray – even today – that we all are digging deeply into the mind of God through His word and we’re willing to look at ourselves in the mirror of truth (i.e., study of the Bible) rather than to isolate ourselves from its clarity.
My Prayer for Today: Oh, Lord, I pray that all who read here are coming to Your mirror of truth daily, looking at ourselves in the light of Your truth, willing to see where we need to surrender to Your Spirit and be transformed into Your image. Amen
Showing posts with label isolation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label isolation. Show all posts
Friday, July 09, 2010
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
2010 – Mar. 3 – Spiritual Isolation
Study from God’s Word… Lev 13: 1-59; Lev 14: 33-57; Deut 24: 8-9; Lev 15: 1-27, 32-33; Num 5: 1-4; Lev 15: 31; … Passage for Reflection: Deuteronomy 24: 8 – 9 … NIV 8 In cases of leprous diseases be very careful to do exactly as the priests, who are Levites, instruct you. You must follow carefully what I have commanded them. 9 Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam along the way after you came out of Egypt.
My Journal for Today: We’ve likely heard the phrase “cleanliness is next to Godliness.” Well, that phrase and concept likely had its social origins in the series of health regulations given to the Hebrews in the time of Moses. And my study today took me through these passages, mostly found in Leviticus, chapters 13-15. However, there were others found in Numbers and Deuteronomy, one of which is our focus verse today from Deut. 24, concerning what the Israelites must do when someone is found to have “leprosy,” which was actually a Hebrew term referring to any of a number of skin conditions or diseases which became apparent from an acute outbreak of skin lesions.
And as we read, the Levite Priests were to put the person outside the walls from the tribe, caring for the person’s needs, but not coming into contact with the infected or diseased condition. And then, when the disease passed, they were to accept the healed person back into the tribe with open arms. And in referring to this prescribed treatment process, God’s word reminded His people of what happened with Miriam when she challenged the authority of Moses; and God punished her spiritual disobedience with a serious skin disease; and she was put out of the encampment for seven days.
Really, it is not surprising that people in those days would connect obvious skin diseases with some spiritual weakness or sinfulness. We remember how Job’s friends made such a connection when they saw the boils he was scraping from his skin. And this actually happened to Miriam; so, we can see the origins, in Hebrew Law, in what later became God’s instructions, through Jesus Himself, for the handling of the spiritual disease of chronic and recurring sin. We can read about how, just like the case of physical quarantine was commanded by God for those with leprous conditions, Jesus, in Matt. 18: 15-18 - Matt. 18 linked here - recommended spiritual isolation for one who would not or could not repent of and turn from his/her obvious sinful practices. And Paul exhorted the church – God’s people – to be the place where the spiritual disease of sin should be handled (see 1Cor. 6: 1-6 - linked). Paul also exhorted Christians to stay away from someone who was obviously a sinner who caused divisiveness or sin within the camp of believers (see Romans 16: 17-18 - linked).
So, this way of treating physical skin disease has its carry-over into how we, the Church, and as individual Christians, need to handle the spiritual “disease” of chronic, unrepented sin. And we must remember, as Jesus also taught in Matt. 18 (see verses 21-22 - see link above) that separating the “diseased” person from the flock for a time is a treatment for the disease – whether it be a quarantine for a skin condition or a separation from a sinning Christians. However, we must be willing to forgive the one who has sinned against the Body of Christ or other Christians and take them back into the fellowship of believers when we see evidence of repentance and contrition.
Sometimes it’s obvious, though difficult, to confront a chronic case of sinfulness; and we might be able to go through the Matthew 18 process of dealing with a chronic/hardened sinner. However, it’s more difficult to be there for that person, to forgive them, and to take them back into the Body of Christ when/if they’re willing and able to repent of their sinfulness and seek restoration. I deal with this all the time in the ministry God has called me to lead where husbands have been “busted” for their sexual sin; and this man must be confronted with his sin and even put out from the flock if he’s unwilling/unable to repent. However, when he does repent, it becomes very difficult for his wife and the church to bring him back into the camp and to deal with the restoration of this brother sinner. And there is a social plague of sexual sin going on in the church these days, which would be like a plague of “leprosy” in Moses’ day … if it were not handled properly according to God’s laws and His word.
I hope we see the parallels between how God wanted His People, the Israelites, to diagnose and to deal with infectious diseases in those days and how the church must discipline and deal with the social plagues of problems like Christian men who become “addicted” to pornography, and even for problems like obesity (from the sin of gluttony), where often the church becomes an enabler rather than an agent of correction and discipline. It saddens me to see how few churches have ministries to help the more than 50% of their men who’re into chronic sexual sin. And what church do you know of which confronts its obviously obese members, doing all they can as a church to help that person deal with that Saint’s sin of gluttony?
God’s Law had a way of dealing with diagnosed skin diseases; and God’s church has been given a way to deal with the infectious and growing problem of sin in our midst. The question becomes, “Will we do what God’s word teaches?”
My Prayer for Today: Lord, convict Your church to be Your agent of healing and restoration from the sinfulness which so abounds in our world. Amen
My Journal for Today: We’ve likely heard the phrase “cleanliness is next to Godliness.” Well, that phrase and concept likely had its social origins in the series of health regulations given to the Hebrews in the time of Moses. And my study today took me through these passages, mostly found in Leviticus, chapters 13-15. However, there were others found in Numbers and Deuteronomy, one of which is our focus verse today from Deut. 24, concerning what the Israelites must do when someone is found to have “leprosy,” which was actually a Hebrew term referring to any of a number of skin conditions or diseases which became apparent from an acute outbreak of skin lesions.
And as we read, the Levite Priests were to put the person outside the walls from the tribe, caring for the person’s needs, but not coming into contact with the infected or diseased condition. And then, when the disease passed, they were to accept the healed person back into the tribe with open arms. And in referring to this prescribed treatment process, God’s word reminded His people of what happened with Miriam when she challenged the authority of Moses; and God punished her spiritual disobedience with a serious skin disease; and she was put out of the encampment for seven days.
Really, it is not surprising that people in those days would connect obvious skin diseases with some spiritual weakness or sinfulness. We remember how Job’s friends made such a connection when they saw the boils he was scraping from his skin. And this actually happened to Miriam; so, we can see the origins, in Hebrew Law, in what later became God’s instructions, through Jesus Himself, for the handling of the spiritual disease of chronic and recurring sin. We can read about how, just like the case of physical quarantine was commanded by God for those with leprous conditions, Jesus, in Matt. 18: 15-18 - Matt. 18 linked here - recommended spiritual isolation for one who would not or could not repent of and turn from his/her obvious sinful practices. And Paul exhorted the church – God’s people – to be the place where the spiritual disease of sin should be handled (see 1Cor. 6: 1-6 - linked). Paul also exhorted Christians to stay away from someone who was obviously a sinner who caused divisiveness or sin within the camp of believers (see Romans 16: 17-18 - linked).
So, this way of treating physical skin disease has its carry-over into how we, the Church, and as individual Christians, need to handle the spiritual “disease” of chronic, unrepented sin. And we must remember, as Jesus also taught in Matt. 18 (see verses 21-22 - see link above) that separating the “diseased” person from the flock for a time is a treatment for the disease – whether it be a quarantine for a skin condition or a separation from a sinning Christians. However, we must be willing to forgive the one who has sinned against the Body of Christ or other Christians and take them back into the fellowship of believers when we see evidence of repentance and contrition.
Sometimes it’s obvious, though difficult, to confront a chronic case of sinfulness; and we might be able to go through the Matthew 18 process of dealing with a chronic/hardened sinner. However, it’s more difficult to be there for that person, to forgive them, and to take them back into the Body of Christ when/if they’re willing and able to repent of their sinfulness and seek restoration. I deal with this all the time in the ministry God has called me to lead where husbands have been “busted” for their sexual sin; and this man must be confronted with his sin and even put out from the flock if he’s unwilling/unable to repent. However, when he does repent, it becomes very difficult for his wife and the church to bring him back into the camp and to deal with the restoration of this brother sinner. And there is a social plague of sexual sin going on in the church these days, which would be like a plague of “leprosy” in Moses’ day … if it were not handled properly according to God’s laws and His word.
I hope we see the parallels between how God wanted His People, the Israelites, to diagnose and to deal with infectious diseases in those days and how the church must discipline and deal with the social plagues of problems like Christian men who become “addicted” to pornography, and even for problems like obesity (from the sin of gluttony), where often the church becomes an enabler rather than an agent of correction and discipline. It saddens me to see how few churches have ministries to help the more than 50% of their men who’re into chronic sexual sin. And what church do you know of which confronts its obviously obese members, doing all they can as a church to help that person deal with that Saint’s sin of gluttony?
God’s Law had a way of dealing with diagnosed skin diseases; and God’s church has been given a way to deal with the infectious and growing problem of sin in our midst. The question becomes, “Will we do what God’s word teaches?”
My Prayer for Today: Lord, convict Your church to be Your agent of healing and restoration from the sinfulness which so abounds in our world. Amen
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