Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Numbers, Chapters 23-25 … To study these chapters, go to this link -
Numbers 25: 6-13: … [Righteous Anger ] … 6 And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.7 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand;8 And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.9 And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.
10 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, 11 “Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. 12 Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace:13 And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.”
My Journal for Today: There are several discussions worthy of my blogging keyboard from the Chapters in Numbers I was led to read this morning, more specifically Chapters 23-25. There was the interesting account of the sorcerer prophet, Balaam, and the scriptural reference to the prophesy of the “star of Jacob” in Chapter 23 which was likely the prophesy which led the so-called “Wisemen” to seek out the birthplace of the Messiah.
And I could journal here about how God could (and did) decide to use a false-prophet, like Balaam, to bring God’s message or wisdom to the people of the world … or even to God’s people. I hope we all know that anyone – even a misguided sorcerer like Balaam – can be used by God to bring truth forth or call attention to God’s ways. We must be discerning in seeing what is true and what is false from a man like Balaam. That is the lesson I’ve often referred to about the Bereans (in Acts 17: 10-15), who checked out the message of the Apostle Paul by going to God’s word to see if he was teaching truth or falsehood. We hear a lot of persuasive messages by prominent people in our world; and we need to be discerning and rely on God’s word and to get counsel from wise and Godly counselors to discern God’s will and to be able to follow those who’re trying to lead us to move in Godly directions.
But though those are very pertinent and interesting studies, I want to focus on a brief segment (copied above) in Numbers 25, verses 6-13, where we read of one of God’s Priests, Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, rising up in anger and slaying one of the disobedient Israelites, who had flagrantly brought a Canaanite woman into the Tent of Meetings, right before Moses’ eyes, with the sole intent of having sex with this woman in the sacred Tabernacle. And did God or the people strike down Phinehas for this angry act of retribution? No; … to the contrary, God honored Phinehas and even considered the slaying of the sinner as an atonement for the sinfulness of the Israelites, sparing them from God’s collective judgment for their general and wholesale disobedience during those times.
Today, in the commentary I often use to help guide me in my chronological read through the Bible this year, there was a good lesson about “righteous anger,” which I’d like to quote here for anyone who might be reading my devotional entry this morning. Here’s the quote from the Parson’s Commentary …
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It is clear from Phinehas’ story that some anger is proper and justified. Phinehas was angry because of his zeal for the Lord. But how can we know when our anger is appropriate and when it should be restrained? Ask these questions when you become angry: (1) Why am I angry? (2) Whose rights are being violated (mine or another’s)? (3) Is the truth (a principle of God) being violated? If only your rights are at stake, it may be wiser to keep angry feelings under control. But if the truth is at stake, anger and action is often justified, although violence and retaliation are usually the wrong way to express it (Phinehas’ case was unique!). If we are becoming more and more like God, we should be angered by sin.
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No, as it says above, striking out in anger for perceived sinful behavior by murdering sinners would not be considered the Godly way to go. But, like Phinehas, and Jesus when He cleansed the Temple, taking radical action may be called upon when sin against God becomes so much an affront to His holiness that we need to strike out against the perpetrators.
The advice given above about discerning and taking action when we’re angry is good and Godly counsel; and we need to remember that Jesus never struck out in anger to those who were attacking His personal being, … even when sinners spit on him or attacked His bodily security. No, our Lord only struck out in anger when He discerned that the world was defiling His Father’s Temple.
Is there anything in your life which is defiling God’s Temple … i.e., either your body or the Body of Christ? What about your own gluttony or maybe some addictive sin pattern like taking drugs, or obsessive gambling, or repetitively viewing p0rnography? Is there enough righteous anger in your countenance to strike out and do something about it, sending a spear through the heart of the perpetrator, as did Phinehas; … even if that perpetrator may be you, yourself.
I know right now that I stand convicted in discerning that I let my own sinful eating patterns defile God’s Temple, my body, at times; and I often see Christ’s body, the Church, being defiled by becoming an enabler of so many other Christians when the church makes it far too easy for the sin of gluttony to be magnified. Have you ever been to a church function and discerned that there were far too many gluttonous food choices than should be there to tempt Christians who’re struggling against the sin of gluttony? Were you angry enough to do something about it? Did you do something about it?
What about the plague of sin we have in our culture with the XXX sex trade proliferating with the growing cancer of internet p0rnography? Are you angry that p0rn is infiltrating our culture and destroying marriages and bringing down Christian church leaders the way we see in today’s world? Are you angry enough to do something like contacting your Representatives and demanding that our Justice Department prosecute the perpetrators of p0rn? If you struggle with your own sexual compulsions (maybe even recurring obsessions to view p0rn), are you angry enough to pick up a spear and throw it into the heart of your own sinfulness, getting help and confessing your sin to others?
All of us, who perceive flagrant sinfulness tearing apart our world or defiling God, could become an angry priest, like Phinehas to strike out in Christlike retribution against those who’re defiling Gods’ Temple or His Tabernacle. I am going to pray – right now - that we do just that!
My Prayer Today: … Lord, when we see the world defiling Your holiness, enlighten, enable, and empower us with Your sanctifying grace to be like Phinehas and take righteous action … but only when You lead us to take a stand for Your Name and to do it in Your way, inspired and modulated by Your word. Amen
Showing posts with label spiritual discernment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spiritual discernment. Show all posts
Sunday, March 04, 2012
Thursday, March 01, 2012
March 1, 2012 … UnGodly Presumption Kills!
Blogger's Note: I continue on with my chronological reading plan through the Bible this year - now into Day 61 in March ...
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Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Numbers, Chapters 16-17 … To study these chapters, go to this link -
Numbers 16: 1-5: … [Danger, Danger, Danger!!!] … PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE CHAPTERS – 16 & 17 FROM THE LINK ABOVE …
My Journal for Today: Today, as you can see above, I have not singled out any one segment or shorter passage to highlight my journal entry (i.e., blog) for this date. No, … if you’re following along with me, I’m asking that you take the time to read through these two chapters from Numbers, Chapters 16-17, reading about the rebellion against Moses by a few in the tribe of Levi who felt that Moses and Aaron were wrong in following God they way they had; and these Levites sincerely wanted to assert themselves as the new leaders of God’s people in this attempted coups.
Well, as you will read, as I did this morning, Moses, in a scenario somewhat reminiscent of Elijah’s challenge of the priests of Baal, which we’ll read about later this year, challenged these recalcitrant Levites to a spiritual dual; and the results were disastrous for the rebels, whom God opened the earth and swallowed them up.
As you will read in Numbers 16, these Levite rebels presumed – and I believe sincerely so – that they could (and should) take over the role as God’s representatives to the people. They felt that they had a better way of taking the role of prophet/priest to God’s people than had Moses and Aaron. And what was their motivation to ignore all that God had done with Moses and Aaron as God’s representatives? Well, the answer to that is found in one word … GREED!
These men, from their own, personal dissatisfaction and desires, felt they had a better way of shaping law and allegiance to God than had Moses; and so we read of the dual in the desert, where God, being God, showed these Levites that rebellion against Yahweh doesn’t pay. Lesson: Don’t mess with God’s purpose and plan, because as my title for today’s blog reports – “Ungodly Presumption Kills!”
You know, what these foolish Levites did back then in Moses’ day, trying to intercede for God in their own way, reminds me of what many false teachers are trying to do today, … i.e., false teachers like those in the so-called “word of faith” movement who are perpetuating what is sometimes called “The Prosperity Gospel.” These fools, preachers like Bennie Hinn, Joyce Meyers, John Hagge, and others, have come on the scene with their sincerely false interpretation of scripture, saying that God desires to financially prosper those followers who see God’s truth the way they see it. And my friends, they are just as foolish (and potentially self explosive) as were those men who challenged God’s truth and Moses in Numbers 16.
One day, and only God knows when and how, these rebellious, greedy false teachers today will be consumed in some way by the God they falsely represent. It may not be with them being swallowed up by an earthquake; but God is God and they are not! And the attempt of some of these charlatans to get rich and powerful in the arena of real Christian ministry is going to consume them. And unfortunately many who follow these word-of-faith teachers are going to be consumed as well just as did the followers who went against Moses which we read about in Numbers 16.
That is why we Christians today need to become like the Bereans (see Acts 17: 10-15) who carefully used God’s word, as they knew God’s truth, to discern whether the Apostle Paul was teaching the truth or trying to rebel against God. And they were able to discern that Paul taught God’s truth and was worthy to follow.
We need to ask ourselves if we’re following leaders like Moses or Paul, who teach the truth and follow God, teaching and preaching His word. And the only way to know if we’re on the right path, following God’s way, is to be well grounded in God’s word, which is now our road map to the promised land in this New Covenant era.
Therefore, I pray we’re all discerning followers of God’s way from God’s word.
My Prayer Today: … Lord, keep us on Your path to righteousness and Your promised-land by our following Your way and will from Your word. Amen
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Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Numbers, Chapters 16-17 … To study these chapters, go to this link -
Numbers 16: 1-5: … [Danger, Danger, Danger!!!] … PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE CHAPTERS – 16 & 17 FROM THE LINK ABOVE …
My Journal for Today: Today, as you can see above, I have not singled out any one segment or shorter passage to highlight my journal entry (i.e., blog) for this date. No, … if you’re following along with me, I’m asking that you take the time to read through these two chapters from Numbers, Chapters 16-17, reading about the rebellion against Moses by a few in the tribe of Levi who felt that Moses and Aaron were wrong in following God they way they had; and these Levites sincerely wanted to assert themselves as the new leaders of God’s people in this attempted coups.
Well, as you will read, as I did this morning, Moses, in a scenario somewhat reminiscent of Elijah’s challenge of the priests of Baal, which we’ll read about later this year, challenged these recalcitrant Levites to a spiritual dual; and the results were disastrous for the rebels, whom God opened the earth and swallowed them up.
As you will read in Numbers 16, these Levite rebels presumed – and I believe sincerely so – that they could (and should) take over the role as God’s representatives to the people. They felt that they had a better way of taking the role of prophet/priest to God’s people than had Moses and Aaron. And what was their motivation to ignore all that God had done with Moses and Aaron as God’s representatives? Well, the answer to that is found in one word … GREED!
These men, from their own, personal dissatisfaction and desires, felt they had a better way of shaping law and allegiance to God than had Moses; and so we read of the dual in the desert, where God, being God, showed these Levites that rebellion against Yahweh doesn’t pay. Lesson: Don’t mess with God’s purpose and plan, because as my title for today’s blog reports – “Ungodly Presumption Kills!”
You know, what these foolish Levites did back then in Moses’ day, trying to intercede for God in their own way, reminds me of what many false teachers are trying to do today, … i.e., false teachers like those in the so-called “word of faith” movement who are perpetuating what is sometimes called “The Prosperity Gospel.” These fools, preachers like Bennie Hinn, Joyce Meyers, John Hagge, and others, have come on the scene with their sincerely false interpretation of scripture, saying that God desires to financially prosper those followers who see God’s truth the way they see it. And my friends, they are just as foolish (and potentially self explosive) as were those men who challenged God’s truth and Moses in Numbers 16.
One day, and only God knows when and how, these rebellious, greedy false teachers today will be consumed in some way by the God they falsely represent. It may not be with them being swallowed up by an earthquake; but God is God and they are not! And the attempt of some of these charlatans to get rich and powerful in the arena of real Christian ministry is going to consume them. And unfortunately many who follow these word-of-faith teachers are going to be consumed as well just as did the followers who went against Moses which we read about in Numbers 16.
That is why we Christians today need to become like the Bereans (see Acts 17: 10-15) who carefully used God’s word, as they knew God’s truth, to discern whether the Apostle Paul was teaching the truth or trying to rebel against God. And they were able to discern that Paul taught God’s truth and was worthy to follow.
We need to ask ourselves if we’re following leaders like Moses or Paul, who teach the truth and follow God, teaching and preaching His word. And the only way to know if we’re on the right path, following God’s way, is to be well grounded in God’s word, which is now our road map to the promised land in this New Covenant era.
Therefore, I pray we’re all discerning followers of God’s way from God’s word.
My Prayer Today: … Lord, keep us on Your path to righteousness and Your promised-land by our following Your way and will from Your word. Amen
Monday, August 15, 2011
August 15, 2008 … Seeing Clearly
Passage of the Day: Matthew 6: 22 – 23 … [NIV] 22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
Matt. 6: 22-23 in NASB: 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is [a]clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
My Journal for Today: There’s an interesting paradox as we continue with Jesus’ teachings on stewardship from the Sermon on the Mount. In today’s passage, provided in both NIV and NASB, our Lord is trying to show believers the one key to have clear spiritual discernment. And yet in the teaching process, He uses word pictures that make it challenging for His disciples to get a clear picture of what He’s trying to teach. It’s almost as if Christ was giving a pop-quiz on spiritual discernment while he was teaching on the subject. It might be like an optometrist saying to a patient, “Look in this lens and tell me what you see. [And then he puts a lens in front of your eyes that makes the image look like the patient is seeing through a murky lens covered with gel.]” Jesus was THE Master Teacher; but at times one has to really stretch the mind to find what He’s teaching about so that the heart will benefit. And that, I believe, is what Jesus continually does … stretch our minds and hearts, as Christians, … all the way to eternity.
Also, I believe, Jesus – to extent my pop-quiz metaphor – is teaching to see if His disciples truly believe Him. In other words, a non-believer CANNOT get what He’s saying because a non-believer gets no discernment assist from God’s Spirit. But this lesson, from today’s text, is being taught prior to Pentecost; and it would take the prevenient grace of God’s Spirit, giving Spiritual “lenses” to any in Jesus’ audience that day as He preached this sermon so that His disciples could really be able to “see” what He was teaching with clarity. In other words, if anyone in that audience had the ability to understand this lesson, Jesus knew that seeker truly believed and really wanted to follow Him. What about you? Do you believe what Jesus is teaching with His words above in Matt. 6: 22-23; because if you really do, then you can read/meditate on God’s word, and God’s Spirit will teach you God’s meaning from His word.
Again, back to our passage from Matt. 6, our Lord speaks of the “eye” being the lamp (or “window” in other translations) for the body (or the “soul,” if you will). If you study from the NASB version, you’ll read that Jesus says, “If your eye is CLEAR, …” which provides the optimum view on discernment. The term, “clear,” (or “good” above in the NIV) is from a Greek construct meaning “generous.” So, what Jesus is rather obtusely challenging his followers to understand is that the generosity of one’s heart contributes to the clarity of the Christian to discern what comes into the heart as light coming through a window. If the window is very dirty [from a greedy heart], very little light gets in. If the window is very clean [from a generous spirit], more of the light gets through and we can see life so much more clearly.
So, restating this again for clarity [redundancy teaches!], the generous heart is a clear window, letting the light of God’s truth into the soul. But the opposite is the case with a begrudging or selfish heart, which, if it were the condition of the believer’s heart, would block God’s light from getting in, darkening the soul, and resulting in spiritual density. Have you ever felt, in reading God’s word or listening to a sermon, that you just didn’t get it? Well, maybe it would be wise for us to look at our own heart at that time. Could it be that we are pursuing selfish gains or holding a grudge or retaining our money from God’s kingdom? Maybe opening up to a genuinely generous spirit – the HOLY SPIRIT – you can take the blinders off and you can see God’s way more clearly.
John MacArthur in his daily devotional from Strength for Today, very nicely today paraphrases the message of Jesus today by writing, “How you handle your money (time or talents) is the key to your spiritual perception.” If your heart is on heaven and in tune with Christ, you will have a generous spirit and a giving nature. If your treasure is withheld here on earth in selfishness, you will be near-sighted or even blinded spiritually and your greed will be apparent.
I leave it you to do the self-analysis as I’m doing mine here this morning. How well do we see things through the lens of God’s Spirit; and just how does the eye of generosity in our soul let the light of Christ in?
My Prayer Today: Help me to see more and give more of myself, Lord! Amen
Matt. 6: 22-23 in NASB: 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is [a]clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
My Journal for Today: There’s an interesting paradox as we continue with Jesus’ teachings on stewardship from the Sermon on the Mount. In today’s passage, provided in both NIV and NASB, our Lord is trying to show believers the one key to have clear spiritual discernment. And yet in the teaching process, He uses word pictures that make it challenging for His disciples to get a clear picture of what He’s trying to teach. It’s almost as if Christ was giving a pop-quiz on spiritual discernment while he was teaching on the subject. It might be like an optometrist saying to a patient, “Look in this lens and tell me what you see. [And then he puts a lens in front of your eyes that makes the image look like the patient is seeing through a murky lens covered with gel.]” Jesus was THE Master Teacher; but at times one has to really stretch the mind to find what He’s teaching about so that the heart will benefit. And that, I believe, is what Jesus continually does … stretch our minds and hearts, as Christians, … all the way to eternity.
Also, I believe, Jesus – to extent my pop-quiz metaphor – is teaching to see if His disciples truly believe Him. In other words, a non-believer CANNOT get what He’s saying because a non-believer gets no discernment assist from God’s Spirit. But this lesson, from today’s text, is being taught prior to Pentecost; and it would take the prevenient grace of God’s Spirit, giving Spiritual “lenses” to any in Jesus’ audience that day as He preached this sermon so that His disciples could really be able to “see” what He was teaching with clarity. In other words, if anyone in that audience had the ability to understand this lesson, Jesus knew that seeker truly believed and really wanted to follow Him. What about you? Do you believe what Jesus is teaching with His words above in Matt. 6: 22-23; because if you really do, then you can read/meditate on God’s word, and God’s Spirit will teach you God’s meaning from His word.
Again, back to our passage from Matt. 6, our Lord speaks of the “eye” being the lamp (or “window” in other translations) for the body (or the “soul,” if you will). If you study from the NASB version, you’ll read that Jesus says, “If your eye is CLEAR, …” which provides the optimum view on discernment. The term, “clear,” (or “good” above in the NIV) is from a Greek construct meaning “generous.” So, what Jesus is rather obtusely challenging his followers to understand is that the generosity of one’s heart contributes to the clarity of the Christian to discern what comes into the heart as light coming through a window. If the window is very dirty [from a greedy heart], very little light gets in. If the window is very clean [from a generous spirit], more of the light gets through and we can see life so much more clearly.
So, restating this again for clarity [redundancy teaches!], the generous heart is a clear window, letting the light of God’s truth into the soul. But the opposite is the case with a begrudging or selfish heart, which, if it were the condition of the believer’s heart, would block God’s light from getting in, darkening the soul, and resulting in spiritual density. Have you ever felt, in reading God’s word or listening to a sermon, that you just didn’t get it? Well, maybe it would be wise for us to look at our own heart at that time. Could it be that we are pursuing selfish gains or holding a grudge or retaining our money from God’s kingdom? Maybe opening up to a genuinely generous spirit – the HOLY SPIRIT – you can take the blinders off and you can see God’s way more clearly.
John MacArthur in his daily devotional from Strength for Today, very nicely today paraphrases the message of Jesus today by writing, “How you handle your money (time or talents) is the key to your spiritual perception.” If your heart is on heaven and in tune with Christ, you will have a generous spirit and a giving nature. If your treasure is withheld here on earth in selfishness, you will be near-sighted or even blinded spiritually and your greed will be apparent.
I leave it you to do the self-analysis as I’m doing mine here this morning. How well do we see things through the lens of God’s Spirit; and just how does the eye of generosity in our soul let the light of Christ in?
My Prayer Today: Help me to see more and give more of myself, Lord! Amen
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
July 19, 2011 … Discernment Between Truth and Error
Passage of the Day: 1st John 4: 1 – 6 … 1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
My Journal for Today: To be saved, i.e., converted from sinner to saint, a true Christian must have had, with God’s help, at least one moment of clear perception and understanding of THE Truth, Who is Christ (see John 14: 6 and 1st John 5: 1a). And once the new believer’s spirit is indwelt by God’s Spirit, the human spirit of the new Christian grows, through sanctification, to discern false spirits and/or doctrine (see today’s passage); and he/she will be able, when in surrender to the enlightenment of God’s Spirit, to reject false teaching. This maturing spiritual discernment is yet another mark of true salvation.
Yes, it is true that because our human hearts are still prone to deceit (see Jer. 17: 9), we can still be fooled momentarily, especially in moments where we let our pride or selfishness dampen the enlightenment ministry of the Holy Spirit. However, God’s Spirit, ministering to the surrendered true believer, will ultimately see that our minds/hearts are transformed (see Phil. 1: 6 and Rom. 12: 2) to be able to test and to see God’s Truth (today’s passage and 1st Thess. 5: 21).
We are going to be continually drawn toward deceit by Satan and the world, especially by false teachings and cunning worldly-oriented teachers. And we are more vulnerable to such deceit when our hearts are surrendered to self rather than our Savior. However, in Christ the heart of the true believer now possesses the strength and clarity to discern God’s Truth (see in today’s passage1st John 4: 4 – 6). In this we should be like the Bereans of old (see Acts 17: 10 – 15 - linked for your study), who carefully and diligently tested the teaching and preaching of the Apostle Paul, when he came into their midst, to see if he spoke/taught God’s truth from Scripture. And the Bereans only had the first five books of the Bible and the teachings of the Prophets as their truth standard. We now have the entire canonized Scripture with the ministry of the Holy Spirit to do our testing.
Having a drive to know the truth – God’s Truth – is yet another signpost of salvation for the true believer in Christ. Are you driven to know God’s truth? Are you driven to know THE Truth, Who is Christ? If so, then you have another way of knowing, beyond doubt, that you are saved. And when we see God’s truth clearly and when we know Christ, Who is the living Truth, we must then clearly follow it (or Him), … wherever He might lead us [again, as I often refer you, see Luke 9: 23.
My Prayer Today: Lord, You are the TRUTH; and I seek only You and Your way. Amen
4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
My Journal for Today: To be saved, i.e., converted from sinner to saint, a true Christian must have had, with God’s help, at least one moment of clear perception and understanding of THE Truth, Who is Christ (see John 14: 6 and 1st John 5: 1a). And once the new believer’s spirit is indwelt by God’s Spirit, the human spirit of the new Christian grows, through sanctification, to discern false spirits and/or doctrine (see today’s passage); and he/she will be able, when in surrender to the enlightenment of God’s Spirit, to reject false teaching. This maturing spiritual discernment is yet another mark of true salvation.
Yes, it is true that because our human hearts are still prone to deceit (see Jer. 17: 9), we can still be fooled momentarily, especially in moments where we let our pride or selfishness dampen the enlightenment ministry of the Holy Spirit. However, God’s Spirit, ministering to the surrendered true believer, will ultimately see that our minds/hearts are transformed (see Phil. 1: 6 and Rom. 12: 2) to be able to test and to see God’s Truth (today’s passage and 1st Thess. 5: 21).
We are going to be continually drawn toward deceit by Satan and the world, especially by false teachings and cunning worldly-oriented teachers. And we are more vulnerable to such deceit when our hearts are surrendered to self rather than our Savior. However, in Christ the heart of the true believer now possesses the strength and clarity to discern God’s Truth (see in today’s passage1st John 4: 4 – 6). In this we should be like the Bereans of old (see Acts 17: 10 – 15 - linked for your study), who carefully and diligently tested the teaching and preaching of the Apostle Paul, when he came into their midst, to see if he spoke/taught God’s truth from Scripture. And the Bereans only had the first five books of the Bible and the teachings of the Prophets as their truth standard. We now have the entire canonized Scripture with the ministry of the Holy Spirit to do our testing.
Having a drive to know the truth – God’s Truth – is yet another signpost of salvation for the true believer in Christ. Are you driven to know God’s truth? Are you driven to know THE Truth, Who is Christ? If so, then you have another way of knowing, beyond doubt, that you are saved. And when we see God’s truth clearly and when we know Christ, Who is the living Truth, we must then clearly follow it (or Him), … wherever He might lead us [again, as I often refer you, see Luke 9: 23.
My Prayer Today: Lord, You are the TRUTH; and I seek only You and Your way. Amen
Sunday, June 05, 2011
June 5, 2011 … Integrity Stands On Principle
Passage of the Day: Daniel 1: 5, 8 … 5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king's table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king's service. … 8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.
My Journal for Today: In today’s passage we begin to see the remarkably mature character and discernment of a young believer who exercised his faith in the light of powerful political pressures. And we also note that this young Hebrew lad didn’t go off half-cocked with anger to demonstrate his faith with some political protest that could have either landed him in the king’s prison or had him beheaded. No, Daniel (or rather, Belteshazzar as he was renamed by the Babylonians) demonstrated a remarkable degree of cultural respect and decorum by bringing his concerns to the chief Babylonian officials when his spiritual disciplines were being challenged by the power structure of Nebuchadnezzar’s court.
As we see in Daniel, chapter one, “Belteshazzar” saw an advantage in receiving the secular education being forced upon him and the other Hebrew youths because there was nothing from His Godly values against such teachings or actions. However, when it came to the Babylonian dietary practices, Daniel had to draw a line because his God’s Law specifically prohibited the dietary practices of the Babylonian culture..
But Daniel did not choose to use political demonstrations or underground subversion to show his aversion to the Babylonian dietary “laws.” On the contrary, he showed great restraint, and I believe became an example of Christlike humility and meekness (see Matt. 11: 29), by respectfully petitioning the royal authorities to be able to avoid defiling himself and his friends (see Dan. 1: 11 – 15).
Standing on Godly principles, the stance of Christian integrity, is tough in today’s world. However, as long as we stand in the gap for Christ and Christian values, we should remember the first line actions of Daniel as we do our best to witness Christian humility and meekness (i.e., Christlikeness), following God’s mandates to honor God ordained governments as much as we can [see Romans 13: 1 – 7 - linked here for your study]. We will later see that Christian integrity can possibly take us to civil disobedience and a more direct stand against ungodly governments or worldly authorities whom God has installed. However, our first response should be “Danielian” in respectful discernment and challenge. Stay with me this month. I’ve read on ahead a bit; and there will be more to this story, especially when governments or political powers try to force us to do ungodly acts which cannot be compromised or ignored. But for now, confronting marginal pressures in the world which are ungodly, we should do all we can, as Daniel did, to take a Godly stance which imitates the very loving, humble, and gentle stance our Lord would model for us when we’re confronted by carnality and worldliness.
My Prayer Today: Help me, Lord, to stand for You with humility, meekness and integrity Amen
My Journal for Today: In today’s passage we begin to see the remarkably mature character and discernment of a young believer who exercised his faith in the light of powerful political pressures. And we also note that this young Hebrew lad didn’t go off half-cocked with anger to demonstrate his faith with some political protest that could have either landed him in the king’s prison or had him beheaded. No, Daniel (or rather, Belteshazzar as he was renamed by the Babylonians) demonstrated a remarkable degree of cultural respect and decorum by bringing his concerns to the chief Babylonian officials when his spiritual disciplines were being challenged by the power structure of Nebuchadnezzar’s court.
As we see in Daniel, chapter one, “Belteshazzar” saw an advantage in receiving the secular education being forced upon him and the other Hebrew youths because there was nothing from His Godly values against such teachings or actions. However, when it came to the Babylonian dietary practices, Daniel had to draw a line because his God’s Law specifically prohibited the dietary practices of the Babylonian culture..
But Daniel did not choose to use political demonstrations or underground subversion to show his aversion to the Babylonian dietary “laws.” On the contrary, he showed great restraint, and I believe became an example of Christlike humility and meekness (see Matt. 11: 29), by respectfully petitioning the royal authorities to be able to avoid defiling himself and his friends (see Dan. 1: 11 – 15).
Standing on Godly principles, the stance of Christian integrity, is tough in today’s world. However, as long as we stand in the gap for Christ and Christian values, we should remember the first line actions of Daniel as we do our best to witness Christian humility and meekness (i.e., Christlikeness), following God’s mandates to honor God ordained governments as much as we can [see Romans 13: 1 – 7 - linked here for your study]. We will later see that Christian integrity can possibly take us to civil disobedience and a more direct stand against ungodly governments or worldly authorities whom God has installed. However, our first response should be “Danielian” in respectful discernment and challenge. Stay with me this month. I’ve read on ahead a bit; and there will be more to this story, especially when governments or political powers try to force us to do ungodly acts which cannot be compromised or ignored. But for now, confronting marginal pressures in the world which are ungodly, we should do all we can, as Daniel did, to take a Godly stance which imitates the very loving, humble, and gentle stance our Lord would model for us when we’re confronted by carnality and worldliness.
My Prayer Today: Help me, Lord, to stand for You with humility, meekness and integrity Amen
Friday, October 08, 2010
2010 – October 8 – When Body Language Speaks
Study from God’s Word… Nehemiah, Chapters 1 – 3 … Passage for Reflection: Nehemiah 2: 1-2 … NIV 1 In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before; 2 so the king asked me, "Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart."
My Journal for Today: This is a most interesting interaction between King Artaxerxes and Nehemiah, the Hebrew who was the King’s cupbearer and the man who would soon go to Jerusalem from the Persian palace in Susa to lead the effort to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem. It’s obvious that the king and his cupbearer had a close relationship, because Artaxerxes picked up quickly on Nehemiah’s acute depression by noticing his confidant’s body language.
You know, … it is said that body language makes up over 90% of communication (see Borg, John. Body Language: Easy Lessons to Master the Silent Language. Prentice Hall, 2008). That’s why communicating by email or reading blogs often masks the inner feelings and emotional burdens being carried by the communicator. Right now, it’s unlikely that most of you are discerning enough to pick up on my “mood.” Most wouldn’t have a clue that I’m still reeling from having a colonoscopy yesterday. But last night my wife looked into my eyes some six hours after the procedure, and she picked up on some body language clue, … enough so to come over and feel my arm, … and the body contact told her that I had a low-grade fever; … and I did. My wife knows me. She knows when I’m up and when I’m down. She knows when I’m in balance and when I’m out of balance.
And, … though we’re not talking about a marital relationship between Artaxerxes and Nehemiah, the body language being communicated by Nehemiah after he had learned of the city of Jerusalem being unprotected and without walls, told Artaxerxes that the king should attend to the needs of his abiding friend, Nehemiah. And as we read in the “rest of the story,” the king did so.
In his devotional for today, Dr. LaGard Smith, the author, uses a cartoon character to illustrate that body language and the perception of same, is a powerful way to relate to a friend, a spouse, or a close associate. He brings up the image of Casper, the friendly ghost, which perhaps some of you readers of my age can remember. Smith points out that the cartoonist was able to show when Casper was happy by his facial expression and bouncy demeanor. And when Casper was down, his expression and his droopy shoulders revealed he was in a funk. All good cartoonists can relate the mood of their characters by depicting their body language; and we’re no different.
My wife last night was able to minister to my needs – physical and emotional – by noting that my eyes weren’t right. And we could probably do a better job of relating to our loved ones by being more discerning as to their body language. I also think that many times when we notice that others in our life experiencing a “downer,” by picking up cues from their body language, we miss the opportunity to engage them about our perceptions and become ministry helpers in their lives. And there’s no better way to witness to a lost friend or associate when we note and recognize that we, in our relationship with that person, perceive them to be “not right” in some way. Most of the time, people don’t like to SAY how they’re feeling; but when a friend or colleague recognizes they are down and acknowledges same, they will open up; and often this can trigger an opportunity to share honestly – via words – how we might help that person. And who knows, how that kind of relational bridge might lead to the opportunity, at some time in the future, to share how Christ has helped lift us up and change our lives.
So, what I’ve gleaned from this lesson today is to be more aware in picking up on the body cues of those around me and responding with genuine Christian love when I discern that this someone is hurting outwardly or inwardly.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, give me heightened discernment to see the body cues of those around me and the courage to ask if I can be a vessel of Your Spirit for this dear one. Amen
My Journal for Today: This is a most interesting interaction between King Artaxerxes and Nehemiah, the Hebrew who was the King’s cupbearer and the man who would soon go to Jerusalem from the Persian palace in Susa to lead the effort to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem. It’s obvious that the king and his cupbearer had a close relationship, because Artaxerxes picked up quickly on Nehemiah’s acute depression by noticing his confidant’s body language.
You know, … it is said that body language makes up over 90% of communication (see Borg, John. Body Language: Easy Lessons to Master the Silent Language. Prentice Hall, 2008). That’s why communicating by email or reading blogs often masks the inner feelings and emotional burdens being carried by the communicator. Right now, it’s unlikely that most of you are discerning enough to pick up on my “mood.” Most wouldn’t have a clue that I’m still reeling from having a colonoscopy yesterday. But last night my wife looked into my eyes some six hours after the procedure, and she picked up on some body language clue, … enough so to come over and feel my arm, … and the body contact told her that I had a low-grade fever; … and I did. My wife knows me. She knows when I’m up and when I’m down. She knows when I’m in balance and when I’m out of balance.
And, … though we’re not talking about a marital relationship between Artaxerxes and Nehemiah, the body language being communicated by Nehemiah after he had learned of the city of Jerusalem being unprotected and without walls, told Artaxerxes that the king should attend to the needs of his abiding friend, Nehemiah. And as we read in the “rest of the story,” the king did so.
In his devotional for today, Dr. LaGard Smith, the author, uses a cartoon character to illustrate that body language and the perception of same, is a powerful way to relate to a friend, a spouse, or a close associate. He brings up the image of Casper, the friendly ghost, which perhaps some of you readers of my age can remember. Smith points out that the cartoonist was able to show when Casper was happy by his facial expression and bouncy demeanor. And when Casper was down, his expression and his droopy shoulders revealed he was in a funk. All good cartoonists can relate the mood of their characters by depicting their body language; and we’re no different.
My wife last night was able to minister to my needs – physical and emotional – by noting that my eyes weren’t right. And we could probably do a better job of relating to our loved ones by being more discerning as to their body language. I also think that many times when we notice that others in our life experiencing a “downer,” by picking up cues from their body language, we miss the opportunity to engage them about our perceptions and become ministry helpers in their lives. And there’s no better way to witness to a lost friend or associate when we note and recognize that we, in our relationship with that person, perceive them to be “not right” in some way. Most of the time, people don’t like to SAY how they’re feeling; but when a friend or colleague recognizes they are down and acknowledges same, they will open up; and often this can trigger an opportunity to share honestly – via words – how we might help that person. And who knows, how that kind of relational bridge might lead to the opportunity, at some time in the future, to share how Christ has helped lift us up and change our lives.
So, what I’ve gleaned from this lesson today is to be more aware in picking up on the body cues of those around me and responding with genuine Christian love when I discern that this someone is hurting outwardly or inwardly.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, give me heightened discernment to see the body cues of those around me and the courage to ask if I can be a vessel of Your Spirit for this dear one. Amen
Thursday, September 16, 2010
2010 – September 16 – Listening to Discern
Study from God’s Word… Job, Chapters 32 - 37 … Passage for Reflection: Job 34: 3 – 4 … NIV For the ear tests words as the tongue tastes food. Let us discern for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good.
My Journal for Today: In my Bible readings from Job, led by Dr. Smith in his devotional entry for today, we analyze some of the thoughts from Elihu, the Buzite (who were the “Buzites” anyway? ;>). He was a younger observer, who had been listening to Job interact with the older three “friends,” … the men who had been giving their opinions as to why Job was experiencing all the pain and suffering which had transpired for poor Job. Well, Elihu, was finally felt compelled to give his “two-cents worth;” and today’s text comes from his insights. And in today’s verses there is one very interesting and pertinent perception to which we should all take note.
And I really like what LaGard Smith uses as a word picture comparison in his devotional today to explain the truth of what is said by Elihu. Dr. Smith picks up on Elihu’s comparison of listening to tasting foods and compares our discernment of what we hear with the discernment the palate has for what we eat. And Dr. Smith is right that we can easily discern some differences with our untrained “palate,” … things like spicy versus bland or sweet versus sour. But if we were given a complex casserole, most of us could not discern what spices were used in the dish. Only a chef with a trained palate could discern the ingredients by tasting the dish.
And what Elihu is accurately implying in today’s passages is that we need to become “listening gourmets” when it comes to ideas we hear from others. We need to be able to listen to the words spoken by the world and to determine what is right and what is wrong, … what is truth and what are falsehoods. And as our word picture implies, we need to develop a discerning listener’s palate for the ideas we take in. Some things we hear are easy to spot as true or not. But some ideas can be infiltrated with poison; and the untrained – or undiscerning – “ear,” combined with a heart, prone to deception (see Jer. 17: 9), can take in poison and not discern it’s even there.
Moving from OT to NT, I think of the Bereans (in Acts 17: 10 – 12 [linked]) who used their plumb of truth from God’s word to discern whether the Apostle Paul was speaking truth to them when he was sharing the Gospel message of The Messiah. They knew, in their hearts, they needed help in discerning the truth; and they went to the one source of discernment they knew they could trust, … God’s word.
And that is what we need to do to develop discerning “spiritual ears,” determining whether what we hear is giving us the truth or whether it is tinged by spiritual poison. There’s a lot of subtly poisoned thoughts being spread around for our spiritual palates to consume these days; and we need to be like the Bereans, using the plumb of truth from God’s word to help us taste the truth and avoid the poison. And hopefully over time we will learn and grow to become “spiritual gourmets,” being able to sample what we hear and know if it’s the real deal or whether someone is trying to poison our minds with falsehoods.
May we all become gourmet palates when we come to Christ’s table of truth!
My Prayer for Today: Lord, give me a discerning “ear” for truth. Amen
My Journal for Today: In my Bible readings from Job, led by Dr. Smith in his devotional entry for today, we analyze some of the thoughts from Elihu, the Buzite (who were the “Buzites” anyway? ;>). He was a younger observer, who had been listening to Job interact with the older three “friends,” … the men who had been giving their opinions as to why Job was experiencing all the pain and suffering which had transpired for poor Job. Well, Elihu, was finally felt compelled to give his “two-cents worth;” and today’s text comes from his insights. And in today’s verses there is one very interesting and pertinent perception to which we should all take note.
And I really like what LaGard Smith uses as a word picture comparison in his devotional today to explain the truth of what is said by Elihu. Dr. Smith picks up on Elihu’s comparison of listening to tasting foods and compares our discernment of what we hear with the discernment the palate has for what we eat. And Dr. Smith is right that we can easily discern some differences with our untrained “palate,” … things like spicy versus bland or sweet versus sour. But if we were given a complex casserole, most of us could not discern what spices were used in the dish. Only a chef with a trained palate could discern the ingredients by tasting the dish.
And what Elihu is accurately implying in today’s passages is that we need to become “listening gourmets” when it comes to ideas we hear from others. We need to be able to listen to the words spoken by the world and to determine what is right and what is wrong, … what is truth and what are falsehoods. And as our word picture implies, we need to develop a discerning listener’s palate for the ideas we take in. Some things we hear are easy to spot as true or not. But some ideas can be infiltrated with poison; and the untrained – or undiscerning – “ear,” combined with a heart, prone to deception (see Jer. 17: 9), can take in poison and not discern it’s even there.
Moving from OT to NT, I think of the Bereans (in Acts 17: 10 – 12 [linked]) who used their plumb of truth from God’s word to discern whether the Apostle Paul was speaking truth to them when he was sharing the Gospel message of The Messiah. They knew, in their hearts, they needed help in discerning the truth; and they went to the one source of discernment they knew they could trust, … God’s word.
And that is what we need to do to develop discerning “spiritual ears,” determining whether what we hear is giving us the truth or whether it is tinged by spiritual poison. There’s a lot of subtly poisoned thoughts being spread around for our spiritual palates to consume these days; and we need to be like the Bereans, using the plumb of truth from God’s word to help us taste the truth and avoid the poison. And hopefully over time we will learn and grow to become “spiritual gourmets,” being able to sample what we hear and know if it’s the real deal or whether someone is trying to poison our minds with falsehoods.
May we all become gourmet palates when we come to Christ’s table of truth!
My Prayer for Today: Lord, give me a discerning “ear” for truth. Amen
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
2010 – April 7 – Making Sense of Seeming Unfairness
Study from God’s Word…2nd Sam 5: 6 – 8 [1st Chron. 11: 4-5]; 2nd Sam. 5: 9-10 [1st Chron. 11: 6-9]; 2nd Sam. 5: 11-12 [1st Chron. 14; 1-2]; 2nd Sam. 6: 1-5 [1st Chron. 13: 1-8]; 2nd Sam. 6: 6-11 [1st Chron. 13: 9-14]; 2nd Sam. 5: 17-25 [1st Chron. 14: 8-17]; 2nd Sam. 22: 1-51 [Psalm 18] … Passage for Reflection: 1st Chronicles 13: 9 – 10 … NIV 9 When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. 10 The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah, and He struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.
My Journal for Today: This study today, especially the highlighted passage and devotional, points to how we can be confused and perplexed, seeing “acts of God” being carried out in our times or in history when those events seem so unfair or inexplicable.
That was the way it was for Uzzah, David’s loyal servant and soldier who was just doing what David had commanded by bringing the Ark back to the new City of David; and in the process, Uzzah reacted instinctively when the Arc began to fall precariously, touching the Ark of the Covenant in the process, something that no one was to do but the prescribed Levites. And ZAP, God struck him down … dead! Wow! Why would God do such a thing? And this is an example of other things in our lives when a complex set of circumstances, some of which are totally out of our purview, might cause an event or occurrence which is out of the realm of our human explanation.
Dr. Smith this morning used the analogy of a plane crash which may have been labeled to take place because of “pilot error;” but if the examiners had all the information available they may have discovered a lot of factors which led to the pilot’s decision which led to the accident. But in the case of God taking action against Uzzah, on the surface it seems like a capricious action on God’s part to take his life just because this man instinctively tried to keep the Arc from falling. But, as Dr. Smith points out in today’s devotional, what if David, remembering God’s prescribed way of transporting the Ark had done what God said should be done to move the Ark, having the Levites carry it on their shoulders. So, perhaps it was David’s fault that Uzzah took the rap and died for the incident in question.
I just don’t know; and I’ve come to realize, as it says in Isaiah 55: 8-9, that there will always be things which God does which I cannot, or will not ever, explain. And so, like the recent earthquake in Haiti, I just have faith that God knows what HE is doing and why HE is doing it … especially when I don’t understand it when HE does it.
And so, when God takes a life, like Uzzah, where the circumstances seem unfair; or He wreaks havoc on a people as He did in Haiti; or there are things in my life which just don’t seem right, by my understanding, I’m coming to the place in my life where I realize that I must believe and accept the truth of Romans 8: 28 (I hope you know that one by heart), and move on, … trusting God, as His word also says in Prov. 3: 5-6; and letting Him do what He must do to guide my life.
I hope and I will pray today that you join me in this step of faith in our discipleship.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help all who read here, and certainly myself, to recognize that You are God and You love Your children no matter what we may see happening in our lives which is not explainable by finite minds such as my own. Amen
My Journal for Today: This study today, especially the highlighted passage and devotional, points to how we can be confused and perplexed, seeing “acts of God” being carried out in our times or in history when those events seem so unfair or inexplicable.
That was the way it was for Uzzah, David’s loyal servant and soldier who was just doing what David had commanded by bringing the Ark back to the new City of David; and in the process, Uzzah reacted instinctively when the Arc began to fall precariously, touching the Ark of the Covenant in the process, something that no one was to do but the prescribed Levites. And ZAP, God struck him down … dead! Wow! Why would God do such a thing? And this is an example of other things in our lives when a complex set of circumstances, some of which are totally out of our purview, might cause an event or occurrence which is out of the realm of our human explanation.
Dr. Smith this morning used the analogy of a plane crash which may have been labeled to take place because of “pilot error;” but if the examiners had all the information available they may have discovered a lot of factors which led to the pilot’s decision which led to the accident. But in the case of God taking action against Uzzah, on the surface it seems like a capricious action on God’s part to take his life just because this man instinctively tried to keep the Arc from falling. But, as Dr. Smith points out in today’s devotional, what if David, remembering God’s prescribed way of transporting the Ark had done what God said should be done to move the Ark, having the Levites carry it on their shoulders. So, perhaps it was David’s fault that Uzzah took the rap and died for the incident in question.
I just don’t know; and I’ve come to realize, as it says in Isaiah 55: 8-9, that there will always be things which God does which I cannot, or will not ever, explain. And so, like the recent earthquake in Haiti, I just have faith that God knows what HE is doing and why HE is doing it … especially when I don’t understand it when HE does it.
And so, when God takes a life, like Uzzah, where the circumstances seem unfair; or He wreaks havoc on a people as He did in Haiti; or there are things in my life which just don’t seem right, by my understanding, I’m coming to the place in my life where I realize that I must believe and accept the truth of Romans 8: 28 (I hope you know that one by heart), and move on, … trusting God, as His word also says in Prov. 3: 5-6; and letting Him do what He must do to guide my life.
I hope and I will pray today that you join me in this step of faith in our discipleship.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help all who read here, and certainly myself, to recognize that You are God and You love Your children no matter what we may see happening in our lives which is not explainable by finite minds such as my own. Amen
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
2010 – April 6 – Uncivil Civil Wars
Study from God’s Word…2nd Samuel 2: 1 – 30; 2nd Samuel 3: 1 – 5 [1st Chron. 3: 1 – 4]; 2nd Samuel 3: 6 – 29; 2nd Samuel 4: 1 – 12; 2nd Samuel 5: 1 – 3 [1st Chron. 11: 1 – 3]; 2nd Samuel 2: 11 and 5: 4-5 and 1st Kings 2: 11 and 1st Chron. 3: 4b & 29: 26-27; 1st Chron. 12: 23 – 40; … Passage for Reflection: Judges 1: 19 … NIV 26 Abner called out to Joab, "Must the sword devour forever? Don't you realize that this will end in bitterness? How long before you order your men to stop pursuing their brothers?"
My Journal for Today: The questions raised by Abner in the dispute between the houses of Saul and David are even apt questions today. And the last of these is the most pertinent: When do brothers in the faith quit pursuing one another? And the answer to that will be “NOW,” if the conflict is over personal matters. However, the answer is “AS LONG AS IT TAKES FOR TRUTH TO PREVAIL,” if the conflict is over Godly principle.
We see it today. Churches which divide, split, and are torn asunder. And when it is over personal power or personalities, such divisions are tragic and need to be halted as soon as possible, hopefully before the cause of Christ is damaged in the world’s eye. Unfortunately, like the battles between Saul’s Israel and David’s Judah, the battles in many churches today go on far too long; and many times the battles themselves hurt the cause of Christ and especially the witness of the Church which may be splitting over personalities or personal issues.
However, there are battles, even raging in churches or denominations today, which I feel are necessary and must be fought out until the principles of Scripture are upheld. For example, we see denominations splitting and fighting because some churches or groups within denominations desire to ordain women as Pastors or also desire to have avowed homosexuals as Elders, Bishops, or in other positions of church leadership. And we see these churches taking positions and causing whole denominations to split asunder, deciding which side for which they are going to stand. It is these latter spiritual “wars,” certainly will cause confusion in the world because they seem to be fought by Christian versus “christian.” But these spiritual squabbles may be necessary for God’s truth to be declared and decided in the public arena. Gay marriage or churches endorsing homosexuality are battle fields which must be fought in the arena of Christianity today so that God’s truth from His Holy Word can be upheld. These wars may be ugly; but they are necessary and they will rage as long as there are Christians [Capital “C] versus “christians” [small “c”] who interpret what we or they call Scripture [capital “S”] versus “scripture” [small “s”] .
I hope I’m being clear here; because any Christian church, denomination, or organization which cannot or will not stand for God’s principles, taken directly from God’s word, become an impotent witness in this world. However, God’s truth is not only worthy of standing for in the world, it is imperative that we do so; and I pray that all Christians today are willing to stand forth for God’s truth in a world where right is being seen as wrong and Scriptural truth is being labeled as “politically incorrect.”
And I also pray that we cease and desist from in-fighting in the church over personal issues or personality power issues. Such “uncivil civil wars” must cease and cease NOW. But … fighting over God’s truth must keep on keeping on until God is victorious – no matter how long it takes.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, we may lose battles; but the war is Yours in eternity. Amen
My Journal for Today: The questions raised by Abner in the dispute between the houses of Saul and David are even apt questions today. And the last of these is the most pertinent: When do brothers in the faith quit pursuing one another? And the answer to that will be “NOW,” if the conflict is over personal matters. However, the answer is “AS LONG AS IT TAKES FOR TRUTH TO PREVAIL,” if the conflict is over Godly principle.
We see it today. Churches which divide, split, and are torn asunder. And when it is over personal power or personalities, such divisions are tragic and need to be halted as soon as possible, hopefully before the cause of Christ is damaged in the world’s eye. Unfortunately, like the battles between Saul’s Israel and David’s Judah, the battles in many churches today go on far too long; and many times the battles themselves hurt the cause of Christ and especially the witness of the Church which may be splitting over personalities or personal issues.
However, there are battles, even raging in churches or denominations today, which I feel are necessary and must be fought out until the principles of Scripture are upheld. For example, we see denominations splitting and fighting because some churches or groups within denominations desire to ordain women as Pastors or also desire to have avowed homosexuals as Elders, Bishops, or in other positions of church leadership. And we see these churches taking positions and causing whole denominations to split asunder, deciding which side for which they are going to stand. It is these latter spiritual “wars,” certainly will cause confusion in the world because they seem to be fought by Christian versus “christian.” But these spiritual squabbles may be necessary for God’s truth to be declared and decided in the public arena. Gay marriage or churches endorsing homosexuality are battle fields which must be fought in the arena of Christianity today so that God’s truth from His Holy Word can be upheld. These wars may be ugly; but they are necessary and they will rage as long as there are Christians [Capital “C] versus “christians” [small “c”] who interpret what we or they call Scripture [capital “S”] versus “scripture” [small “s”] .
I hope I’m being clear here; because any Christian church, denomination, or organization which cannot or will not stand for God’s principles, taken directly from God’s word, become an impotent witness in this world. However, God’s truth is not only worthy of standing for in the world, it is imperative that we do so; and I pray that all Christians today are willing to stand forth for God’s truth in a world where right is being seen as wrong and Scriptural truth is being labeled as “politically incorrect.”
And I also pray that we cease and desist from in-fighting in the church over personal issues or personality power issues. Such “uncivil civil wars” must cease and cease NOW. But … fighting over God’s truth must keep on keeping on until God is victorious – no matter how long it takes.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, we may lose battles; but the war is Yours in eternity. Amen
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