7:21-22 "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness.
Jesus expounds on how it is the sinful root of man that defiles man, not dirty hands.
Well, this would give most unbelievers fits (if they could perceive what Jesus is saying here). Let me summarize: All the bad things that happen in the world, happen because man is inherently evil. Jesus didn't say "for from within the family, out of the influences of one's parents, proceed evil thoughts, etc..." or "out of the pressures of the world..." or "out of the faulty school system..." Nope. The source is you, me, that guy you're thinking of right now, everybody.
I took a class in college entitled "The Holocaust: History and Memory". Talk about a depressing 10 weeks. One of the books we read that has caused quite a stir in the realm of Holocaust studies is "Ordinary Men" by Christopher R. Browning (HarperPerennial, 1993) . It details the exploits of Reserve Police Battalion 101, a sort of "national guard" type group brought up out of Germany to assist the Nazi SS. What makes this book so disturbing is that the men of this group were middle-class, middle-aged, and came from a variety of blue and white collar jobs. They were, for all intents and purposes, ordinary. They also murdered thousands of Jews during WWII.
There are many historians that had tried to paint the Jewish genocide as being perpetrated by a group of mentally imbalanced individuals (the Nazi party), or well-meaning pawns, forced to do the unthinkable by said imbalanced individuals. This book, however, shows no abnormal imbalance prior to the war, and no coercion to commit murder. They just did it on their own. In many cases, they seemed to enjoy it.
My problem with the book was that Browning fell short on his conclusion. He writes
"What, then, is one to conclude? Most of all, one comes away from the story of Reserve Police Battalion 101 with great unease. This story of ordinary men is not the story of all men. The reserve policemen faced choices, and most of them committed terrible deeds. But those who killed cannot be absolved by the notion that anyone in the same situation would have done as they did. For even among them, some refused to kill and others stopped killing. Human responsibility is ultimately an individual matter." (p 188)
He later goes on to state that these men acted out of an assumption of what would be best for their careers and the good of the collective. I came away with a different perspective.
I would propose that these men were put in a situation stripped of the blessing of God's law and the power of the collective conscience (which is also a gift from God). Essentially, they were put in a moral vacuum; no looming judgment, no consequences. And in a moral vacuum, they resorted to what man is inherently prone to do - evil. I do hold that anyone in the same situation (without the Holy Spirit and a regenerated heart) could and probably would start killing innocent people. This was a crystal clear case for sin nature when I read this book. Unfortunately, Browning never got that far; and when I made this point in class, I got quite a few funny looks. No one wanted to consider that these kind of evils were lurking inside them.
I hope this gives you an idea of what is in the heart of those that don't know Christ. It is as ugly as it can get, and it only filtered by centuries of moral tradition formed by God's law and his gift of conscience upon man. Take that idea and turn it into a passion to deliver the only thing that can cleanse and transform such wretchedness into pure, glorious, regenerated light... the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Lord, help me to be aware of the leftover resonance of my old sin nature. Help me to reject those evils and cling to what is good. Help me to recognize just how much the hearts of the lost are mired in evil. Let that drive me to share the gospel that frees us from our own evil.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Mark 7:1-13
7:7 "But in vain do they worship Me; teaching as doctrines the precepts of men."
Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for perverting and twisting the Law of God to their whim.
So I was trying to think of a common day example of this idea. What is one way that I or someone I have come in contact with have taught a "precept of man" as doctrine?
....
Ok, I got one. I don't often hear this thought verbalized, but it seems to be a common sentiment among church-goers. There are many people who decide what church to go to (or whether to attend at all) based on what they will get out of it. In other words, they ask "how will this church meet my needs?" A friend of mine actually asked us once if "our church was meeting our needs". That statement rubbed my fur the wrong way, so to speak.
The local church is a collection of believers that meet regularly to worship God and study His word. The members of that church have a responsibility to step up and meet the needs of the body, but should not have the attitude that they are attending to have their own needs met. It's like marriage, I am responsible for meeting my wife's needs and vice versa. When we start thinking about ourselves, it all goes wrong.
"Do not merely look out for you own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who... emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant" (Phil. 2:4,5,7a)
When you go to church, are you thinking "gee, I wish someone would do this or that for me", or are you thinking "what can I do for someone here?" Think about it.
Lord, help me to cling to Your word and not the pervasive thoughts and attitudes of the world. In that, help me to seek to build up and support the church as you will without concern for my own needs. Help me to trust You to take care of all my needs.
Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for perverting and twisting the Law of God to their whim.
So I was trying to think of a common day example of this idea. What is one way that I or someone I have come in contact with have taught a "precept of man" as doctrine?
....
Ok, I got one. I don't often hear this thought verbalized, but it seems to be a common sentiment among church-goers. There are many people who decide what church to go to (or whether to attend at all) based on what they will get out of it. In other words, they ask "how will this church meet my needs?" A friend of mine actually asked us once if "our church was meeting our needs". That statement rubbed my fur the wrong way, so to speak.
The local church is a collection of believers that meet regularly to worship God and study His word. The members of that church have a responsibility to step up and meet the needs of the body, but should not have the attitude that they are attending to have their own needs met. It's like marriage, I am responsible for meeting my wife's needs and vice versa. When we start thinking about ourselves, it all goes wrong.
"Do not merely look out for you own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who... emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant" (Phil. 2:4,5,7a)
When you go to church, are you thinking "gee, I wish someone would do this or that for me", or are you thinking "what can I do for someone here?" Think about it.
Lord, help me to cling to Your word and not the pervasive thoughts and attitudes of the world. In that, help me to seek to build up and support the church as you will without concern for my own needs. Help me to trust You to take care of all my needs.
Numbers18,19,20
20:12 "But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 'Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.' "
God punishes Moses and Aaron for not taking His instruction seriously and coming up with their own plan.
How often do I try to get things done my own way? I almost blew it when we bought our first house. My wife and I found a really cute house that we really like and that we could afford. It was in really good shape, so we wouldn't have to do a whole lot of work on it.... but it was tiny. Very small. Keep in mind, we had one boy and another in utero. We felt we could make it work, but everyone we knew kept saying "that's a bad idea".
Well, we decided against it, not because we changed our minds on whether we could make it work, but because I read Proverbs 23:9 and it freaked me out. So we eventually found the house we bought and it was much bigger than the tiny house, but needed a lot more work. By the grace of God, we had the money, time and help to get it ready to live in before we moved in. It was two months of maddening work at break-neck speed, but now it's awesome. We love the house, everyone else loves the house, and without planning it, we live about 3 minutes from our best friends.
I'm not sure I want to think what it would be like living in a house 2/3 the size of this one, but I'm glad that God gives us guidelines for a reason. Just like with Moses and Aaron, God doesn't just make up rules so He can laugh at us when we fail. Had the Levite brothers obeyed God, there would have been one more foreshadowing of the coming dispensation of grace. There is an element of gracy and mercy in every instruction from the Lord. We would all do well to accept them as such.
Lord, help me to love Your law, and let nothing cause me to stumble. Help me to be freed by obedience, not enslaved by rebelliousness.
God punishes Moses and Aaron for not taking His instruction seriously and coming up with their own plan.
How often do I try to get things done my own way? I almost blew it when we bought our first house. My wife and I found a really cute house that we really like and that we could afford. It was in really good shape, so we wouldn't have to do a whole lot of work on it.... but it was tiny. Very small. Keep in mind, we had one boy and another in utero. We felt we could make it work, but everyone we knew kept saying "that's a bad idea".
Well, we decided against it, not because we changed our minds on whether we could make it work, but because I read Proverbs 23:9 and it freaked me out. So we eventually found the house we bought and it was much bigger than the tiny house, but needed a lot more work. By the grace of God, we had the money, time and help to get it ready to live in before we moved in. It was two months of maddening work at break-neck speed, but now it's awesome. We love the house, everyone else loves the house, and without planning it, we live about 3 minutes from our best friends.
I'm not sure I want to think what it would be like living in a house 2/3 the size of this one, but I'm glad that God gives us guidelines for a reason. Just like with Moses and Aaron, God doesn't just make up rules so He can laugh at us when we fail. Had the Levite brothers obeyed God, there would have been one more foreshadowing of the coming dispensation of grace. There is an element of gracy and mercy in every instruction from the Lord. We would all do well to accept them as such.
Lord, help me to love Your law, and let nothing cause me to stumble. Help me to be freed by obedience, not enslaved by rebelliousness.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Mark 5:21-43
5:28 "For she thought, 'If I just touch His garments, I will get well.' "
The woman with the chronic bleeding problem expresses her faith in the supreme power of Jesus Christ.
This woman contrasts the other healing taking place during this passage of the dead girl. Her father asked Jesus to come to the girl to heal her, and people scoffed when Jesus nonchalantly suggested bringing her back from the dead. Do we pray to Jesus with the same conviction of the sick woman?
When we petition our God, we know cerebrally that He created the universe and can do anything, but are we really expecting the full onslaught of God's power when we ask for tall orders? Speaking of wisdom from God, James says in 1:6,7 that we need to pray with conviction or expect nothing at all. Understanding that God calls His own shots, we shouldn't be shy about praying for the Lord to heal the sick, save the lost, deliver us from perilous situations, repair broken relationships, etc... Even if it seem impossible, nothing is too much for God.
But be ready to spend time in prayer. God isn't some cosmic "suggestion box" that you can shoot a memo to and figure it will be taken care of in 7-10 business days. I've been praying for reconciliation of a person with God earnestly for the last year and a half or so. There have been a couple of nights when my heart has been so broken for this person that I have come as close as I probably will ever be to wrestling with God as Jacob did. It was intense, and I believe it was as it should be when we are driven by faith to petition the only one who can fix what ails us. And in case you're wondering, I continue to pray for this person and patiently wait to see God's plan for her.
Lord, help me to trust in Your power. I know You are above all, but I need You to be above all my fears and assumptions. Help me to contend with You earnestly when the need arises. Thank You for the privilege of prayer.
The woman with the chronic bleeding problem expresses her faith in the supreme power of Jesus Christ.
This woman contrasts the other healing taking place during this passage of the dead girl. Her father asked Jesus to come to the girl to heal her, and people scoffed when Jesus nonchalantly suggested bringing her back from the dead. Do we pray to Jesus with the same conviction of the sick woman?
When we petition our God, we know cerebrally that He created the universe and can do anything, but are we really expecting the full onslaught of God's power when we ask for tall orders? Speaking of wisdom from God, James says in 1:6,7 that we need to pray with conviction or expect nothing at all. Understanding that God calls His own shots, we shouldn't be shy about praying for the Lord to heal the sick, save the lost, deliver us from perilous situations, repair broken relationships, etc... Even if it seem impossible, nothing is too much for God.
But be ready to spend time in prayer. God isn't some cosmic "suggestion box" that you can shoot a memo to and figure it will be taken care of in 7-10 business days. I've been praying for reconciliation of a person with God earnestly for the last year and a half or so. There have been a couple of nights when my heart has been so broken for this person that I have come as close as I probably will ever be to wrestling with God as Jacob did. It was intense, and I believe it was as it should be when we are driven by faith to petition the only one who can fix what ails us. And in case you're wondering, I continue to pray for this person and patiently wait to see God's plan for her.
Lord, help me to trust in Your power. I know You are above all, but I need You to be above all my fears and assumptions. Help me to contend with You earnestly when the need arises. Thank You for the privilege of prayer.
Numbers 11,12,13
13:30 "Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, 'We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it.' "
Caleb shows confidence in the midst of pessimism surrounding the bad report given by the rest of the spies.
I'm not a violent person. I've never really been in a fight, and if the opportunity to participate in one came up, I would probably excuse myself post haste. That being said, I can identify with the Israelites not wanting to mix it up with the heathen giants occupying the land promised to them. The key here, however, is who promised the land to them.
God promised the land. God is the landlord and the Canaanites are the delinquent tenants that need to be evicted. The people didn't realize that when they doubted their ability to take the land, they were doubting God's ability to make good on His promises. A pretty dumb thing to doubt, indeed. Are there any promises God has made to us that we are doubting?
How about Philippians 1:6:
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
God has promised to keep perfecting us until our death or rapture. Have you ever struggled with sin and said "you know, I can't change that in me... it's not that bad anyway... I'll just live with it". Maybe it's impatience, gossip, pride, hostility towards a particular person. Whatever it may be, we need to be like Caleb and not throw up the white flag because we are weak (which is true), but advance with confidence because we know God will keep His promises and is more powerful than anything.
Lord, help me to be like Caleb. Help me to draw my confidence from Your strength. Help me to be bold in the ventures You call me to.
Caleb shows confidence in the midst of pessimism surrounding the bad report given by the rest of the spies.
I'm not a violent person. I've never really been in a fight, and if the opportunity to participate in one came up, I would probably excuse myself post haste. That being said, I can identify with the Israelites not wanting to mix it up with the heathen giants occupying the land promised to them. The key here, however, is who promised the land to them.
God promised the land. God is the landlord and the Canaanites are the delinquent tenants that need to be evicted. The people didn't realize that when they doubted their ability to take the land, they were doubting God's ability to make good on His promises. A pretty dumb thing to doubt, indeed. Are there any promises God has made to us that we are doubting?
How about Philippians 1:6:
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
God has promised to keep perfecting us until our death or rapture. Have you ever struggled with sin and said "you know, I can't change that in me... it's not that bad anyway... I'll just live with it". Maybe it's impatience, gossip, pride, hostility towards a particular person. Whatever it may be, we need to be like Caleb and not throw up the white flag because we are weak (which is true), but advance with confidence because we know God will keep His promises and is more powerful than anything.
Lord, help me to be like Caleb. Help me to draw my confidence from Your strength. Help me to be bold in the ventures You call me to.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Mark 5:1-20
5:6 "Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him"
The demon(s) inside the man from the Gerasenes is compelled to beg mercy of Jesus upon seeing Him approach.
This scene brought me back to the temptation in the wilderness. In Jesus' first interaction with an unclean spirit (Satan), He was tormented and tempted to usurp God's plan in the first two propositions made by the devil, now we see the unclean spirit tormented by Jesus' very presence. Satan presented the whole earth to Jesus and said "all these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me", now we see the unclean spirit asking permission if he could be cast into a herd of pigs. Who's got the power?
It was exciting to see this interaction play out in the middle of a ministry marked by the refusal of man to recognize Christ's true position and authority. The evilest of beings saw Christ from a distance, and immediately knew the implications. He knew who he was talking to. If only we had as much respect for Christ. Whenever we ignore the leadings of the Holy Spirit, we are telling Christ "You do not have authority over my life". How stupid is that?
Lord, help me to recognize You for who You are. You are I AM. You created me. You saved me. Help me to put You and You only on the throne of my heart.
The demon(s) inside the man from the Gerasenes is compelled to beg mercy of Jesus upon seeing Him approach.
This scene brought me back to the temptation in the wilderness. In Jesus' first interaction with an unclean spirit (Satan), He was tormented and tempted to usurp God's plan in the first two propositions made by the devil, now we see the unclean spirit tormented by Jesus' very presence. Satan presented the whole earth to Jesus and said "all these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me", now we see the unclean spirit asking permission if he could be cast into a herd of pigs. Who's got the power?
It was exciting to see this interaction play out in the middle of a ministry marked by the refusal of man to recognize Christ's true position and authority. The evilest of beings saw Christ from a distance, and immediately knew the implications. He knew who he was talking to. If only we had as much respect for Christ. Whenever we ignore the leadings of the Holy Spirit, we are telling Christ "You do not have authority over my life". How stupid is that?
Lord, help me to recognize You for who You are. You are I AM. You created me. You saved me. Help me to put You and You only on the throne of my heart.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Mark 4:1-20
4:14 "The sower sows the word"
Jesus explains the parable of the sower and the fertile and infertile ground.
What I need to remember from this passage is that we always need to sow the word. There will be all kinds of situations where the truth is not received well, or it is received and other circumstances affect the work of the truth in the listener's life. Whatever the case, the sower is to sow the word.
Sometimes I start to try to maximize my ministry by focusing on "fertile ground", but that's not my call to make. I am to sow fertile ground, rocky ground, everywhere!
Lord, help me to be indiscriminate in sharing the truth. Help me not to look for opportunities to convert, but for opportunities to share Your Word.
Jesus explains the parable of the sower and the fertile and infertile ground.
What I need to remember from this passage is that we always need to sow the word. There will be all kinds of situations where the truth is not received well, or it is received and other circumstances affect the work of the truth in the listener's life. Whatever the case, the sower is to sow the word.
Sometimes I start to try to maximize my ministry by focusing on "fertile ground", but that's not my call to make. I am to sow fertile ground, rocky ground, everywhere!
Lord, help me to be indiscriminate in sharing the truth. Help me not to look for opportunities to convert, but for opportunities to share Your Word.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Mark 3:22-35
3:24 "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand."
Jesus is showing the fault in the scribe's logic that one must be of Satan to cast out Satan.
Raise your hand if you've ever heard someone use this verse (or a variation of it) before. The most memorable is when George from Seinfeld yelled out "a George divided against itself cannot stand!" My observation today isn't as much about the verse itself, but how people misuse scripture. It bothers me when people deal so flippantly with something so sacred. Most people use this verse as an inspiration to unity. If you read the context, do you honestly think that's what Jesus was driving at? He is claiming His righteousness, and in a sense, His deity. It has nothing to do with unity!
The one that always burns my biscuits is the Clinton's obsession with 1 Corinthians 13:12. Bill and Hillary always use that verse to imply we can't know absolute truth. The conclusion they generally make is that there is no point debating absolute truth since we can't know it. To "see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face" speaks to knowing God dimly, but in glory knowing Him face to face. Read 1 Cor. 13, then read this: http://www.beliefnet.com/story/151/story_15194_1.html
There are so many problems in that "sermon", I don't know where to start.
Anyway, we need to be diligent to be studying our Bibles so that we can accurately handle the word of truth. This is serious stuff, and we shouldn't take it lightly
Lord, thank You for Your Word. Help me to always respect it for what it is, and to love it for the blessings it brings. Help me to crave Your Word and to use it effectively for Your purpose.
Jesus is showing the fault in the scribe's logic that one must be of Satan to cast out Satan.
Raise your hand if you've ever heard someone use this verse (or a variation of it) before. The most memorable is when George from Seinfeld yelled out "a George divided against itself cannot stand!" My observation today isn't as much about the verse itself, but how people misuse scripture. It bothers me when people deal so flippantly with something so sacred. Most people use this verse as an inspiration to unity. If you read the context, do you honestly think that's what Jesus was driving at? He is claiming His righteousness, and in a sense, His deity. It has nothing to do with unity!
The one that always burns my biscuits is the Clinton's obsession with 1 Corinthians 13:12. Bill and Hillary always use that verse to imply we can't know absolute truth. The conclusion they generally make is that there is no point debating absolute truth since we can't know it. To "see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face" speaks to knowing God dimly, but in glory knowing Him face to face. Read 1 Cor. 13, then read this: http://www.beliefnet.com/story/151/story_15194_1.html
There are so many problems in that "sermon", I don't know where to start.
Anyway, we need to be diligent to be studying our Bibles so that we can accurately handle the word of truth. This is serious stuff, and we shouldn't take it lightly
Lord, thank You for Your Word. Help me to always respect it for what it is, and to love it for the blessings it brings. Help me to crave Your Word and to use it effectively for Your purpose.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Mark 3:1-21
3:16a "And He appointed the twelve..."
Jesus chooses the famous twelve disciples to prepare for preaching and casting out of demons.
The thing my mind lingered on here was that Jesus chose who he wanted for specific purposes. Our God is deliberate. Our God is purposeful. The twelve did not choose themselves, nor did a committee vote on the appointments. They were not designated by genealogy or stature, nor were they recognized as the best suited for the job. They were appointed because Jesus chose them. That's it. We can't read anything more into it, but that Jesus had and has a plan and He follows it.
And aren't you glad? I've had plans for important things cancelled enough times to appreciate something you can count on. God made up His mind a long time ago and is just in the course of working it out. "Que sera, sera" as Doris Day would say. Our attitude, however, shouldn't be melancholy apathy, but reassuring confidence. Whatever will be, will be because God chose to do so and it is the best possible plan for the outcome of glorifying God's name. Ah... maybe that's the problem. Maybe we can't be satisfied with God's plan because it works to God's glory and not our own. There are some things in my life that I am waiting to be resolved or fixed; I know that I need to continuously ask myself if I'm impatiently waiting for a resolution that will make me happy or if I'm patiently waiting for the resolution that will happen that glorifies God.
Lord, thank You for choosing me. I didn't deserve it, but here I am. Thank You for being a God with a plan and a purpose. Please help me to serve You and play the part in Your plan that You have chosen for me.
Jesus chooses the famous twelve disciples to prepare for preaching and casting out of demons.
The thing my mind lingered on here was that Jesus chose who he wanted for specific purposes. Our God is deliberate. Our God is purposeful. The twelve did not choose themselves, nor did a committee vote on the appointments. They were not designated by genealogy or stature, nor were they recognized as the best suited for the job. They were appointed because Jesus chose them. That's it. We can't read anything more into it, but that Jesus had and has a plan and He follows it.
And aren't you glad? I've had plans for important things cancelled enough times to appreciate something you can count on. God made up His mind a long time ago and is just in the course of working it out. "Que sera, sera" as Doris Day would say. Our attitude, however, shouldn't be melancholy apathy, but reassuring confidence. Whatever will be, will be because God chose to do so and it is the best possible plan for the outcome of glorifying God's name. Ah... maybe that's the problem. Maybe we can't be satisfied with God's plan because it works to God's glory and not our own. There are some things in my life that I am waiting to be resolved or fixed; I know that I need to continuously ask myself if I'm impatiently waiting for a resolution that will make me happy or if I'm patiently waiting for the resolution that will happen that glorifies God.
Lord, thank You for choosing me. I didn't deserve it, but here I am. Thank You for being a God with a plan and a purpose. Please help me to serve You and play the part in Your plan that You have chosen for me.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Matthew 27:32-66
27:51 "And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split."
Climactic events marking the death of Christ. The symbolism in the tearing of the veil is immense.
This is cool because we just got done reading in Leviticus about the specifications for the elements of Jewish worship, including the veil. The priests of the Jews were the liaisons to God. They presented the sacrifices and petitions of the people to God in the place where He dwelt. But even in this mediator role, there was great care taken in not going past the veil. There was separation between us and God. Now there is no more separation (or at least there doesn't need to be).
The veil was torn in two! Access to God has been granted! God came and dwelt on earth amongst us! His Spirit will indwell us if we will trust in Him! How awesome is it that God who is above all and supersedes all cares enough to transcend to us on the most intimate level? God longs to be near us. Thanks to the veil, we can understand better just how much a trip it is for God to come as close to us as he has. Let's not take it for granted.
Lord, thank You for tearing the veil. Thank You for the sacrifice that brings You to me. Let me never take for granted the unhindered access I have to You. Help me to take advantage of that access more often.
Climactic events marking the death of Christ. The symbolism in the tearing of the veil is immense.
This is cool because we just got done reading in Leviticus about the specifications for the elements of Jewish worship, including the veil. The priests of the Jews were the liaisons to God. They presented the sacrifices and petitions of the people to God in the place where He dwelt. But even in this mediator role, there was great care taken in not going past the veil. There was separation between us and God. Now there is no more separation (or at least there doesn't need to be).
The veil was torn in two! Access to God has been granted! God came and dwelt on earth amongst us! His Spirit will indwell us if we will trust in Him! How awesome is it that God who is above all and supersedes all cares enough to transcend to us on the most intimate level? God longs to be near us. Thanks to the veil, we can understand better just how much a trip it is for God to come as close to us as he has. Let's not take it for granted.
Lord, thank You for tearing the veil. Thank You for the sacrifice that brings You to me. Let me never take for granted the unhindered access I have to You. Help me to take advantage of that access more often.
Leviticus 18,19
18:24 "Do not defile yourselves by any of these things; for by all these the nations which I am casting out before you have become defiled."
God condemns the nations of Canaan. The context is the ordinances against sexual immorality, so it seems that the land was inhabited with Sodom and Gomorrah wannabes.
I have heard some people argue against the Bible or God in general because of the conquest of the promised land. They posit that there is an inherent evil in arbitrarily choosing one particular tribe of man and giving that tribe land at the expense of the wholesale slaughter of other tribes. There is a tacit misunderstanding of the situation in this argument.
First of all, there's a problem with casting doubt on the decision making abilities of the Creator of all (including the one doubting), but we won't go into that here. There were two sides to the giving of Canaan to Israel. One was the promise of the land to Abraham. God chose Abraham's line, promised the land to his children, and that's that. We all know that the Israelites weren't perfect, so it wasn't based on their merit. It was based on God's merit. God chose to show His faithfulness by choosing a line of people for a special purpose and seeing it through.
The other side of the conquest is expressed in this verse. The people being expunged were downright evil. What the "make love, not war" crowd need to see in this chapter of the Bible is that peace is great, but God desires righteousness. And God knows that true peace will only come in righteousness. If you read chapter 18 of Leviticus and imagine a community that "by all these... have become defiled", there cannot be any peace there. As long as that type of lifestyle is permitted to exist, families will be broken, the weak will be exploited, and those that excel in an imagination rooted in evil will rule the day. Thank God He does not tolerate this kind of stuff.
It's too bad the world thinks there's nothing wrong with it. But I can keep the conquest going by spreading the gospel and letting the Holy Spirit wage war in the hearts of sinners. Let's just pray those we witness to submit rather than resist. We all know the eventual fate of the Canaanites.
Lord, thank You for Your righteousness. Help me to take Your standard of holiness much more seriously. Help me to clearly explain to those around me the truth of the blessings of Your righteousness and the curses of sin.
God condemns the nations of Canaan. The context is the ordinances against sexual immorality, so it seems that the land was inhabited with Sodom and Gomorrah wannabes.
I have heard some people argue against the Bible or God in general because of the conquest of the promised land. They posit that there is an inherent evil in arbitrarily choosing one particular tribe of man and giving that tribe land at the expense of the wholesale slaughter of other tribes. There is a tacit misunderstanding of the situation in this argument.
First of all, there's a problem with casting doubt on the decision making abilities of the Creator of all (including the one doubting), but we won't go into that here. There were two sides to the giving of Canaan to Israel. One was the promise of the land to Abraham. God chose Abraham's line, promised the land to his children, and that's that. We all know that the Israelites weren't perfect, so it wasn't based on their merit. It was based on God's merit. God chose to show His faithfulness by choosing a line of people for a special purpose and seeing it through.
The other side of the conquest is expressed in this verse. The people being expunged were downright evil. What the "make love, not war" crowd need to see in this chapter of the Bible is that peace is great, but God desires righteousness. And God knows that true peace will only come in righteousness. If you read chapter 18 of Leviticus and imagine a community that "by all these... have become defiled", there cannot be any peace there. As long as that type of lifestyle is permitted to exist, families will be broken, the weak will be exploited, and those that excel in an imagination rooted in evil will rule the day. Thank God He does not tolerate this kind of stuff.
It's too bad the world thinks there's nothing wrong with it. But I can keep the conquest going by spreading the gospel and letting the Holy Spirit wage war in the hearts of sinners. Let's just pray those we witness to submit rather than resist. We all know the eventual fate of the Canaanites.
Lord, thank You for Your righteousness. Help me to take Your standard of holiness much more seriously. Help me to clearly explain to those around me the truth of the blessings of Your righteousness and the curses of sin.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Matthew 27:1-31
27:29 "And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, 'Hail, King of the Jews!' "
Roman guards have some fun with Jesus before He is given over to the crowd for crucifixion.
The thought I had when I read this is the picture of men, kneeling to their Maker, mocking and slapping Him around, then fast-forwarding to the day of judgment when they will bow again. That second time there will be no laughing. There will be no mockery. The same One they slapped and beat will eject them into the pit of fire (assuming none of them got saved after this event... if so, I'd like to talk to that guy in heaven).
It just reminded me of 2 Peter 3 which talks about the patience of God. Here's verse 7:
"But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men."
I don't know about you, but I sure wouldn't want to slap around the only Being between me and the fires of hell. Yet so many people play around with God thinking that the absence of judgment mean He is a God of complacency or weakness. If you are one of these people, do not doubt God's righteousness and power. You will account for your choices in this life. Reading this verse made me feel like I was watching a horror movie and just waiting for the slaughter to begin. Even though I knew Jesus didn't touch a soul on His way to the cross, I cringed for when His army would swoop down and massacre these evil people. It makes me want to get down on my knees and thank God for His mercy and pray for more.
Lord, thank You for having mercy on me. I know that Your slowness to anger is an indication of Your love, not apathy. I know You could erase the whole world in fire and be justified in doing so. Thank You for sparing me.
Roman guards have some fun with Jesus before He is given over to the crowd for crucifixion.
The thought I had when I read this is the picture of men, kneeling to their Maker, mocking and slapping Him around, then fast-forwarding to the day of judgment when they will bow again. That second time there will be no laughing. There will be no mockery. The same One they slapped and beat will eject them into the pit of fire (assuming none of them got saved after this event... if so, I'd like to talk to that guy in heaven).
It just reminded me of 2 Peter 3 which talks about the patience of God. Here's verse 7:
"But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men."
I don't know about you, but I sure wouldn't want to slap around the only Being between me and the fires of hell. Yet so many people play around with God thinking that the absence of judgment mean He is a God of complacency or weakness. If you are one of these people, do not doubt God's righteousness and power. You will account for your choices in this life. Reading this verse made me feel like I was watching a horror movie and just waiting for the slaughter to begin. Even though I knew Jesus didn't touch a soul on His way to the cross, I cringed for when His army would swoop down and massacre these evil people. It makes me want to get down on my knees and thank God for His mercy and pray for more.
Lord, thank You for having mercy on me. I know that Your slowness to anger is an indication of Your love, not apathy. I know You could erase the whole world in fire and be justified in doing so. Thank You for sparing me.
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