October 25 – Keeping the Commandments on the Outside

        1 Kings 15:5 – " For David had done what was right in the eyes of Yahweh and had not failed to keep any of Yahweh's commands all the days of his life – except in the case of Uriah the Hittite." © 1973, NIV

        On the surface, this verse sounds as if it implies that King David was nearly perfect all his life, only failing to keep two commands from the law of Moses – adultery and murder. Well, David knew his heart better than that. Including the obscure sin of taking a census of the army in 2 Samuel 24, David repeatedly in the Psalms, both claims reliance on his own uprightness as well as confesses his own sinfulness, which was in him at birth (the concept of an inherited sinful nature). Is it possible that the above verse was written instead as an example of David's otherwise lifelong devotion to God as a man who "pursued God's heart" (Acts 13:22)?

        One can also look at this verse in light of how Jesus explained how our motives were part of keeping God's commands. The Pharisees were known for their penchant for obeying the letter of the law, but their hearts were far from pleasing God. In Matthew 5 Jesus gives us several examples of keeping the letter of the law, but utterly failing to do so, when the real motives of the heart are revealed. He mentions adultery of the eyes, murder of the heart, loving others in the smallest way possible, divorcing quietly, and bringing gifts to God's altar, while a dispute is still brewing with a brother. In verse 20, Jesus states, "Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

        Pleasing God is more than just keeping his commands. It requires a change of heart, a desire to go beyond keeping the letter of the law, and to possibly sacrificing, in order to keep the spirit of the law.

March 1 – Shepherds of the Body of Christ

        1 Peter 5:1, 2 – "To the elders among you....be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers, not because you must, but because you are willing...."

        I have always been an idealist, someone who looks for that slice of utopia in certains aspects of life. I want to see the picture of a perfect world, or at least a piece of perfection in our skewed perception. One of those aspects has to do with the worldwide church's tradition of "the pastor". I use the word "tradition" because the "real-world" pastor and his role, do not necessarily meet the instructions thereof, found in the New Testament. On the flip side, God is so patient with his children, that he allows many things that are not in his perfect will. I am not referring to sinful ways, as they never receive his blessing. Reference 2 Thessalonians 1:11, where Paul prays for blessings on good intentions and purposes, whether they be from God's perfect will or from not knowing his perfect will in a situation. God will work through anyone whose heart is desirous to please him.

        Nonetheless, let us look at a few scriptures that describe a scenario where the broader church might not get things right. In English translations of the Bible, the word "pastor" usually shows up only once in the New Testament. This started in part with the Geneva Bible translation and carried over to the long-overused King James Version. Eph. 4:11 states, "It was [Christ] who gave gifts to people in order to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service...." The word "pastor" in this verse simply means shepherd in Greek. Therefore, let's look at a few pertinent verses about shepherds. Three pieces of this puzzle will suffice to get a clearer picture. Refer to the main verse above where Peter ties together the words "shepherd, overseer, and elder". In Titus 1:5, Paul tells Titus, "The reason I left you in Crete was that you might organize what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you." In Acts 20:28, Paul tells the Ephesian elders, "Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God...." In the early church, there was no structure where one man was the leader of a local body of believers. There was a plurality of elders, who humbly led the flock into God's truth. They were the overseers who taught the people God's ways and directed the affairs of the local body.

        In 1 Timothy 5:17, Paul does state that the elders who direct well are worthy of double honor. However, I see leaders all the time who call themselves pastors in a possibly elevated manner. Jesus gives us a warning for such arrogant attitudes. In Matthew 23, especially in verse 7, he describes the wrongful actions of the scribes and Pharisees in this regard.

        For further study, 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 give the qualifications for elders/overseers. May God bless our efforts to serve him, even if those efforts are not in line with his ideal plan, or our perceptions thereof. That wish, however, does not mean that we should not strive to know God's perfect ways. We are all guilty of sometimes settling for God's 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th best, instead of desiring his 1^st best. Let us strive for God's best in everything.

October 16 – Being Cold (Not Lukewarm)

        Revelation 3:15-16 – "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm, I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

       These verses troubled me for the longest time. Whenever a preacher would focus on these verses, he would always categorize the coldness in the same bad light as being lukewarm, for one simple implicit reason. We, as a Western culture, consider being hot, and on fire, as having a passion for something. If we are cold, then, it probably implies laziness and apathy toward something. However, we cannot force that cultural mindset on a 1900 year-old writing from the middle east.

        In the verses above, it is only the state of being lukewarm that is at risk. Jesus actually states that he would rather have us cold, than being lukewarm. Consider that the people in sub-tropical, or desert, environments two millenia ago, placed a great deal of importance upon water. Water at a cold or cool temperature was certainly not to be maintained since there was no refrigeration. So, how did one obtain cold or cool water? There are several ways: 1) from a natural underground spring flowing out; 2) from a well that had been dug; 3) from flowing streams or rivers; 4) from a collection of water or snow from a mountainous (cool) climate or in winter season; or 5) from a collection of any of the above that would immediately be placed in an underground cistern, meant for keeping water a little cooler than room temperature. Obtaining water through options 1-3 would take some time and effort to get to the source (a well was usually open to the public). Option 4 would necessitate being in a certain physical location or season. Option 5 depended on one's ability to have access to a cistern, (which might have been private). If one was therefore able to obtain cold water, it would have most likely been due to a spur-of-the-moment effort to retrieve it. It would also have been quite refreshing, since already-stored water would have been at room temperature and would have been the norm to drink throughout the day (unless one had easy access to a cistern). [The use of large clay water jars might have kept water a little cooler than room temperature, but not for long.] Jesus mentions cold water once in Matthew 10:42. He states, "If anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones, because he is my disciple, that person will certainly not lose his reward". Giving that cold water could have meant sacrificing a little time and energy in obtaining it on-the-spot, in order to refresh someone who needed it and could appreciate the refreshment (see also Proverbs 25:25). The same could be said about a hot drink when it is cold. Doesn't that remind us also of being salt and light to a world that needs preserving and that needs to see (Matthew 5)? Don't they also need the refreshing love of God's forgiveness and freedom?

        From the context of verses 17 and following, we see what being lukewarm looks like. The Laodicean church thought they were rich and lacking nothing. But God rebukes them for not realizing that they were wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked – all synonyms for being in a sinful state of existence. God advises them to buy refined gold from him – a reference to 1 Corinthians 3:11-13. God also advises them to buy white linen to cover their nakedness – a reference to an earlier verse, Rev. 3:4, which describes a worthy believer wearing white. How is any believer worthy? By accepting the righteousness that only comes from Jesus (see 1 Corinthians 1:30). The upshot is that being lukewarm meant that this so-called church may have had some people who thought they were in Christ but were really not Christians, or at the very least, were nominal Christians. This idea is further pointed to, in verse 20, where Jesus says that he is knocking on your door and will enter your house to eat with you, if you only let him in. That could be a salvation invitation and/or an invitation for closer fellowship with the Master who loves us.

        Remember that Revelation was given to John in a cryptic fashion, and often needs explanations for its metaphorical pictures.

February 2 - Examining the Scriptures

Acts 17:11- "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness. They examined the sacred writings every day to see if what Paul said was true."

        Blind Willie Johnson, a poor Christian blues-style acoustic guitartst, sang in the 1920s, "Nobody's Fault But Mine". The first verse states:

I got a Bible in my home

I got a Bible in my home

If I don't read it, and my soul's lost

It's nobody's fault but mine.

         

Do you have a Bible in your home? If not, I would suggest procuring one, and reading it, especially the New Testament, as it explains the mysteries of the "sacred writings" that Paul was explaining to the Bereans in the Acts 17 passage above. They didn't just take his word at its face value; they cross-referenced it with what they already knew from the accepted writings of the Old Testament, the Jewish scriptures. They were able then to mesh the two together in coherent understanding.

        If you have a copy of any faith's sacred writings, and don't take the time to read them, seeking for the truth in this world, then it's nobody's fault but your own, if you never find it. Further on in verse 27 of Acts 17, we are told that "perhaps men would reach out for God and find him...he is not far from each one of us."  Deuteronomy 4:29 also gives us a promise about finding God: "If....you seek Yahweh your God, you will find him, if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul."

        Let's not neglect reading God's book when it is right in front of us.

January 10 – Confidence in Eternal Life

        1 John 5:13 - " I write these things to you who believe [put your trust in] the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life."

        The apostle John wrote his first letter re-iterating several themes from his gospel writing, namely, that Jesus was the Son of God; forgiveness of sins through him; the command to love one another; and being confident that God lives in believers. Chapters 3 and 4 give us concepts of walking in love and knowing that Jesus was the exact representation of Father God. On the contrary, just believing mentally that Jesus is God's Son is not good enough. The Greek word for "believe", epistuo, connotes actually trusting in something, not just mental assertion of truth. It means to embrace the subject, not just acknowledge the facts. James 2:18, 19 states, "Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God? Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder [with fear]." The demons know the facts, but they cannot embrace the saving faith that you and I can. Showing faith by action is embracing the subject! Most of that action comes in changing our attitude and behaviors to come in line with God's ways, such as turning away from sin and starting to love others and God.

        The verse above comes on the heels of chapters 3 and 4, which give us tests of our faith. Then the statement comes that we may know that we have eternal life, not just hope, guess, pray, or wonder if we possess it. John gets his theme from the words of Jesus in John 17:3: "This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." The rest of John 17 gives a sense of that "knowing", which is a unity between me and God, as if in a marriage. This is basically what Paul describes in Romans 7. If you are "married" to God, eternal life is the (super)natural outcome.

        Check out the entire chapters mentioned above for further details.

January 8 - Born Again

        John 3:3 - "Jesus said to Nicodemus, 'No one can see the kingdom of heaven, unless he is born from above.' "

        The term "born again" was quite popular during the Jesus Movement of the '70s. It has become quite in disuse in the 20-teens. Nonetheless, it is in plain view in John, chapter 3. Some translations use the term "born again" in this verse; some use "born from above". Both are correct, at least in grammar, and in the context of the story. We are all born once - physically. In order to get to God, however, we need to be born a second time - spiritually. This second birth must come from God himself. Whereas no one asked to be born physically, one must ask for the second birth, or at the very least, come to the state of ready acceptance of one's need of redemption, in which the next step would be a natural flow of God's new birth.

        This new birth also has many of other terms associated with it, in synonymous meaning. Just check out John 1:12 (receiving); John 17:3 (eternal life); Colossians 1:13 (rescuing); and Ephesians 2:7-8 (saved), for a few samples. Two other verses further give us different terms, as well as a challenge. 1 John 5:11 states that "he who has the Son [Jesus], has eternal life". 1 Corinthians 13:5 commands us: "Examine yourselves to see if you are in the faith; do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you, unless you fail the test?" One way to know that we pass the test, is that we have a desire (and action) to turn away from sinful attitudes and behavior, and that we have a desire (and action) to produce good fruit, in opposition to sinful fruit (Luke 3:7-8). One further test is to see God producing his own fruit in us (Gal 5:22 & Psalm 1:3).

October 8 - Why Do I Stub My Toe?

        Psalm 91:9-12 - "If you live in the Most High, even Yahweh, who is my refuge, then no harm will fall on you, and no disaster will come near your house. For God will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone."

        The Bible is quite clear about many things, especially the plan of redemption for mankind through Jesus Christ. The important truths of the faith are solid and plain to understand. However, not all things in life are cut and dry. Neither is everything in God's word. Even Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13:12, "Now I know only partially; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."

        I believe that the Bible has possible answers for many events in life for which we wonder why they happen. Some things that are unclear for me are: why are there hurricanes; why do I bite the inside of my cheek when chewing food; and why do I sometimes stub my toe on a heavy object? There are obviously many other examples that could come to mind, including serious subjects like why otherwise-healthy children get cancer, and why people get struck by lightning. I believe the Bible gives possibilities for these, but those subjects are for another time.

        Psalm 91 gives me a clue to my own toe-stubbing. It paints an overall ambiguous picture of living inside God, with a more specific idea of constant acknowledgement of him. Psalm 34:1 also states "I will give praise to Yahweh at all times; his praise will always be on my lips." I know that my problem is that I don't give credit to God enough - out loud, in front of my friends and family, and so that the world can hear. God is worthy of my praise from the time of awakening to the time of drifting off to sleep. He is the one who ultimately sustains my life and health every second of the day, even though my own decisions also play a part in my vital consequences. Every time my teeth come into aggravating contact with my inner cheek, I think of this psalm, and cry out "God, help me!"

        I believe that if we take a closer look at our own lives and a deeper look into God's word, we may find some answers that would surprise us.

October 7 - God's Anger

        Psalm 7:11 - "The righteous God judges; he is angry every day [with the wicked]."

        A thorough study of the Psalms shows a balance between God's love for mankind, for the righteous person, and for Israel; and his anger for sin and wicked, evil persons. There are many instances related to God's righteous judgments and his anger. In the context of the Psalm above, God is angry every day with the wicked, those are living in a state of wickedness. Paul, in the New Testament describes in detail in Romans chapters 3-7, how the sinful nature causes our evil state. Then, in Romans 7:24, 25 and in 1 Corinthians, 1:30, he gives us the remedy for being the objects of God's anger. Jesus Christ has become our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. If it weren't for our acceptance (reception) of Jesus being our scapegoat to take the punishment of God's anger in our place, we would still be in the place of incurring God's (impending) anger. In other words, Jesus has become our firewall, keeping the heat of God's anger from reaching us.

       This is not the same as incurring the consequences of our individual actions, while living as believers. That is another topic in itself. As John states in his Gospel and in his first letter, when we receive Jesus, he gives us the right to become children of God and the assurance of eternal life with God, not separated from him in eternal punishment. See John 1:12 and 1 John 5:11-13.

October 3 - Submitting to the Supreme Ruler

Psalm 2:10, 11 - "Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned you rulers of the earth. Serve Yahweh with fear, and rejoice with trembling."

        The second Psalm is not credited to any author in the missing title. However, from the context, it appears that it was written regarding the reign of King David or Solomon. The kings in the entire Psalm are probably those of the outlying lands of the kingdom of Israel that David or Solomon had captured or subdued, and had brought under his control. The readers are commanded to acquiesce to the ruler, lest they incur the wrath of the ruler. In other words, life could still go well if the subjects were not bent on rebellion.

        The same goes for us as Christians. When we become God's children, we acknowledge the goodness of God, his forgiveness, and his authority to rule our lives as well as the whole universe. However, it doesn't mean that all of our sinful, rebellious attitudes have been erased. We must continually die to ourselves, so that we can let "the Son" reign in our hearts, minds, thoughts, and attitudes. After all, his ways are much better for us, better than those we selfishly cling to. So let's strive to become obedient children and let verse 12 be the outcome: "Blessed are all who take refuge in him."

October 5 - Alcohol in Moderation

      Proverbs 20:1 - " Wine is a mocker and beer, a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise." NIV, ©1973

       I am still amazed at the number of adults who are ready to encourage minors in their consumption of alcohol, as soon as the minor turns 21 years old - as if the "green thumb" has been somehow missing out all of their youth on something incredible! At a recent OctoberFest at my place of employment, I noticed this firsthand, when an adult tried to get a fellow employee to have a beer after work. This fellow employee was still a minor, so she naturally declined. However, after having a short conversation with her, and after seeing her birthday note on the work calendar (Sheila's 21st Birthday - October 19 - Finally!), I realized that she had already tasted alcohol and couldn't wait for more, in a legal fashion. This youth actually had the gall to tell me (at 52 years old) that one actually had to learn to like the taste of beer - as if she had experiential knowledge of this (at 20 years old)!

       I am certainly not against legal adults drinking alcohol. I am not a teetotaler; the Bible is not against drinking alcohol. However, like anything else, we need to ask ourselves why we engage in our behaviors. There are really only two uses for alcoholic beverages - nutritional and drug-related. The former enhances health in the body in a natural way because it is related to moderate usage that does not affect the mind in a radical way. The latter is simply to alter the mood of an individual, either to "take off the edge" or to invite an unnatural euphoria. I will not argue for one wanting to take off the edge to reduce stress, but when alcohol is used to alter one's state of mind, it might as well just be heroine or cocaine!

       Either way, it is moderation, control, and motivation that is in question. Paul states in 1 Corinthians 6:12: "Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial. I will not be mastered by anything. Food for the stomach, and the stomach for food, but God will destroy them both." The key words are "I will not be mastered by anything". He was wise in using the natural things in life, by not letting them get the best of him. Furthermore, he tells us later on in chapter 10:31, "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God". This is why we drink or do not drink. The importance is the "why". Let us please God even in the way we drink.

October 1 - Love Not The World - Part 1

        Romans 12:2 - "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing, and perfect will."

        1 John 2:12 - "Do not love the world or anything in the world...."

        The "world" in biblical language is synonymous with "the nations" in the Old Testament. It is analogous of the peoples who were not God's chosen nation. Under the New Covenant, that would be pagans, unbelievers, those who have not been "born again", those who are not in God's family.

        Conforming to a pattern means fitting into the mold, doing exactly as expected. Paul commands us in Romans to no longer slide so easily into that pattern of the world - how they act, think, and react. He then commands us to change. How? By changing the way we think. That change can only come when we start soaking in God's word. That probably means spending less time watching frivolous movies, less time listening to unproductive lyrical music, and less wasted time on the Internet. Do we want to know and walk in God's pleasing and perfect will? Then we need to find out what it is - purposefully. 

       Shortly after becoming a Christian at age 14, I sensed the Holy Spirit calling me to quit listening to the world's music. Two years prior, I had been turned on to current pop music on the radio, because the music sounded really cool. I learned to sing right along with the recorded vocalist, because I was passionate about the songs. When I learned that there were Christians performing music using genres that I liked, and using themes that brought glory to God and his ways, there was no longer any reason to listen to what the world produced. Now, after many years of finding what God's general will for living is, I can pick and choose some of the world's music that sounds good, because those filtered songs have lyrics that are spiritually insightful, have a nugget of truth, and/or are neutral enough, that one could fit them into a biblical worldview. The rest of the world's lyrical music (99%) still gets purposefully ignored.

 

        1 Peter 2:9-11 calls us "a chosen people, a holy nation, a people belonging to God....aliens and strangers in the world, abstain[ing] from sinful desires". As Jesus said, since we are not "of the world, but still in it", we should not act like it. As we grow into that transformation, we will learn how to test what is God's good will for us, a will that is seeking to lead us into beneficial things, not just things that we think will make us feel good. So, let us make every effort to be in a constant state of transformation, seeking to please God.