Trouble on our Lips

"Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble."

Proverbs 21:23

This one seems pretty self-explanatory. But realistically we all need this reminder. After all, life happens. People will say things that we disagree with. Things will happen that blatantly make us angry. On days when not everything goes our way, we can save ourselves loads of self-inflicted grief by not voicing every thought that passes through us. And even if nothing remotely bad occurred to us throughout the day, we have more than enough talent at finding trouble on our own. It comes quite naturally to our humanity. After all,

"How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire. And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell."

James 3.5b-6

Should we wish to increase the peace in and around us, we would do well to take Solomon's advice, thus avoiding the hazardous flames that often erupt, even unintentionally, from our draconian lips.

Bibliography


ESV Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2001. Kindle.
 

Standing in the Gap

"Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy."

Proverbs 31.8-9

Let us not forget, brothers and sisters, that God's word is a call to action. As we study Scripture, we never once find that God calls us into relationship with Him so that we can sit comfortably in our city on a hill, overlooking the strife and heartache in the valley below us. Rather, time and time again, we find that God desires "steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings" (Hosea 6.6). Jesus appalled the Pharisees with the truth that He came not for those who are well, but "for those who are sick" (Matthew 9.10-13). He later told His disciples that "as you did it [provided for] to one of the least of these my brothers [the hungry, the thirsty, the helpless, the oppressed], you did it to Me" (Matthew 25.31-46). After the arrival of the Holy Spirit, we find that those who believed shared everything they had to meet the needs of those in their community (Acts 4.32-35). We see this passion of the early Church compelled by the Holy Spirit throughout the New Testament.

So today, how can we actively, intentionally advocate for our community? How can we be "the mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute." This call may look different in each of our individual contexts, or we may find that it is time to band together for even greater impact. Regardless, may the Holy Spirit give us guidance and courage to actively minister in this way!

Bibliography


ESV Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2001. Kindle.
 

The Testimony of Forgiveness

"If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins,

O Lord, who could stand?

But with You there is forgiveness;

therefore You are feared."

Psalm 130.3-4

What does forgiveness do? Think about it: we've sinned against God, breaking relationship with Him. As we seek forgiveness, we recognize and take ownership of our faults.

It is interesting that one result of forgiveness is interpreted above as "You [God] are feared." This fear is the Hebrew word yare, which means both to be afraid and to respect. When used in relation to God, this word tends to mean to honor, respect, and hold in awe.

Let's consider this: when another person sins against us, regardless of the size of the offense, what does it say about our faith if we do not forgive? Do we then live up to our claim to truly be disciples of a forgiving God? But if instead we are able to forgive even the greatest offenses against us, we are witnesses to the fact that we know what true forgiveness is because we have learned it through our relationship with God. Thus, our forgiveness and desire for reconciliation with others becomes part of our witness to the majesty of God. Instead of being viewed as unforgiving hypocrites, people are able to see the work of God in us through forgiveness: in other words, our act of forgiveness can show Him to others. Through seeing His Spirit of redemptive power present in us, they themselves can be drawn to Him!

Bibliography

Goodrick, Edward W. and John R. Kohlenberger. Zondervan NIV Exhaustive Concordance. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1999. Print.

NIV Archaeological Study Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005. Print.

It's Time

Brothers and sisters, let me begin this post by telling you I am going to step on some toes. Rest assured, as I have been meditating on these Scriptures, it happened to me too. But, as the title says, it's time...

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

Matthew 6.14-15

This passage comes immediately after Jesus teaches His disciples the Model Prayer. "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors," He teaches them to pray (Mt. 6.12). But if we're going to be completely honest, we don't always want to forgive. We've been hurt too bad, they've crossed the line one too many times, and so the list goes on and on...

However, if we are serious about being Christ's disciples, we must be serious about the issue of forgiveness. This may be against members of our family, against friends, or even against the Church. Certainly something happened to disrupt our relationship: our hurt is real. But God does not model holding a grudge: He deals justly with sin, yes, but He [the injured party] initiated the process of reconciliation [restoration of our relationship] with the ones who had wounded Him [us]. As such, we cannot truly claim that we are striving to follow Christ if we are not willing to seek restoration, whatever the cause of the injury may have been.

Thankfully, Christ offers us guidance on how to do this. Over the course of this new month, we will be exploring further the work and teachings of Christ on this topic. My prayer, brothers and sisters, is that we could be peacemakers, seeking restoration with those around us.

Bibliography

 

NIV Archaeological Study Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005. Print.

For Today

I was reading through some of my older writings, and wanted to share one that I published in 2007 through Facebook.

How majestic and glorious is the Lord God Almighty. He has done great things in the lives of His people. Though we turned from Him, He came to us in the person of Jesus Christ in an effort to draw us back to Him. He imparted upon those who believe in the name of Christ the Comforter, His own Holy Spirit. And today He walks with us through every moment of our lives. This is the testimony of those who believe in His name, of those who have come to recognize Him as Savior and Lord. Glory to God.

May God work through the efforts of His people as they serve Him around the world this day. Amen.

If you're like me, there are days when we get too caught up in the process. We look for methods, procedures, and solutions to get the most done in the absolute most efficient method possible. Truthfully, I do not believe that there is anything inherently wrong with this; we all know that we are only given a limited amount of time, and none of us know how much time that we have. However, if my entire life is spent checking things off the to-do list, moving from one problem or process to the next, I may have just wasted my life. 

Today, I offer a challenge to you and I: slow down. Take time to reflect and be amazed at who God is. Marvel at His creation, be still and contemplate His word, and savor His love. Enjoy time with family and friends. As you need to work, do so diligently and make the most of it. Live as God is calling you to live, allowing Him to be glorified through it and those around you to be built up along the way.

Finding Our Purpose

"The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, anything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil."

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

The Teacher has come to the conclusion of his research. As any student or former student will know, this is a moment of intense satisfaction and often understanding. This understanding is not to say that the author or we, the readers, necessarily have everything figured out; research does tend to lead to more questions. Nevertheless, the end of the work does bring a certain inevitable conclusion.

We, as individuals and as a community, are desperate for purpose in life. Without it we become irrelevant. Many authors will offer their insights on what the purpose of life should be, and they offer an infinite variety in what those purposes should be. Many of these center on finances, possessions, jobs, and other topics. They offer, or attempt to offer, complex solutions to complex problems. Perhaps that is one of the reasons we like them so much. We feel that our lives need to be complex; it makes us sound smarter. But note what the Teacher says: "Fear God and keep His commandments."

In the 1962 Wycliffe Bible Commentary, the following was written concerning these verses: "In reality, the author is saying nothing more in these last verses than he has been saying throughout the book- enjoy life while you can. This can be accomplished only by fearing God; for God is in control, He can be expected to reward righteousness and punish evil" (594). One part of this analysis rings well in our ears: enjoy life while you can.

This, in truth, is an underlying theme of our society today. Society tells us to do what makes us happy: be reckless, have fun, etc. Society will say that this can take whatever form it needs to, so long as in the end it pleases you, the individual. However, the author of Ecclesiastes, echoed by the commentator, challenges us by saying that the purpose is to fear God.

How, then, do we bring these ideas together? We want to have fun. We want to take risks, and live life to the absolute fullest. We want adventure. As I reflect upon Scripture, I do not think that these desires are inherently bad. However, they will ultimately leave me wanting more. The conclusion which the author of Ecclesiastes came to, after looking for happiness or contentedness in pleasure, in possessions, and in much more, was that the matter of utmost importance is to "Fear God and keep His commandments." While we can pursue adventure and have fun, we can do so in a way that intentionally acknowledges God. We can do so in a way that will glorify Him and encourage others, in a way that will share the Gospel with those around us, and in a way that will exhilarate us beyond all measure. As we allow God to be the focal point of our adventure, we will find ourselves more adventurous than we ever imagined.

J. Stafford Wright, contributing to The Expositor's Bible Commentary, reflects on these verses with the following: "Obviously, the Teacher is sometimes skeptical; but God is real to him, and he believes that God has revealed His will to mankind. If God had not done so, man could not be held accountable for his actions (v. 14). Thus, although he would like to know more of the total plan of God, man knows enough to be held responsible for what he does or fails to do" (1197). Most, if not all of us, would like to know more of what God has in store for our lives; we would love to know what the future will hold. I would love to know exactly what I'll be doing five years from now, but God has not revealed the whole plan; He has given glimpses, but not the whole. He has shown enough for right now, and it is my responsibility to follow Him in that.

And there, my friends, is the challenge for us all.

Bibliography:

Gaebelein, Frank E., Dick Polcyn, Willem A. VanGemeren, Allen P. Ross, J. Stafford. Wright, and Dennis Kinlaw. The Expositor's Bible Commentary: With the New International Version of the Holy Bible, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Pub. House, 1991. Print.

New American Standard Bible. La Habra, CA: Lockman Foundation, 1977. Kindle.

Pfeiffer, Charles F., and Everett Falconer Harrison. The Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Chicago: Moody, 1962. Print.

Seeking the Presence of God

"Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will freely pardon. 'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,' declares the Lord. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts."

Isaiah 55.6-9

How often do we stop to marvel at the word of God? Lest we fall into the trap of simply reading (or worse, reading becomes a chore), consider that the Sovereign God of the universe inspired this word through generations to His people in order to tell His story: through it, with the Holy Spirit as our interpreter and counselor, we get a glimpse, however small it may be, into the mind of God.

Yet that is itself the paradox. Notice how this passage begins: "Seek the Lord while He may be found." Remember the words of David in Psalm 139:

"Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast."

Or remember Paul's contemplation in Romans 8: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?"

So if God is onmipresent, what does it mean to seek Him while He can be found? If God's ways are higher than ours, we'll never be able to understand completely. The best we get is a glimpse.

Think of it like this: we're walking by the railroad tracks and a train speeds by. We decide to follow it, so we start running. Regardless of how fast we run, are we likely to catch the train as it fades away into the distance? No- but as we continue running we get closer and closer to the train's final destination.

In much the same way, as we seek to understand the word of God we do not gain full insight into the mind of God. Yet with the help of the Holy Spirit and with perseverance in seeking on our own parts, we will get closer and closer to the target. Thus to "seek the Lord while He is near" becomes a command of intention to us. Even though our understanding of the infinite is immeasurably limited because we are finite, in seeking we are able to draw nearer to God and are transformed by His presence through the process.

Bibliography

NIV Archaeological Study Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005. Print.