Pilgrim's Sword

Hosea 13-14

2009-11-05T07:25:00.000-08:00

Not too much on the specifics in this chapter, just something that stuck out to me. Intermingled among the prophetic word of destruction is always this sense of renewal. With backsliding comes refreshing and a return to God. Despite the prophetic word of impending disaster, the gospel hope of the new life always runs concurrently. Should disaster fall on our nation, the people of God will not cease for the kingdom of God is expanding and cannot be stopped even by the gates of Hell. Winter means only that Spring is right around the corner, not that life has been extinguished; God merely desires our repentance and a lifting of prayer to Him.

Jeremiah 23

2009-11-03T05:04:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite chapters in this book for many reasons.
First, we see that the shepherds have failed to do their job and instead of caring for the sheep, they have scattered them and left them unprotected(vs1). Even today, the so called shepherds of God's people have let their flock down and instead of protection, guidance and care, we have self-serving false shepherds. This is the primary cause of the problems in our society, not money, not health care, not whatever else...it is bad spiritual leaders leaving their flocks unguarded. Thankfully, God is the great shepherd and in verse 3 we see that he gathers the flock out of all the nations. He will set up true shepherds(4) and we will not be lacking. Verse 5 and 6 shows us that Christ is the Great Shepherd. Verse 7-8, no longer is the deliverance from Egypt the defining reflection for the church in that era, but it would be the deliverance from Babylon, and likewise for us today it is our deliverance from the bondage of sin. Verse 9-15 is a diatribe against the false leaders and well worth reading. Notice that wormwood is given to them as a drink of judgment. This is reminiscent of that same spiritual judgment found in Revelation. Verse 16-20 is a description of the errors of the false prophets and the judgment that will befall them. Notice their primary sin, "they speak a vision of their own heart." Is this not what we see from every false prophet today. These leaders today case the people of God to error, to sin and they take advantage and steal from the people of God. The NT is clear as well in their judgment, it will be handed to them with more ferocity than that given to others. If we desire to lead, let us lead in bringing people to the Word of God and in the guidance of the Spirit, and if we follow, let us not be led away from that same foundation.

Psalm 52-55

2009-11-03T05:01:00.000-08:00

Psalm 52 and 53 help to describe for us the state of the evil and the wicked in this world. It also describes these people as the enemies of the peopld of God. But, thankfully, in chapter 54 and 55 we see that God is our savior, He is our vindicator, our helper and the one who upholds us. When all else fails, we have the pleasure and the promise of 55.22, "Cast your burden on the LORD And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved." If only we would count on God as much as we count on ourselves.

Genesis 38-40

2009-10-28T06:22:00.000-07:00

the lesson of Chapter 38 is fairly simple in that Judah initiates and then compounds his sins by yoking himself to unbelievers. What we shouldn't miss is that the line of Judah was also made prominent by the restoration that can come only from God.
Chapter 38-39 bring to light a few points. First(vs.2), we are always at our best when the LORD is with us. Second, Joseph's success was a result of God's presence and his hard work. God does not work or bring success to those who are lazy, the means and the ends are both a part of God's plans. Third, non-believers often benefit because they attach themselves to Christians and reap some benefit from God's influence. This is true even today in our world where many nations reap the benefits of Christian principles infused into society, even when that society openly rejects the gospel message and its implications. Fourth, success is not measured by our position, but by our faithfulness. This is evident that God continues to bless Joseph throughout these two chapters despite his status in society. Lastly, we should not expect that the world will always remain true to its promises, but we should remain faithful to ours for our reward comes from God.

Hebrews Chapter 1-2

2009-10-27T04:37:00.000-07:00

In reading this book, we cannot forget that one of the main goals of the author is to exalt Jesus Christ and to show how He is the fulfillment of God's salvific promises.
In the first three verses of Chapter 1 we are given some important information: First, we have a timeframe of events in that we are now in the last days. These days are not, as is often portrayed by those looking for an immediate return of Christ, merely the final days of the world as we know it, but the days that are taking place after the death and resurrection of Christ. We have been, are, and will remain to be in the last days. Second, the author tells us that the Son was active in Creation. Lastly, the Son is divine, the Son upholds all things providentially and the Son is the one who purged our sins and now sits in glory.
The rest of chapter 1 then goes on to show why the Son, jesus Christ, is elevated above all, divine, not merely just man, but the God-man.
The author then moves on to show how if the neglect of God's word in the past was met with punishment, so much more will be our judgment if we neglect the words of salvation given by the Son Himself. We are shown that the world to be will be governed not by angels but by man, and not just any man, but the Son. Despite the perceived tragedy in His death, the Son will rise again to take the throne, for his death was merely the means of deliverance for God's people. God is, and will, put all things into sujection to the Son. May we be one called part of the brethren(vs. 11) and not merely subjected as an enemy. Lastly, Jesus died to release us from the fear of bondage, to the devil, to our sin, to our fear of death, for none of these can hold sway over us anymore, although to those who do not believe we can rest assured that these fears remain. Let us rest in God's word knowing that for whatever reasons He has determined to aid the sons of Abraham in a way that even the angels are destitute of hope.

I Corinthians 4-6

2009-10-26T05:35:00.000-07:00

Paul's writing in these chapters is very practical so it is unfortunate that his teaching is so underutilized in the church today. In chapter 5 we see that him explain how proper church discipline is to be conducted and yet today in the church we are more than willing to have old leaven remain with the new so that the whole lump is ruined(vs. 6-7). In chapter 6 we see another clearly distinguished line which is litigation between believers in the courts. This again is blatantly disregarded today and we should remember Paul's words that it is better to be defrauded in this worlds than to bring dishonor to the body of Christ by bringing a brother in Christ in frontof the magistrate.
Verse 11 in chapter 6 is a great reminder that all of us came from sinful pasts and are justified and sanctified by the Godhead, a most precious promise and one that we can bring to the sinner who desires salvation.
The remainder of Chapter 6 teaches us a little about sobriety, not concerning alcohol, but in humbly going through life, not asserting our privilege but merely living within our means. This will allow us to remain "not under the power of anything"(vs 12) and prepared to do the will of God and not merely what pleases us. We must remember that we are not a temple unto ourselves but our body is a temple of God and thus we must bring our whole being into submission.

Acts Chapter 4-5

2009-10-23T04:53:00.000-07:00

Here we see the Spirit working in the Apostles to produce a boldness that makes such an impact in the city that the religious leaders start to become concerned. Their preaching on the resurrection was forceful, and in contrast to many preachers today, they unhesitatingly declared that salvation is found in NO OTHER name than Jesus Christ.(4.10-11) When confronted, Peter and John continually remark that they must do the will of God and not men, a response that we must remember today. Our conviction and our testimony should not be molded by society, government or anything else except God's will alone.
In verse 4.28 see that the Apostles have no misunderstanding concerning the unfolding of God's eternal plan where they see the death of Jesus as the fulfillment of God's desires for only through that death could life be given to men. Bascially, all of history leads to that point of the death and resurrection and now all future unfolds the expanse of His kingdom and all periphery events are made important only because God's eternal plan is to seek and save men and the passage of time is required for that to happen.
We see in the end of Chapter 4 a great sense of community in the church and in 5.4 we see the corollary which is that even within the community, God truly does give individuals material possessions that they are responsible for and "own." We will be judged by how will use our possessions.
We close with one of my favorite passages, that concerning the testimony and wise words of Gamaliel. What this teaches us is that we cannot thwart the Spirit, if we work in our own power and in our own motives we will fail, but if we follow the will of God in humble obedience, we can never ultimately fail for those who come against us are not fighting us, but God.

Matthew 8

2009-10-21T07:29:00.000-07:00

So much to learn from in such a small chapter. First, we see the gracious and merciful healing that our Lord provided to various people. We have a man cleansed from leprosy, a servant healed from being paralyzed, Peter's mother-in-law healed of a fever and two demon possessed men made whole.
I love Christ's words to the leper, "I am willing; be cleansed." It is great to have the confidence that if any sinner is humbled and cries to God, "Lord, if you are willing YOU can make me clean," than we will hear those same words given to us that Christ told the leper.
Next we see the faith of a Gentile Centurion highlighted as an example by Christ who later in the chapter will castigate his closest followers for their lack of faith. As a gentile, I also rest in the promise of Christ that many will come from all nations to sit in the Kingdom of God.
In the end of the chapter we are given a warning by Matthew and that is that we should be wary of not recognizing and enjoying the blessings that Christ gives to us. The example we have is that of two men, made in the image of God, released from the spiritual bondage of possession. Instead of reveling in that miraculous event, the people of the land are concerned only with their own good and not that of others. This is another constant refrain in scripture and a great warning to us that anything placed in God's stead or any way in which we choose our actions over God's works is an idol and must be replaced by a focus on God and His works.

Hosea 10-12

2009-10-20T06:21:00.000-07:00

Not that I am minimizing the importance of the text, but there are mainly the standard proclamations of prophetic warnings given in these chapters. What is interesting are the passages that were later used by NT authors. Chapter 10 verse 8 at the end of the verse is similar to a passage in Luke 23 and is a reminder that when working with prophetic material in the NT it is important to lookat how that same material was used in the OT. In Hosea, these words are evident of destruction due to failure to keep the covenant so when the same phrase is used in Luke, we would expect their to be a least some parallel between meanings which should help guide our understanding of that Lukan passage.
In Chapter 11 verse 7 we see that one outcome of a people that backslide away from God is that though they may seem to and in fact do call on Him, none of them actually exalt Him. Great warning to keep us from seeing God as some sort of talisman or good luck charm that we call on in need but refuse to glorify in word or deed.
Chapter 12 verse 6 reminds us again that to observe mercy and justice is to acknowledge that we have returned to God or are living according to His and not our own ways.

Jeremiah 20-22

2009-10-19T05:05:00.000-07:00

Jeremiah continues to prophesy concerning the demise of the kingdom. Notice that though Jeremiah is constantly persecuted for his work and would have liked to cease spreading the message of God, "but His (God's) word was in my heart like a burning fire, Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not"(20.9) If only God's word burned in our heart like that, what a difference we could make in the kingdom.
In Chapter 21 God gives the words of life and death(vs 8-10) and yet it remains to be seen whether the people will listen. Ultimately we know that for many, their allegiance was to the physical city and not to obeying God and thus their lives were taken as promised.
Chapter 23 is a reiteration of what is expected from the people. To execute judgment and righteousness, to deliver the plundered, to do no wrong or violence to the stranger/fatherless/widow and to not shed blood. If His word is followed, the line of David would continue, but the people are castigated for failing in all of these areas. We see the apocalyptic warning about the destruction of the city(borrowed by John in Revelation) in verse 8 and the reason given for the destruction of Jerusalem is covenantal unfaithfulness and idolatry. The remainder of the chapter reinforces the necessity of living life by the word of God and both loving God and your neighbor, no matter what the cost to your own comfort. The church today must be cognizant of the failing of those in the past so we do not fall into the same situation. In closing we look at verse 16 where God states that knowing Him was tied to administering justice to the poor and needy and that consequently, covetousness was a reflection of the heart that did not know Him.

Psalm 48-51

2009-10-16T04:50:00.000-07:00

Just a couple of things pulls from the text here.

(48.2) The Joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion. Why is this? Continue on in verse two and three where we see it is the City of the Great King, God is in her palaces and He is known as her refuge. It is God that makes us great as the body of Christ.

Psalm 49-Often a hard lesson to learn that when we see the success of those who run counter to God we have to sometimes fight that desire to be angry or jealous. Let us continue to serve God and not focus on what other have or have done because those that trust in riches or any other desire in this life will never see the light of life(49.19).

Psalm 51 is that great Psalm of David's confession and forgiveness that perhaps every Christian has turned to at some point in their life. The end of our desire must be for cleansing, purging, washing, creation of a new clean heart and a steadfast spirit empowered by the Holy Spirit. We continue in praise for the mercy, forgiveness and healing of the Father and then we are to move forward doing the will of God. Sin is not to be wallowed in but overcome because God has said it is so if we confess to Him with a truly repentant spirit.

I Kings 22

2009-10-16T04:44:00.000-07:00

Here we see an excellent example of truth seeking and discernment. Although the decision to fight with the Northern Kingdom was not wise, Jehoshaphat did correctly challenge Ahab, first in requiring a consultation with a prophet and then by demanding that a true prophet of God by questioned concerning their plans. Despite Michaiah prophesying about certain defeat, we see both kings go off into battle where the prophet's words came to fruition. What can we learn from this: Seek God's word, seek God's word not to buttress your preconceived goals but to reveal His truth, and lastly, listen and act on God's word.

Genesis 37

2009-10-14T06:45:00.000-07:00

Verse one teaches us that Jacob was a stranger in his land and so we also must view ourselves as a stranger, a sojourner, or a temporary resident of this land, earth. There is a fine line between becoming enamored with what we do here on earth and keeping our eyes on God who is the Father of our salvation. I think a healthy tension here is good and it is the swing to either extreme that can cause problems in our worldview, beliefs and life. See verse 8, where Joseph's brothers hated him both for his dreams and his words and then their hatred is acted out upon Joseph. If our life and our words were like that of Christ, we too would feel the hatred of God's enemies, but like Joseph, we would find redemption in the unfolding of God's providential plan for our life.

Third Day Concert

2009-10-13T05:13:00.000-07:00

Went to the Third Day concert. What a blessing. If you ever get a chance to see these guys, it is a must see. They have some of the more thought provoking lyrics combined with a concert sound that is just as good as their in studio material. Their concert in St. Augustine was tremendous despite the hot weather that I'm sure was wearing them down. They played with Glory Revealed, a great group whose sole goal is to put Scripture into music(which they do really well). Although 3D didn't play the song with these lyrics at this concert, "Thank God for mercy, Thank God for His grace, thank God for everything you have before it's too late..."

Revelation 21-22

2009-10-13T04:44:00.000-07:00

First of all, if you can read this chapters without some emotional feeling, check your pulse, because here John is bringing to us the most wonderful news, a new heaven and new earth(21.1) and the removal of the curse that was brought upon creation through the sin of our first parents(22.3) If the curse is gone, then so is all that comes with it which is truly good news. We have here a picture of salvation, a separation of the righteous and the unrighteous with no exception, the reintroduction of the sacramental tree of life, and the dwelling of God and the lamb with men forever. We see the promise to those who overcome in this life(21.7), to those who keep the words of scripture(22.9) and the desire of all including Spirit, the church(bride) and all who hear
for the Lord to, "Come!"

Acts 3

2009-10-09T05:18:00.001-07:00

First we see that Peter and John present to the lame beggar that which he needed most. While we may or may not have material goods to bless our neighbors, we can echo Peter and say, "what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." Of course for us, the command is not to walk but to rise up and live in the same Name. Verse 16 lays forth the source of our new life, "His name, through faith in His name, has made this mand strong. Yes, the faith which comes through Hijm has given him(the man) this perfect soundness in the presence of you all." Verse 19 then gives us some great words to live by, "Repent therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." Perhaps we are worn down from life and our pursuit of worldly things because we try to find rest, relaxation and retirement in our own ways when instead, refreshing comes from the presence of God whose is brought close to us in our repenetance as we seek Him who first sought us. Lastly in verse 21 we see the glorious hope, the restoration of all things as heaven gives back that which was received, the Son of God. Lord, may you restore all things in your time.

Matthew 7

2009-10-09T04:47:00.001-07:00

Once again, another chapter where a lifetime could be spent if that was the goal, but for today, just a few of my thoughts. Christ's words in verse 13 and 14 should cause us to reflect on what is the narrow gate and what is the broad. I think the broad gate is different for every person which is why it is described as broad. It is every way in which we pursue life under our own rules and our own desires and it is the way that ultimately leads to destruction. My broad way may not be the same as yours, but each will, in the end, come together. The narrow way is not like that for there is not many ways to eternal life but only one and may we find our path with Jesus Christ who is our narrow way and then help our fellow pilgrims to continue with us in our journey through that same gate.

Revelation 20

2009-10-07T05:32:00.000-07:00

All will one day stand before God. May we seek each day to make our calling and election sure, to see our names written in the Book of Life in the ink that is our Savior's blood and to go forth knowing that we will hear that phrase, well done, my good and faithful servant. Can we answer that question honestly that we are good and faithful to God?

Jeremiah 18

2009-10-07T05:22:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite OT passages because it is an important truth that must be kept in the forefront of our spiritual walk. The gist of the first part of the chapter 1-11 is that God's word and prophecies at always fulfilled in accordance with moral action. said differently, if God's word declares that judgment is due for an action, then that judgment will take place unless, through the quickening of the Spirit the call for judgment leads to moral reform(i.e. confession and repentance) There still may be consequences for the sin, but in this case it is the rebuke of a Father and not the wrath of God. Similarly, if you are reading the word of God and the Spirit leads you to see the favor and blessing of God because of your current situation and uprightness in walk or your identification with the people of God, then that favor and blessing is contingent on continues faithfulness to God.

Vs. 11-12 then shows how the people reacted to this saying in that when warned of impending judgment they merely through their hands in the air and seeing things as hopeless decided to follow their own misguided ways and did not confess or repent. In vs 13 God shows how such talk is even ridiculous to the ears of the Gentiles(unbelievers). in fact it is nothing more than the idea of fate. Let us instead, knowing that we have been called by God to a life of purity and holiness seek to walk in that path, using the calls of judgment to guide us in reformation and the blessings of favor to encourage us to continue on in the paths of righteousness.

I Kings 20

2009-10-07T05:17:00.000-07:00

Not that there isn't much to take away in a passage where God thwarts the plans of His enemies, I think there is a deeper lesson in this chapter to heed. It is important to remember that God is jealous first and foremost for Himself. While we are in a special relationship with Him as His called people, only God alone is worthy of all glory, honor and praise. Therefore what we see here is the enemies of God being destroyed not because of any inherent ability or righteousness of the people but the opposite taking place, the destruction of God's foes despite oopen sinfulness of the King and the people. Let us not be too quick therefore to merely assign the blessing of God based on outward circumstances or successes, but solely in our true desire and effort in remaining faithful to God's word, His revelation and the Spirit as He guides us in all things.

Genesis 35

2009-10-07T05:11:00.000-07:00

This chapter gives us some small insight into how proper worship is conducted. While not exhaustive, it is a good start. Notice first that God calls for the worship of man just as he calls for Jacob to honor God(vs 1). Next, worship demands purity. In this case it demanded a putting away of idols and a changing of garments which is a physical sign of the spiritual effort to purify self which was also directed. Notice that in verse 5 that as the people of God properly prepared to worship, that the enemies of God's people were overpowered by God. Let us not forget that our reverential, pleasing worship of God may make us enemies in this world because we stand in antithesis to their life, but that God will preserve His people.

Matthew 5-6

2009-10-02T16:25:00.000-07:00

There is no shortage to what could be said about these two chapters and so I will merely confine my thoughts to a few points. First, in the beatitudes there are many people that are blessed for different things and it is disruptive to the text to pull one of two of Christ's sayings in order to buttress a position against other things in Scripture. Second, we must be light in this world. There is light and there is darkness and each day we must make that effort to fight on the side of light and push back against the darkness knowing that we will prevail in the power of God at the end of the day. Third, listen to the words of Christ, He did not come to destroy but to fulfill the law, and reading further into His words, the law is more extensive and exacting then any of us could possibly comprehend. For this reason we do not throw out the law but we use it to guide of every action and then praise God that we are not under the bondage of that which is much too difficult for us to complete. Murder, adultery, divorce, etc...each of this as developed more fully by Jesus only shows us that we are so far from from perfect that we can hardly even attempt to pursue that path which Jesus himself followed perfectly.

Chapter six reminds us of the importance of charitable deeds, of prayer and of fasting, all spiritual disciplines that are often in short supply. Matthew here reminds us that these our essential for our life, that they should be done in reverence and with a view to honor God and not ourselves, and that there are both proper and improper ways of conducting charity, prayer and fasting. The Lord's prayer is a great prayer because it lays down the form that, if followed in prayer, rightly leads us towards an improved prayer life. In its simplicity it opens up doors to us if we go through them. The prayer opens with our eyes and thoughts lifted first to God merely for His divinity, His perfection, His love, all that He is. Only after that can we then look towards our action as we pray that we could be a part of His plan on earth as He moves all things forward towards His providential end. Next we are rightly told to pray for those things we need to survive, always knowing that God is the one who will supply all of those needs. Next we move into confession, a prayer for deliverance from future sins and then closing with our eyes once again lifted from ourselves and our needs to the power of God which not only raised us spiritually from death but brings us wholly into the new life. Matthew closes this chapter again reinforcing that our daily needs are met by God and He contrasts those that fully ingratiate this view in their life to those who would instead elevate money, the world and riches or other earthly things into that position that should be filled by God. Would we in this day not place our trust in things of this world, but rest in God and in His promise that He is the one who will fulfill every need.

Hosea 3-5

2009-10-02T16:14:00.000-07:00

Chapter 3 is a reminder to us that despite our spiritual infidelity, God is faithful to His covenant and to His people. Having revelation of the state of the heart of man and knowing that the potential for backsliding, even to an extreme as given in this case, we must always be a confessing people. For it is in the return to God that we are assured of that which God has already done in our heart and life.

Chapter 4 is an indictment not only of the people Hosea was writing to, but also for the church and our nation today. "There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land."(vs 1) As a result of this we see the increase of sin, killing, swearing, lying, stealing, adultery, restraint broken, bloodshed, etc....Once the people desire to rule themselves and to follow their own paths, then more sin is the only outcome. Notice that Hosea condemns the people in verse 6 for rejecting knowledge and reminds them that they are destroyed because of their lack of knowledge. He then reminds them that knowledge=the law of God. When God's laws are rejected, knowledge is lost and the people are destroyed. If only we would understand this obvious logical conclusion that Hosea draws here and we would save ourselves from much consternation.

Chapter 5 is a continuation of Hosea's condemnation of the people and the priests. Despite the trials of verse 1-14, God again reminds His people in verse 15 that when they acknowledge their offense, when they confess and seek Him, then they will be brought back into right relation to Him.

Jeremiah 16-17

2009-10-01T12:56:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we, as Christians, do not trust the word of God when it paints a picture of Him that goes beyond our expectations of the kind, gentle God who has no other divine attributes. Here, Jeremiah shatters that facade, showing that God will not be patient forever, the breaking of His laws and the breaking of covenantal vows will have repercussions amongst the people. God himself states that "He has taken away the peace from this people." God even tells Jeremiah to confront the people with their sin. They have left their first love and in their pursuit of idols, they would instead find the wrath of a jealous God. A beautiful promise is here given in that though God would require a payment for their sin, he would not forget His people. As the people in the past would remember the salvation from Egypt, so would the people now remember the salvation they would have from their captivity. Verse 16 even foreshadows the sending of fisherman into the land to gather His people, a wonderful picture of that time when Christ would call His fishers of men. Jeremiah 17 shows a great contrast between those who are"cursed for trusting in man(vs 5) and those that are "blessed for trusting in God"(vs 7). Jeremiah calls on us to trust not our heart for it will deceive us, but to ask God to search our heart so that He will guide us into His will. Chapter 17 concludes with a description of how the sabbath breaking of the people was a visible sign of their covenantal unfaithfulness. An examination of their failure showed that the cause of this was their hardened hearts and stiffened neck, a great reminder that our obstinance and desire to do things our way instead of God's will only lead to further departure from His law and the repercussions that flow from that.

Psalm 41-43

2009-10-01T12:48:00.000-07:00

Psalm 41 reminds us that as the Lord will watch over the weak, so we also need to be aware of those with need in this world. Since the world is our enemy and by the fact that we are sinners, we have the need for God's mercy which should remind us to show taht same mercy to our fellow men.

Psalms 42 shows how our desire for God and His ways must touch the deepest part of our being, it must move us to action in our spiritual activity just as our physical needs move us towards activity in that realm. Again, the Psalmist shows that when we are under the weight of the world and that of our enemies, we must turn and place our faith and trust solely in God.

Psalm 43 is a prayer that God's "light and truth" would lead us forward. Notice that God's truth leads us to the tabernacle, the holy hill, therefore our worship itself must be predicated by the revelation of God, He is only satisfied in that worship and the life that conforms to His truth.

I Kings 19

2009-09-24T13:26:00.000-07:00

After his tremendous victory over the prophets of Baal, we see a frightened Elijah running away from Jezebel. It seems as if his spirit is weakened and because of this his cries turn even to those desiring death. Through all of this, we see again that God is faithful in many ways. First, God provides for his material needs with food and drink. Next, God provides His word to sustain the prophet. It seems almost as if Elijah has prepared a speech and is bent on bringing the speech to God in order to plead his case that his work has been meaningless and he alone remains committed to a lost cause. In fact, he gives the speech twice but God is not ready to accept his resignation from his post because He still has work for Elijah to do. At this point, God gives Elijah directions as well as refutes his arguments by pointing out that Elijah is both overinflating his importance to events and underinflating the power of God(15-18). At the end of the chapter, we see that God, once Elijah is finished with his duties, is ready for Elijah to pass the mantle to another and He names Elisha as the successor.

Here we are taught much in a few short verses. Again, God is faithful, He is the provider of our daily bread, both the physical(food in this case) and the spiritual(His word). Next, no matter what our situation and no matter how bad it is, God's plan and promises cannot be stopped. Also, God will work according to His timing and until He is done with us, there is still work for us to do each day until He calls us home.

Genesis 33-34

2009-09-24T13:00:00.000-07:00

We have here the remarkable reuniting of Jacob and Esau. While Jacob was fearful of the meeting prior to his wrestling conflict, now he is prepared and strengthened to meet his brother. Instead of difficulty, Jacob finds that God has already softened the heart of his brother allowing the two to exchange pleasantries upon meeting each other. Interesting is the Esau remarks on his wealth with no reference to God while Jacob in verse 11 declares that God is the source of his remarkable wealth and large family. The chapter ends with Jacob described as being "in the land of Canaan, where he erects an altar to God.

Chapter 34 is a terrible tale of sexual sin being brought on Jacob's family and terrible moral treachery being carried out in revenge. First, we see that Jacob's daughter Dinah is raped by a local prince, something that seems to have been tolerated in this Gentile land. Verse 5 shows that Jacob knows of the offense against his daughter, but in the silence of scripture and later in his own words, Jacob is much too concerned with his standing and security among foreigners than he is with protecting his family. Given his lack of action, his sons devise that evil scheme to use the covenantal sign that God had given to them in order to exact revenge on the local people. Before we get to that point though, notice how the local people understood how powerful the pull of lifestyle was on a group of people. Although Jacob's sons were merely devising a method to slaughter the people, they instinctively and probably by practice knew that if they would merely take this outward symbol upon their body, they would then be able to assimilate Jacob's people merely by carrying on commerce and intermarrying. While their assessment of the situation was true from that standpoint, even those people did not foresee the violent slaughter that was about to strike as the sons(Simeon and Levi) of Jacob took revenge on the men of the city. At the conclusion, Jacob shows us his true motivation which was self preservation, whereas his sons, despite their actions, at least were motivated by the betrayal of their sister's purity.

In these chapters we see that first, God is faithful. His protection of Jacob is ongoing and He even brought His people temporarily into the land that they would later rule over. Secondly, ungodly culture corrupts. The people of Shechem understand that if they can interact daily in the lives of Jacob's family then eventually they will be able to integrate and take over their material possessions. This is a warning to us that, as the cliche goes, we are in the world, but we are not to be of it. Jacob's desire to find security and stability, in this case, led to his laying down his obligations, and as the people of Shechem understood, eventually it would have led to disaster. God used the tragedy of the bloody revenge to avert such an outcome, but the lesson remains to be learned that we must bring forth a godly culture, a godly lifestyle that penetrates the world with the power of the Spirit. Let us not take the mantle of the world, but bring forth the kingdom of Christ according to His laws and will. Let us find security in Him and not from temporary things.

Revelation 18-19

2009-09-18T11:28:00.000-07:00

The Apostle John starts in Chapter 18 with a description of the destruction of a glorious city. Whether it is a specific city or used to describe "an earthly city" goes beyond this discussion but what is clear is that there is a city condemned by God because of its great sin. Verse 5 reminds us of the prediluvian earth where the sins of mankind had reached heaven. And so here we have a city existing in its autonomy(glorification and luxury-vs 7) who is now under God's wrath and curse.(See verse 8 for typical woes for covenant breaking) Verses 9-19 give us a glimpse into how the world views God's wrath, almost as a Him versus the world event and so instead of glorying in His righteous actions, the people overall side with the inhabitants of the city. In contrast to those on earth, the heaven rejoice in God's glory for in the destruction of the city we have the avenging of the saints who walk by faith and not by sight, hoping in heavenly, not earthly rewards.

Chapter 19 starts with a continuation of Chapter 18, echoing the praise of God for His righteous judgment. We see in verse 7-9 that our hope is in our position as the Bride of Christ. He has called us and prepares us and all past and future saints for that time when we are brought together as one people before Him. Verse 11-20 looks like John showing how the Church is being gathered. We have our Faithful and True Leader, the one who was raised from the dead, with His armies prepared to do His spiritual bidding. We see Christ as the Ruler of All and His Word(vs 15) penetrates the world as His will comes to pass. Verses 16-21 shows that just as the Bride will surely become one with Christ, so also will His enemies be destroyed to the very last one.

John here asks us to test our faithfulness. Do we place our faith in the world, or like Abraham, is our reward ultimately not found on this earth. God is faithful, both those that oppose Him and those that love Him will ultimately find their rest either with Him or eternally separated from Him. May our faith by found with, and not against Him.

I Corinthians 2-3

2009-09-17T18:20:00.000-07:00

In Chapter 2 we have Paul here giving us the gospel in its most straight forward terms, "Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." In these few words we can see that Jesus is not just a teacher or a healer or a moral example. but He is Savior. If our gospel does not reflect Jesus Christ and Him crucified, it is a good sign that our "good news" is more our own creation rather than that which Paul was preaching. Verse 4 reminds us that we trust in the message not the messenger. More good advice when seeking a church or discerning what we read and listen to. Verse 6 discusses wisdom, a common refrain in the scriptures and her Paul tells us that wisdom, biblical wisdom, is found among the spiritually mature. Paul will discuss this topic of maturity in just a bit but we need to know that if we desire wisdom, we must also desire maturity. The chapter closes with a reminder that God feely gives His Spirit to His people in order to open our eyes to his truth. Our guide in life is not the spirit of the world or its ways, but it is the Spirit of God and for the same reverse reason, we can expect not to see eye to eye with the world since our worldviews have different sources. Lastly, things of God are spiritually discerned, so let us be discerning in God's ways, not those of our own thinking or that of the world.

Chapter 3 continues the topic of spiritual immaturity where Paul in verse three both shows the attributes of the carnal and then condemns such immaturity. Verse 7 states that "God gives the increase," and so we find faith not in our message but in God's faithfulness. Paul builds this great picture of a building to show how our foundation as Christians must be Christ. Without that foundation, we are not in union with Christ and therefore we are not one of His children. If we have that solid foundation then we can "make our calling and election sure", we can go forth and build(work) on top of Christ. Like any building though, only the structures that conform to the foundation and are raised according to the guidance(plans) given will withstand difficult trials. This chapter closes with a popular biblical contrast between foolishness and wisdom, the first being found in the glory of man and the latter being found in Christ.

These chapters are great because Paul shows us where our foundation lies. Our union with Christ is the foundation of our life, just as our belief, our trust and our confession of Christ and Him crucified is our foundation of our witness. Since we desire maturity, we must know that our foundation is sure and then pressing forward, we pray for wisdom and direction from the Spirit of God who is our Comforter and Deliverer of the Father's blessings. May we trust in the foundation of Christ and build on it according to His example and the example of those that have gone before us.

2009-09-14T18:46:00.000-07:00

Here we see that Luke gives us a faithful account of events from the time that Christ presented Himself after His death until His departure to the heavens. Jesus is not going to leave his followers along and promises in verse 8 that the power of the Holy Spirit would come upon them. As a result of this power, this small band of followers would be driven by God to continue the work of Christ in Jerusalem, into Judea/Samaria and then into all the earth. This last sentence by Luke gives us a foreshadowing of events in Acts where we see the gospel being delivered into all of the places mentioned in verse 8. Notice in verse 14, although the promise of Christ was sure, his followers, in one accord(purpose) were engaged in paryer and supplication, a worthy activity for all of us to mimic.
As the chapter concludes, we see that the selection of another apostle to replace Judas gives us the earliest idea of qualifications for a NT office. Here we see that an apostle needed to be a personal witness of Jesus from his baptism by John until his departure. Additionally, notice that the office of apostle held a distinct purpose which was to "become a witness with us(the Apostles) of His resurrection.(22) Again, notice that the selection of a new apostle was led by prayer(24). I think that we must be diligent in our prayers and supplications just as these earliest followers were, a sign that our dependence is on God and not on those things of the world that beg for our adoration of them.

Hosea 1-2

2009-09-12T06:28:00.000-07:00

The opening parts of this book show that God is so displeased with the spiritual harlotry of His people that His prophet here tells of the end of the northern kingdom.(4) The naming of the children is symbolic of different things, the first being a sign of the end of the northern kingdom, the second showing that God's mercy on the north has run out and the third child, whose name means "Not My People," is a stinging rebuke to a people that have rejected being the people of God. Yet even in these words of woe, the grace of God still shines through as in verse 7 where Judah is promised mercy, though not by the earthly means that they often struggled for. Also in verse 10 and 11 there is a sort of repeat of the promise to Abraham that God's people will number as the sand of the sea and they will once again be called the "sons of God."

Chapter 2 starts again through verse 13 with repeated covenantal curses on those who have forsaken God for others. This passage is an indictment by God on a people that have totally forsaken Him. Yet God is full of mercy and grace, even here after laying forth a true and total case against His people, he talks of how he is going to woo the people back, how He will once again "betroth" His bride to Himself. Verse 19-20 shows that God will do all these things in His righteousness, justice, mercy, lovingkindness, mercy and faithfulness. God's nature is all of these and although we fail in the covenant, He alone is true. That is why we can trust the covenant promises(and curses for that matter) since God is faithful, not that we are. Verse 23 finishes with a great promise that those rejected will be called again His people and they will declare Him at that time that He is their God. These promises are also very much like those given to the Gentiles, a people who were not His yet later ingrafted into the covenant promises.

The message of Hosea is clear, God is faithful to His covenant in both its promises and its curses. He has called us in grace and in His mercy He covers our transgressions. We have no right to expect anything but judgment when we follow after other gods, no matter what part of creation we select that god from. What we do know is that as Christians we are a part of His covenant and we rest on the promises given to our spiritual forefathers. If we fall away, we have no other option but to throw ourselves on the mercy of God's court. Our prayers is that we should not become so hard hearted that we fall away like the northern kingdom is charged with by Hosea.

Jeremiah 14-15

2009-09-11T09:16:00.000-07:00

We come in to this chapter with Judah already in the midst of a covenantal curse, a drought over the land. Verse 1-6 show that the drought is indeed terrible, effecting man and animal alike, the whole creation is effected when disobedience reigns and God shows his displeasure. In similar fashion, where sin reigns, God's word is often lacking because He withdraws its penetrating power in that land. Jeremiah's intercession in 7-9 shows that truly our hope lies only in the grace and mercy of God, and despite our sins(backslidings as Jeremiah puts it), we call for mercy anyway. God answers in 10-12, urging Jeremiah not to pray for this people for His curse on them for their sin will continue. Even their offering are as nothing since they are a disobedient nation. Jeremiah intercedes again, this time claiming the prophets are misleading the people, but God basically tells him that the people should know that these are false prophets, and so in following them the people bring on themselves the covenant curses. In our day as well, we should be discerning in whom we follow and whom we take instruction from because not all that claim a divine calling as a teacher are worthy or such a title. Jeremiah closes in ver 19-22 again reemphasizing that although the people have sinned, their hope rests in God alone hearing their confession and relenting from His punishment.

Jeremiah 15 continues with God reemphasizing the truth that the people should have known, that failure to uphold the covenant on their part will bring disaster. The punishments mentioned are those discussed throughout scriptures for covenantal failure: death, sword, famine, captivity. He highlights this by the discussion in verse 3 as to how destruction will come among the people. God continues His righteous judgment and sentence on the people in verses 5-9. Jeremiah cries out in lamentation because he feels as if his life is worthless given that he brings words of destruction to the people and on top of that he is rejected by them. In other words, he brings words leading to death and not life. As always, the good news pervades in the bad times as God reminds Jeremiah that "If you will return, Then I will bring you back, You shall stand before Me."

These chapters have extremely important application to us today for we live in a time(in the United States) where we have rejected the blessings of God, for we see His word, His authority, and His Son as a unbearable yoke instead of life. We deny His uniqueness as God, we desire autonomy instead of bowing our knee to Him and yet we sit perplexed as to why life seems so difficult. The words of life are drowned out by the cacophony of our culture so that all things compete for our time and that which should be first is placed last. For Judah, captivity was the result, perhaps we are already captive and do not realize it. May we pray for a return to the Lord so that we would stand before Him in awe.

Psalm 38-40

2009-09-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

Psalm 38 is a exposition on the effects of sin on the life of a believer. The psalmist describes sin as that which weighs us down(4), as foolishness(5), as that deserving the chastisment of God(1), and that which takes our strength(3,6,10). Recognition of sin and its effects should cause the believe to groan(8) in their core because they are living a life against the Spirit that is in them. Not only does sin effect our body and soul, but the psalmist shows how others will take advantage of us when we are under the duress of sin(12). What is our only option, confession and anguish over our wrongdoing and a turning back to God.(18) Never let us forget that when we fight with sin, our prayer should be to God to give us the strength to overcome against both sin and those outside enemies that plague us in our time of trouble(15,16,21,22).

Psalm 39 reflects a little on our existence as a creation, a created being of God. Verse 4-6 brilliantly displays that we tend to overestimate out autonomy and control of circumstances, even to the point where we think we are invincible despite the evidence against such folly. While we are made in the image of God, we cannot forget that there is a difference between the Creator and creation and this should cause us to rest solely in the providence of God. Verse 7 shows us that despite our finiteness our "hope is in the Lord." Though we are as "vapor" the Lord holds all things in His hand.

Psalm 40 starts out with the revelation that God hears our prayers. This is so straight forward and foundational to Christianity, but at times in life it can seem to us as if the reverse were true. Even some of the greatest saints in the Bible struggled at times to fully believe that their prayers would be answered. The chapter continues by reminding us that God is the one who "brings us from the pit" he "sets our feet on the rock" and thus we are reminded that our faith and perseverance rest solely in God. Given that he is our Savior, the psalmist declares that God puts a song in our mouth, "Praise to God" and though the song is from God, our singing(reflecting in our life) will turn the hearts of the people to trust in the Lord. Verse 5 shows us beautifully that God's thoughts(His loving care) are so great that they are uncountable and therefore He is worthy of all praise. Verse 8 shows us that God's law is written on our heart and as is repeated often in scripture, He who loves me keeps my commandments. This is something worth remembering, faith involves action, the fruits of salvation will be visible. Verse 9-10 is best broken down by looking at what some of our actions should be concerning our reflection on the attributes of God and some of the gifts He provides to us.

OUR ACTIONS-Proclaim, Not restrain, Not hidden, Declared, Not concealed
GOD'S ATTRIBUTES AND GIFTS TO US-Righteousness, Good News, Faithfulness, Salvation, Lovingkindness, Truth

Verse 11 shows that we should crave the tender mercies from God for we are His people and He preserves us from all that stands against us. Lastly, let us with the Psalmist declare, "the LORD be magnified," for though we are poor and needy, His thought is upon us.(16-17)

The LORD be magnified.

Matthew 2-4, Wise Men, John the Baptist and the Temptation of Christ

2009-09-09T06:29:00.000-07:00

Today we are looking at the Gospels, particularly Matthew 2-4. I've always found it interesting that the wise men possessed some specific level of knowledge concerning the birth of the "King of the Jews." Perhaps a remnant of knowledge passed down from the time of the captivity in Babylon, but certainty cannot be assured. What we do know is that God disseminated the information for the birth of the Christ farther than just among the Israelites, a sign of the gospel's call to all men. Notice the description of the wise men in verse ten after finding the young child, they "rejoiced with exceedingly great joy." Would that we rejoice in like manner in our walk with Jesus. Verse 11 shows that their worship included the giving of gifts, likewise we are called to give of gifts from that we have been given, both to God and to others. Herod's bloody quest to find the Child highlights the backdrop of the scene which is really a testament to the Father's divine protection and guidance.(See vs. 12, 13, 20, 22).

In Chapter 3 we see the message of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ. That message is one of repentance, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"(vs. 2) Are we not told to pray, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, and yet are we slack to show signs of repentance in our life. Do we allow sin to linger, which though not having dominion in our life, troubles us and weakens our faith. The kingdom of heaven is at hand, so repent. This is the message of John, so also the reverse should be a sign of a regenerated heart that where repentance is found, the kingdom of God is actively present and the Spirit is working in our life. See verse six where repentance includes the confession of sin, repentance is more the mere sorrow, it is an active turning away from sin. One thing I would like to highlight in the baptism of Jesus is that the Father and the Spirit testify of the Son(vs. 16-17). What a saying, "This is my beloved Son," and so what grace that we are loved by God as well.

Chapter 4 is a description of the temptation of Christ by the devil. Once again, another passage that has been dealt with extensively so my thoughts will hit just a few highlights that struck me as I read this chapter again. Vs. 1, we see Jesus led by the Spirit, for he was always seeking and doing the will of God. Would we be as aware of the Spirit's movement in our life. Here, Jesus answers the temptations of the devil with the scriptures showing us that we to have been given revelation to overcome all the wiles of our greatest adversary as well as any other trials in life. James talks about trials and the need to ask for wisdom and here Jesus shows that wisdom is grounded in the Word of God which is powerful in our spiritual combat. I love verse 16 where the darkness is being penetrated by the light. Even today the darkness is still being penetrated, Jesus having given us the command to go forth so that know He penetrates the world through His body, the Church and we can declare to the lost, "Light has dawned."(vs. 16) Lastly, we see what a truly miraculous time this was as people who were enslaved by sin, sickness, disease, demon-possession and other sicknesses were healed by Jesus. Not only that, but healing was accompanied by teaching in the synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, for God's people have a need for knowledge of salvation and discipleship as well as deliverance from the effects of sin.

A light dawned with the birth of Christ, it was and is a time of exceedingly great joy. May we go forth in the power of God into the world to continue the work which Jesus began and now calls on us to continue.

I Kings 18-Elijah Confronts Ahab on Mount Caramel

2009-09-08T19:37:00.000-07:00

In I Kings 18 we see the great confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. In verse 4 we see that God met the needs of his people, in this case the prophets, no matter how dire the situation. In verse 17 Ahab proves for us that the one who does the will of God is not always going to be a friend to the world. Elijah wisely redirects Ahab's blame back to its rightful cause, the king himself who has determined not to follow God's commands. In verse 21 we see Elijah point out the oft told scriptural saying that no man can serve two masters. If anything is more important in our life than God, then that thing, person, idea is an idol. Notice the people here are silent at this point, their hearts are so cold to God and his presence that they are unwilling to choose Him over Baal. Verse 22 is great because it gives us the odds for the conflict, 1 v 450, God type odds. Verse 26-29 is one of those passages that should prove to us that humor, rightfully done, is a gift from God. Is there anything more humorous then the description of these Baal worshippers going to any extreme to get a response from their god and then Elijah mocking them to get a rise out oftheir efforts. Also shows us that people in false religions will sometimes go to greater efforts to serve their god then we do to serve our God. Verse 37 shows to us that this miracle, as many others, is meant to turn the hearts of the people back to God. Lastly, verse 41-43 shows that faith sometimes requires patience, but true faith will endure the course.

This passage is a reminder to us in the United States that things are not as bad as it could be. Hostility to God's people is always a very real possibility and as the Israelite leaders strayed, the people followed them until their hearts were also turned. The church has itself to blame for many of the troubles we are in because we have not remained faithful, we have tried to serve two masters and in the process we serve none with our whole being. Are we willing to go to extremes to do whatever pleases us in this life but when it comes to God are we silent? May we be not afraid to challenge the world when challenge is required, may we not be content to bind our yoke to the world but to Christ, may we serve God alone and may we pray for a faith that is filled with patience knowing that God is faithful in all things.

Starting Out

2009-09-07T06:41:00.000-07:00

I am looking forward to this journey of exploring God's word and other extrabiblical texts not only to broaden my knowledge but also to live a more consistent Christian life. I don't expect to post consistently since life is much too busy for that, but it gives me a chance to save my thoughts in electronic form and to allow others to perhaps benefit from my time in study.

Genesis 31-We see here that Jacob, as a child of God, is not, and can never be outside the loving protection of the Father. Even though Laban has dealt falsely with Jacob, God says in verse 3, "I will be with you." Jacob repeats this promise in verse 5 showing that God's presence with him is more important than whatever troubles Laban has brought upon him. Rachel and Leah agree concur with the flight back to the land of Jacob's kindred and give us the insight that there is "no portion or inheritance for us in our father's house."(vs.14) Those who forsake their past have no inheritance with the past, we are called into a new life. Interesting that Laban is now identified as Laban, the Syrian(vs. 20, 24). I would have to go back and look whether this is the first time this phrase is used, but it seems to emphasize and strengthen the differences between Jacob and Laban. Though Laban does not profess loyalty to God, we see in vs 24 that God still commands all men to obey His word; in this case it is the command to neither speak good(entice Jacob to return) or bad(with evil intention). Rachel's grasping of the family idols shows that she does not share the same relationship with God that Jacob does. Additionally, Laban is correct in his assertion that there was theft from his household because of Rachel's act. Jacob's courage towards Laban in asserting his right to leave is all predicated on the promises of God. Later, the covenant between Jacob and Laban is confirmed by Jacob according to "the God of Abraham, Nahor and their father," another sign that Jacob's promise is in God and not his own efforts.

May we Father show the wisdom of Jacob in trusting your word and promises and may we live with courage based on those promises and not on our own strength. Thank you for the promise to "Be with us."

Genesis 32-Jacob is afraid of his brother's response of coming to meet him upon his return.(vs. 7) Once again though his faith and prayer are in God. See verse 9-12 where he rests on God's promises and then asks for deliverance from Esau. Jacob also, in the custom of the day, sends forth a sort of tribute to his brother, a portion of that which God has blessed him through his labor. I don't think we see a lack of faith here, but a shrewd use of that which God had given him. Remember, Esau's desire comes from the earth, not from above, so to Jacob, delivering worldly gifts makes perfect sense. Here we then see the wrestling between Jacob and "the Man"(vs. 24) People much wiser than me have given us commentary on this passage so I will not delve into this abyss, but will say that after the prayer of Jacob in verse 9-12 we now have the response of God. Out of the contest of wills we see Jacob strengthened even though injured, we see that his faith would require the extreme of effort on his part, and lastly we see God appropriating His servant and acknowledging that special relationship in the changing of Jacob's name.

May we Father show the tenacity of Jacob in persevering through struggles, knowing that the Christian walk is not always easy but may require the absolute limit of our spiritual and physical strength. Prepare us for those times of trouble so that when we lift up our voice we are confident in your grace and in those gifts which you have given to us and to all your people.