Have you ever heard the statement come from your grandparents, “Back in my day…”? For most of us, we enjoy reminiscing about our “glory days,” when we were in our prime, or when life was still new and uncharted for us. Something changes, though. At some point, we no longer tend to look at life with the same level of excitement and optimism.
Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 7:10-11, “Do not say, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’ For you do not inquire wisely concerning this. Wisdom is good with an inheritance, and profitable to those who see the sun.” The point is we have to recognize the opportunities of today, rather than the successes of yesterday. Learn from them (Romans 15:4, 1 Corinthians 10:6) – but don’t dwell on them.
Throughout scripture we’re reminded to “keep your father's command, and do not forsake the law of your mother. Bind them continually upon your heart…” (Proverbs 6:20-22) Or other times, for example, in Proverbs 1:8, 3:1, 4:2; not to mention the instructions in Deuteronomy, Joshua, many of the prophets, and of course the New Testament. We can learn a lot from the previous generation. And the previous generation can learn a lot, and be reminded of a lot, by listening to the younger generations. Our more experienced brothers and sisters can us inspire and motivate the younger believers. And, in turn, the younger believers can encourage and uplift the more experienced followers.
There is never a time we cease learning about the will of God. In Ecclesiastes 3, Solomon reminds us that there is "...a time to weep, and a time to laugh… A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones… A time to gain, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away… A time to keep silence, and a time to speak….” We have to evaluate our own role and determine when it’s the appropriate time to be the student rather than the teacher or be the teacher rather than the student. All of us have something to share that makes the body of Christ stronger and better equipped for service in His kingdom and for His glory.
Aim at making the statement from 3 John 4 true for you: "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”
Sunday, January 27, 2019
Sunday, January 20, 2019
Heartfelt Faithfulness
Have you ever considered the significance of the word faithfulness? It’s definitely one of the key foundations to receiving God’s grace (Revelations 2:10, Matthew 24:13). It’s almost exclusively religious in our culture; used most often relating to worship or marriage. But what if God had a deeper meaning behind
the concept of faithfulness?
In the Hebrew culture, it is customary to recite the Shema, or a special prayer of commitment. It comes from Deuteronomy 6:4-5, and Jesus used it to summarize the entire law and the prophets in Matthew 22:37-39. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Basically, we should long for God and have a deep desire for his closeness. But, like most cultures, we want these three words (heart, soul, mind) to signify totally different parts of our existence. While there is some significance that God would state three words that are used interchangeably throughout the Bible to refer to people, it can end up causing confusion if we try to make these three words only vaguely related.
Of these words, probably soul receives the most mystical explanation. In the English and Greek (and other places), the word soul refers to the immortal part of us to be released at death. But in the Hebrew, the word Nephesh (Soul) really means the throat, kind of referring to life; or the total person.
When the Israelites complained about not having the kinds of food they used to have in Egypt, they used that word, “but now our whole being (soul) is dried up” (Numbers 11:6). Probably more well-known would be Psalms 42, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul (life) for You…”
Faithfulness was never intended to describe an obligation, but instead its meant to describe our desire to want to stay committed, an understanding of what this relationship means to us which equates a longing to have it. This is why Abram was considered “righteous” (Genesis 15:6), because his life was thirsty for what God wanted to share with him. After all, he was willing to wait 25 years for a promised son, then he was willing to sacrifice him – all for this relationship with God, a promised blessing from the Creator.
The more we view faithfulness as a condition of our heart, rather than a successful accomplishment of certain actions, the more we begin to see why faithfulness is such a huge criteria for God welcoming us into His home. He wants us to want to be there, and our persistence, eagerness, and loyalty to Him shows it.
In part, the Good News, has shown us how to love - God’s way, which is perfect and good. Or as John says in 1 John 4:9-11, “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
In the Hebrew culture, it is customary to recite the Shema, or a special prayer of commitment. It comes from Deuteronomy 6:4-5, and Jesus used it to summarize the entire law and the prophets in Matthew 22:37-39. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Basically, we should long for God and have a deep desire for his closeness. But, like most cultures, we want these three words (heart, soul, mind) to signify totally different parts of our existence. While there is some significance that God would state three words that are used interchangeably throughout the Bible to refer to people, it can end up causing confusion if we try to make these three words only vaguely related.
Of these words, probably soul receives the most mystical explanation. In the English and Greek (and other places), the word soul refers to the immortal part of us to be released at death. But in the Hebrew, the word Nephesh (Soul) really means the throat, kind of referring to life; or the total person.
When the Israelites complained about not having the kinds of food they used to have in Egypt, they used that word, “but now our whole being (soul) is dried up” (Numbers 11:6). Probably more well-known would be Psalms 42, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul (life) for You…”
Faithfulness was never intended to describe an obligation, but instead its meant to describe our desire to want to stay committed, an understanding of what this relationship means to us which equates a longing to have it. This is why Abram was considered “righteous” (Genesis 15:6), because his life was thirsty for what God wanted to share with him. After all, he was willing to wait 25 years for a promised son, then he was willing to sacrifice him – all for this relationship with God, a promised blessing from the Creator.
The more we view faithfulness as a condition of our heart, rather than a successful accomplishment of certain actions, the more we begin to see why faithfulness is such a huge criteria for God welcoming us into His home. He wants us to want to be there, and our persistence, eagerness, and loyalty to Him shows it.
In part, the Good News, has shown us how to love - God’s way, which is perfect and good. Or as John says in 1 John 4:9-11, “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
Sunday, January 13, 2019
How Do You Define Hope?
How do you define Hope? It’s a word that points towards the future, a word that can almost mentally lighten our load just thinking about the good things to come. It’s also a word that is illustrated and spoken about many times throughout the Scriptures.
From instances where God demonstrated His power to rescue and His promises to save, to messages from prophets reminding people of God’s words they had ignored or forgotten, to books of poetry that beautifully depict the blessings of hope. All of these point to God’s promises to make our life better than it is now. Or as 1 Corinthians 2:1-9 says as Paul reminds us of the wonderful mysteries of God that have been revealed through Jesus Christ and his willingness to give up the now because he trusted the later – God’s reward for faithfulness. “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
David was a man “after God’s own heart,” and there is probably no better place to see his trust in God’s provisions and blessings than in the Psalms. The Psalms are praises to God, expressions of the raw human feelings about God’s guidance. Therefore, we can benefit a lot from reflecting on the Psalms as fuel for our hope.
Psalms 32:1-2, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.”
Psalms 33:18-19, “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.”
Those encouragements from scripture have been a constant source of hope for those who study and meditate on them. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter shared this hope with a crowd that could have easily been labeled hopeless. After all, they had killed the Son of God. But instead, Peter offers hope. He says in Acts 2:25-28 (Psalms 16:8-11), “‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. Therefore, my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; moreover, my flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of joy in Your presence.’”
It was a prophecy about Christ, but for those who will trust in Christ, we too share in that same hope of resurrection (Philippians 3:10). The Word, which became flesh, brought hope because we now have a way to see past our own sin and guilt and shame and can reflect on the good things to come. “Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him.” – John 14:6.
From instances where God demonstrated His power to rescue and His promises to save, to messages from prophets reminding people of God’s words they had ignored or forgotten, to books of poetry that beautifully depict the blessings of hope. All of these point to God’s promises to make our life better than it is now. Or as 1 Corinthians 2:1-9 says as Paul reminds us of the wonderful mysteries of God that have been revealed through Jesus Christ and his willingness to give up the now because he trusted the later – God’s reward for faithfulness. “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
David was a man “after God’s own heart,” and there is probably no better place to see his trust in God’s provisions and blessings than in the Psalms. The Psalms are praises to God, expressions of the raw human feelings about God’s guidance. Therefore, we can benefit a lot from reflecting on the Psalms as fuel for our hope.
Psalms 32:1-2, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.”
Psalms 33:18-19, “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.”
Those encouragements from scripture have been a constant source of hope for those who study and meditate on them. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter shared this hope with a crowd that could have easily been labeled hopeless. After all, they had killed the Son of God. But instead, Peter offers hope. He says in Acts 2:25-28 (Psalms 16:8-11), “‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. Therefore, my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; moreover, my flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of joy in Your presence.’”
It was a prophecy about Christ, but for those who will trust in Christ, we too share in that same hope of resurrection (Philippians 3:10). The Word, which became flesh, brought hope because we now have a way to see past our own sin and guilt and shame and can reflect on the good things to come. “Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him.” – John 14:6.