Our Incredible God Deserves Incredible Worship

Since God can be nothing less than incredible, the worship He deserves and requires can be nothing less than incredible. We are going to skim through the story of Nehemiah, park at chapter 9, and see how our incredible God showed up during then, the incredible worship the Israelites responded with, and how all this relates to us now.

Background of Nehemiah chs. 1-8

• The Israelites are in captivity to the Persians during this time in history (around 445BC).
  
• Nehemiah was the king’s cupbearer, but he wanted to see God’s remaining people go back to their homeland because he was burdened about the walls being rebuilt.
  
• Nehemiah’s plan to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem was met with opposition from some of his own people, but he and those with him pressed on.
  
• Nehemiah was later appointed governor of Judah and the walls were rebuilt while still facing opposition from some of their own people.
  
• In addition, it is said that rebuilding walls of a conquered city was seen as a flagrant threat to Persian rule. And yet, Nehemiah put his faith, his desire, his effort, and his voice in the hands of his great God and God did something exceptional with it. Jerusalem went from a forsaken land, in shambles, with no walls or gates, and the people of Israel scattered and in shame, to a city rebuilt, it’s people returned, shame removed, order established, a hometown governor appointed (who was just months earlier a cup-bearer for the king), and the law of God reinstituted, proclaimed, and understood again. Is this not incredible? And that’s just chapters 1-8!
  

Nehemiah 9
So, after all this in chapters 1-8, worship begin breaking out. Chapter 9 is all worship. It’s a declaration, from their past to their present, of the greatness of the most incredible God. Notice also how their declaration of God’s incredible greatness is true in our past to present.

“You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.” (v6)

The Lord (YWHW) alone is God, the Creator of all things, and He preserves all His Creation (lit. He keeps all His Creation in existence). Our incredible God deserves nothing less than incredible worship.

“You are the Lord, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. You found his heart faithful before you, and made with him the covenant to give to his offspring the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite. And you have kept your promise, for you are righteous.” (vv7-8)

As God did to Abraham, He has done so to you! God chose you. He changed your name from ‘Child of Wrath’ and from ‘Wicked One’, to ‘Child of God’ and ‘Beloved’. He made a covenant with you through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Our incredible God deserves nothing less than incredible worship.

“And you saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea, and performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants and all the people of his land, for you knew that they acted arrogantly against our fathers. And you made a name for yourself, as it is to this day. And you divided the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on dry land, and you cast their pursuers into the depths, as a stone into mighty waters. By a pillar of cloud you led them in the day, and by a pillar of fire in the night to light for them the way in which they should go.” (vv9-12)

God has seen your afflictions and has heard your cries and He has and will continue to deliver you from them. He wants to declare the fame of His name through your life. What a privilege! What greater sign and wonder is there other than your transformation? Our incredible God deserves nothing less than incredible worship.

“You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven and gave them right rules and true laws, good statutes and commandments, and you made known to them your holy Sabbath and commanded them commandments and statutes and a law by Moses your servant. You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger and brought water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and you told them to go in to possess the land that you had sworn to give them.” (vv13-15)

In the same way God has provided you with food and water to eat and drink, He has given you His perfect, His true, and His holy Word, which is your heavenly food, to feast on and obey (cf. Deut. 8:3). Our incredible God deserves nothing less than incredible worship.

“But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments. They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them. Even when they had made for themselves a golden calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had committed great blasphemies, you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way by which they should go. You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst.” (vv16-20)

Guess what? Even when you disobey, or your wonderment/awe of God becomes dull, or you return to a former bondage He delivered you from, there is always a “but God” in the life of a believer. God is ready to forgive, He is gracious, and merciful, slow to anger, overflowing with kindness, does not forsake those He has redeemed and continues to sustain them. Our incredible God deserves nothing less than incredible worship.

“Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.” (v21)

God has sustained you in all of your wildernesses. You have remained and still remain because of God. Our incredible God deserves nothing less than incredible worship.

“And you gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner. So they took possession of the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and the land of Og king of Bashan. You multiplied their children as the stars of heaven, and you brought them into the land that you had told their fathers to enter and possess. So the descendants went in and possessed the land, and you subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hand, with their kings and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they would. And they captured fortified cities and a rich land, and took possession of houses full of all good things, cisterns already hewn, vineyards, olive orchards and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in your great goodness.” (vv22-25)

God goes before His people and prepares their days to delight (take pleasure) in His great goodness. What an incredible expectation we have as born-again believers! Our incredible God deserves nothing less than incredible worship.

“Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies. Therefore you gave them into the hand of their enemies, who made them suffer. And in the time of their suffering they cried out to you and you heard them from heaven, and according to your great mercies you gave them saviors who saved them from the hand of their enemies. But after they had rest they did evil again before you, and you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them. Yet when they turned and cried to you, you heard from heaven, and many times you delivered them according to your mercies. And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules, which if a person does them, he shall live by them, and they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey. Many years you bore with them and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not give ear. Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.” (vv26-31)

God loves us enough to give us chance after chance, warning after warning, and correction after correction (Heb. 12:5-6). God does not give up on us even when time after time we may give up on Him. Our incredible God deserves nothing less than incredible worship.

“Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until this day. Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly. Our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers have not kept your law or paid attention to your commandments and your warnings that you gave them. Even in their own kingdom, and amid your great goodness that you gave them, and in the large and rich land that you set before them, they did not serve you or turn from their wicked works. Behold, we are slaves this day; in the land that you gave to our fathers to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts, behold, we are slaves. And its rich yield goes to the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins. They rule over our bodies and over our livestock as they please, and we are in great distress. Because of all this we make a firm covenant in writing; on the sealed document are the names of our princes, our Levites, and our priests.” (vv32-38)

God is just/righteous in what He allows to happen in our life and He only deals with us according to His faithfulness (2Tim. 2:13). Our incredible God deserves nothing less than incredible worship.

Conclusion
You'll notice, I did not start chapter 9 at verse 1. I started at verse 6. I saved the first 5 verses until now. I want to conclude with highlighting how the people of God during that time chose to demonstrate some incredible worship unto their incredible God.

• In verse 1, (i)they fasted in humility. They knew what they were deserving of (which was judgment) and they fasted in humility recognizing they were unworthy of any of the favor they received from God.
  
• In verses 2-3, (ii)they separated themselves from whatever would corrupt their relationship with God (i.e. lineage). (iii)They confessed their own sins and the generational baggage passed down from their family. (iv)They made reading the Word, confession, and reverencing God the top priority of their life.
  
• In verse 4, (v)they prayed to God with no restrictions.
  
• In verse 5, (vi)they proudly praised God.
  

This incredible kind of worship was their response to the incredibleness of God in their lives. Our worship unto our incredible God should be no less than theirs. He has rescued us like He did them. He has showered His favor in our life like He did theirs. He has delivered us like He did them. He has protected us like He did them. He has sustained us like He did them. He has helped us overcome our opposition like He did them. He has given us His Word like He gave them.

And He has gone further for us under the new covenant. For He has given us the Holy Spirit as a seal, never to leave us, and He has secured our eternity. Our God is truly incredible and has done many incredible things in our lives! Is He not worthy and deserving of the sacrifice necessary to give Him incredible worship in response to all He is and has done for us?

Some of you need to repent today because you’ve been giving God leftover and moldy worship, not incredible worship. Some of you need to tighten up, there are some things you need to separate from, some sins you need to confess. Don’t read this today without responding to God about how He has convicted or challenged you through this writing. God gave us the most incredible salvation! How dare we give Him anything less than incredible worship as our response? We have the Holy Spirit within us to help us do so. We are truly without excuse.

2/14/15

#MorningDevoinGenesis

From January until today I have been spending my morning devotion with God in Genesis. No commentaries. Just me, the Holy Spirit, and His Word. Each day I would read either a chapter or multiple chapters, and then I would journal my personal gleanings and takeaways from my reading that morning. Upon journaling I began posting some of them on my social media to share with others. I would bookmark each post with #morningdevoinGenesis (at least on Facebook, Twitter not so much). It appeared many were blessed by them in some way. So, I figured why not post them all as a blog and hopefully bless many more as well!

I almost covered every chapter in Genesis. So go grab a cup of coffee or tea. Sip and read away.

May the Holy Spirit speak to all who read them!

~~~~~~~~~~

Chapters 1-11 of Genesis makes 2 things clear:
1. God is unquestionably sovereign over all.
2. Mankind, post-fall, is inherently sinful.

Chapter 12
Many times God will call us to leave our comfort/what’s comfortable in order to do something great in us and through us to bless others. (Gen. 12:1-3)

Husbands, don’t be afraid of the beauty of your wife like Abraham was. She is your blessing from God. He will protect her. (Gen. 12:11-20)

Chapter 13
Everything that looks good isn't always good. Sometimes things that look good are the center of wickedness & destruction. (Gen 13:10-13) #learningfromLotslessons

Genesis 14
Melchizedek was identified as king of Salem and priest of God (Gen. 14:18). Abram was identified as simply "Abram of God Most High" (Gen. 14:19). Neither is wrong. However, Abram's identification is better. Desire to be identified not by our titles/positions but by our standing in God alone. #knowyouridentity

Genesis 15
"Don't be afraid (insert your name). For I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward." (Gen 15:1). Remind yourself of this truth daily!

Genesis 16
Sometimes our spouses are wrong, but God never is. (Gen. 16:1-2)

God sees all your afflictions and distresses. He’s not blind to it. (Gen. 16:11-13) #trustHim

Genesis 17
There is no longer a physical distinction between the people of God & unbelievers. But there is a spiritual one, circumcision (cf. Rom 2:28-29). Our regenerate heart (i.e. actions, attitudes, motivations, beliefs, obedience, etc) is what distinguishes God's people from unbelievers. #cutoffmyfleshLord

Genesis 18
We serve the LORD through serving others in joy and gladness (Gen. 18:1-5).

During difficulties in life we need to ask ourselves, "Is anything too hard for the LORD?" (Gen 18:14). The answer is always no. Trust God.

It's easy for us to question what God is doing, even wonder if it's the right thing. Yet Scripture says, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Gen 18:25)

#serveGod #trustGod

Genesis 19
Men, stand up for your wives & children. Don't punk out under pressure like Lot did (Gen. 19).

If God tells you to "escape without delay and don't look back lest you be destroyed" (Gen 19:17, 26). Heed His counsel or suffer the consequences!

Genesis 20
Don't put your family in harms way bcuz of your assumptions (Gen 20:1-11). Trust God and walk in wisdom and integrity. #samethemetrustGod #dontpunkoutmen

Genesis 21
God does not forget His promises. He’s already planned when they will be fulfilled. (Gen. 21:1-2)

Parents, trust God with your children so they will become whatever He has for them to become. (Gen. 21:20)

Genesis 22
God sees our obedience to Him as reverence of Him. (Gen 22:1-12)

Genesis 23
Live all the years of your life. Don’t let life pass by. (Gen. 23:1)

Genesis 24
Abraham remembered what God said, then he made his decision in faith trusting God to remain true to His word (Gen 24:1-9). As should we. Saints, remember what God says in His word, then make decisions in faith trusting God to stay true to His character. #morningdevoinGenesis #trustGod #moveinfaith

Genesis 25
Husbands, cover in prayer every barren area of your wife’s life. (Gen. 25:21)

Nothing escapes the sovereign plan of God, even in the womb. (Gen. 25:23)

Genesis 26
Sometimes God brings famine in our lives to get us to move (Gen 26:1-5). Complacency is a killer to mission and vision.

Be careful dads and moms, our children follow us and may even repeat our same mistakes (Gen 26:6-11). Guard them from this. Use wisdom in parenting and the power of prayer to not pass on bad generational patterns.

Don't assume the 1st place God leads us to will be 'the one'. Sometimes God test our obedience and humbles us first to prepare us before leading us to a place for a season to grow & bless us. (Gen 26:17-22, 32)

Sometimes your growth in Christ can intimidate others. Don't take it personal. Bless them instead. (Gen 26:26-31)
Never forget, our decisions can grieve others connected to us. (Gen 26:34-35)

#toomeatynottoshare #receiveandheed #theSpiritspeaksthroughtheWord

Genesis 27
The dysfunction in our families are not outside the sovereign plan of God for our life. He knows what He's doing, even when it may seem like He doesn't. (Gen. 27ff)

Genesis 28
"Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go...I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you" (Gen 28:15). The purposes of God in our life will prevail or God is a liar.

When you realize that you're in the presence of God, tremble in awe and marvel at Him! (Gen 28:16-17)

The place "Bethel" came into being as a memorial after Jacob's encounter in the presence of God (Gen 28:18-19). How often do we relish and remember our intimate encounters with Jesus so much so that we seek to return repeatedly?

#trustHim #seekHim

Genesis 29
Let us never think women cannot be shepherds (Gen. 29:9). The Spirit gifts those in the Body how He wills (1Cor. 12:11).

Husbands, do we love our wives enough that we weep for them and would do double labor for them? We should. (Gen. 29:11-28) #guilty #helpmelovemywifeLord

Genesis 30
Jacob said "my righteousness will answer for me in time to come" (Gen 30:33). How true is this? Either your righteousness will answer for you before God or Christ righteousness in you will answer for you before God.

Genesis 31
Jacob called God "the Fear of Isaac" (Gen 31:42, 53). Powerful! "The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow; let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread" (Isa 8:13). #feartheLORD

Genesis 32
We need to repeatedly proclaim to ourselves, "I will never let You go God. No matter how much I have to wrestle in my life, no matter how out of place my life gets, I will never let go bcuz of how You have blessed me with You." (Gen 32:24-29)

Genesis 33
It is the leader's responsibility to know the state of those who follow them and how fast or slow a pace they should lead for their people's benefit. (Gen 33:14)

Genesis 34
Inordinate affection can lead to obsession and destruction. Be careful. (Gen. 34)

Genesis 35
Repentance gets our heart and mind right for worship. (Gen 35:1-2)

Sometimes God will birth in us and through us something we may not see as beloved but others will, and yet it will be brought forth with great sacrifice. (Gen 35:16-19)

Genesis 37
Sometimes your God-given dream may lead you into some unfortunate events. But don't think God is not the One orchestrating the outcome for His glory and purposes. (Gen. 37) #trusttheSovereignOne

Genesis 38
2 lessons learned from Judah, the son of Jacob, in Genesis 38:1-26. Temptation can appear more appealing during the difficult times when we need to be comforted. And it's during those times that we need our community of faith around us, supporting us, bcuz in those weak moments it's easier to give into the sins we would otherwise say no to on a good day. #gottawatch #communityisnonnegotiable

Genesis 39
From the story of Jospeh, we see that the favor of God = the Lord is with you in what you do and what is done to you. (Gen 39:1-23)

An obedient believer can be an unbeknownst blessing in all their environments and a witness for God (Gen 39:3, 5). Don't shortchange your obedience or be resistant to being a blessing in your environments, see it as an opportunity for God to be made known.

Don't assume temptations are one and done. Some temptations are persistent and ongoing until you slip and give it an entrance to catch you up (Gen 39:7-18). But don't fret, our slips and falls and the schemes of the enemy to destroy us don't catch God by surprise. The grace of God keeps us in our slips/falls and in the enemy's plots and He sets us up for some greater purpose in His plan (Gen 39:19-23).

Prison doesn't have to be prison when God is with you. (Gen 39:21-23)

Genesis 40-41
Man, so much in a chapter and a half of Genesis. I probably could've noticed more. Heart check definitely this morning.
1. Serving others with the right heart can redeem a bad situation and create opportunities for God's glory in your life (Gen 40:4-8). Do we trust God enough to do this? Now, this doesn't mean it will be a quick turnaround, it may take a while for something to come of it (Gen 41:1ff). Nonetheless, we are to trust God and continue to serve others faithfully (in whatever way that may be).
2. When your spirit is troubled, who do you call upon? Pharaoh called upon his ghostbusters (Gen 41:8). What about you?
3. Joseph's gift made room for him and brought him before a mighty man (Gen 41:9-15, cf. Prov 18:16). Serve others (w/the right heart) faithfully, who knows whom God may lead you before.
4. Serve others (w/the right heart) in such a way that your reputation of service speaks highly of you. (Gen 41:15)
5. Always defer the praise of your gifts to the giver of the gifts --> God and His glory. (Gen 41:15-16)
6. When God shows you what He's gonna do, you heed. When God repeats Himself, take heart. (Gen 41:25-32)
7. Bcuz everything has a season. Have a plan for the seasons of famine. You don't know when it may happen or whom God may send to you for that wisdom. (Gen 41:33-37)

#serveGodthroughservingothers #servefromtherightheart #alwaysdefertoGodsglory

Genesis 42
1. Joseph tested his brothers' words to verify their truthfulness, even though he knew they were telling the truth (Gen 42:16, 20). How much more us with those who claim to be speaking truth?
2. When things start to go badly we're quick to blame God (Gen 42). What we don't see is that it is part of His set-up for our future.

#stopbeinggullible #testeveryword #trustGod #Godgotthis

Genesis 43
At times it may be difficult, but do what is right and trust God with the outcome. (Gen 43:8-14)

How great is it to know that in Christ we can sit at the same table with different ethnicities & social classes. Oh how the OT saints would've loved that privilege. (Gen 43:32) #allarewelcome #nomoreseparation

Genesis 44-45
1. Don't be so quick with your words. You may commit to something you will regret later. (Gen 44:8-10, cf. Eccl 5:2)
2. Honoring your commitments with the right heart can unknowingly impart grace in situations. (Gen 44:30-45:1)
3. In God's economy don't ever think your decisions are for your purposes alone. God's purposes will always prevail overall, even through our decisions. (Gen 45:4-8)
4. Reconciliation is beautifully intimate. (Gen 45:9-15)
5. Sometimes the greatest blessings from God can cause us to doubt momentarily (it's too unbelievable) but then revive us for the next season. (Gen 45:25-27)

Genesis 46
Let us not presume that God does not or cannot still speak to ppl through dreams. Who knows, maybe God knows some ppl need the shock value. (Gen 46:2)

Genesis 49
In Genesis 49:5-7, Jacob said Levi was an instrument of cruelty, angry, and self-willed, and that he wouldn't be part of Levi's council or union. Yet, the tribe of Levi is where the priests came from. Ponder that. The takeaway: Don't assume every pastor will come from a pristine past. All of us were once instruments of self and some of us were instruments of cruelty. Now we're redeemed as instruments of God's grace. #wontHedoit #thescandalofgrace

Be careful not to bear other people's burdens too much that you become enslaved (Gen 49:14-15). Use wisdom and moderation.

How's that for a legacy, being remembered and spoken of as someone who uses/d beautiful (edifying) words. (Gen 49:21)

How's that for a legacy, being remembered and spoken of as someone who remained strong and faithful by God through adversity. (Gen 49:22-24)

Genesis 50
Scripture demonstrates that we (believers) should not seek personal retribution upon those whom may have a valid reason for it; for we are not in the place of God, and what was meant by their evil against us in reality was permitted by God for our good (and possibly others) in some way. (Gen 50:15-21)

March 8, 2017

11 Reasons Why to Study Theology/Doctrine from Psalm 111

One morning, during my time in the Word with God, I found myself at Psalm 111. I don’t recall what led me there. But clearly the Spirit wanted to minister to me from this Psalm specifically. After a quick read through Psalm 111 something caught my attention. So I went back and spent time going through each verse and I noticed something extraordinary about this Psalm. Psalm 111 gives 11 reasons why every believer is to study biblical theology/doctrine.

Maybe you’re the Christian who has said or thought, “Why do I need to read/study theology/doctrine? That’s for pastors, teachers, professors, and so on. I’m just a regular believer. I love God. I read my Bible. I go to church. I try to obey what I read in my Bible and am taught at church. I don’t need to know all that other stuff.”

Well, the psalmist of Psalm 111 answers that question. And if you hang with me for a little while, we’re going to walk through each verse and discover these 11 reasons.

“1 Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart, in the {assembly} of the upright, [in the congregation]. 2 {The works of the LORD are great}; they are studied by all who {have pleasure} in them. 3 [Full of splendor and majesty] is His work, and His righteousness endures forever. 4 He has made His [wondrous works] to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate. 5 He has given food to those who revere Him; He will remember His covenant forever. 6 He has made known to His people the power of His works, in giving them the heritage of the nations. 7 The works of His hands are [faithful and just]; all His precepts are [trustworthy]. 8 They are [established] forever and ever; they are performed in [faithfulness] and uprightness. 9 He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; holy and awesome is His name. 10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; [all those who practice it have a good understanding]; His praise endures forever.” -Psalm 111 (NASB, {NJKV}, [ESV])

What is Theology & Doctrine?
Not everyone knows the meaning of “theology” or “doctrine”. Allow me to give a quick and basic explanation.

• Theology comes from two Greek words, theos and logo. Theos = God. Logo, in this context, = logic/study. Thus…
  

“theology” = “the logical investigation of God” or “the study of God”

Hence, why I said “biblical theology” in the beginning, so you know I’m speaking of the God of the Bible and that the logical investigation/study of God is to be from the Bible.

• Doctrine is of Latin origin and it means “teaching(s)”. Thus…
  

“biblical doctrine” = “the teachings from the Bible”

Many verses in the Bible, both Old Testament and New Testament, mention the Hebrew and Greek transliteration of "teaching" as "doctrine" (e.g. Job 11:4, Deut. 32:2, Rom. 16:17, Eph. 4:14, 1Tim. 4:16, Tit. 2:1, 2Jn. 1:9).

To be sure this does not get misunderstood, there are different kinds of theologies and doctrines. Different churches, religions, and many philosophies have theologies and doctrines. So this is a good point of clarity when speaking with others. Find out which theology/doctrine they’re referring to, is it biblical theology/doctrine or some other form of theology/doctrine. Don’t do this to argue, but so you’ll know if you and they are in the same book or not.

11 Reasons Why Every Believer is to Study Biblical Theology/Doctrine
What many believers don’t realize is the moment they read/study their Bible, they’re entering into theology/doctrine. The moment you ask any questions pertaining to God, you have entered into theology. The moment you ask what does the Bible say about this or that, you have entered into doctrine. The moment you seek to answer those questions about God or what the Bible says, you have entered into theology and doctrine. These examples are the occasions that many don’t realize this is exactly what they’re doing.

What we will find in an unlikely place like Psalm 111 is why every believer is to intentionally pursue the study of biblical theology and doctrine. Here are its 11 reasons:

1st Reason: God is worthy of praise and thanks with our whole heart. (v1)

“Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart…”

What have you ever truly put all your heart into? A sport, a project, a relationship, etc? Was it for something you didn’t know or didn’t treasure? Probably not. Same is true here. You cannot praise and thank the God you don’t know. Even more, you cannot praise and thank God with your whole heart if you don’t know why He is worthy of praise and thanks with your whole heart. So, how do you come to know more about God, how do you come to know why God is worthy of praise and thanks with all your heart? Through studying biblical theology/doctrine.

2nd Reason: God’s works are great and enjoyed by all who study them. (v2)

“{The works of the LORD are great}; they are studied by all who {have pleasure} in them.”

If you think a surface reading of the Bible and a surface knowledge of God is enough, you are severely short-changing yourself. What is something that you thoroughly enjoy? What is something you can spend endless time doing? Reading, gaming, crafting, surfing, writing, etc? When you enter into your world of pleasure, do you feel as though it’s too small or do you feel like it’s boundless and you can’t wait to explore it more and more? God’s works are so grand, it’s an infinite ocean of exploration and excitement! To the believer who truly loves God and finds pleasure in Him, studying His works is the greatest enjoyment of all! And this can only happen through studying biblical theology/doctrine.

3rd Reason: God’s works and goodness are eternally breathtaking. (v3)

“[Full of splendor and majesty] is His work, and His righteousness endures forever.”

God is the most magnificent artist! His Creation and all the details therein are a divine masterpiece! Whether it is music, or art, or photography, or entertainment, we’ve all experienced in one of these forms something that has left us speechless. Well, there is no end to the awe that comes from knowing God’s character and works. But experiencing this only comes from studying biblical theology/doctrine.

4th Reason: God’s wondrous works are to be remembered. (v4a)

“He has made His [wondrous works] to be remembered…”

We are to remember God’s works. He has made His works to be unforgettable! What has been an unforgettable song or movie that you’ve heard or seen? For me, it was Inception. I took my wife to the movies to see Inception when it was in the theaters. She fell asleep. I, on the other hand, was in a deep trance and thought it was outstanding. It instantly became one of my all-time favorite movies. I watch that movie whenever it comes on. So much so, I can remember details and use it in examples or explanations when in conversation or teaching. How much more unforgettable are God’s works? We can only come to remember God’s unforgettable works through studying biblical theology/doctrine.

5th Reason: God’s character and acts toward His people. (vv4b-5)

“…the LORD is gracious and compassionate. He has given food to those who revere Him; He will remember His covenant forever.”

If your spouse habitually sucked, would you take an interest in them? Probably not. Such is the case in many marriages across the world. If your spouse consistently rocked, would you take an interest in them? Probably so. What’s the difference? The difference is the character and actions of the spouse. It’s harder to exhibit love and desire for another when the other habitually sucks, but it’s not so hard to do so when they don’t. God never sucks! God’s character is intact and His actions toward His people are based on His character, and that benefits us in everyway! But if you don’t know His character then you cannot recognize His constant actions toward you. If you can’t recognize His actions toward you, you will begin to think God is absent or indifferent or untrustworthy. The only way to get to know His character and be able to recognize His constant actions toward you is through studying biblical theology/doctrine.

6th Reason: God reveals how powerful He is to His people. (v6)

“He has made known to His people the power of His works…”

The God of the universe is…your…God. Let that sink in. This vast and detailed universe—an innumerable amount of galaxies, each billions of miles in size—was spoken into existence by God. Spoken! No sweat, no effort, just words. Boom! Mind blown. And this God has chosen to reveal His great power to you. You! In other words, God has given you exclusive, front-row, all-access viewing of His mighty power. Genesis to Revelation is flooded with the declaration of how powerful God is, and studying biblical theology/doctrine is how we explore the declaration of the power of His works.

7th Reason: What God does is true and just, and what He says is true and fixed. (vv7-8)

“The works of His hands are [faithful and just] all His precepts are [trustworthy]. They are [established] forever and ever; they are performed in [faithfulness] and uprightness.”

Have you ever heard someone say, “If God’s so good, why would God do/say this or allow/not say that?” More than likely if you haven’t thought this yourself, you probably have heard this. And why is that? Because people cannot see how if God is “good” can He then allow so many “bad things” to happen, or Himself do things that seem unfair (e.g. wipe out men, women, children, and livestock), or instruct His people to do things that seem discriminatory (e.g. teach there’s only one way to God). These kinds of questions and criticisms stem from a lack of understanding God and the nature of what He does and says. In a world that questions everything the Bible teaches about God, if you don’t know that what God does is faithful and just or that what He said is trustworthy, you will buckle under the pressure of these kinds of attacks and your own doubts. The only way to know so is through studying biblical theology/doctrine.

8th Reason: God orchestrated the redemption of His people. (v9a)

“He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever…”

Many professing Christians do not know the gospel. They think the creedal statement of “Jesus Christ died for my sins and rose from the dead” + John 3:16 = the Gospel. Is that wrong? Nope. Is it complete? Nope. What if I told you Genesis to Revelation is the gospel, how would you respond to that? There is no greater love drama than God’s redemption of the nations which starts in Genesis 3:15, and so many believers are missing out on the breadth and depth of the ultimate truth to mankind—the gospel. How do you come to know that God orchestrated the “immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:7) through the redemption of His people? Only through studying biblical theology/doctrine.

9th Reason: God is holy and must be revered. (v9b)

“…holy and awesome is His name.”

When you were young, was there something or someone you greatly feared? Not frightened, but more respected its authority and afraid of its consequences? For me it was my father. He had a commanding presence. I dreaded getting in trouble. Yet, I still managed to get in a lot. The mention of my father's name when I was younger would cause me to act right. If you’re a believer and the thought of God and His holiness does not invoke reverence, then you may not know the God of the Bible. There is no way you can truly know about God and His holiness and it not cause you to stand in awe and respect His authority. The only way to get to know more about God’s holiness and marvel at His name is through studying biblical theology/doctrine.

10th Reason: Revering God leads to wisdom. (10a)

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom…”

Come on, who doesn’t want wisdom? Do you want to be wiser than what you currently are? I know I do. And apparently with the robust amount of self-help books, blogs, and articles, so does everyone else. More than likely you do too. The Bible says the beginning of wisdom is fearing the LORD—reverencing God. Not gaining more self-help knowledge. Nope. As we discussed above in the 9th reason, how do you come to revere God? Through learning more about His character. The more you learn about who God is the more it spurs your soul to revere Him. The more the reverence of God bubbles within you wisdom is what is produced. And how do you come to learn more about God to bring about this wisdom? Through studying biblical theology/doctrine.

11th Reason: Following God’s wisdom leads to wisdom. (10b)

“…[all those who practice it have a good understanding]…”

Players who don’t know their team’s playbook look foolish when they play. Why? Because they’re doing things (or not doing things) that don’t fit with what the rest of their team is doing. Actors who don’t learn their lines look foolish when they perform. Why? Because everyone else is on cue but them and it messes up the performance. You can’t follow what you don’t know. You may do your surface reading of the Bible, or a devotional here and there, or your sermon splash from the church service, but your obedience will only go as far as your knowledge, and your growth will only go as far as your obedience. You cannot follow God’s wisdom if you don’t know God’s wisdom, and you won’t grow beyond what you know. Studying biblical theology/doctrine is how we grow in what we know, which leads to following more of what we now know more of.

Conclusion
This blog article was not to discuss “how” we study biblical theology/doctrine, but that we do. This blog article was to demonstrate how a simple psalm like Psalm 111 indicates the “why” for all believers. So many believers don’t study biblical theology/doctrine because they believe they don’t need to or have to. But nothing could be more wrong. It’s like God gives us the keys to the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory and many Christians are content with hanging out front and never going inside and being blown away. To study biblical theology/doctrine is a privilege we receive from God to learn more about Him through His Word to us. Psalm 111 gave you 11 reasons why you are to study theology/doctrine. Ignore this to your own detriment. Heed it for yours and others benefit.

Maybe you're scared or hesitant. Well, don’t be. Dive in! The Holy Spirit will be your lifeguard. It is His responsibility to lead us into all truth (John 16:13-15). Get your appetite wet and watch how it will grow.

We live in an age that affords us so much access to a plethora of Bible/Christian related resources, which comes with its own dangers and benefits. So yes, be careful whom you listen to and read. Go to my “Recommended Sites” page to get a good selection on some biblically-solid resources. Maybe go and purchase “Dug Down Deep” by Joshua Harris. He shares through his testimony how he personally came to his study of biblical theology/doctrine, why, and what it produced in him. It’s not long and it’ll get you started on your own journey, if you haven’t started. For those who have started and are looking for some more depth, try R.C. Sproul’s “Everyone’s A Theologian”. This will definitely feed your appetite.

And last, but not last, pray. Pray for the desire to know God more deeply. Pray for understanding when you read His Word. Pray for discernment with whom to listen to and read. Pray for God’s direction to the right resources. Pray.

July 1, 2016

Lean Not On Your Understanding - Prov. 3:5-8

What do you do when you have questions, problems, need guidance or advice? I’m not talking about things like how do you cook this, what color paint you should use, and other non-life affecting or unspiritual things. I’m talking about where do you go when you need advice about relationships, or choosing schools, careers, or making major financial moves? What about “following your heart”, what do you do for guidance in that area? What about with conviction, where do you go for counsel and accountability? Who do you turn to when you’re in emotional pain, or mental distress? Who is in your ear? Who are you taking guidance and advice from? What do you do?

More than likely our answer to these questions depends on the situation, right? I go to this person, I go to that person, I go over here, go over there. Or, we may turn to ourselves and our own reasoning and judgment to find the answers to some of these.

In whatever it is we do or wherever it is we may go to deal with these situations, the Bible says our bottom line pursuit for guidance, advice, and counsel is to be from God—–i.e. His will, His ways, and His standards laid out before us in His Word. And that even goes for those “little matters” of life, glorifying God should still influence those decisions and whom we seek for help even in those “little matters”. Now let’s see why the Bible tells us this in Proverbs 3:5-8.

Dissecting Proverbs 3:5-8
–3:5-6 (NASB):

5 Trust (Heb–have a bold confidence/assurance)...
in the LORD with all your heart (Heb–everything within you)...
and do not lean (Heb–support one’s self) [do not depend (NLT)]...
on your own understanding (Heb–knowledge, meaning, wisdom, discernment).
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him [Seek His will in all you do (NLT)]...
and (here’s the promise) He will make your paths straight [He will show you which path to take (NLT)].

Here's Matthew Henry's commentary on the promise in verse 6,

“Those that put themselves under a divine guidance shall always have the benefit of it. God will give them that wisdom which is profitable to direct, so that they shall not turn aside into the by-paths of sin, and then [He] will himself so wisely order the event that it shall be…for their good.”

–3:7-8 (NASB):

7 Do not be wise (Heb–intelligent, skilled)...
in your own eyes [don’t be impressed with your own wisdom (NLT)]...
fear the LORD (Heb–revere/greatly respect God bcuz of who He is and what He can do)...
and turn away from evil.
8 (here’s the promise) It will be healing to your body (Heb–navel)...
and refreshment to your bones.

Allow me to give some historical background so to understand what the promise of verse 8 meant in context to the original audience. It’s known that by the umbilical cord the fetus receives its nourishment while it’s in the mother’s womb. All the nourishment is received and the circulation of the blood is kept up by way of the umbilical cord (which was connected to our belly button/navel). Thus, when the wise man says, that it shall be health to your body (i.e. navel), what he’s saying is that this principle—–trust in God and not in ourselves, seeking His will and not our own wisdom, and fearing God so to turn from evil—–is as vital to our life in God and to our “continual growth in grace, as the umbilical cord is to the life and growth of the fetus in the womb”. So the promise is by following this principle, it will be nourishment/sustenance (that which is sustaining) to our life just as all the nourishment is received and the circulation of the blood is kept up by way of the umbilical cord (the navel). What a promise this is once we have some background and understand what it originally meant in its historical context.

Now to finish what the rest of the promise means, the “refreshment to your bones”. In Clarke's Commentary he notes for verse 8,

“What the marrow [i.e. the soft tissue in the bones] is to the support and strength of the bones, and the bones to the support and strength of the body;” this principle, “is to the support, strength, energy, and salvation of [our lives].”

From now dissecting this passage do we now see why our bottom line pursuit for guidance, advice, and counsel is to be from what God has laid out before us in His Word? Because it is for our holistic benefit if we seek God with all our heart and in all our ways, but it is to our detriment if we go about pursuing guidance, advice, and counsel on our own understanding.

Some Examples
Let’s discuss some ways we, in our own understanding, go about dealing with questions, problems, needing guidance or advice in life-affecting situations, spiritual situations, and even in what we consider irrelevant small matters.

Some of us go about dealing with these situations by seeking guidance or counsel from Astrology and horoscopes, maybe even psychics—–tarot cards, fortune tellers, palm readings, and séances. And some of you might be thinking, what’s wrong with this? First, they are all condemned and prohibited in the Bible as a form of divination (Lev. 20:22-24, 26-27, Deut. 18:9-14, 1Sam. 15:23; 28:3ff). The Bible is very clear, this is not of God. If you look up Astrology, it “is the “interpretation” of an assumed influence the stars (and planets) exert on human destiny.” All of the other practices are, and I’m going to quote Ron Rhodes because he says it perfectly, they are all “based on the concept that there are gods, spirits, or deceased loved ones that can give advice and guidance”. This is not of God. None of these are godly by any means because they require us to place our faith in something other than God. To participate in these things violates Scripture. Don’t lean on your own understanding in this, because you’re setting yourself up in disobedience and whatever consequences that follow.

Some of us go about dealing with these situations by seeking guidance or counsel from immature/carnal/unsound believers, or worldly philosophy (e.g. talk shows, radio shows, news, social media, magazines, word-of-mouth, websites, etc), or ungodly people, and so forth. In 2Chron. 18:4-22, this passage records the story about King Jehoshaphat (the king of Judah) and King Ahab (the king of Israel). Jehoshaphat is looking for counsel before going to war, so he hits up Ahab. Ahab seeks his own prophets for counsel and guidance rather than the prophet of God. His own prophets tell him what he wants to hear, but not the word of God. But when Jehoshaphat asked if there was another prophet, a prophet of God, Ahab said the prophet of God always speaks the opposite of what he wants to hear. In the end, Jehoshaphat follows God’s counsel by way of the prophet of God and is saved from the battle. Ahab leaned on his own understanding and followed the counsel of his prophets and died in battle just as the prophet of God foretold. What does this mean for us? Don’t seek guidance and counsel from people you know or think aren’t biblically grounded and mature, because that’s the equivalent of seeking your own prophets and not the prophet of God–—i.e. the mature, biblically grounded believers who’s going to speak forth only what’s in accordance with God’s Word.

Final Word
As I wrap this up, let me clear something that may be misunderstood. What I’m not saying is abandon “careful thinking or belittle our God-given ability to reason” (NASB), and in that I’m not saying that we should trust our own ideas to the point where we exclude the Word of God or other godly counsel. What I am saying is when it boils down, we are to (1)make our decisions based on the guidance, advice, and counsel from what God has laid out before us in His Word—–i.e. is this thing/decision going to be pleasing to God or not according to His word—–and (2)not make our decisions based solely on our own understanding or solely on the understanding of others (especially those who aren’t fruit-bearing, biblically solid and mature accountable believers). (And that’s not that God can’t speak through anyone, He spoke through a donkey to get the attention of a prophet, but we shouldn’t seek just anyone out. If God wants to speak to us through an unlikely source, let Him do it, not us pursue it).

Proverbs are guides for daily life. Therefore let this proverb guide your daily life by simply following it as opportunities present themselves (our days are filled with opportunities to apply this proverb). Let the truth of this proverb guide your thinking and reasoning in how you go about dealing with questions, problems, needing guidance or advice in life-affecting situations, spiritual situations, and even in what we consider irrelevant small matters. If you want God’s best for your life—–the nourishment of life and growth like the umbilical cord does for the fetus in the womb; the support, strength, and energy like the marrow is to the bones; the wisdom to direct where to go/which paths to take—–then trust God with all your heart and seek His will in all your ways so that this conditional promise can be manifested, and lean not on your own understanding.

2010

Reflections in James

I was reading the book of James for my morning time with God throughout the months of August and September. As I read along, I took notes of some reflections and would post them to Facebook and Twitter from time to time to encourage and challenge believers. When I looked back over all the notes I had accumulated I thought it would be a good idea to post them all in one place. So here we are.... May my notes from my time in James encourage and challenge you as well.

• Trials are to be counted as blessings because of what they produce in us, growth/maturity. The end is greater than the pain of getting there. It's like working out, we like how we look and feel after all the hard, long days in the gym. The name of our life gym is called “Trials”, and God is our fitness coach. Look toward the end result during those painful periods. Remind yourself it's worth it because God is chiseling you into His likeness. #changeinperspective #getfit #feeltheburn (Jam. 1:2-4)

• Asking God in faith and doubting contradict one another. Faith acknowledges God's character, doubt does not. Either we ask God in faith and await His response in hope, knowing that whatever He decides will be good because He is good and works all things together according to His good pleasure; or we doubt and disbelieve God can or will or that His response will be something other than for our good and we begin to worry, become anxious, and miss the good in God's response. (Jam. 1:5-8)

• The glory of humility is exaltation (i.e. being honored for being humble). The glory of the rich is humiliation (because riches don't last and the pursuit of riches is short-lived). (Jam. 1:9-11)

• Happiness is a by-product of enduring temptation. We're happy when we don't succumb to temptation, woohoo! Honor from the Lord is a reward of enduring temptation. Oh to hear the words, “Well done, thy good and faithful servant!”, is like being crowned by the King. (Jam. 1:12)

• James 1:13-18 contrast good coming from God and tempted to evil coming from our own desires. And James warns us not to be deceived. Any evil we do or desire or approve comes from within us. Any good we do or receive or desire or approve comes from God.
  

• Believers are to receive God's Word with meekness, not arrogantly or passively. (Jam 1:21b)
  

• Only the Word implanted in the heart is able to save souls (Jam 1:21b). Our words, reasoning, opinions, and so on have no ability to rescue a person. Only God's holy Word does! Be an open and friendly conduit of God's truth from His revealed Word! #thepowerisinHisWord
  

• Acceptable piety to God is to selflessly serve others in need and be noticeably set-apart from the world. (Jam 1:27)
  

• James 2 is so easily misinterpreted to mean “we are justified by works”. Yet the context clearly shows that “faith is justified by works”. James 2 is so misinterpreted because we rather earn our salvation than for God to give it to us freely. Works are self-initiated. Grace is anti-self and God-initiated. Our faith is justified by works because it was initiated by grace. Thus, the works that genuine saving faith will produce is God-initiated not self-initiated (cf. Phil 2:12-13).
  

• Faith and favoritism cannot coexist. If you show favoritism to one person over another, James says you commit sin. Our churches are failing in this department. Pastors, leaders, and members go read James 2:1-13 and repent if you're guilty and make the hard adjustments for the glory of God and the gratitude of His grace in your life. Hold each other accountable to this charge in Scripture. The church is not a country club (e.g. members only, same race only, same class only, etc), it's a safe haven for all sinners in need of the Lord Jesus Christ.
  

• People should not be quick to be teachers of God's Word/Truth (either in speaking or writing). It's a tall task of which there is an even taller standard of accountability. We will be judged by our words. There is a great cost for such a great privilege. (Jam. 3:1ff)

• There are many people who appear wise and sound wise, but if they do not bear the fruit of wisdom they are not so. (Jam 3:13-17)
  

• James 4:1-4 is where we are when we compromise and are being carnal. James 4:5-6 is how God responds. James 4:7-11 is to be our appropriate response to God's response. Let us read and heed! #devowithJames
  

• Whenever we speak evil (unkind, untruthful, gossip, slander, etc) of another believer we speak evil of the law of Christ and sit in the seat of God declaring condemnation (James 4:11-12). Be mindful of what you say about other believers, even in the name of “venting” and getting “accountable”, because you may be sinning against God and that believer. #morningdevowithJames #convicted #imguiltyofthis #Jamesholdsnopunches #letsdobetterChurch
  

• Be careful that the plans we make are not in arrogance as if we are sovereign. James calls this evil. (Jam 4:13-16)
  

• The person whose heart desires and is filled with an abundance of things eventually brings misery and judgment upon themself. Their riches/wealth are their corroded treasure they have chosen over the Lord. (Jam 5:1-8)
  

• Over-indulgence leads to judgment. (Jam 5:5)
  

• We as believers need to be more quick to bear with one another than to grumble against one another. For how we are so we shall receive. (Jam 5:7-9)
  

• When suffering as a believer remember the end is always intended by the Lord, who is full of compassion and mercy. (Jam 5:10-11)
  

• Don't make commitments and promises you can't keep, or you'll come under the judgment of hypocrisy. (Jam 5:12)
  

• We in the Church need each other. We need to be available for one another. We need to reach out to one another in the highs and lows. We can do much good to one another if we follow James instructions with pure hearts or much harm if we don't. (Jam 5:13-16)
  

• It's okay to pray the unbelievable and the unforeseeable. God is not intimidated. He may very well do it. (Jam 5:17-18)
  

• We are our brothers/sisters keeper. We are to help bring them home when they're wandering in error and heading for death. (Jam 5:19-20)

10/1/2015

Does God Approve of “Shacking Up”?

I have had many conversations with many professing believers who have argued to me that God does not disapprove of “shacking up” (i.e. a couple living together like they are married without actually being married). Their arguments have ranged from, “we're engaged so what's the big deal”, to “we're getting a feel of what it would be like to determine if we're ready for marriage”, to “the Bible doesn't say we can't live together”, and so on. Many professing believers do not see a problem or any carnality or compromise with “shacking up” (living together) with whom they're dating. Many professing believers may not even know how the Bible addresses this or if it even does or care if it does.

Let me say it first, the Bible does address this topic but not directly like a “Q&A”. You can find the Bible's view on this in it's pronouncement on marriage.

“18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”....21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. 25 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.””
(Genesis 2:18, 21-25, NIV)

To physically move in and live together with your boyfriend or girlfriend is outside of God's design, and that is what makes it an error. God designed here in Genesis 2 that a man will leave his parents and be joined to “his wife” as “one flesh”. Living with your boyfriend or girlfriend purports becoming “one flesh”. How so? Because both people have left their separateness to live and be together as a couple (as “one”). A couple living together is a component reserved only for God's design in marriage. It is not meant to be done outside of this specific God-ordained relationship; for to do so is superseding God's design with one's personal view and preferences.

I have no need to address the potential and promising problems with couples living together before marriage to build an apologetic against it, because the greatest argument against it is that God ordains from the very beginning of humanity's existence that leaving, cleaving, and living together as “one” is for marriage only. To do otherwise, whether knowingly or unknowingly, is a clear defiance of God's design. One's ignorance or ignoring does not dismiss their violation of God's design. It will always be a violation––i.e. sin (falling short of God's standard).

So, to all the professing Christians that may read this, you have no biblical “omitted” basis for your defiance of God's design for living together as a couple; neither can you use the “cultural context” excuse to explain away the truth principles in this passage because there was no culture defined. This was humanity's inception. Thus, this principle is tied to all generations of mankind in every culture. There is no escape. The only reason you have to stand on is the real one, selfishness and pride––you want to do what you want to do and you don't want to be told that you can't. After this biblical response, to attempt to argue that it's not a violation to shack up (i.e. God does approve) further shows your selfishness and pride in your effort to justify your sin.

If you are a professing Christian shacking up with your boyfriend or girlfriend, God does not approve and you are in fact sinning against your Savior and Master. As always, there is grace––of which you've probably been receiving from God in the midst of you sinning against Him and have likely mistaken it for His approval. God will forgive, if you repent (1Jn. 1:9).

My final word to you, thank God for His grace and forgiveness, choose to obey Jesus and either get married, move out, or suffer the consequences of violating God's design (and whatever may come from that).

5/13/2015

Jesus said, "I AM the Good Shepherd"

In the Gospel of John, Jesus proclaims eight “I AM” statements about His identity—–(i)I AM the bread of life (Jn. 6:35); (ii)I AM the light of the world (Jn. 8:12; 9:5); (iii)I AM the door (Jn. 10:9); (iv)I AM the good shepherd (Jn. 10:11); (v)I AM the resurrection and the life (Jn. 11:25); (vi)I AM the way, the truth, and the life (Jn. 14:6); (vii)I AM the vine (Jn. 15:5); (viii)I AM that I AM (Jn. 4:26; 8:24, 28, 58; 13:13, 19; 18:5-6, 8). Of the eight statements four of them are descriptive nouns for tangible things (bread, light, door, and vine), and three of them are descriptive nouns for nonmaterial things (the resurrection and the life, the way, the truth, and the life, and I AM that I AM). But there is one “I AM” statement which differs from the rest. In this “I AM” statement Jesus uses a character noun with the emphasis on the adjective. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd” (Jn. 10:11, emphasis added). The question now, why did Jesus choose to exhibit this characteristic of God? Let’s start with getting some background on what was taking place during the time Jesus uttered that “I AM” phrase.

The good shepherd illustration is in between the time of the Feast of Tabernacles (Jn. 7:1) and the Feast of Dedication (Jn. 10:22). Thus, Jesus and His disciples were in Jerusalem. Some hours earlier before the discourse Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath that was born blind and that starts a new confrontation with the Pharisees (Jn. 9). The Pharisees had previously attempted to stone Him (Jn. 8:59) for saying they were children of Satan (Jn. 8:41-44) and that He was the great “I AM” (Jn. 8:58). And yet the Pharisees are at it again. Robert Thomas and Stanley Gundry said, “The occasion for this allegory [John 10] was furnished by the excommunication of the blind man whom Jesus healed (Jn. 9:34).”[*3] Because of how the Pharisees responded to the healing of the blind man, Jesus equated them in His illustration with the thief, the robber, and the hirelings (Jn. 10:1, 12). The Pharisees “had no real concern for the sheep.”[*1] After this discourse by Jesus there was a division amongst the Jews because of what He shared (Jn. 10:19). Some said He was mad and had a demon, others said a mad and demon-possessed man cannot open the eyes of the blind (Jn. 10:20-21). During the Feast of Dedication, the Jews seemed fed up with waiting, some for reasons of entrapment and some for sincere inquiry. Seeing that the Feast of Dedication “was closely connected with that part of Israel’s heritage known as the Maccabean revolt,”[*5] the Jews just straightforwardly asked Jesus was He the Messiah probably with a political intent in mind (Jn. 10:22-24). This question turns into another debate and ultimately ends with an attempt to seize Jesus again (Jn. 10:25-39). The good shepherd illustration was delivered right at a time where it would be starkly contrasted with the characteristics of the Jewish leaders.

The sheep and shepherd illustration can be traced back to the Old Testament. In Ezekiel 34 and Jeremiah 23:1, God speaks out against the shepherds of Israel who aren’t concerned about the sheep. This is similar to what Jesus did throughout His public ministry with the Jewish leaders (Pharisees, priests, etc). He was purposely making mention to the Old Testament scriptures. The Jewish leaders are symbolic to the irresponsible shepherds depicted in the Old Testament. Jesus, on the other hand, is displaying and proclaiming Himself to be the good shepherd whom God was portrayed as in the Old Testament (Ps. 80:1). God is revealed as the savior of His sheep (Ezek. 34:11-15), the One who cares for His sheep (Ps. 78:52-53, Amos 3:12), the One who causes His sheep to rest (Ps. 23:2, Jer. 33:12), and so forth. Jesus says, in regards to those representations of God in the Old Testament, I am that same good shepherd.

Some may say that just as Jesus was showing a parallel of the present day Jewish leaders with the Old Testament irresponsible shepherds, so He was doing with Himself and God—He was merely showing a similarity not a claim of deity. However, Jesus knew exactly what He was saying when He said, “I am the good shepherd” (Jn. 10:14). Jesus speaks of Himself in the same manner God did in Ezekiel 34. In Ezekiel 34 God calls them His sheep and His flock (Ezek. 34:6, 8, 10-12, 15, 17, 19, 22, 31). In John 10 Jesus calls them His sheep and His flock (Jn. 10:14-16, 26-27). This is significant. Because in Ezekiel 34:23 it was prophesied that God will establish one shepherd over His sheep. Jesus, in His “I am the good shepherd” statement, is saying that He is the fulfillment to this Ezekiel prophecy. Jesus makes it very clear that He is God the good shepherd the Old Testament testifies of:

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want…Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (Ps. 23:1, 6).
“Know that the LORD, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture” (Ps. 100:3).
“He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young” (Isa. 40:11).
“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture…I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep…I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own…And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring…I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (Jn. 10:9, 11, 14, 16, 27-28).

There is no ambiguity to what Jesus meant. Jesus claims Himself to be that same good shepherd portrayed in the Old Testament, not merely a similar one.

So, why did Jesus choose to exhibit this specific characteristic of God in an “I AM” statement? This “I AM” statement demonstrates the preface to the affectionate nature of God. The shepherd cares, protects, feeds, leads, and will even die for His sheep. By re-introducing this characteristic of God, it was an ideal way for Jesus to express the totality of God’s affectionate nature, that is, that Jesus–—the Son of God—–is literally laying down His life for His people (Jn. 10:11, 15) to ultimately care for them and keep them safe (Jn. 10:9-10, 27-29), and that no one else but He is willing and able to do so (Jn. 10:12-14, 16). The greatest display of a good shepherd is making the greatest sacrifice for his sheep, and that’s exactly what Jesus did for His, which is why He is and will always be the good shepherd.

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References:
1. The New Testament and Wycliffe Bible Commentary. New York: The Iversen-Norman Associates, 1971
2. The One Volume Bible Commentary. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1936
3. Thomas, Robert, and Stanley Gundry. A Harmony of the Gospels. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1978.
4. Towns, Elmer. A Journey Through the New Testament. Mason: Cengage Learning, 2008.
5. Towns, Elmer. The Gospel of John: Believe and Live. AMG Publishers, 2002.

10/6/2010

Colossians 1:15 in Context

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation."
(Col. 1:15, NASB)

Many read Colossians 1:15 and get hung up on the term "firstborn". What does that mean? How is "He" the firstborn?

Jehovah Witnesses believe and teach that Jesus is the “first creation” before all creation through which all other things were created.(1) Mormons believe and teach that Jesus was created in the image of God like we are and is the “firstborn child” of God (the Divine Father) and Mary (a mortal human).(2) And know that there are others who butcher this as well. This is what led me to post this today. May we come to properly understand the enormity and beauty of the truth in this verse. 

As biblical believers, we should understand the use of the term "firstborn" in its original language and in its proper context. The Greek term for "firstborn" used here in Colossians 1:15 is prototokos. I'll start with what it does not mean.

"does not mean"
First, in context, it does not mean "first-birth". We know that the "first-birth"—the first  human to be born from the womb of a woman—would be Cain (Gen. 4:1). There is no biblical evidence of Jesus being "born" at any time before Cain.

Second, we know it does not mean "first-created". Theologically we know this isn't the case because Scripture is clear that Jesus, God the Son, is eternal, He has no beginning, and He is the "is, was, and is to come" (Jn. 1:1-2; 17:5, Rev. 1:8, 17; 22:13). Furthermore, since Scripture teaches that Jesus is in essence/nature God, then He could not have been created, for God is self-existing (Ex. 3:14, Isa. 40:28; 43:10-13). Philippians 2:6 explains that Jesus has always existed in the nature of God and equal with God. Even in the beginning phrase of Colossians 1:15 it says He is the image of the invisible God. The word "image" here in Greek is eikṓn, and in context it is conveying the exact reflection of the source, as in a mirror reflecting the exact image of the real person standing in front of it.(3). Thus, because the source here is the invisible God, Jesus is then the invisible God reflecting His own image visibly (cf. 2Cor. 4:4). And 1Timothy 1:17 additionally explains that God is eternal and immortal. Concluding that Jesus cannot be the "firstborn" (prototokos) as in the "first-created".

"does... mean"
So now knowing what it does not mean, what does this prototokos in context mean? If we look at this term in context with the four verse passage (vv. 15-18) and in context with the whole scope of Scripture we'll see that this term is conveying "firstborn" as first in placement or position.(4). Edwin Lutzer says, "It's not a matter of time but status that determines who the firstborn is."(5). Additionally, Israel is called God's firstborn (Exod. 4:22) and David is referred to as the firstborn (Ps. 89:27). Both are in context with "first in placement or position". This four verse passage is about Jesus being over all, creating all, holding it all together, and all things being for Him. Paul culminates his point in the last part of verse 18, Jesus Christ is the "firstborn" that He may in all things have the preeminence, the first place. Thus, we can very well read Colossians 1:15 as... 

"He is the image of the invisible God, the preeminent (prototokos) of all creation".

As biblical believers, when confronted with this verse by Jehovah's Witnesses or Mormons or some other dissenter, we should take them on the journey of proper interpretation. We should ask them questions and show them what this verse is not saying first, then go on to show them what it is saying in context. If they still refuse it, leave them to the Holy Spirit and keep them in prayer. Hopefully a seed was planted and they begin to question their faulty beliefs. It is not us who will open their eyes, but the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit that will.

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References:
1. www.religionfacts.com/jehovahs-witnesses/beliefs
2. www.mormon.org/beliefs/godhead || www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/col/1.15?lang=eng || www.lds.org/manual/jesus-christ-and-the-everlasting-gospel-teacher-manual/lesson-7-jesus-christ-gods-only-begotten-son-in-the-flesh?lang=eng
3. http://concordances.org/greek/1504.htm
4. http://concordances.org/greek/4416.htm
5. Lutzer, Edwin. (1998). The Doctrines that Divide. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications. p. 32.

6/19/2013

Interpretive Journey of Deuteronomy 22:8

“When you build a new house, make a parapet around your roof so that you may not bring the guilt of bloodshed on your house if someone falls from the roof.” (Deut. 22:8)

We'll start our journey of this verse with some observations. Observations help the reader to notice certain things which may be overlooked if not closely scanned. After the observations we'll go step-by-step through interpreting this verse and see how significant OT verses like these are for us today.

Observations
There are repeated words like “you”, “house”, “your”, and “roof”; which is exactly what this verse is about, the roof of their houses. There some active verbs in “build”, “make”, “bring”, and “falls”. There is a command in “When…make”. The NKJV, ESV, NASB, and KJV all say “you shall make”. Also, the phrase “so that you may not…if” is a resultant statement.

Step 1: What did the text mean (or what was the author's intent) to the biblical audience?
This instruction may have been received with mixed understanding. By this time the people of Israel were within months of entering the Promised Land, meaning they were still living in tents not in houses they would eventually build. This is why the very first word of this verse is so important (“When”) because it denotes a time to come. The mixed understanding may have come because only Moses, Joshua, and Caleb would remember Egypt and the style of houses there (and perhaps certain enemies who had clay brick houses also) to know why God would give this instruction, unlike the present generation getting ready to enter the Promised Land who probably had no idea what this meant. This verse falls in the midst of other laws regulating religious and social life. It’s not connected to anything else. It is its own singular instruction. This verse also contains correlation to the sixth commandment in that if you do not take the necessary steps to ensure, in this case, the safety of someone in your house so that if they die because of your negligence then you are at guilt for their bloodshed. Later in Israel’s history the roof of their houses would be flat and used as a place for grain (Josh. 2:6), to relax (2Sam. 11:2), for privacy (Acts 10:9), and guests (1Sam. 10:25-26). Thus, God was giving His people a preventive instruction in this verse, “When you build a new house, make a parapet (ma’aqeh, e.g. a guardrail or wall like around a balcony) around your roof so that you may not bring the guilt of bloodshed on your house if someone falls from the roof (e.g. be punishable for breaking the sixth commandment).”

Step 2: What are the difference between the biblical audience and us?
We are no longer under the Old Covenant. We are not about to enter into the land promised to our ancestors by God. We do not live in tents in the Middle Eastern desert or Middle Eastern style houses. We have not been wandering in the desert for forty years. We are not civilians of a theocracy. We have never seen or been led by God personally in the form of a cloud or fire. Moses nor Joshua is not our mediator, Jesus is. And so on the list can go.

Step 3: What is the theological principle in this text?
Follow God’s preventive wisdom for yours and others safety.

Step 4: Does the New Testament teaching modify or qualify this principle, and if so, how?
The New Testament is full of God’s preventive wisdom for ours and others safety. There are numerous verses and passages telling us to flee something sinful and ultimately destructive (e.g. 1Cor 6:18; 10:14, 1Tim. 6:11, 2Tim. 2:22, Jam. 4:7), seek God and the things of God (e.g. Matt. 6:33; 7:7-8, Rom. 14:19, 1Cor. 7:27; 10:24), follow Jesus (e.g. Matt. 10:38, 1Cor. 11:1, Eph. 5:1, 1Jn. 2:6), don’t worry or be anxious (e.g. Matt. 6:25-31, 34, Phil. 4:6-7), be persistent and serious in prayer (e.g. Lk. 18:1, 1Pet. 4:7), owe no one anything but to love them (e.g. Rom. 13:8-9), there will be troubles and such so stand firm (e.g. Jn. 16:33, 1Cor. 15:58; 16:13, Gal. 5:1, Eph. 6:10-13), etc, etc.

Step 5: How should individual Christians today apply this modified theological principle in their lives?
Christians today should apply God’s preventive wisdom just as we would follow the prescription for our medicine giving to us from the doctor, step by step, day by day, just as instructed for as long as instructed.

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References:
The One Volume Bible Commentary, 1936
NASB Life Application Study Bible, Updated Edition, 2000
NIV Archaeological Study Bible, 2005
The Strongest NIV Exhaustive Concordance, 1999
Biblos.com

3/4/2010

Interpretive Journey of Numbers 15:17-21

“The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land to which I am taking you and you eat the food of the land, present a portion as an offering to the LORD. Present a cake from the first of your ground meal and present it as an offering from the threshing floor. Throughout the generations to come you are to give this offering to the LORD from the first of your ground meal.’” (Num. 15:17-21)

We'll start our journey of this verse with some observations. Observations help the reader to notice certain things which may be overlooked if not closely scanned. After the observations we'll go step-by-step through interpreting this verse and see how significant OT verses like these are for us today.

Observations
There are repeated words in “the LORD”, “you”, “land”, “present”, “offering”, “the first of your ground meal”, and “from”. There are active verbs in “enter”, “taking”, “eat”, “present”, and “give”. A generational statute is given, “Throughout the generations to come you are to give this offering”. There is an action of God, He takes them to the land (v. 18). There are actions of the people, they do the entering, eating, presenting, and giving. Also, there is a command, “present…an offering”. In the NKJV, ESV, NASB, and KJV they say “you shall” right before, indicating a command.

Step 1: What did the text mean (or what was the author's intent) to the biblical audience?
At this point in Israel’s journey this specific instruction of God probably didn’t make much sense to the people. Ten of the twelve spies sent to spy on the Promise Land had come back with a bad report, and the people of Israel listened and refused to enter the land which God swore they would have (ch. 14). So, God assures them that due to their refusal they will not enter the land, none of them twenty and older (14:29); that is except for Joshua and Caleb (14:30). But the people mourned more for the word from God than the word of the spies. They decided they are ready to enter the land like they should of the first time. Despite the warning of Moses and the word of the LORD, they presume to enter (14:39-44) and were defeated (v. 45). The following instructions in chapter 15 come on the heels of there double disobedience to God and defeat of the Amalekites and Canaanites, all regarding the Promise Land. They were just told they were not going to enter the Promise Land, only Joshua, Caleb, and their children—who they complained would be victims—would enter, they on the other hand would die in the wilderness. Thus these instructions were for the Israelites that would be entering the land (v. 17-18). These instructions were also similar to that spoken of already in Exodus (34:26) and Leviticus (2; 23:9-14, 17). And, the term “food of the land” indicates that the entering generation would no longer be eating manna and quails, but rather food from the land (cf. Josh. 5:10-12). As a result of this all, the overall objective of this text is obedience and honoring God with an offering of the first of the “ground meal” of the land He was bringing them into.

Step 2: What are the differences between the biblical audience and us?
We are no longer under the Old Covenant. We haven’t recently been defeated by the people occupying the land we were promised by God to possess. We are not about to enter into the land promised to our ancestors by God only to be told we will now die in the wilderness because of our disobedience, complaining, and complete lack of trust in God. We do not live in tents in the Middle Eastern desert. We have not been recently freed from slavery and bondage to Egypt with great signs and wonders. We are not civilians of a theocracy. We have never seen or been led by God personally in the form of a cloud or fire. Moses is not our mediator, Jesus is. And so on the list can go.

Step 3: What is the theological principle in this text?
Obedience to God and honoring Him with an offering of the first of what He has blessed us with.

Step 4: Does the New Testament teaching modify or qualify this principle, and if so, how?
Obedience is the greatest manifestation of the people of God. As we obey God to love, forgive, be faithful, and so on God is glorified (cf. Matt. 5:16). Obedience to God is presented in the New Testament just as much as it was in the Old Testament (e.g. Lk. 11:28, Jn. 10:27; 14:15, Rom. 8:5, 14, 1Pet. 1:13-16, 1Jn. 2:3-6, Rev. 22:14). As for honoring God with an offering of the first of what He has blessed us with, the New Testament says very little on this. Actually in the book of Hebrews the author says that God had no pleasure in “sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin (which are offered according to the law)”, and in Christ “He takes away the first that He may establish the second” (Heb. 10:8-9). Through the offering of Jesus Christ “we have been sanctified…once for all” (Heb. 10:10). Now if this entails every offering ever instituted under the Law, then we are no longer obligated to present an offering to God for anything other than because we want to. However, there are other verses that say our offerings are to be “the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name” (Heb. 13:15), doing good and sharing (Heb. 13:16), walking in the love of Christ (Eph. 5:2), and presenting our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God (Rom. 12:1). So we can continue to obey God as those in the Old Testament and honor God with an offering of the first of ourselves—that is the life He has blessed us with—though not as a fulfillment of the law but purely because we want to honor God and He deserves it.

Step 5: How should individual Christians today apply this modified theological principle in their lives?
By learning and following the wisdom and instructions in the Word of God. For every day presents an opportunity for believers to obey or disobey the God’s instructions, to follow Him or follow what we think is fitting, and to honor or not honor Him with the first (best) of our lives that He has blessed us with.


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References:
The One Volume Bible Commentary, 1936
NASB Life Application Study Bible, Updated Edition, 2000
NIV Archaeological Study Bible, 2005
The Strongest NIV Exhaustive Concordance, 1999
Biblos.com

3/4/2010

Interpretive Journey of Leviticus 26:1

“Do not make idols or set-up an image of a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the Lord your God.” (Lev. 26:1)

We'll start our journey of this verse with some observations. Observations help the reader to notice certain things which may be overlooked if not closely scanned. After the observations we'll go step-by-step through interpreting this verse and see how significant OT verses like these are for us today.

Observations
There are some repeated words, “do not” and “stone”. There is a comparison between “set-up an image of a sacred stone for yourselves” and “place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it”. Both make emphasis on the insertion of a created thing and the personal implication of it. There are four active verbs used: “make”, “set-up”, “place”, and “bow”. God is giving the command of “do not make…or set-up” and “do not place…to bow down before it”, and then reveals why in the last sentence, “I am the LORD your God.” In the NKJV, NASB, ESV, and KJV they all place the conjunction “for” before the last sentence, indicating the previous command is a result of this final statement in this verse.

Step 1: What did the text mean (i.e. what was the author's intent) to the biblical audience?
During this time in the newly freed Israel, the Israelites—still encamped in the wilderness (4:12; 14:3; 16:10)—were receiving the more detailed portions of the Law. In the Book of Leviticus we see the Israelites receiving laws on sacrifice (chs. 1-7), the consecration of the priesthood (chs. 8-10), laws of clean and unclean (chs. 11-15), instructions for the “Day of Atonement” (ch. 16), and additional laws of holiness (chs. 17-27). This specific command of God is not a new one, but rather an already repeated one (cf. Ex. 20:1-6; 23:24; 34:14). Furthermore, this verse (26:1) comes directly after God giving the children of Israel instructions in regards to the land they will inherit (ch. 25); which sheds light on why in the very next verse (26:2) God mentions again observing His “Sabbaths” and reverencing His “sanctuary”—something He spoke on in previous chapters. Thus when God speaks this verse the Israelites took it just as He meant it the other times, “Do not worship (bow down to--hawa) anything else other than Me, no idols, images, sacred pillars, or carved stones; for I am the LORD your God.”

Step 2: What are the difference between the biblical audience and us?
There are obvious and numerous differences set in place here. Present believers are no longer under the Old Covenant as were our Hebrew brethren then. We do not live in tents in the Middle Eastern desert. We are not about to enter into a land promised to our ancestors by God. We have not been recently freed from slavery and bondage to Egypt with great signs and wonders. We are not civilians of a theocracy. We have never seen or been led by God personally in the form of a cloud or fire. Moses is not our mediator, Jesus is. And so on the list can go.

Step 3: What is the theological principle in this text?
God alone deserves and is worthy of our worship, nothing nor anyone else should be in His seat of honor and devotion in our lives.

Step 4: Does the New Testament teaching modify or qualify this principle, and if so, how?
Those under the New Covenant are far from exempt from this strongly conveyed principle in the Old Testament. Jesus says no one can serve two masters for he will hate the one and love the other—you cannot serve God and riches—(Matt. 6:24), the greatest commandment is to love the LORD our God with our whole being—mind, heart, soul— (Matt. 22:36-40), and He told Satan when tempted to worship him that worship is only for God and none other (Matt. 4:9-10). According to Jesus, God doesn’t get second place, only first! Furthermore, the Apostle Paul says that idolaters will not inherit the kingdom of God (1Cor. 6:9-10), do not become idolaters as were our Old Testament brethren (1Cor. 10:7), and as frank as one can say it, “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry” (1Cor. 10:14). Also, the Apostle John says as his final word in his first letter, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen” (1Jn. 5:21). Idolatry—worship of something other than God—is just as strongly renounced in the New Testament as it is in the Old Testament.

Step 5: How should individual Christians today apply this modified theological principle in their lives?
Christians today can apply this principle by following the scriptures regarding idolatry and worship. Just looking at the ones mentioned above, if I pursue Jesus as my first priority this will help me stay free from giving His worship and devotion to something or someone else. Apostle John tells us to keep (phulassó) ourselves from idols, literally meaning guard ourselves from idols. This is great preventive medicine for our idolatrous tendencies. Stay on guard for areas, people, and things in our lives that we can put in the place of worship that’s supposed to be strictly designated for God. Also, Apostle Paul says to flee (pheugó) from idolatry, literally meaning run away from idolatry as in running away like escaping from someone or something that has us. This too is good for preventive measures and/or for when the Holy Spirit reveals to us an area of possible or active idolatry in our lives.

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References:
The One Volume Bible Commentary, 1936
NASB Life Application Study Bible, Updated Edition, 2000
NIV Archaeological Study Bible, 2005
The Strongest NIV Exhaustive Concordance, 1999
Biblos.com

3/4/2010