Do You Feel, Think, or Truly Understand

I have appreciated the focus that so many churches have taken to eradicate emotionalism from their central focus and place prime importance on the teaching of God’s Word and the gospel of Jesus Christ. While I am so thankful for seriousness when it comes to theological pursuit, I have also sometimes been concerned about some react against emotionalism by grasping onto intellectualism.  In the pendulum swings of life, it’s easy to react against emotion to the degree that faith becomes purely intellectual. In reaction to emotionalism it’s possible for a church to become more of a theological seminary rather than the fellowship of the saints.

In the parable of the sower in Matthew 13, Jesus makes some comments that help us to realize that engagement with the truth of his kingdom is so much more than an emotional experience or an intellectual pursuit. There seems to be a problem with humans that we can see and hear and not understand. In Matthew 13, Jesus uses this word, ‘understand (suneintos)’ in a way that shows us that it is much more than experience or intellect. Jesus shows in the parable that understanding is associated with fruitful living. Understanding is associated with the ability to persevere through hardship.  Understanding is associated with resisting the desires of the world, and understanding is associated with a fully engaged pursuit of Christ. There is here an aspect of both an intellectual understanding of the gospel, and a heart-felt need for Jesus that results in a passionate devotion to living in his kingdom.

We must engage with doctrines and not simply emotions, but we must also engage with the reality of doctrines in a whole person response. Only when we can know the poverty of Spirit associated with understanding sin can we know the reality and motivation for repentance. Only when we can know the victory of Christ’s resurrection can we know the reality and motivation to live a life which is truly life. Only when we know the expectation of his return can we yearn in the anticipation of the realization of hope. Only when all of these truths impact the thoughts, words and actions of our life can we see that faith is far beyond the shallowness of emotional response and intellectual pursuit.

We need to understand in the only way that faithful understanding truly is. Let’s not let a reaction, even a right one, keep us from this. We must engage with truth and contemplate the reality of Christ and his kingdom deep in our being.  We must respond not only in intellectual agreement or burst of emotion, but heart-felt knowing devotion.

Isaiah: Stumped by the New Covenant

Isaiah 6:8-13 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here I am! Send me." 9 And he said, "Go, and say to this people: "'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.' 10 Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed." 11 Then I said, "How long, O Lord?" And he said: "Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste, 12 and the LORD removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. 13 And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled." The holy seed is its stump.

After Isaiah had seen an amazing vision of the throne room of God, Isaiah had realized his own sinfulness and also that of the people of Judah. Isaiah was to tell them that God’s judgment upon them would be evident in their rejection of him (vs 9-10). Isaiah then asks God how long this would last and God gives Isaiah a very grim view indeed.  One would think it enough to be conquered by a brutal pagan empire and taken in captivity, but it would be even worse than that. Even for the few who would remain after exile, they too would remain under the judgment of God and the tree of Israel would be reduced to a stump. In that stump is the hope of Judah for restoration and population of the land.

If one knows the history of Israel, we know that Judah did indeed go into exile in Babylon and was without a true king even in the return from exile.  Judah never saw its former glory and the fulness of the expectation promised to them through the prophets. Even in the time of Jesus Israel was under Roman rule with a puppet king who was not one of their own. If Isaiah’s prophecy is to come true, this rejection of God would eventually end when a little stump could again grow. 

The New Testament authors tell us that this prophecy is fulfilled in Jesus.

In Matthew 11-13 we see a crowd that is following Jesus as he has different interactions with them and the Pharisees. In Matthew 13 Jesus speaks to this primarily Jewish crowd in parables and one of the reasons for using parables is to show their unwillingness to truly interact with the truth of his Kingdom revealed.  Matthew shows that in the use of parables, Jesus is showing that Isaiah 6 is fulfilled. This is the post exilic Israel still living in the rejection of God’s revelation of himself to them. With Jesus, however, is a small group of disciples who accept his truth and end up spreading his message throughout the world.

In John 12:37-43, John tells us that even though Jesus had done many miraculous signs, the Jews still did not believe in Jesus as their Messiah King. Again, John says that this rejection of Jesus is a fulfillment of Isaiah 6.  These Jews who had witnessed the power and glory of God in Christ had been unwilling to see him as their Savior and Lord. The Pharisees particularly rejected Jesus and even those who did see something in Jesus were not willing to acknowledge him publicly.  Even for those Jews who saw that Jesus was authentic, they were not willing to overcome the fear of man to know true faith and hope in Christ.

In Acts 28:16-28 we read of Paul in Rome.  As Paul awaits the consideration of his case, he sits before the local leaders of the Jews and talks to them about the circumstances that led him to this position. He wanted them to know about the hope of Israel and taught them from all the Scriptures concerning the Kingdom of God in attempting to convince them about Jesus (vs.23). While some were convinced, others disbelieved. Paul told them that the rejection of Jesus and his kingdom was a fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 6.  He then went on to specify that while the Jews will not listen, the Gentiles will.

Through Jesus there will be a believing stump that will sprout and grow and spread its limbs into the entire world. As we see the New Testament fulfillment of God’s Word, we can be very thankful that God left a stump for the hope of the whole world. From a small group of disciples in front of a disbelieving crowd, through the antagonism of the Pharisees, and through a rejecting contingent of Jews in Rome, those who were prophesied not to listen to Jesus made way for millions who now do.

I wonder what Isaiah would think if he could see the extent of a prophecy that sounded so discouraging, but actually shows the amazing grace of God.  God would never have been doing wrong by the idolatrous Israelites to completely wipe them out, but through faithful long suffering, our God preserved a remnant to bring about a stump that would again become a majestic tree.  If you are in Christ today, you are part of that promise.

One other amazing thing to realize is that John’s gospel records that Isaiah saw Jesus’ glory and spoke of him (12:41). The God on the throne speaking to Isaiah to seek repentance and faith from the people of Judah is the same God who tells us to go out to all tribes, tongues and nations.  He is the same God who himself bore our sin to be our King. So, go back now and read Isaiah 6 and be amazed. What an amazing Savior indeed.

No Prejudice in The People of God

Israel were meant to be God’s people.  Throughout the scriptures, we see God calling on his people to be the living example to the world of what it is to be created in the image of God.  They were to be his holy people reflecting his holy character as a witness of God’s glory across the earth. In doing so God made a covenant with his people and gave them the law to help them to be the holy people they were called to be. If Israel were to obey the law, we could have walked among the people of this nation and witnessed a society in which human dignity and value was the highest standard for the whole world even with the presence of sin. The punishments were designed to fit the crime, and compassion for sojourners, widows, poor and orphans were a regular feature in the law. It’s true that Israel were built into a national family related to the twelve sons of Jacob and allotted portions of the land of Cana according to those family groups. Primarily, however, when we think of Israel, we should remember that their calling was not to simply be a physical descendancy but a holy people of God. When Israel went after the other nations, it was not a problem because they were of different physical descendancy but because those nations were not worshipping and serving the one true God. As an example, one of the most beautiful portions of Israel’s history was about an Israelite man called Boaz marrying a Moabite woman called Ruth who was committed to Yahweh.

Israel was put into exile because they ran after the gods of the other nations and had followed the practices of the ungodly.  They had lusted after the pleasures and practices of the world and as a result, had you walked among the people of Israel, you would have experienced an atmosphere of prejudice and injustice toward each other.  The prophet Amos described this atmosphere as he rebuked those who fed their indulgences and harshly treated the needy. Amos 4:1-2 “Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy. The Lord God has sworn by his holiness that, behold the days are coming upon you, when they shall take you away with hooks, even the last of you with fishhooks.”  Injustice and perceptions of superiority within Israel brought this supposedly holy nation under the judgment of their God.  They were not reflecting his character by not treating others created in the image of God with dignity.  These verses in Amos are just one small example of the plethora of statements from Old Testament prophets warning Israel that their prideful prejudices would result in God’s judgment.

Israel experienced exile as they were dispersed throughout the other nations of Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon and their expulsion from the land lasted for generations. While Judah was in the midst of captivity in Babylon, the prophet Ezekiel was warning Judah’s leaders that they must heed God’s warning or face destruction (Ez. 33). Ezekiel warned that each person was responsible to hear the call of God and repent of sin. Within this warning is a call to specifically repent of the injustices that had become so prevalent among them. Ezekiel 33:14-16 Again, though I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' yet if he turns from his sin and does what is just and right, 15 if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks in the statutes of life, not doing injustice, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 16 None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he shall surely live.

In this same chapter, Ezekiel also warns Israel that there will be no restoration of them in the land if they do not repent. These people thought that the nation was their right as physical descendants of Abraham, but God made it very clear that to be at rest as God’s people in his presence requires repentance of sin and a life that trusts and obeys God. Ezekiel 33:23-25 The word of the LORD came to me: 24 "Son of man, the inhabitants of these waste places in the land of Israel keep saying, 'Abraham was only one man, yet he got possession of the land; but we are many; the land is surely given us to possess.' 25 Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: You eat flesh with the blood and lift up your eyes to your idols and shed blood; shall you then possess the land?

As we see what God has done with Israel in the Old Testament, it gives a strong message to the New Covenant people of God in Christ. We should expect the world to be a prejudicial place of oppression and injustice. God’s people are to be different.  God calls us in his grace, and through faith in Christ we are a people who are to be the shining light of his holy character. When people walk into our churches, they should see love, care, justice, and a complete lack of sinful partiality. God demanded that his people saved by grace in the Old Testament were to be a repentant people of faith living out in active obedience to his word. Anything else would result in expulsion and it did. Today, the church should be a repentant people of faith living out in active obedience to the law of Christ. Anything else should result in expulsion. That expulsion should come through church discipline. The question is, does it?

Taming Our Racist Tongues

James 3:6-9 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.

If these verses were not inspired Scripture, I might think they were the ramblings of a crazy man who has no confidence that human beings can speak a civil word to one another. Are we really this bad? Are we really infected with an instrument of poison that is out of control and determines the actions of or whole body? Well, this is the inspired word of God and the answer is yes.  It really is that bad and our speech sets our whole being on fire. The worst part is, these verses also indicate that we use it to hurt others.

There is no doubt that James has a lot more than issues of racism in mind when he talks about the way we use our tongue, but there is one element in particular that should give you particular cause to apply these verses toward matters of prejudice against those of differing ethnic heritages than you. It also seems to me that James may not only be talking about the type of caustic hate speech of someone like an Adolph Hitler, but those subtle little statements we make to ourselves that drive the way we treat others. The tongue is not an independent member of the body, but James says that your speech (reflecting your thoughts) sets your entire course of life. As I look at people who may look physically different to me and have differing cultural behaviors, what am I really saying about them? James is insisting that we ask ourselves this question. Within this text he also gives us a truth that we can use to replace our poisonous words that drive our attitudes and actions. 

In vs. 7 in the original language, James uses the word, ‘phusis’ – kind/order of nature. He makes mention that it is possible to tame each classification of its order of nature (phusis). Humans can tame the bird kind, the beast kind, the reptile kind and the sea creature kind…every kind. In W.E. Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Vine places this word, phusis, with other Greek words that may be loosely translated into the English word, “race.”  In James we see a double usage of ‘phusis.’ When James says that these animals have been “tamed by mankind,” a direct literal translation is more like saying that they are tamed by the order of nature, human. What he is really saying is that there is a kind or one natural constitution of human that is differentiated from the natural constitution (kind) that is considered as an animal (birds, beasts, reptiles, sea creatures). Why is this important?  James is saying that there is one differentiated human natural order that can tame the natural order of animals but not our own tongues. There is one human race and for all our dominance over animals, we seem to have a lack of control with how we use our tongues toward each other.

In verse 9 James backs up this statement by differentiating further. Human beings use their tongues to speak in sinful ways about each other without considering that all human beings are created in the image of God. One could conclude from James that there is one humanity created in the image of God as one natural order and to speak about another human being in a sinful/hurtful way results in attitudes and actions that direct your whole life.

Regardless of the category (ethnicity, ability, culture, intellect), if you look at another human being with words of prejudice and superiority in your mind, James is telling you that there is only one human race made in the image of God and your tongue needs to be tamed by this truth. Every one of us can tame an animal, but we all need to work much harder on our tongues.

What Ezekiel 16 Teaches Us About Fearing God

Throughout the Scriptures we are told to fear God and obey him. In fact, the book of Ecclesiastes sums up the whole pursuit of our earthly existence by saying that the whole end of man is to fear God and keep his commandments (Ecc 12:12-14). When we read statements like this it is sometimes difficult for us to understand them. If we are honest, we most often think of fear in terms of being frightened about something. We are most often motivated to fear because something or someone is scaring us.

It is true that God is a consuming fire and to fall into his hands is a fearful thing ( Heb. 10:31, 12:29). When we think of the power and holiness of God and the devastation of human sin, why shouldn’t we fear? Any sinner standing before this perfect holy judge should be terrified of his authority and power and his ability to condemn us knowing every single offense we have ever committed.

Ezekiel 16 gives us a glimpse of the fear of God gone wrong. In reading this amazing chapter, we can see that God never meant for his people to fear him through the motivation of terror, but through the motivation of love. Israel rejected the love and grace of God as a motivation to fear God and would then have to come to grips with fearing God out of terror. Open your bible and walk through each section with me.  I promise, it will be worth it.

Section 1: Ezekiel 16:1-14.  God is speaking through Ezekiel to the Elders of Israel. They have rejected God and have become complacent about their need for God. They are not fearing God or leading the people in the fear of God.  God reminds these Elders that it is God who formed Israel and he did it by calling Abraham out of other nations. They should not think too highly of themselves. God birthed this nation, grew this nation, and turned this nation into his beautiful bride. The grace of God in the birth and formation of Israel is astounding. It is God who established Israel and made covenant with them as his people. He describes them as a young bride in beautiful garments having been carefully prepared and then shown in splendor to the nations. The motivation for Israel to keep God’s covenant and to love him and serve him as God’s people should be on the basis of God’s electing love and grace.  Out of gratitude and love, we would expect that Israel’s response would be an unrelenting commitment to their God of grace. The motivating factor for fearing God as his people was always meant to be grace and love.

Section 2: Ezekiel 16:15-59.  Instead of loving, obeying and serving God as his elect bride, Israel rejected God to go after the gods of other nations and to live for their own pursuit of glory. In this section of Ezekiel, rebellious Israel is described as a whore. There are some very confronting statements made about just how devastating Israel’s whoring really is. One description in vs. 33-34 shows just how much Israel desired its own idolatry over God.  Normally, it is the prostitute who gets paid for their service. For Israel, they loved their own harlotry so much that they were the ones who paid for the opportunity to prostitute themselves to the world. They were not solicited by the other nations, but they willingly and enthusiastically sought out worldly idolatry. 

How could you possibly have such a loving and gracious God who forms you from nothing into his beautiful bride and reject him for the debauchery of whoredom with the world? The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will always be known for their wicked immorality and God’s judgment upon them. At least Sodom and Gomorrah never claimed to be God’s people.  They were never God’s beautiful bride. In vs.49 we read, “As I live declares the Lord God, your sister Sodom and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done.”  In other words, your refusal to fear God in love has made Sodom look good compared to you.

In verse 58-59 we read that God will deal with Israel according to their abomination.  In Ezekiel 16 we read about what it means to go from what is supposed to be a fear of God based on grace and love to a fear of God based on the terror of his awful judgment.

Section 3: Ezekiel 16:60-63 The most amazing aspect of this chapter is that God then shows his faithfulness in remembering his covenant that he made with Israel and promises an everlasting covenant.  Once again God’s grace is more than we can imagine.  This time it is promised in the fact that he will atone for all that we have done.

If you claim to be a Christian, you are living in the reality of this new and everlasting covenant whereby God has come into this world and atoned for your sin and has kept his covenant in full on our behalf. The question is now again asked to us. Will we respond to this grace of God by living a life that fears him out of love? Praise God that in Christ we also have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit who compels every Christian to truly repent of sin and live according to the fear of God through faith in Jesus Christ. We might revere God’s awesome power, but we live not according to terror but in an overwhelming sense of love and gratitude as the Bride of Christ.

The Christian Declaration of Dependence

Before you get too concerned about whether this might be a strike at another famous declaration, it’s not. It occurs to me that independence, whether corporate or individual, is a subject that Christians should think through very carefully when it comes to the assessment of life.  The fact is, we humans love the thought of independence. We love to be independent thinkers and often set ourselves up as the authority on truth. We love to be in control of our own life decisions. We want to be in control of our destinies and we even want to be in control of our identities. Independence is one of the great lusts of the human soul.

The problem is that as we read through Scripture, we so often find that our pursuit for human autonomy ends in dissatisfaction and disaster. When we live as those who are ignorant of accountability, we live for self and we only seek satisfaction and meaning within the confines of this world. Ignorance of God in any aspect of our life, even for Christians, ends in hurt.  The way of the transgressor is hard (Proverbs 13:15). The temporary satisfaction we get from seeking to live independently seems to fade in the deterioration of aging and changing responsibilities of life. When independence fails, there is nothing left to satisfy.

Independence is also a fallacy. We are never truly independent.  The bible clearly shows us that we are either under the authority of sin (and/or Satan) or God. In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul calls Satan the god of this world and says that he has blinded the eyes of those who are unable to see the glory of God in Christ. That sounds like a very debilitating power upon the life of any unbeliever who lives in the fallacy of their own autonomy.

The person who delights in dependence upon God has a greater end. As we move through the different phases of our life, we know a greater purpose and hope in an eternal future. We also know that the path that depends on Christ and his word is the way of truth and life (John 14:6). Jesus also brings us out of the way of hardship into the security of his easy yoke and lightens our burden (Matthew 11:28-30). In Christ, we have been reconciled to God having been in ignorant rejection of his authority to now living a life of dependence on the one who greatly rewards and gives everlasting peace. Instead of being controlled by selfish lusts, we are controlled by selfless love. In 2 Corinthians 5:14-15  Paul tells us that, “..the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” The Christian declares not independence but dependence having been saved into a life whereby we no longer live for self but are under the control of the love of Christ.

This is hope. So many people are taken by surprise in life when their independence is lost in the deterioration of the body and mind. So many people are left with the depression of functionless bodies in old age. The Christian declaring dependence is always hopeful in the knowledge that we are in the hands of the Great Restorer. We can be joyful even in incapacity knowing that this is a phase of life in which our greatest goal is to please the one we are dependent upon. We have not lost satisfaction in the loss of selfish goals, but we have maintained contentment in the fact that God gives us every strength in any situation to please him and know his all-encompassing love in our life. Through dependence on God, there may be temporary loss for eternal gain. Independence only brings eternal loss in the pursuit of our temporary gain.

From the wisdom of Solomon, we get an encouragement that can be taken with us through every phase of life from youth to death.  In Ecclesiastes 12, we are commended to “remember our Creator” in our youth, in aging, and as we approach death. Through faith in Jesus Christ, this is a glorious dependence that we take with us into all eternity as we live in the joy of God’s everlasting provision.

Christian, it’s time to declare dependence!

Only A Fool Vents

It would be almost impossible to find someone who at some stage in their life has not been angered to the point of venting to another. Often, we complete our tirade with the final words, “I just needed to vent.” “I just needed to blow off some steam.”

Lately in our culture we have seen the same thing on our streets. While some have peacefully protested in their concern over a lack of care for the value of life, others have vented through destruction of property, looting, cursing, shouting, and even cordoning off six city blocks and declaring their own state. These are more visibly apparent forms of venting, but it is no less a matter of venting to use social media as our voice of anger expressing our disgust for what disturbs and disappoints us.

Some people think that venting is a healthy exercise for those who should not bottle up anger.  Unfortunately, this is both a wrong view of what is healthy and what is actually a definition of anger. As we consider anger biblically, we see that it is not some mystical force of emotion that wells up inside us like a kettle ready to blow steam. In his book, Uprooting Anger, Robert Jones biblically defines sinful anger as, “our whole-personed active response of negative moral judgment against perceived evil.” As we look at the various biblical examples of anger, we see this definition working.  Cane’s anger at Abel was the outworking of his misperception of injustice at Abel’s sacrifice being accepted while his was not. Esau’s anger at Jacob was his active response to his perception of a moral injustice of losing his birthright. Haman’s anger against Mordecai was based on his perception of the reprehensibility of the Israelite people. Peter’s anger was displayed three times when people had the audacity to recognize him as one of Jesus’ disciples and place his life under threat. Many times in the bible human anger is the outworking of sinful and selfish motivations of the heart. 

The bible never tells us that bottling anger is the right thing to do.  Depending on the situation, the Scriptures tell us to approach our brother or sister when we have been sinned against with a view to restoration of relationship (Matthew 18:15).  We are told to cry out to God in our pain and suffering (Psalm 34:6, 61:2). Perhaps the right response we need is to forgive someone (Luke 17:3-4).  What we will not find is Scripture telling us to blow off steam through destruction of property, gossip, or any other sinful response, even including the subtle tweets that sooth your desire to poke.

The wisdom literature in the bible shows us clearly that venting is the way of fools. Proverbs 29:11  A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.  Ecclesiastes 9:17 The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.

The way of wisdom is not the way of war. The wise person is patient and quietly assesses the situation with a calm spirit. The wise person speaks with a disposition of peace and a spirit of gentleness. The wise displays wisdom not only in words but in mannerism and careful strategy with the right priority. If you are Christian, that calmness is found in the eternal relief of the cross that impacts every situation in this world. Christians take time to measure every possible response against the priority of the mission of Christ.

If you are a Christian, please don’t be a fool. It speaks very little of the gospel.

Christians Can Still Put on A Happy Face

How many people have said to you that they are waiting for the end of 2020? How many memes have you read? How many daily commentaries of news and events have you read in disbelief that what is actually happening around us is real? The threat of Covid 19 took us all by surprise and then came the stay at home orders and every contradicting expert argument about what we should and shouldn’t be doing. Then came the death of George Floyd, protests, riots, more deaths, statues toppling, CHAZ, and the list goes on. With every dramatic event this year has brought, there have been arguments and debates from every side. We have seen disease, division and even disorder. How could any of us say that we can put on a happy face?

If anyone was going to tell me that I can be joyful, I would want to know that they come from a position of reality.  A happy face can be a very superficial act in the midst of a very serious climate and if I am to show joy, it must not negate reality. The book of Ecclesiastes speaks to this exact situation. Throughout the book we are constantly facing the futility of existence under the sun. As you read through Ecclesiastes you relate to the experiences of oppression and abuse, depression, madness, anxiety, war, loneliness and the general groan of life in this fallen world as we know it. The writer of Ecclesiastes makes no apology for speaking about the certainty of death for all humanity and the unpredictability of life.  It is in this context that the writer of Ecclesiastes also tells us that we can live with joy and actually show it.

In Ecclesiastes 9:8, we read, “Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head.” A similar statement today might be along the lines of someone telling you not to look so glum.  Don’t wear black as if going to a funeral.  Don’t put on dust and ashes as if in mourning. Where a bright white garment and clean yourself up with some soothing oil. Put on a happy face.

If we were to read this verse on its own, we would indeed consider this to be a superficial response to real hardship, but the outward appearance of this statement is as a result of true inner hope and joy. In Ecclesiastes, we are constantly facing the fact that this world will continually offer what we are seeing in our society right now.  This world offers disease, division and disorder. There is no ultimate solution to it because the sin nature of mankind in this world will never change. The more we live for this world and in the pursuit of making this world our refuge, the more this world will let us down and show us the bankruptcy of human pursuits. 

Christians hear the argument from Ecclesiastes and realize that while we live under the sun, our hope is beyond it.  Because of the cross, we have been spared from putting our hope in an unachievable satisfaction under the sun. Because Christ has rescued us from sin, death and the futility of this age, we have a greater glory that awaits. We also have an urgent message of deliverance to spread. Why would anyone listen to us if all they hear and see in us is the despondency and woeful anxiety brought on by the distress of what is happening in the world around us? It’s not that we can’t speak to the serious issues that surround us. In doing so, we should be displaying and articulating a hope and joy in the ultimate solution of Christ that we already have. The inward confidence of salvation in Jesus should have an outward reflection in our appearance and words. So, if you are in Christ, sympathize with the hurting, acknowledge the dangers, mourn over the disorder, disagree with the divisions, and beware of the disease, but reveal your hope and don’t hide your joy. Put on a white garment and anoint with oil. Put on a happy face.

Even in reality, you have reason to show joy.

Most People Are Not Wise

You might read this article and think that the writer must be some bombastic jerk full of pride.  Where do I get off judging wisdom?  How can I possibly know that most people lack it? Do I have wisdom in such abundance that I am able to make this blanket statement about the rest of humanity?

In reality, I am not the one judging human wisdom.  Under the authority of the inspiration of Scriptures, I am confident to make this pronouncement. Paul makes it very clear in 1 Corinthians that the world sees the cross of Christ as foolishness and that the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of man (1 Cor 1:25).  In other words, the wisest sage in human history will not even scratch the surface of wisdom when ranked against the omniscience of the God of the universe. 

If this is the case, how can any human claim to have any wisdom at all. Our claim of wisdom can only come through adopting the wisdom of God. Unfortunately, most people reject Christ and are not interested in the truth of the gospel that sets us free. The fact that the remnant of God’s people in this world is small in comparison to the entire world population tells us that most people reject God’s wisdom. Most people are not wise. Wisdom comes through the illuminating, regenerating work of the Holy Spirit through the gospel of Christ.  It compels us to look to God’s revelation for understanding and navigating this world.

In Ecclesiastes 8, the first verse starts with these words. “Who is like the wise? And who knows the interpretation of a thing?” Wisdom in this world is not easy to find, let alone someone who can give wise counsel to help understand and navigate the big problems of life. To ask who is like the wise is almost the same as saying, who knows everything to the degree that we can truly be confident in what they say?

If you find such a person, you have found a Christian who has had the illuminating effects of the gospel in their life.  You have found someone who has now realized that in themselves is no wisdom and their complete reliance for truth is found in revelation from God who has infinite knowledge, can never be wrong, and is morally perfect in character. You have found in someone who finds and enjoys wisdom from God.

Unfortunately, in this world, many Christians want to hold on to the prideful false wisdom of mankind.  Some trust in human reason more than God’s revelation.  That’s why many Christians have been captivated by humanistic philosophies of psychology, psychiatry and evolution, and have even attempted to insert this thinking into the bible. The Apostle Paul and King Solomon would both say that when human thought invades the infallible, inerrant word of God, it no longer is the word of God and becomes corrupted and errant.

Confidence in wisdom comes from one source alone. It’s time for believers to stand on the authority of the bible and claim true wisdom for the sake of pointing this world to the only illuminating truth that saves.  The only truth of true freedom and joy.

Start Looking, Stop Wanting

I know it is not like this for some other people, but my Mom and Dad would often come out with a saying that would stop me in my tracks and help me think about my situation.  In a way, my parents were wise old sages.  At least when I was a kid, it felt like that.  It felt like I could go to them and they would have the words to open my eyes to the world and place my feet on solid ground. Sure, they were fallible, and not always right, but I still have their sayings with me. One saying in particular comes to mind. I once came home sick after gorging myself on candy at a friend’s birthday party. I remember complaining to my mom about how much my stomach hurt, to which she replied, “Next time remember not to let your eyes grow bigger than your stomach.” I never again ate candy to bursting point.

Sometimes we look with our appetite instead of our eyes. It gets us in all matter of trouble and causes us to respond to situations in irresponsible ways. When we see something we don’t want, we instantly respond according to what we want rather than stepping back and looking carefully at a situation.  When we something we do want, we live by impulse to obtain it. It’s all too easy for us for our appetites, wants and desires to become our eyes.

In Ecclesiastes 5-6 we read about the trail of damage that occurs when humanity is led by appetite.  We live in a world where people pursue wealth and power and it so often ends in a trail of destruction. As we read through the realities of this world, Solomon also gives God’s people a guide for our response to the situations before us.  He often puts them in the form of a “better than” proverb.  One such proverb is found in Ecclesiastes 6:9. “Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.”

Acting on impulse is so often the worst thing we can do.  When we do this, we are allowing our appetites and desires to control our path and often it’s a path of destruction. We want revenge, vengeance, power, wealth and we end up acting like the rest of the world. Instead, we are told to step back and look. The candy on the table might catch our appetite for sweet pleasure, but when we look with our eyes, we see that enjoyment won’t come from eating the whole bowl. When Christians look with our eyes we act and react differently because we know that our appetites are not trustworthy.

Ecclesiastes is a constant help for us in showing us how not to act and react in worldly foolishness rather than godly wisdom.  It helps us to calmly remind ourselves that we are living for One who is greater than anything we can have in this world.  We put on the glasses of Christ and remind ourselves that Jesus is our satisfaction.  We don’t need to let our appetites reign.

That’s simply wise. Wisdom is like a godly mother in our ear and a cherished gift from God. Better to really see than to live by want. Stop wanting and start looking.

Don't Go Back To Church Foolishly

Sometimes we don’t even know when we are “doing” church in a foolish way. I am not talking about whether or not you return to church in a mask. I am not talking about precautions you should take to manage the threat of Covid19. I am hopeful that men in church leadership are being wise carers of the flock as they reopen doors to church buildings.  I am talking about the way we approach church whether or not a Covid19 threat is present. Too many people, including me, have found themselves in the category of foolish church goers. As many people now prepare to reopen (or have recently done so), this is a great time to assess how you approach corporate worship. What is your motivation to worship corporately? 

Foolish church goers don’t even know why they are foolish. One of the reasons for that is that we so often measure our church going on what we see in this world. We have been heavily influenced by preferences and in our consumer culture we prepare to go to church through an anticipation of having them met. The fact that preferences are often our measuring tool is easily seen in the way churches seek to advertise distinctive elements that appeal to us. “We are a church for people who don’t like church.” “We are a singing church.” “We are an expository preaching church.” “We are a family church.” “We are a reformed church.” You might look at this list and say that some of the statements listed are right, and even biblical. That’s true. The church is meant to come together and sing and preach and I certainly hope it is welcoming to families and holds good doctrine. The problem is that we can turn every one of these criteria into a preference that drives our attitude as we walk through the front door of the church. I am confident enough to say these are foolish motivations for corporate worship even if some of them are reasonable criteria for choosing a good church.

In Ecclesiastes, the big focus of the book is to show us that life “under the sun” is worthless if “under the sun” is all we know and live for. No human can escape living under the sun, and we all experience the groan of this Genesis 3 world in many ways. Because we are all subject to life under the sun, everything we do happens under the sun. Life is foolish when we live without considering that our greatest hope lies beyond the sun.  Church is supposed to be all about this truth. We want people to know the hope of salvation that can only come through knowing Christ who has revealed himself to us from beyond the sun. His Scriptures, inspired from beyond the sun, help us to understand our situation in sinful rebellion against God and how the cross of Christ is our only answer to reconciliation with our maker. In the Scriptures we see the very purpose of our human life to glorify God through redemption in Christ Jesus. To live otherwise is futile and foolish. The awe of God in his glory is our motivation for both individual and corporate worship.

In Ecclesiastes 5, we find that we even do church “under the sun” and it’s very easy for us to approach corporate worship with an under the sun attitude. We allow ourselves to be guided and motivated by preference. When this happens, we come to church for us. We speak this way, we sing this way, and we act this way and when our preferences don’t line up, problems abound. Ecclesiastes tells us that it’s possible to go to church and be foolish in doing so. There is one motivating factor that helps us to put all of our preferences in their rightful place.  It helps us not to speak out of turn.  It helps us to be sincere in our words. It helps us to be content with some imperfections – (at least as we see them). What is it? The answer is, fearing God.

When our motivation is to fear God, we worship vertically even as we edify each other horizontally. We come together in reverence. Our attitude is God and not me.  The fear of God is the beginning of wise corporate worship.

Ecclesiastes 5:1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil.

Ecclesiastes 5:7 For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear.

The Measurement of Contentment is "One Handful"

The Scriptures do talk about the measurement of contentment and the writer of Ecclesiastes explains it to be “one handful.” While this might sound somewhat confusing, when we hear the context of Ecclesiastes 4 it helps us to see this statement with perfect clarity.

In Ecclesiastes 4:6 we read, “Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.” The handful of quietness here seems to be the quiet satisfaction of a contented heart. Prior to this statement, the preacher has been talking about the rivalry that comes from one neighbor envying another. Want and envy are the torturing enemies of a quiet contented life.  It is through want and envy that we bring rivalry into our relationships or even abandon relationships to strive after the offerings of this world. Countless marriages have broken apart through the dissatisfaction of one spouse believing themselves to be held back by the other from obtaining more out of life.  I am not simply talking about material positions, but relationships, power, pleasure, or any other pursuit that puts the carrot of want in front of our eyes. 

We often hear people talking about making the most out of life and being the best you can be.  If you have ever had the experience of sitting in a large auditorium and listening to a motivational speaker, (in some instances this has been called church), you will no doubt have heard a passionate plea for you to visual your success. You hear that you need to increase and pinpoint your aim, focus in on what you want most out of life, plan ahead, set goals, and work hard to grab it with both hands (or something like this). Your goal is everything and don’t let anyone hold you back. Don’t listen to negative, keep focused and surround yourself with people who will ultimately help you and not hinder you. 

In verse 7 Solomon goes on to describe another person who fits this sort of category of someone striving. This person seems to be alone. He works so hard to gain for self and ends up with no one to share it with. He lives for his goal and it seems that nobody is going to get in the way of this man’s bucket list. His success is real and so is his loneliness. He has pinpoint accuracy on an achievement that is worth more to him than community.

Ecclesiastes 4:6 tells us that the person who is satisfied with what a normal amount of work in this world will give them, will be much better off than the person who is striving after grabbing the enticements of the world with both hands. The person content with what they can hold in one hand has a spare hand to think of others rather than self. That person values people more than pleasure or riches or power or anything else in this world. That person is a person who can let go of their bucket list and love others. 

Life in this world is so often lived as if this is all there is.  That attitude forsakes others to gain more for self.  It’s the attitude that says, “Seize the day,” or “eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.” The quiet handful of contentment says, “I have all I need, let me share.” It says, “This life is not all there is, and the best is yet to come.” To truly know the reality of that statement, one must know the reality of their eternity.  They must be confident in the satisfaction that can only be obtained through the forgiveness of Christ and the eternal inheritance obtained in the cross. In Christ alone we can enjoy our work in this world to be content with a handful and keep a free hand to serve others. All we need is Jesus

Sir Walter Raleigh wrote:

“Give me my Scallop-shell of quiet,

My staff of faith, My scrip of joy, immortal diet,

My bottle of slavation,

My gown of glory, hope's true gage,

And thus I'll take my pilgrimage.”

Chill Out, Life is a Gift

Humans seem to get very uptight when something they value in this world is under threat of loss or when we have not yet obtained that valuable prize. I want to make a case to you that a correct understanding of life as a gift under the providential care of God can allow us to chill out and enjoy life with grateful hearts.

Five times in Ecclesiastes we see the repeated phrase, “God has given.” There are a few different contexts in which we see these words.  In 1:13 God has given an unhappy business to the children of man who are fallen in nature and seek to understand the fallen world under God’s judgment. In 2:26, God has given understanding of this world to those who trust him while those who don’t will ultimately only know futility. In 3:10 God has given all times and seasons as the beautiful reality of his providence. In 5:18-19 we find that wealth and riches are that which God has given and can only be enjoyed in the context of that truth.

These repeated phrases are written in the context of all of the situations and seasons of life. It is impossible not to see that the author of Ecclesiastes (I believe, Solomon) is making it clear that everything we have from God, including the times and season and life itself, is a gift from God.

It’s so easy for Christians to ignore this fact, and when we do, we end up replacing gratitude with attitudes of want and entitlement. We also end up trusting other people, governments, and the resources and pleasures of this world for our contentment rather than God.  This is a dangerous place for any Christian to be. It changes our desires, our definition of need and our rhetoric. When we forget that everything is given from God and then lose whatever it is that is so precious to us, our world turns into a tailspin of despair or rage. We have forgotten that God is the giver and ongoing provider of all things. Life is a gift, both the instance of life and everything in its living.

When we appreciate that every season and time of life and every resource and pleasure is from God, we live life as a gift. We can be thankful for what we have, and even what we have lost. We can be thankful in riches and in poverty, in gain and loss, under good government or bad. It is God who gives for our good, no matter what he gives and no matter how long he allows us to have it. We live with understanding knowing that God is in control and nothing in this world is necessary for my satisfaction because that belongs to God.  I can enjoy his world because the world and everything in it is a gift. God alone is my need. When you say, “life is a gift from God” and mean it, your whole world changes.

To truly know that life is a gift, we also look to Jesus. We come into true life by grace – a gift (Romans 3:24). We can only know true life as defined in the forgiveness and mercy of the cross that crucifies us unto this world, and this world unto us. (Galatians 6:14).  The life we now live in the flesh we live by faith in the Son of God who loved us and died for us. (Galatians 2:20). Life, true life, is a gift. It was a gift in Genesis 1, and it is a gift in the cross. 

So, Christian, let’s not be so uptight about what you have or don’t have or what decisions are being made by governments, or what amount the share market crash took from your 401K balance. All of life is a gift and in God’s providence, the things of life, the times and seasons of life, and every matter under heaven is a gift of God and a work of his providential control.  We can be thankful for whatever we have knowing we have it because of God’s providence. We don’t need the rhetoric of entitlement, ownership or want. We can chill out. Trust in the providence of your God and be thankful. Enjoy life in Christ, it’s a gift.

Hate This Best Life Now!

If I were to say to you that I hate life, you would probably not want to spend a great deal of time with me. You might find my comment a great reason to finally pick up Joel Osteen’s book in an attempt to avoid such a pessimistic view of the world. As opposed to the depressing rhetoric of hating life, the therapeutic tones of positive thinking sound very attractive. The problem is, the motivational theism of some modern preachers is not eliminating your reason to hate life, but only delaying it. They may, however, be eliminating your ability to obtain true and lasting contentment and peace by sheltering you from the way reality directs us to what is truly the best life. 

While Joel Osteen has been greatly criticized by many evangelicals for his explicit book titles like “Your Best Life Now,” I wonder how surprised we might be to find out the number of pastors who are unwilling to stand in front of their congregation and echo the words of King Solomon. Ecclesiastes 2:17 So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind.

The main point we need to understand from King Solomon is that this statement is made after being very successful at living his best life, in this life. By the time you read this statement in Ecclesiastes 2:17, you have already read that Solomon had lived a life making the most of every resource available to him as a powerful and rich leader who was the envy of the world (see 1 Kings 10). It is after living his best life now that King Solomon said he hated life under the sun. For some people, it is not until our death beds that we realize the futility of this world and all that it has to offer.  Even when some preacher has given us great motivation to clean up our life and grab on to some type of great living and success, what have we but the fading words on a tombstone?

Here is the reality. We live in a world under judgment and there is no amount of riches and wisdom and pleasure or pursuit that can undo it. There is no satisfaction to be found in this world and Solomon even says that what we leave is given to someone who didn't earn it (2:21)…and they too will die. Even our legacy is pointless. Where do we look for lasting satisfaction when this reality sets in and we ask, “What’s the point?” If you do achieve your best life now, you will not even have to wait for eternity to realize your mistake. You will hate your best life on your last day “under the sun.”

Preaching the gospel is a solemn task and I feel the weight of this responsibility more every day. The gospel is not the good news of saving you from your drug habit. It does not allow you to simply overcome some tragedy in your life. It’s not the promise of gaining wisdom and it’s not the gateway to power, prominence or property. It is not the avenue of social equity in this world and it has no promise of preserving rights (except for the right to become children of God in Christ). It is the news that Jesus Christ is God’s only Son, second in the Trinity, who came into this world to appease the eternal wrath of God that is rightly rested on every human rebel. We live in a world that is corrupted by our sin and we live as enemies of our Creator in our rebellion to him. That means we are living in a judged world and face judgment later. If we don’t hate that life, even in the very best of it, we will never know the everlasting love that is only found in the grace of the cross.

So, for the sake of your eternal enjoyment of the One who is infinitely beautiful and satisfying, please, I plead with you. Hold onto the wisdom of Solomon to hate this “under the sun” life now so that you might love the glorious beauty of the Lord through redemption for all eternity!

The Illogical Nature of Worldly Philosophy

Before you judge the title, I don’t have a view that all philosophy is evil. As we look through the annals of church history, we can be thankful for some of the contributions of Christian thought. We should however notice the adjective I just used, “Christian.” A reason informed by the authority of Christ (and his word) will always think differently to a reason under the authority of self. In saying that, even Christians can leave the certainty of biblical revelation and wander into the uncertain realms of trusting finite human fallibility. It is the finite limitations upon human philosophy that reveal the nature of many illogical human conclusions. In saying this, there is one fundamental illogical conclusion that we must see in the very nature of worldly philosophical thinking: That is, the idea that humanity can improve humanity (and this world) through its own knowledge and experience and autonomous conclusions in this world.

There is a concept that no human can escape, and it is very well articulated in thought of the Preacher in the book of Ecclesiastes. It is a thought which is captured in essence using three simple words, “under the sun.” This is the realm of humanity and the very realm of this world.  All of it is under the sun.

The author of Ecclesiastes is explaining a simple and yet profound reality on which we should all meditate and consider very carefully. The problems of this world are in this world. The nature of humanity exists in this world. Our experiences, knowledge, and meditations happen within the realm of a confined parameter. You might object to this and suggest that the world is indeed a very big and diverse parameter. My answer? Finite is finite, no matter how big the border.

Philosophical pursuit for existence, meaning, purpose and fulfillment operates within a limited realm of fallible capacity. In one thousand years, humanity will be no closer to finding out the undeniable answer to these questions through its own autonomous pursuits of reason. Existence, meaning, purpose and fulfillment do not come from within but without. We do not invent a computer and seek it to find out its own purpose, but we design it with function and purpose. The computer’s purpose comes from that which is outside its own realm. For it to be otherwise would be absurd. The writer of Ecclesiastes calls this, “vanity.”

Christianity has a claim that no other human religion can boast. The Christian is completely dependent on revelation to understand what would otherwise remain an enduring secret. In the revelation of God’s Word, we are no longer reliant on a fallible reason limited to the realm of “under the sun.” We are recipients of truth from beyond this world and from the only One with authority and infinite capacity to inform us of our existence, meaning, purpose and fulfillment. God revealing himself to us through his word and his Son, Jesus Christ, is our only avenue of certainty to the fundamental answers to life in this world. Only with this foundation can we think without thinking in vain. Psalm 119:113 I hate the double-minded (KJV- vain thoughts), but I love your law.

Does Your Life Testimony Speak of God's Tangibility?

To say that God is my God is no small claim. Christianity is so often seen as a set of beliefs, and while many of us would say it is so much more than that, there is a great difference between conceptual acceptance and tangible reality. It is often in the midst of turmoil, conflict and dispute when this difference becomes more definable. When we face trouble, where (or whom) we turn to is often an indicator of our idea of reality and tangible help. The priority of our speech, actions and disposition is the message of what we portray as tangible reality.

I am not saying that a patient with a cancer diagnosis should not go to a doctor for treatment. Nor am I saying that we should not make an appeal to our governing authorities when injustices are being committed. These can be actions for both believer and non-believer. For the believer there is always a greater reality and one that should have real implications in the way we respond to everything in this world. It is not that we have a religious belief that can be put aside while we deal with a real-world problem. For a Christian, while we go to the doctor, the doctor himself is not the sum total of reality. For the Christian, it is the very knowledge of God that dictates a greater reality in every situation that affects our speech, our priority, and our approach in every circumstance.  God is the tangible reality by which we live and breathe and have our being.

In the bible there are consistent and regular implications and commands for God’s people simply by knowing his existence. In Genesis when God was making covenant with Abram (Abraham), he does so simply on the basis that he is God. There are real expectations from knowing this truth. Genesis 17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. Because God is, Abraham must live according to his standards. When Jacob was told to take his family to Egypt without fear, the reason for doing so was because God is God. He was to believe and act on the reality that God could build him into a great nation in Egypt. It was not Pharaoh’s kindness, but God’s sovereignty that made Israel a great nation in Egypt. Genesis 46:3 Then he said, "I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. When Moses was to lead the people of Israel, they were to accept Moses as their leader because he was sent by the one who simply is. Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

 In the Psalms, we are told in Psalm 46:10 that we can, “Be still and know that I am God.”  These words are not just nice thoughts on a tranquil day. They are tangible realities to be enacted in our temporal and physical existence.  To “be still” is an action required on the basis of knowing reality. When we are faced with trauma and dilemma in an uncertain world, the Christian need not rally troops and speak with fear mongering desperation.  Neither do we need to curl up on a ball in our beds in spiraling depression. Our stillness is based, not on religious sentiment but on the tangible reality of the self-existent, all-powerful, all-knowing God who through Christ is our God. Our temperament, speech and actions should all convey the priority of this tangible reality.

We may go to doctors, we may appeal decisions, we may go to the basement during a tornado, but we do so knowing that God is God. The hands of the doctor are under the sovereign control of God. He puts the governing bodies in power and sways the heart of the king. He controls every element in the universe. This is why a Christian is calm, prayerful, and has a greater source of comfort and strength for the anxious moments of life. We sound, act and think differently and portray it in all the signs that show the world a calm disposition in a greater even more tangible reality. We have God.

Responding Well to Losing "Rights"

As our governments have been grappling with both the decisions and the reach of those decisions in dealing with this crisis, I have seen many Christians expressing disagreement in ways that seem (at least to me) to have words of worry and sometimes a sense of entitlement. As a fellow citizen and one who enjoys (and believes in) the separation of church and state as much as any believing American, I benefit from the reminder that Christ never promised us an easy relationship with the state and the Scriptures must dictate both my attitude and approach to earthly authorities. The current crisis has posed real dilemmas on governments and navigating the waters of conflicting data and opinion cannot be easy. We have all had instances of both agreement and disagreement with our civil leaders’ statements and actions during this time. Many Christians have shared particular concern about both possible and actual infringements of rights. Please allow me to share ten points from some important biblical texts by which we can test our speech as we consider decisions being made – even ones we may disagree with during this period.

1.     Christians should realize, no matter what the state says or does, we can live as free in Christ. This allows us to calmly love God and serve others even when the state is in opposition. We must show honor to our authorities and in every case reflect that in our speech.

1 Peter 2:16-17 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

On this point I am constantly reminded of Daniel. He had lost all rights as an Israelite in captivity, and yet in serving under one of the most powerful tyrants of history, Daniel would approach Nebuchadnezzar by saying, “O King, live forever.” (Dan. 6:21).

2.     Christians are to be subject to our authorities even when they are unjust and be willing to endure suffering. This means, without grumbling or sowing discord.

1 Peter 2:18-19  Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.’

Romans 13:1-2, 6-7 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. ... 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

3.     We need to actually love those we cannot agree with and even those who may want to hurt us.  This should be evident in our lives and speech.

Matthew 5:43-44, 46-47 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ... 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

4.     We must be careful to recognize that our tongue will easily represent our evil heart. Any individual in authority we speak about is created in the image of God and must be spoken about with great respect.

James 3:8-9 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.

5.     There are no special dispensations for Christians to ignore the fruit of the Spirit. These are the very character attributes of God who lives within us.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

6.     Our consciences are not clear because we make a good defense but because we did so with gentleness and respect as pointing to Christ and honoring him.

1 Peter 3:14-16 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled,  but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,  having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

7.     We need not speak with a fearful tone or have anxious rhetoric because our constitutional rights are in threat. We are in the care of our God who is sovereign over every matter from the least to greatest.

Matthew 10:28-30 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 

8.     An eternal perspective of our eternal home will help us to balance out the real importance of our perceived earthly rights being taken away. We don’t need to speak as if losing a constitutional right takes away our very life.

Philippians 3:18-21 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

9.     With right perspective we calmly know that opponents of God live in uncertainty and face judgment in an instant. We should care more about their souls.

Psalm 73:18-20 Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin. 19 How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors! 20 Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.

10.  Ultimately there are only two really important rights to know about.  The right to eternal judgment for all humans, and the right to be children of God for those who believe in Christ. These should be the main two rights that Christians show they are most concerned about. If these are not the priority rights you are speaking about, you need a new priority.

John 1:12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

Please understand, I am not advocating for silence and inaction, but we need to make sure both our speech and actions will align with Scripture and our first priority to glorify God. Brothers and sisters, please allow me this pastoral plea for us never to sound like losing a constitutional right is more important to us than our calling to act and speak pleasing Christ. Let’s be this way with our families, friends and neighbors. We have an opportunity right now to show that our temperament is one of peace and joy because we have a greater security than this world. And…a greater hope.

Beware the Isolation Sin of Self Interest

It’s not at all difficult to understand why coronavirus is the main topic of conversation between most humans on the planet.  As I text with my family, we are often asking about restrictions and death rates and curves and governing decisions.  When the lights go out, it is easy for our minds to head in that same direction and perhaps even apply the situation to our future job security, bank account or general feeling of safety.  The dominating subject right now is understandable, but the way we deal with this subject can inadvertently allow self-interest to dominate our minds. Self-interest takes our hearts away from Jesus and elevates ourselves to the position of what we worship most.

When Jesus was ministering in Galilee, the Pharisees were too focused on their own purposes and plans to accept his greater and glorious purpose.  Jesus had performed miracles and preached in a way that unquestionably identified him as the Messianic King anticipated in their own Scriptures. Their self-interest clouded the greater reality and they rejected him.  Before you point your fingers too sternly at the Pharisees for missing the glory of Christ, bear in mind that they too were facing major hardship in their time.  Rome had conquered and was in the process of conquering the world as the major power of the day. Under Roman rule there was peace only if you abided by all of Rome’s demands. For the Jewish people, the intrusion on their values and way of life was not a menial dilemma. As Jews defied their oppressors, they died. In fact, in 70 A.D. Roman armies demolished the temple and brought devastation to Jerusalem.

The Pharisees were looking for their own idea of a Messiah.  Sure, they knew the Old Testament Scriptures, but in looking for the one who would protect their Jewish religion and life and keep their perceived identity as a people, Jesus was not serving their interest.  They wanted a Savior to defeat the Romans, not one who would be hung on a Roman cross.

The sin of self-interest, even as a response to turmoil, blinds us to reality and when that reality is Jesus, the sin is exponentially greater. This is why Jesus responds to the Pharisees in telling them that their rejection of him places them under greater judgment.  In one example Jesus uses, he talks about the Gentile Queen of Sheba.  “The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.” (Matthew 12:42).  In this statement Jesus is making two big points. 1. This Gentile queen marveled at the wisdom of Solomon and travelled from great distances to see him. Solomon was great, but he was no Jesus.  2. The Pharisees have the much greater Jesus right in front of them but have rejected him in compliance with their own self-interest. They are under greater judgment.

If we are to consider any of this in the light of our current crisis, we must consider that Jesus is always greater in importance than anything this crisis might mean for our temporal, current situation. Your health is important.  Your family is important. Your job is important.  Please don’t hear me trivializing the temporal importance of our lives.  The priority, however, is always that Christ is greater. If we are centered on self in the temporal and forgetting Christ, we are ignoring the greater glory and in danger of placing ourselves in the same Christ-rejecting position as the Pharisees.

Jesus’ example of the Queen of Sheba is such a great example for us to meditate upon.  If the Queen of Sheba thought Solomon’s kingdom was a kingdom of wisdom and glory, how much more would she have marveled at the wisdom and glory of the kingdom of Christ which is infinitely greater than Solomon. If this means greater judgment for the Pharisees, doesn’t it also mean that there is great responsibility upon us not to forsake the much greater Jesus for our own self-interest?

Self-interest is a sin because it turns us away from the glory of Christ, even the self-interest that is concerned about a real and present danger. During this time of isolation, I pray that the Lord would protect us from focusing on self in an unhealthy way and to turn our hearts and minds to the infinite glory and greatness of Christ. If we do so, I believe it will affect every aspect of our speech and actions and temperament during this difficult time. Don't ever forget we have Jesus.  He is always greater and infinitely glorious. Self-interest will only ever blind us to that reality.

Are You Thankful for our Crisis?

If you are anything like me, the Coronavirus crisis has encouraged you to think upon the Lord even more than usual.  For example, today Trish and I were walking into Costco to pick up some items for our pantry. Most people were wearing masks and we were ushered carefully into the store through new walkways designed to keep people distanced from each other.  There was an air of fear and I thought to myself that this is exactly what I would consider a pandemic to look like. Trish suggested we take some photos to show our future grandchildren what it looked like in our community when the world stopped. Right then my mind instantly thought of Jesus.

Trish didn’t mean that the world was ending, she just meant that there have been shutdowns all over the world. Even so, I walked out of Costco with Trish thinking to myself how thankful I am that in Christ I have certainty when the world has none. In Christ, I know that the true end of this world will only happen when the trumpets sound the great day of his return. In Christ, I know that with every step I take in this time of pandemic, I am a child of God and in his eternal care. These are but a few of the thoughts that are filling my mind right now.

If you are a Christian, I hope that this crisis is having the same effect for you.  It should be. So often when I read the Psalms, I find that crises and threat from enemies constantly result in pointing the Psalmists to turn to God and meditate on him. When David is in the wilderness, he turns to God (Psalm 63). When his enemies are closing in on him, he turns to God (Psalm 3). When Asaph can’t understand the worldly success of wicked men, he turns to God (Psalm 73). When David is in the depths of sorrow and sadness, he turns to God (Psalm 13), When the nations have defiled God’s temple, Asaph turns to God (Psalm 79). These are but a few examples of a great host of Psalms that show that for God’s covenant people, one of the main results of tribulation is that we turn to God.

 Brothers and Sisters, isn’t it a good thing to turn to God? Would you be thinking as much about your hope in him if there was no pandemic? Would you be meditating on the certainty of the cross if there was no mortality rate? Would you be anticipating the glory of a new creation if there was no wilderness? Would you turn to God as much if there was no trouble?

I am not joyful at the death of others. Nor do I have some morbid delight in the spread of sickness. This is a world filled with the consequence of original sin and it saddens me.  At the same time, I am thankful that pandemics push me closer to Jesus.  How about you?

Perhaps in your crisis you can think exactly like King David. “My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.” Psalm 63:5-8.

Controlling Your Thoughts in the Corona Commotion

If you have been reading my blogs over the last few weeks, you will notice that during this time of isolation and uncertainty, the Psalms of David have been not only a great encouragement to my soul, but a great source of wisdom to face our current crisis. Again today, a Psalm of David helps us to tune our minds in a God-ward direction. How do we avoid uncontrolled fear in the commotion of the Covid19 crisis?

1.     Acknowledge that fear and dread is a matter of the mind.

“Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from dread of the enemy.” (Psalm 64:1).

Like many of David’s Psalms, the situation in Psalm 64 yet again has David facing his enemies. David’s enemies plot and conspire against him and seek to do him harm by sewing discord and dissension. In the face of those who would gladly take his life, David’s first request of God is not directed at his opposition but at his own mind.  He does not ask God first to preserve his life from his enemies, but from the dread of his enemies.  David has a real complaint to bring to God, and his thoughts are no doubt filled with the possibilities of what might happen to him, but David acknowledges that his dread will not help him.  He asks God to preserve his life from his own fear. His enemy is the dread in his mind before it is the threat in his world.

2.     Acknowledge the reality of the threat as you seek God’s help.

Even though David starts with his own fear and dread, he also defines his problem as he cries out to God. By reading the words of David’s prayer we know that men were against him and that their main weapon in this instance was their words.  They were secretly plotting against David and seeking injustice (Ps. 64:2-6).

While it is important to first acknowledge that our thoughts are inclined to promote fearful thinking, it does not mean we cannot take the reality of the threat before us to God.  David is able to describe in his prayer both the nature of the threat and the fallen nature from which it comes. We should be informed of the nature of the threat before us, but if we are managing our fear and dread, we will act responsibly as we trust God rather than engaging in social media fearmongering or spiraling in hopeless anxiety. 

3.     Meditate on the reality of God’s power, authority and victory.

Psalm 64:7-9 But God shoots his arrow at them; they are wounded suddenly. They are brought to ruin, with their own tongues turned against them; all who see them will wag their heads. Then all mankind fears; they tell what God has brought about and ponder what he has done.

How does David manage the priority of fear and dread in his own mind? He reminds himself (through his own prayer) that God has the last say. In David’s situation, the evil words of the men will be used against them in God’s ultimate judgment.  Evil will not prevail and ultimately God’s righteousness must see justice reign. It will not be as if it is something difficult for God, but in his limitless power and sovereignty he will overturn their evil “suddenly.” David prays about his dread but follows that up with a meditation on God’s sovereignty.

Unlike David, we have the ability of looking back to the completion of that sovereign victory in the cross of Christ. That gives us certainty to look ahead to a final consummation that will be the realization of the comprehensive victory of the cross for all eternity. 

4.     Convert dread to praise as you realize the truth

Psalm 64:10 Let the righteous one rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him! Let all the upright in heart exult!

David first asks God to preserve his life from his fearful thoughts before he brings the actual threat to God.  He meditates on the justice and power of God and reminds himself that the threat is not a threat to God. He is then able to put his mind to rest from fear and exult in the Lord who is his refuge.

Conclusion:

We may not have a group of people spreading rumors and consorting to bring us to ruin, but in Coronavirus we do have a real physical threat around us that has potential to bring harm to us and those we love. David’s approach here tells us that before we think about the global pandemic and its possible effects, we should bring our own disposition before the Lord. We should acknowledge that sinful fear and dread is not something a virus brings to us, but something we nurture in our own thoughts.

If you have just read through these four points, please remind yourself that this happens in the doing. Dread of our enemy is not resolved in the acknowledgement that there is truth in this article.  Our life is preserved from dread in the application of these points. When you sense the presence of dread, will you worry about the threat or will you take your dread to God? In acknowledgment of the threat will you meditate on your God who cannot be threatened? In the knowledge of God’s sovereign victory and justice, will you agree that you are better to face the reality of your challenge with an exultant heart rather than one full of dread? “Let all the upright in heart exult!”