Leviticus 4 – There is a cost

As I read through Leviticus, one of the things that hit me is the high cost of compliance to the regulations. To sacrifice an animal to atone for every sin would consume a lot of resources when a proper understanding of sin and righteousness has been internalized.

The good news is that 1 John 1:9 tells us that we can confess our sins to God and obtain forgiveness, not based on a sacrifice we have provided but one that has been provided for us by God. Jesus is that perfect sacrifice, once for all.

Perhaps we have lost something since the Temple has been destroyed. To bring an animal to the Temple and participate in the ritual killing reinforces the gravity of sin. We, if we are not careful (and under the influence of the Holy Spirit), can fall into the trap of not heeding Paul’s advice to Timothy to flee sin, thinking that it is easy to get forgiveness. Yet that forgiveness cost Jesus his life. It is a serious business.

Exodus 40:34-35 – The Glory of the LORD

In Exodus 40:34-35 we are told that the Glory of the LORD so filled the tent of meeting that Moses could not enter the tent.

The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 3:16 that as believers, we are the Temple of God.

My prayer for today and for the coming year is that I might be so filled with the Spirit of God that all the junk that I normally let in will be displaced and prevented from entering. Hopefully, the process will included displacement of pride and envy and the other sins of the flesh that so easily mar the image of God in me.

Exodus 34:12 – No Compromise

Exodus 34:12 warns the Nation of Israel that they are not to make treaties with the nations they are to displace in the promised land. To do so would make the nations a snare to Israel.

As believers, we have the same challenge in dealing with the culture around us. To modify our beliefs to increase our acceptance by the community is to take on the wound that will cause our death. The “main line” denominations are an example of this. We must take our beliefs from Scripture without compromise.

What is more difficult is in sorting out what parts of the surrounding culture I ingest without thought. There is danger in emulation of the underlying attitudes of the culture. For example, a prevailing distrust of authority will effect how I view God. Movies and television can jade my thoughts about violence and crime. I can take on a “Christianized” hedonism by simply avoiding some obvious sins as drunkenness and sexual transgressions yet living for my comfort. I can function as a materialist while proclaiming a perfect doctrinal stand.

I suppose the antidote to this is a healthy distrust of myself and the culture in which I grew up combined with an unfettered love of God. Fixing our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2) and seeking God’s wisdom (James 1:5) I can then begin to see where my own attitudes and thinking are deficient and can choose to change.

Exodus 33:1 – Leave

In Exodus 33:1 God commands Moses to leave the mountain to go to the promised land.

It seems to be a theme in Scripture that we are not to be so comfortable in our current circumstances that we miss the opportunity to move forward in God’s program.

Paul speaks of pressing on in Philippians 3:12-14. The idea is to keep moving forward toward the goal of being with Jesus and not letting the past or the present keep us from that goal.

Too often, my focus is on comfort and imagined security when I make life decisions. When I am rational, I know that the only real security is to be found in being in the center of God’s will. But my flesh can willfully distort my perceptions so that I am less focused on God and more focused on pampering my flesh.

Give me eyes to see your plan and the fortitude to follow it.

Exodus 24:17 – Consuming Fire

In Exodus 24:17, Moses records the Israelite’s description of God as a “consuming fire”, an image that intrigues me.

A consuming fire seems to be a dangerous thing. I am reminded of Mrs. Beaver’s comment in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe about Aslan which is something to the effect of: “Safe? No, he’s not safe, but he’s good.”

To enter the Consuming Fire does not cause one to loose his identity; the self is not consumed. Entrance into the Consuming Fire begins the process of repairing the parts of the self that have been damaged by my sin and the sin of others. What gets burned away are the notions that are not of God.

The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 12:2 that transformation comes as a result of having our minds renewed. This renewal includes the destruction of ideas that are false and dangerous. Only the Consuming Fire can accomplish this burning away of the false and impartation of the true.

Exodus 31:6 – Whence the skills?

In Exodus 31:6, God tells Moses that he gave skills to the craftsmen to accomplish the work of constructing the Tabernacle.

God has given and continues to give skills to men to enrich our heritage and build the things necessary for society to function. The skills are operative even when those who possess them do not acknowledge their source.

We, as believers, though can appreciate the skills and acknowledge the Skill Giver. I can worship God when I see an incredible athletic feat even though the one who performs it lives an immoral life style. In every discipline whether music, art, athletics, architecture, etc. we can find reasons to thank God for the way he has gifted humans with skills.

Perhaps one day, all who posses such skills will acknowledge the Skill Giver. While we are thanking God, perhaps we can intercede on their behalf.

Merry Christmas

I wish you the very best this Christmas Day. It is my hope that as my fellow Americans become increasingly disillusioned with our government that they will turn to the King of Kings whose birth we celebrate today.

BTW, if anyone is actually reading this blog, please drop me a line at mhmcintyre@gmail.com to let me know. Comments and discussion are welcome.

Exodus 23:2 – Don’t Follow the Masses

Specifically Exodus 23:2 says that we should not “follow the masses in doing evil.”

I suppose it is because we were created social beings that we want to have commonality with our fellows. Yet, this drive for commonality tends to gravitate to the lowest common denominator.

We follow trends in fashion, books, political philosophy, etc., often without stopping to consider what Scripture says on the subject.

When we are following the masses without being informed by Scripture, it will end up moving toward evil. May we become so attuned to Scripture that we can spot the evil or counterfeit right away.

2 Peter 3:7 – Reserved for Fire

Based on 2 Peter 3:7, I have to admit that Al Gore is right, the polar ice caps will melt at some point in the future. However, Al Gore should consider this prophecy before proclaiming his ecological message.

Perhaps God will burn the Earth to show those who worship it that it is a created thing and not a giver of life. In the Old Testament, the only fitting response to an idol was to burn it or melt it down. The burning of the Earth will be the same thing on a much larger scale.

I’m glad I won’t be here when it happens.

Matthew 12:10 – Pharisees

Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?

It is really easy to criticize others when things are going well for the critic. It is easy to condemn those who struggle in areas where I do not struggle. Remember the beam and speck in Luke 6:42?

In thinking about legalism and Pharisees, the thought came to me that if the Pharisee had experienced a family member who had a disability, he might be less willing to be critical. He might rather be longing for the very healing that took place.

The point is that no matter what the deficiency in others, I have the same potential for depravity and my ability to resist the deficiency says more about God’s grace than it does about my spirituality.

Exodus 16:3 – If Only

The Israelites did their fair share of complaining. Many of the complaints began with “If only . . .” as in Exodus 16:3.

Two responses come to mind. One is that there is danger in getting so comfortable with my current situation that I am not available to make the changes that God has ordained for me. In other words, comfort can increase my resistance to needed change.

The second response is that when things get difficult, it is easy to remember only the good things about my previous situation. Rather than focusing on where I am and where God wants me to go, the trap is in focusing on where I’ve been and why it was better than where I am now.

The Apostle Paul gives us the antidote to this in Philippians 3:113-14. Forgetting the past and pressing on is his recommendation. This makes sense in that no matter how good or bad the past was, it is past and cannot be changed or relived.

The future, however, is a different story. If I really believe that I am in relationship with the God that could so powerfully free Israel from bondage, why would I be anything other than optimistic about the future? Jesus’ promise to always be with us will offset any difficulty that I may encounter. I am not alone, no matter how difficult it may become.

Exodus 13:14 – With a Mighty Hand

Moses commands the people to explain the meaning of the Passover celebration to their sons and daughters. In Exodus 13:14, he reminds them, “With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.”

This is the same Mighty Hand who defeated sin and death. This is the same mighty hand who has raised up a Church that has never been crushed or exterminated even when kings and governments have sought to do so. This is the same mighty hand who is able to raise up Church leaders from among people the world has thrown away. This is the same mighty hand that will one day take up the scepter and rule the nations.

Too often I read the headlines and get overwhelmed by the insanity that seems to flourish in the leaders of this world. I’m thinking of the insanity of acting as though man and government can fix the problems of the world without acknowledging that God exists or that we need any intervention from him.

At this time of year, I am reminded that the one who possessed this mighty hand, also subjected himself to the limitation (and perhaps humiliation) of becoming a baby in the greatest covert operation in history. Coming as a baby, in all the apparent weakness, was not an afterthought, it was planned from eternity.

Nothing in the news comes as a surprise to my God and not one bit of that news can thwart his plan. He has been, is and always will be in control, with a might hand.

Exodus 11:7 – A distinction

In Exodus 11:7, God tells Moses, “Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.”

God makes the distinction between his people and the surrounding culture. Our job is to follow God no matter what he asks us to do and allow God to make the distinction. Too often, the focus has been on making ourselves look distinct in externals such as dress and music. This results in only making us look odd.

For the believer, the real distinction should be internal. We should be loving when the world expects revenge. We should be peaceful when the world is in turmoil. We should be focused on eternity when the world is focused on now. We need to live out what we claim to believe and bear the aroma of Jesus into the stench of the world (2 Corinthians 2:15).

Exodus 5:22 – Return to the LORD

Moses obeyed God and went to Pharaoh and demanded the release of the Israelites. As a result, Pharaoh made the work more difficult for the Israelites. This difficulty brought Moses into conflict with the Israeli leaders.

Moses responded by doing the right thing, he brought it all to the LORD as recorded in Exodus 5:22.

I am reminded in this that I do not have sufficient perspective to accurately interpret my circumstances. If I am having difficulties, it may be because I have strayed from God’s plan. But in this case, Moses was doing exactly what God wanted him to do and there were still difficulties.

So what better to do than to check back with the one who does have sufficient perspective to understand what is happening? If I look to God for direction then I can have my direction altered if I have strayed off course, or I can be reassured when I have stayed the course.

How grateful I am that I am not left on my own to figure it out.

Exodus 1:17 – Who or what do you fear?

I am no expert, but it seems to me that a total lack of fear is a sign of mental illness. Therefore, it is not a question of if I will have fear, it is a question of who or what I will fear.

In Exodus 1:17 we are told that the Israelite midwives chose to fear God rather than Pharaoh. This is the correct choice, but choosing to fear God more than men may have unpleasant consequences in this life.

In Matthew 10:28, Jesus tells us, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in [Gehenna].” (NIV)

Obedience to God may require that I endure consequences at the hands of men but obedience to God is the right choice and pays off in the end. God give me the strength and wisdom to follow through on my choice to fear you only.

Genesis 49:8-10 – The Obedience of the Nations

Genesis 49:8, 10: “Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you . . . The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.”

This prophecy has been partially fulfilled in King David, but is yet to be completely fulfilled. When I see the turmoil in the world, especially that between Israel and her enemies, the contrast to how things will be when Jesus reigns is startling.

Barring a major revival like the Great Awakening, it seems as though things will get worse before Jesus returns. But, we can rest in the knowledge that no matter when it happens, it will be glorious.

Revelation 5:13 – Every Creature Praises God

I ran across Rev. 5:13 tonight while reading a commentary on Ephesians. The thought that struck me is that in the end, every living creature will proclaim blessing upon God. This praise will come from the same creation that now works hard at avoiding association with God. Richard Dawkins can rant all he wants, but in the end, the truth wins out.

Perhaps this will help when I feel somewhat overwhelmed at the craziness that seems to be holding sway right now in our national, state and local politics. Eventually, God will be acknowledged and eventually Jesus will reign and things will make sense.

Until that time, the true Church, must take up the responsibility to offer up this praise in our words AND our actions. We must proclaim the truth and be willing to live it out.

Perhaps knowing that everyone praises God in the end will embolden us in our witness right now.

Genesis 47:9 – Few and Unpleasant

When I read Genesis 47:9, I am tempted to call Jacob a whiner. Few and unpleasant indeed! At the time he makes this statement, Jacob is 130 years old.

Jacob left home with nothing and came back with incredible wealth. On the way home, he wrestles with God and gets a new name. He fathers 12 sons, one of them being the one who would be responsible for preparing for the famine that brings Jacob to Egypt. From my perspective, this is quite a list of accomplishments.

Yet, perhaps Jacob is not comparing himself to his peers when he calls his days unpleasant. Perhaps after Peniel, life on this rock looses some of its luster. Perhaps at 130 he is looking forward to his rest and to reestablish the face-to-face interaction with God. Perhaps Jacob at 130 knows something I have yet to learn.

Genesis 45:9 – The Truth Comes Out

In Genesis 45:9, Joseph tells his brothers, to whom he has revealed himself, “now hurry back to my father and say to him . . .”

Can you imagine how fun that ride back to Canaan was? I can hear the brothers rehearsing how they were going to reveal the news to Jacob. Basically, they had to admit that they lied about Joseph and hope that Jacob's joy at hearing that Joseph is alive eclipses his wrath at having a lie told to him.

I once heard a story about how a father taught his son an object lesson about lying. He had him hammer a nail into each board on their fence and then go back and remove all the nails. Afterward, the father explained to the son that even though he removed the nails there is still a hole. In the same way, every lie has a lingering effect.

May my speech be such that I say nothing that I will later regret . . .

Genesis 42:36 – Get A Little Perspective

In Genesis 42:36, Israel (formerly Jacob) proclaims, “Everything is against me!”

We know this to be not true, but the statment was an honest expression of how Jacob felt at the time.

Jesus said in Matthew 28:20 that he is with us always. Paul tells us in Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who is against us?” From this I conclude that even when it seems as though everything is aligned to thwart me in my endeavors, it is not the case that “everything is against me.”

Genesis 28:8-9 – Life as a contrarian

Genesis 28:8-9 records the response of Esau to his parents' abhorrence of Canaanite women. Since he was angry with Isaac, Rebekah and Jacob, Esau decided to do exactly what was contrary to Isaac's wishes.

Let's be honest here, I assume that Esau and I are not the only ones that have ever reacted in this way. Sure, by God's grace and fear of doing the wrong thing, I have not done anything so overtly contrarian as Esau.

Yet, there is still a good bit of “I may be sitting on the outside, but I’m standing on the inside” in me.

History provides many examples of this behavior; the French Revolution comes to mind. So I know that I am not alone. I take comfort in Paul’s promise in Philippians 1:6. God will complete his will in me . . . eventually.

Genesis 39 – With Joseph in Prison

In Genesis 39, Moses tells us four times that God was with Joseph (Gen 39:2, Gen 39:3, Gen 39:21, Gen 39:23).

I wonder if Joseph realized that the LORD was with him while he was in prison (for doing the right thing). Having our Bibles, we know the end of the story and realize that indeed God was with Joseph. But Joseph did not know how it would end while he was going through it. Do you think that when the baker was hanged, that Joseph might have gotten a little worried?

Jesus promised to be always with me, yet sometimes I forget and allow myself to feel alone. Just as God never abandoned Joseph, he will not abandon any of his children. If we trust Jesus for salvation, we should be able to trust that he never leaves us. This is true even when we are going through difficulties and have no clue how it could possibly work out.

Genesis 32:31 - Got limp?

As a result of wrestling with God, Jacob had his name changed and he thereafter walked with a limp as recorded in Genesis 32:22-32.

The people I have know who are most deeply connected to God have been changed in a similar way. When we come into relationship with Jesus we are given a new name. We have the opportunity to go from being a lost sinner to becoming a child and friend of God.

Jesus tells us that in the world we will have tribulation (I don't have my computer with Bible Software and I can't remember the reference). The tribulation will wound us and perhaps make us limp (metaphorically or otherwise). We are to bear the marks of having drawn closer to God.

Genesis 16:2 - The Path of Least Resistance

In Genesis 16:2 it says, "Abram agreed to what Sarai said." Abram went with the flow; he took the path of least resistance. Granted, he could not have known the outcome of this decision. He was within the social norms and this choice was perfectly acceptable in his culture. So let's not be too hard on Abram (or Sarai).

I certainly am in no position to condemn Abram's choice since I have a long track record of taking the path of least resistance. Take the easy choice as long as it is not clearly immoral. Go for the easier major in college with little or no thought as to calling. Take the higher paying job even though the work may be less rewarding with regard to growth and satisfaction. Do the thing that is easiest and makes the fewest waves.

I am reminded by Abram that choices have consequences. Perhaps there is no perfect choice other than to accept Jesus.

I can either refuse to make choices (this is the path of addiction or mental illness) or trust that God can work it out even when my choices are less than perfect. Thankfully, we have the promise of Jesus that he will be always with us. Perhaps at the end of life, rather than being based on accomplishment, satisfaction will be gained by seeing the way that Jesus walked with me all the way, even when my choices led me into difficulties.

Genesis 12:3 - Bless Israel

In Genesis 12:3 God tells Abram, "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

Unless I missed it, this promise has never been rescinded by God; it is still in effect. It is my sincere hope that our President and Congress do not abandon Israel. If we do so then the terrorists have won. To support Israel does not mean we have to agree with everything she does. It does mean, however, that we assert her right to existence and self-rule. Those nations that are allied against Israel do not support her right to exist as a nation.

Job 40:8 - Questioning God's Justice

"I cannot believe in a god who would allow _______" is one reason given by atheists in support of their animosity toward God. When this is the line of reasoning, the atheist is questioning the justice of God. This is precisely what Job did in Job 19:6 when he said, "God has wronged me."

In Job 40:8, God asks Job, "Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?" Job's problem was that he did not have enough perspective to see his circumstances from the perspective of eternity. There were things behind the scenes that he did no know about and from his limited perspective he came to conclusion that God was the cause of Job's suffering. Job's line of reasoning was:

I have done nothing to deserve this suffering
God has caused or allowed me to suffer
Therefore God is unjust

Many atheists use a similar line of reasoning.

When Job is addressed by God, thus giving Job a wider perspective, he draws a very different conclusion. When he comes in contact with God, he says in 42:6, "Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes."

I keep coming back to what we see in Jesus as the manifestation of God to us. Jesus reveals God's loving nature. If I am suffering (and I have been blessed to have very little of this) it is not because God does not love me or care for me. There must be a different reason. It could be for my purification. It could be as a testimony to those around me. It just could be the result of bad choices by others which effect me. Yet, God is in control and his purpose cannot be thwarted. I must keep sight of the fact that there will come a time when I will be beyond suffering, when death or the Lord's return overtake me. 

Job 33:6-7 - Elihu Speaks

In these verses, Elihu says to Job, "I am just like you before God; I too have been taken from clay. No fear of me should alarm you, nor should my hand be heavy upon you."

What strikes me in this is the word fear. I am reminded of Jesus' words in Matthew 10:26-28 where we are told not to fear man but to fear God.

Yet too often I find myself in the fear of men. I fear criticism or rejection from those I love and respect.

What I have found through the years is that this is precisely the trait that enables bullies to exist. While I am no longer in danger of the bully that will beat me up to take my lunch money, there are yet bullies with which I have to contend.

The airwaves are full of such bullies; the political pundits are prone to becoming bullies. Whether they lean left or right, the bullies force their opinion on others and for the most part real substantive discussion is lacking. Less dangerous, but still using the same M.O., are the sports radio personalities. They are less dangerous because sports do not determine the direction of our government.

Then there are the corporate bullies who force themselves and their opinions on others while climbing the ladder. The force behind the bully's opinion lies in his political skill and not in the merit of the idea. Often the bully forces an idea through that is detrimental to the company and hurts the people with which he works. By the majority of his coworkers not wanting to make waves or risk the displeasure of those higher up in the chain, the bully gets his way.

To avoid the fear of man, I must fear God. Not cower-in-the-corner fear but a fear that holds God in respect and awe. Fortunately, while he is a God to be feared, he has also demonstrated himself to be loving and approachable. He is to be approached with respect and honor, but he is to be approached. When I allow myself to be focused on God, then I am able to set aside my fear of man. If I am in the center of God's will, if I am confident in his pleasure in my walk, then it is easier to let the opinions of others go past with little impact.

Job 31:4 - God Sees

In Job 31:4, Job says, "Does he not see my ways and count my every step?

The implied answer is yes, God does see. Not only does God see what we do, he knows our thoughts and attitudes.

Two thoughts come to mind in response to this.

First, God sees when we do the right thing even if no-one else does. Am I doing things for God's approval or for man's?

The second thought is that it is not enough to refrain from acting on my evil thought, the thoughts must be brought into submission to God through the transforming of my mind. (Romans 12:2).

Seeking God

I was recently asked the question, "can people seek God for the wrong reasons." My answer is below:

Jeremiah tells us, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13, NIV). Other verses that encourage us to seek God are: Deut. 4:29, Psalm 105:4, Isaiah 55:6, Hosea 10:12, Luke 11:10 and Acts 17:27

To one extent or another, we all seek God for the wrong reasons. Our sinful nature is deceptive and we all struggle with pride and selfishness. Because of this, we often seek God for what he can do for us. None of us seeks God from a pure motive. If you have any doubt of this, read Romans 7 where the Apostle Paul outlines his struggle against the flesh.

The good news is that God has shown us the way that we will find him. We must approach God in humility and repentance through the work of Jesus on the Cross. Jesus is the only way to God (see John 14:6). As we approach a Holy God, our perspective on what we really need gets changed. As we begin to see ourselves the way God sees us, the seeking becomes more about who God is and less about getting my needs met.

So, while one may begin to search for God for the wrong reasons, he will find that during the search his heart is changed and he begins to seek God for the right reasons. We may start seeking because we feel incomplete or damaged, but we progress toward seeking God for who he is. We may begin to seek God for what he can do for us, but we progress to seeking God to be near him. We begin to understand that we are created to be in fellowship with God, a fellowship that was broken by the sin of Adam. We progress toward seeking God to have that fellowship restored. It is a love relationship that seeks the other because of the value of the other, not because of what the other does for him.

Those who do not have their hearts changed in this way during the seeking, will not find God. To submit to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is the only means of coming into fellowship with God. Those who refuse to submit to Jesus may find religion, but they will not find God.

Job 24: 23-24 - God is Watching

The most difficult question to answer is, "why does God allow _________?" Bad things happen and it is difficult or impossible, in our limited view, to accurately determine why God allowed that event and how it fits into God's plan for humanity.

A related question is why God seems to turn a blind eye toward those who perpetrate evil. In Job 24:23-24, Job tells us that while it seems as though evil men are getting away with it, they will eventually come face to face with the God we worship and seek to obey. God's "eyes are on their ways (v. 23)" and in the end, "they are gathered up like all others (v. 24)."

They don't get away with it. God sees. Perhaps this is why we should pray for our enemies. They are our enemies because they do not know the God we worship. They are also enemies of God and as such we should pray that they repent and seek God's forgiveness and become friends of God.

Job 16:16-17 - My prayer is pure?

How many of us can claim with Job, "my face is red from weeping, deep shadows ring my eyes; yet my hands have been free of violence and my prayer is pure"?

To keep our hands free of violence, we must keep our thoughts free of violence. When I am affronted, do my thoughts turn to getting even by putting the other in his place? In Luke 6:28, Jesus tells us to bless those who curse us. Paul provides a similar command in Romans 12:14.

If that were not difficult enough, in Matthew 5:44, Jesus also tells us to pray for those who hurt us.

My take-away is that no matter what happens, I am to control my thoughts, actions and prayers, keeping in mind the eternal perspective and having an earnest desire for the salvation of the one doing the persecuting. In myself I do not have the strength to do this, yet, if I focus on Jesus, as it says in Hebrews 12:1-3, then perhaps, I may get it right.

Perfect Love and Omniscience

The thought struck me this morning, that it is a good thing that in God omniscience is coupled with perfect love.

To know all things without being perfect in love would result in Hell. There have been stories about what it would be like to read minds. Usually, the one who is given this ability figures out pretty quickly that it is a curse rather than a blessing.

It is only perfect love which can provide a means of dealing with all the knowledge about people. I rest in the belief that even though God knows the darkest parts of me, his perfect love (coupled with infinite wisdom) provides a path for this darkness to be exposed to the light of his grace.

For me to know all the darkest parts of people would either overwhelm me or provide an opportunity for my flesh to gain an advantage.

Thank God that as believers, who are indwelt by the living God, we can love others with God's love and not rely on our own ability to love. We also have the promise in James 1:5 that God will provide wisdom when we lack it. 1 Peter 4:8 tells us that love covers a multiple of sins. Let us love one another.

Job's Friends

In Job 8:6, Bildad the Shuhite reveals the core of his argument. His reasoning goes something like this:

1. God is righteous and will always act righteously
2. God rewards those who follow him in acting righteously
3. Job is being punished, not rewarded
4. Therefore, Job must not be righteous

Yet we know from a reading of the entire book that this logic is faulty. Job is righteous and is not being punished.

This is a challenge to me because it is too easy to judge people without knowing the whole story. Sure, since we are all imperfect, we contribute to our own misery in some ways, but when I see someone in a really difficult situation, I should not immediately assume that it was because of bad choices that they are suffering.

Job - 1:1 - Fear and Shun

The description of Job begins with "he feared God and shunned evil" (Job 1:1). In James 4:7 we are told to submit to God and resist the devil.

It strikes me that the order of these actions is important. Without a proper fear and submission to God, there is no point in trying to resist the devil or shun evil. Without God I am powerless over sin, evil and certainly cannot resist the devil.

Submission to God implies a cross. Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Matthew 16:24, NIV) Submission to God requires that my flesh be mortified, as in killed, as in dead. I must surrender control to God. It is only when God is in control that the devil can be resisted and evil can be shunned.

I like the line from the movie Luther. When he felt himself to be under attack and failing, Luthor's mentor taught him to repeat the prayer, "I am yours, save me." This is a good prayer for us all.

The Methodist Church's Stand on Homosexuality

I recently was given a copy of a paper written by one who presumes to speak for the United Methodist Church on the issue of homosexuality and the Bible. I was not shocked or surprised to see that his conclusion was that the Bible does not condemn homosexuality.

I will not do a point-by-point rebuttal of the arguments used in the paper, but suffice it to say that to reach this conclusion, the author ignored three things:

1. He ignored the plain reading of the texts. The very term arsenokoitas found in 1 Cor. 6:9 and 1 Tim. 1:10 (arsen - man, koitas - sexual intercourse) is graphic and describes the homosexual act. Also, a plain reading of Rom. 1:26-27 would bring the conclusion that God condemns the homosexual act.

2. He ignored 3000 years of Jewish Tradition concerning the interpretation of OT regulations concerning sexuality. No conservative Jewish scholar was cited in the paper.

3. He ignored almost 2000 years of church tradition. No conservative Christian scholar (by conservative I mean one who holds a high view of Scripture and takes Scripture to be the ultimate authority) was cited.

To come to the conclusion that same sex union is acceptable to God, the author does some incredible exegetical gymnastics. His method of interpretation shows a disregard for the inspiration and authority of Scripture. He seeks to find justification for something that he wants validated but does so in a way that results in exegetical dishonesty. I am reminded of the words of the serpant in Genesis 3:1 "did God really say?"

So what should the church do in response to the homosexual community? We should interract with the homosexual as we would any other lost person. We need to demonstrate the love of God to him/her with the goal of introducing him/her to Jesus.

Apart from Christ, we all have a predisposition toward sin. We each choose different means of expressing our sin. Homosexuality is one such expression. We need to be gracious to all sinners and not condemn the sin of homosexuality louder than any other, nor should we show any animosity toward homosexuals.

It is possible to love the homosexual without validating his/her homosexuality.

Genesis 3:17 - PAINFUL Toil

When I have read this verse in the past, the emphasis always seemed to be on the word toil. Beginning with Adam, mankind would have to toil to get his daily sustenance.

This morning, the thought struck me that the emphasis should be on the adjective "painful." Before the Fall, Adam was charged with keeping the garden; he was to tend it, which implies work. From this I conclude that toil is not a product of the Fall, painful toil is.

The reason it would be painful is that the toil would be less productive than it was before the fall. Adam would now have to contend with weeds (thorns and thistles) and he would have to contend with disease of the crops. He would have to work harder than ever before to realize less produce. This would result in physical pain, the pain of hard labor.

I can imagine that as Adam worked in the fields, seeking to overcome these handicaps, he would remember what it was like before the Fall. He would remember how well the plants grew, how every small effort he invested provided a perfect result. He would remember the vitality he felt in tending the Garden. He would remember that God was present with him while he worked.

Jesus said, in Matthew 5:4, that those who mourn are blessed. In some sense we are all longing for the Garden, longing for the effects of sin to be removed from ourselves and our world. We have painful toil because we know it could have been different and will eventually be different. But not yet.

Joshua 14:10-12 - A Positive Attitude

How can you not like Caleb, son of Jephunneh as recorded in Joshua 14:10-12? He is 85 years old and ready to take on the Anakites so that he can claim the inheritance that God has promised him.

A couple of things that I note in this. First, he put himself in the position of claiming this inheritance because he followed God wholeheartedly. He stood against the other 10 spies who gave a bad report. At 40 years old, he was ready to enter the promised land and rely on the promise of God to drive out the Canaanites before them.

The second observation is that action is required on his part to get the inheritance. It is not just a matter of believing, it is a matter of taking that belief and putting it to action. At 85, Caleb had the same belief as at 40 and had the same drive to live out that belief in action.

In my mind, I hear Johnny Cash singing his version of "I won't back down." "Hey baby, there ain't no easy way out. Hey baby, but I won't back down . . . . I will stand my ground"

Deuteronomy 31:8 - Do Not Be Afraid

I am struck by how often the command, "do not be afraid" is found in Scripture. In Deuteronomy 31:8 we have this command with the promise that the LORD "will never leave you nor forsake you."

Why do we need to hear this promise? I think it is because God knows how often we feel left or forsaken. I know that I need this reassurance. I see the world around me in confusion and rebellion. The truth is suppressed and insanity seems often to prevail.

There are times when I think that if only God would make his presence more tangible then things would be different in the world. Then I remember that Jesus came and did make God tangible yet the world went on its own way. Those who did not wish to see Jesus as God were able to ignore his challenge and go blindly on.

There were some who were impacted by Jesus, yet even the disciples still had moments of doubt. They still questioned and struggled to understand. This was especially true following Jesus' death.

Yet, when I stop and prayfully consider my circumstances and history, I can see God's hand in so many events, both in my life and the lives of the people around me. When I pause for reflection, I can see that I have never been left or forsaken.

Deuteronomy 11:12 - Watch the Land

I remember an old Larry Norman song which had a phrase that went "if you're truly wise, you'll keep your eyes on Palestine." This seems to be really good advice in light of Deuteronomy 11:12.

In this verse, Moses tells us that God's eyes are on the land that Israel now occupies. He says it is a land that God cares for. God also gave it to the nation of Israel.

I know of no verse in Scripture where either of these statements have been rescinded. So if God's eye is on the land and if He has designated the descendants of Israel as the legal owners, it doesn't seem likely that any Muslim nation will succeed in wiping Israel off the map.

Deuteronomy 4:39 - What if?

What if I followed the command of Deuteronomy 4:39 and acknowledged and took to heart this day that the LORD is God . . . There is no other?

Would my life be different if I followed this completely? For me, the answer to this is yes. From what I read of the saints that have gone before me, they came to the same conclusion.

Two questions come to my mind. The first has to do with what I do and the second (and more important) question has to do with why I do it.

1. Am I doing what God wants me to do?
2. Am I doing it for His glory or for mine?
   

Numbers 20:13 - Grumbling and Quarreling

I'm reading through the book of Numbers right now. Numbers 20:13 caught my eye this morning.

While I would not go so far to say that my personal life is difficult, I have had some difficulties along the way. My job (and soon to be lack thereof) being one of the larger ones.

As I read this, I am convicted that I have done a lot of grumbling along the way, sometimes to God, sometimes to others. It is one thing to be honest with God about our difficulties, it is quite another thing to grumble. I think that the difference is in the degree to which I allow God to be in control.

For example, most of my grumbling is a veiled attempt to give give God advice on how I should be treated. My pride would like my talent and effort to be recognized and praised. When they are not I perceive this as an injustice. Like the Sons of Thunder, I am then ready to call down fire from Heaven on those who disregard me.

It is quite another thing to be honest with God about my circumstances, acknowledge that He is in control and ask for wisdom and grace to respond appropriately.

The difference is that one response stems from pride (I want to be in control) and the other stems from humility (I want God to be in control).