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[Wisdom says:] “but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”
-Proverbs 1:33
This verse shows up for me at a very odd time. You see, this past weekend was an interesting one, and full of contradictions. On Saturday night I was in a situation, and I failed to seek God in it. I ended up getting very upset, very frustrated, and said a lot of things I shouldn’t. It was pretty ugly, and I greatly regret the whole thing. On Sunday, I found myself in a similar situation, and I stopped myself and prayed, and everything was almost instantly better. The situation was not really better, but I was, and that was enough. Likewise, my wife had to suddenly go to her hometown because a family member passed away, and I could not accompany her because I could not get the time off from work. I wish I were with her to comfort her and care for her, and yet I am at peace because I’ve been trusting God to take care of things.
We are concluding our look at Proverbs 1 today with this verse, and I am reminded of one of the first posts I did on Proverbs, which talked about how God’s blessing isn’t necessarily wealth. It’s deeper than that. A lot of Christians would look at this verse and think that God is going to make them rich. That’s not it at all.
The world doesn’t change for you; you change in relation to the world.
This is what is promised to us: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
What a wonderful promise. I have to say, I would rather have these things than wealth. I am not a wealthy man, and yet the peace of God makes me very content in what I earn.
There are times when I look inward, and in doing that I start to panic. I start to lose sight of God. But when I listen to Him, I am “at ease, without dread of disaster.” In those times (and those times are increasing in me), I know that He is in control.
It is not something I deserve, and not something I could ever earn. It’s Grace. It’s mercy. When Jesus died, He paid my debt. Now I am free to follow Him, to accept love, joy, peace, patience, etc. I am able to come to God and know that He is in control.
It is only through Jesus that this can happen. Only by His Blood are we able to be forgiven, for only He has paid the price that we should pay for our sins. If you do not know Him, I ask you to repent of the wrongs you have committed. Go to Him and ask for Grace. Not for money, not for power, and not for anything worldly, but for life. For love. For joy. These are things the world cannot offer, and yet are worth more than all the gold in the world.
Showing posts with label Proverbs 1. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Proverbs 1. Show all posts
Monday, December 22, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
Proverbs 1:32: Where? Behind the rabbit?
[Wisdom says:] “For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them;”
-Proverbs 1:32
I love the rabbit scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
If you haven’t seen it, an enchanter named Tim is leading Arthur and his knights to where the Grail is hidden, but there is a terrible monster blocking the path. Tim takes great pains to warn Arthur of the danger, and he really gets the knights riled up with his description of the peril.
But when they get to the cave, there is nothing there but a white rabbit.
The knights are incensed. They can’t believe that Tim had them so worried. “Look at the bones!” Tim cries out, hoping they will listen. They don’t, and Bors goes to take care of the rabbit.
And the rabbit leaps up and rips Bors’ head off.
The knights cower in fear, and all Tim can say is, “I warned you!”
(It’s very funny; trust me.)
There are three reactions a person can have when hearing the truth about God. They can turn away, saying, “I don’t believe that.” Like Bors rising up to kill the rabbit, they scoff at God. They turn away, in the words of this verse.
Other people just assume they’re okay. “Oh, I’m a good person. I have nothing to worry about,” they might say. They are complacent.
And both of these reactions will earn you death.
The reason is simple. We are imperfect beings, and God is perfect and Holy. We have earned death in our pride, greed, lust, and hatred. God’s mercy is the only way we can have life. But if we turn away from Him actively, or passively assume we’re good enough, then we have foolishly accepted the death sentence we deserve.
But the other way to react is by accepting the call of Jesus and repenting. Only He did not deserve to die, and yet He died anyway. He died in our place.
Turn away, stay, or bow. Those are our only choices. The first two are simple and foolish, and they get us nowhere. But trusting in Jesus will get us eternal life. Ask for His forgiveness and follow Him.
-Proverbs 1:32
I love the rabbit scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
If you haven’t seen it, an enchanter named Tim is leading Arthur and his knights to where the Grail is hidden, but there is a terrible monster blocking the path. Tim takes great pains to warn Arthur of the danger, and he really gets the knights riled up with his description of the peril.
But when they get to the cave, there is nothing there but a white rabbit.
The knights are incensed. They can’t believe that Tim had them so worried. “Look at the bones!” Tim cries out, hoping they will listen. They don’t, and Bors goes to take care of the rabbit.
And the rabbit leaps up and rips Bors’ head off.
The knights cower in fear, and all Tim can say is, “I warned you!”
(It’s very funny; trust me.)
There are three reactions a person can have when hearing the truth about God. They can turn away, saying, “I don’t believe that.” Like Bors rising up to kill the rabbit, they scoff at God. They turn away, in the words of this verse.
Other people just assume they’re okay. “Oh, I’m a good person. I have nothing to worry about,” they might say. They are complacent.
And both of these reactions will earn you death.
The reason is simple. We are imperfect beings, and God is perfect and Holy. We have earned death in our pride, greed, lust, and hatred. God’s mercy is the only way we can have life. But if we turn away from Him actively, or passively assume we’re good enough, then we have foolishly accepted the death sentence we deserve.
But the other way to react is by accepting the call of Jesus and repenting. Only He did not deserve to die, and yet He died anyway. He died in our place.
Turn away, stay, or bow. Those are our only choices. The first two are simple and foolish, and they get us nowhere. But trusting in Jesus will get us eternal life. Ask for His forgiveness and follow Him.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Proverbs 1:31: Where this all is going . . .
[Wisdom says:] “therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices.”
-Proverbs 1:31
Paganism is not necessarily worshipping a volcano or tree nymphs. It certainly can include that, but that’s not the whole of it. Paganism is any time you worship something that is created rather than the Creator.
It can be money; it can be women; it can be a nice car; it can be television; it can be the environment; it can be donuts; it can be a singer; it can be your job. Whatever is most important in your life, that is your god. Whatever you sacrifice your time, money, and energy for, that is your god.
I tell you this because I need to tell you where your sin is leading. When you do not have the true God as your Savior and Lord, your sin turns into an idol, whether it be lust, pride, greed, or whatever. Whatever that sin is, it becomes your religion. Is it lust for you? The hot woman will be your idol. Greed? Money will be your idol.
I tell you this because it is something you need to recognize. It is not something to be put off until later, because it may get to the point where you are too far gone to make a difference.
Eventually, God is going to give you up to the lie, and you won’t even notice. You’ll be so absorbed in the creation that you will lose sight of the Creator. You won’t even realize that you are missing out on something incredible.
In doing this, you are earning Hell. We have all sinned and deserve death, and in this sin you will be swallowed by it. You will get exactly what you deserve.
We were all on this road! Don’t think I’m picking on you, because we were all there at one time or another. We were so focused on this earth that God’s Son had to come here as a man to save us. Yet still were we so absorbed in ourselves that we killed Him for the effort.
And still He is willing to take us back. Repent of those old ways. Because of the Cross, Christ is able to take your place in death and give you life. He will give you a new way, free from the bondage of sin. He can take you off the road you are on. Repent of that sin and ask Him for His forgiveness. Ask Him for His Spirit to guide you. With His help, sin will have no more hold on you.
-Proverbs 1:31
Paganism is not necessarily worshipping a volcano or tree nymphs. It certainly can include that, but that’s not the whole of it. Paganism is any time you worship something that is created rather than the Creator.
It can be money; it can be women; it can be a nice car; it can be television; it can be the environment; it can be donuts; it can be a singer; it can be your job. Whatever is most important in your life, that is your god. Whatever you sacrifice your time, money, and energy for, that is your god.
I tell you this because I need to tell you where your sin is leading. When you do not have the true God as your Savior and Lord, your sin turns into an idol, whether it be lust, pride, greed, or whatever. Whatever that sin is, it becomes your religion. Is it lust for you? The hot woman will be your idol. Greed? Money will be your idol.
I tell you this because it is something you need to recognize. It is not something to be put off until later, because it may get to the point where you are too far gone to make a difference.
Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
-Romans 1:22-25
Eventually, God is going to give you up to the lie, and you won’t even notice. You’ll be so absorbed in the creation that you will lose sight of the Creator. You won’t even realize that you are missing out on something incredible.
In doing this, you are earning Hell. We have all sinned and deserve death, and in this sin you will be swallowed by it. You will get exactly what you deserve.
We were all on this road! Don’t think I’m picking on you, because we were all there at one time or another. We were so focused on this earth that God’s Son had to come here as a man to save us. Yet still were we so absorbed in ourselves that we killed Him for the effort.
And still He is willing to take us back. Repent of those old ways. Because of the Cross, Christ is able to take your place in death and give you life. He will give you a new way, free from the bondage of sin. He can take you off the road you are on. Repent of that sin and ask Him for His forgiveness. Ask Him for His Spirit to guide you. With His help, sin will have no more hold on you.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Proverbs 1:31: Every sin will be punished
[Wisdom says:] “therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices.”
-Proverbs 1:31
It seems like the trend has slacked off a bit, but for a while there, you kept hearing about violent criminals getting set free over technicalities. Confessions were being thrown out of court because a cop did one tiny little thing wrong in the interrogation. Testimonies were being forbidden because of some obscure law that was poorly written.
In the live actions version of THE TICK, there was a very funny parody of this sort of thing, when a super-villain’s lawyer successfully got a trunk full of evidence kicked out of the trial. That evidence had been placed on a table in the middle of the courtroom, and the bailiffs began hauling it out. The judge instructs the jury to ignore the evidence, and the Tick stands up, crying out, “But it’s all RIGHT THERE!”
That sort of thing never struck me as a good thing. It is true that we need rules to follow when it comes to criminal justice, but I don’t think you can make a case that justice was served when an obviously guilty person is set free.
And even if you do, would you think justice was served if a violent criminal pleads guilty, all the evidence is in order, nothing was done wrong in the investigation, and the judge says, “I refuse your plea of guilty and find you not guilty”?
My friends, we are guilty. We are guilty of pride, lust, selfishness, and hatred. And if you deny that, then you are lying, which makes you guilty just as quickly.
We are all in the same boat here. From Hitler to Mother Teresa, we have all sinned to some degree or another. And it really doesn’t matter to what degree either, for God’s standard is perfection, and so any sin means we deserve the punishment: death.
And God is just too. He’s not a judge that would ignore the evidence and find you innocent “just because.” His Law is perfect, and therefore His standard is too. He is holy, and nothing less than holy can stand in his presence. Because of His justice, every sin will be punished, and every sin will be punished with death.
And that is why Christ is so important. Jesus was the only man who ever lived who did not deserve to die, and yet He died anyway. And in His death He paid the price that we earned. He spilt the blood that should have been ours.
Every sin will be punished, yes, but Jesus has made it so that He can take that punishment instead of you.
If we turn from our rebellion, confess our sins, and trust in Him, we will find life.
If we do not take His sacrifice, then we will have to pay for our own sins. We will “eat the fruit of our ways.” We will find the death we deserve.
We do not have to. A pardon can be issued. Go to Him and ask for forgiveness, forsaking your old ways. He will give you life.
-Proverbs 1:31
It seems like the trend has slacked off a bit, but for a while there, you kept hearing about violent criminals getting set free over technicalities. Confessions were being thrown out of court because a cop did one tiny little thing wrong in the interrogation. Testimonies were being forbidden because of some obscure law that was poorly written.
In the live actions version of THE TICK, there was a very funny parody of this sort of thing, when a super-villain’s lawyer successfully got a trunk full of evidence kicked out of the trial. That evidence had been placed on a table in the middle of the courtroom, and the bailiffs began hauling it out. The judge instructs the jury to ignore the evidence, and the Tick stands up, crying out, “But it’s all RIGHT THERE!”
That sort of thing never struck me as a good thing. It is true that we need rules to follow when it comes to criminal justice, but I don’t think you can make a case that justice was served when an obviously guilty person is set free.
And even if you do, would you think justice was served if a violent criminal pleads guilty, all the evidence is in order, nothing was done wrong in the investigation, and the judge says, “I refuse your plea of guilty and find you not guilty”?
My friends, we are guilty. We are guilty of pride, lust, selfishness, and hatred. And if you deny that, then you are lying, which makes you guilty just as quickly.
We are all in the same boat here. From Hitler to Mother Teresa, we have all sinned to some degree or another. And it really doesn’t matter to what degree either, for God’s standard is perfection, and so any sin means we deserve the punishment: death.
And God is just too. He’s not a judge that would ignore the evidence and find you innocent “just because.” His Law is perfect, and therefore His standard is too. He is holy, and nothing less than holy can stand in his presence. Because of His justice, every sin will be punished, and every sin will be punished with death.
And that is why Christ is so important. Jesus was the only man who ever lived who did not deserve to die, and yet He died anyway. And in His death He paid the price that we earned. He spilt the blood that should have been ours.
Every sin will be punished, yes, but Jesus has made it so that He can take that punishment instead of you.
If we turn from our rebellion, confess our sins, and trust in Him, we will find life.
If we do not take His sacrifice, then we will have to pay for our own sins. We will “eat the fruit of our ways.” We will find the death we deserve.
We do not have to. A pardon can be issued. Go to Him and ask for forgiveness, forsaking your old ways. He will give you life.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Proverbs 1:30: A tale of two children
[Wisdom says: I will not answer because they] “would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof,”
-Proverbs 1:30
What do you think is going to happen to those people who scoff at God?
You’ve met them. Perhaps you are one of them. Those who say, “I don’t need God!” or, “No one can tell me what to do and what not to do!” or, “People who believe in God are foolish!”
It surprises me, truthfully, how many people in churches ignore the Bible completely. A lot of people cling to the truth that grace comes by faith alone (with is true), and then go about their sinful lives with little regard for Christ. What they never considered is that all those who believe also follow (John 14:12).
What about those people? What about those who go to church on Sunday morning and are cheating on their wives by late afternoon? Who speak the name of Christ and yet con everyone out of money?
What of those who shake their head when the Bible is mentioned, making all sorts of excuses as to why that particular part was “cultural” or no longer applies?
What would YOU do?
What would you do if you child ignored your every word, made fun of you to others, denied you completely, disobeyed your every command, mocked you, mocked those who loved you, and then, when he was down on his luck, demanded everything you had without apology for his actions?
I’m not sure how I would react, but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t give him everything I had.
Say you had a child who did all those things, and then, one day, appeared at your door, threw himself at your feet, and begged for mercy, saying, “I was wrong in all those things I did and said. I can never make it up to you, but I ask for your forgiveness.”
Maybe you’d be wary, but if somehow you knew his heart, and knew he was telling the truth, I’m willing to bet you’d embrace him and welcome him inside.
You are one of these children. You are. The Bible tells us that we have all sinned and betrayed God in these ways. Not one of us is innocent. And God tells us what is going to happen to those of us who act in these ways. For those who continue in that way, who never repent, who never turn away from those actions and turn to Him, those people will earn for themselves eternal death.
But for those who repent, who turn to Christ and lay their sins upon the Cross, we will find life. We will be welcomed home.
But make no mistake. We can only reach Heaven through Jesus, for He is God, and there is no other god. You cannot repent to Baal and expect Jesus to accept that, just like if your rebelling child apologized to your neighbor but still ignored you, you wouldn’t take that to mean your relationship was restored.
We have all rebelled against God, but He sent His Son to restore our righteousness. In Christ’s death, He took on our sins so that we could take on His righteousness. Do not ignore His counsel and reproof. Accept them and turn to Jesus, for in Him you can have life.
-Proverbs 1:30
What do you think is going to happen to those people who scoff at God?
You’ve met them. Perhaps you are one of them. Those who say, “I don’t need God!” or, “No one can tell me what to do and what not to do!” or, “People who believe in God are foolish!”
It surprises me, truthfully, how many people in churches ignore the Bible completely. A lot of people cling to the truth that grace comes by faith alone (with is true), and then go about their sinful lives with little regard for Christ. What they never considered is that all those who believe also follow (John 14:12).
What about those people? What about those who go to church on Sunday morning and are cheating on their wives by late afternoon? Who speak the name of Christ and yet con everyone out of money?
What of those who shake their head when the Bible is mentioned, making all sorts of excuses as to why that particular part was “cultural” or no longer applies?
What would YOU do?
What would you do if you child ignored your every word, made fun of you to others, denied you completely, disobeyed your every command, mocked you, mocked those who loved you, and then, when he was down on his luck, demanded everything you had without apology for his actions?
I’m not sure how I would react, but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t give him everything I had.
Say you had a child who did all those things, and then, one day, appeared at your door, threw himself at your feet, and begged for mercy, saying, “I was wrong in all those things I did and said. I can never make it up to you, but I ask for your forgiveness.”
Maybe you’d be wary, but if somehow you knew his heart, and knew he was telling the truth, I’m willing to bet you’d embrace him and welcome him inside.
You are one of these children. You are. The Bible tells us that we have all sinned and betrayed God in these ways. Not one of us is innocent. And God tells us what is going to happen to those of us who act in these ways. For those who continue in that way, who never repent, who never turn away from those actions and turn to Him, those people will earn for themselves eternal death.
But for those who repent, who turn to Christ and lay their sins upon the Cross, we will find life. We will be welcomed home.
But make no mistake. We can only reach Heaven through Jesus, for He is God, and there is no other god. You cannot repent to Baal and expect Jesus to accept that, just like if your rebelling child apologized to your neighbor but still ignored you, you wouldn’t take that to mean your relationship was restored.
We have all rebelled against God, but He sent His Son to restore our righteousness. In Christ’s death, He took on our sins so that we could take on His righteousness. Do not ignore His counsel and reproof. Accept them and turn to Jesus, for in Him you can have life.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Proverbs 1:29: Sending yourself to Hell
[Wisdom says:] “Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD,”
-Proverbs 1:29
“I don’t believe God will send ANYONE to Hell!”
I’ve heard that statement quite a bit. That’s what we like to think about God, isn’t it? That He is so loving and generous and merciful that He would allow anyone to get into Heaven, so matter what. That’s loving, right? It’s not loving for Him to say, “You are damned!”
Except that’s not at all what is happening here.
Let me reset the context for this verse. Wisdom is speaking here (almost like a spokeswoman for God), and she is asking people to turn away from their folly and follow her. But if they don’t turn toward God because of her words, then she’s going to laugh at them when they find eternal death. Why?
We reach our current verse. “Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD.”
Here is the truth of things. If we find ourselves in Hell when we die, it is because we chose it.
How do we choose it? We choose it when God makes the truth known to you, and you reject it. That truth is that none of us is worthy of Heaven, and by justice we all deserve death. And yet, as Wisdom said a few verses back, in repentance we may find life. Christ, the Son of God, the same God who created the universe, came to earth as a man and died upon a Cross. In that death He took on the sins of the world. He paid the price we were supposed to pay because of our own sins. If we turn away from our sins and ask for His mercy, repenting of all that came before and choosing to follow Him, we will find life.
If you read that paragraph, you know the truth. You have probably heard it before. Now is your choice. Will you accept the truth (many of you reading this probably already have accepted it), or will you reject the knowledge there? Will you choose to follow God or not?
God isn’t going to “send you to Hell.” But if you reject Him, you are sending yourself there.
There is only one God, the God of the Bible, and His name is Jesus. He is the only way to have eternal life, for you cannot be good enough to make it on your own. If you say, “The god I believe in isn’t like that,” then the god you believe in is a false god. If you say, “God will let everyone get into Heaven,” then the god you refer to doesn’t exist. Turn away from these false beliefs and look to the Bible, where the one true God is revealed. There you will find His mercy, His love, His grace, and also His justice.
He, in love, has given us His Son so that we may live. Do not be defiant and deliver yourself into death when life is offered so freely.
-Proverbs 1:29
“I don’t believe God will send ANYONE to Hell!”
I’ve heard that statement quite a bit. That’s what we like to think about God, isn’t it? That He is so loving and generous and merciful that He would allow anyone to get into Heaven, so matter what. That’s loving, right? It’s not loving for Him to say, “You are damned!”
Except that’s not at all what is happening here.
Let me reset the context for this verse. Wisdom is speaking here (almost like a spokeswoman for God), and she is asking people to turn away from their folly and follow her. But if they don’t turn toward God because of her words, then she’s going to laugh at them when they find eternal death. Why?
We reach our current verse. “Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD.”
Here is the truth of things. If we find ourselves in Hell when we die, it is because we chose it.
How do we choose it? We choose it when God makes the truth known to you, and you reject it. That truth is that none of us is worthy of Heaven, and by justice we all deserve death. And yet, as Wisdom said a few verses back, in repentance we may find life. Christ, the Son of God, the same God who created the universe, came to earth as a man and died upon a Cross. In that death He took on the sins of the world. He paid the price we were supposed to pay because of our own sins. If we turn away from our sins and ask for His mercy, repenting of all that came before and choosing to follow Him, we will find life.
If you read that paragraph, you know the truth. You have probably heard it before. Now is your choice. Will you accept the truth (many of you reading this probably already have accepted it), or will you reject the knowledge there? Will you choose to follow God or not?
God isn’t going to “send you to Hell.” But if you reject Him, you are sending yourself there.
There is only one God, the God of the Bible, and His name is Jesus. He is the only way to have eternal life, for you cannot be good enough to make it on your own. If you say, “The god I believe in isn’t like that,” then the god you believe in is a false god. If you say, “God will let everyone get into Heaven,” then the god you refer to doesn’t exist. Turn away from these false beliefs and look to the Bible, where the one true God is revealed. There you will find His mercy, His love, His grace, and also His justice.
He, in love, has given us His Son so that we may live. Do not be defiant and deliver yourself into death when life is offered so freely.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Proverbs 1:28: Before it’s too late
[Wisdom says:] “Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me.”
-Proverbs 1:28
Have you ever had one of those moments, perhaps as a child, when you acted so defiantly until you realized what the punishment was going to be, and then suddenly you were begging for mercy?
There was one time, many years ago, when I was punished for something I did, and the punishment was a long one. Basically, I would be grounded for several weeks. Well, a child as I was, several weeks seemed like forever, so in that moment, I decided to at least get my money’s worth. So I started talking back, and the punishment kept growing, but I didn’t care, and I kept going.
In the end, my sentence was set at about six months without television or video games.
Not my greatest moment. Needless to say, I wasn’t thrilled with myself afterward. I made some attempted to apologize and lessen the punishment, and got some taken off, but it was basically too late.
I used to work in the court systems, and there were a few times when a criminal would come in very cocky and mocking of the whole process, at least until the guilty sentence was handed down, and then they started begging for mercy.
I’m going to be blunt with you. You have your whole life to figure out that you’re not a terribly good person, and that you need God if you want to escape eternal punishment. It’s what we all deserve, and this life is your chance to learn that.
Because after that, it’s too late.
God is so loving that, while we deserve punishment for our pride, anger, ambition, and lust, He sent His Son to take our place in death and then to rise again, insuring that we can have a place with God in heaven. He has called for you and shown you the truth, but perhaps you ignored it. I did for many years. He has offered mercy, but perhaps you have decided that you don’t need it. He has warned you of the wrath to come, but perhaps you have said you don’t believe it.
On the Day of Judgment, you will learn that it is all true, but it will do no good to beg for mercy then.
Had I asked for mercy from the beginning rather than defied my parents and scoffed at their punishment, perhaps I would have been let free right away. In the same way, some people play chicken with death for their very souls, saying, “I will find God when I am older,” as though any of us were guaranteed another day.
In mercy, God has given you your whole life to repent and turn to Him. He has given His Son to pay your price for you. But do not think that God’s love will cause Him to ignore His justice. Repent now, for in the next life, He will not answer.
-Proverbs 1:28
Have you ever had one of those moments, perhaps as a child, when you acted so defiantly until you realized what the punishment was going to be, and then suddenly you were begging for mercy?
There was one time, many years ago, when I was punished for something I did, and the punishment was a long one. Basically, I would be grounded for several weeks. Well, a child as I was, several weeks seemed like forever, so in that moment, I decided to at least get my money’s worth. So I started talking back, and the punishment kept growing, but I didn’t care, and I kept going.
In the end, my sentence was set at about six months without television or video games.
Not my greatest moment. Needless to say, I wasn’t thrilled with myself afterward. I made some attempted to apologize and lessen the punishment, and got some taken off, but it was basically too late.
I used to work in the court systems, and there were a few times when a criminal would come in very cocky and mocking of the whole process, at least until the guilty sentence was handed down, and then they started begging for mercy.
I’m going to be blunt with you. You have your whole life to figure out that you’re not a terribly good person, and that you need God if you want to escape eternal punishment. It’s what we all deserve, and this life is your chance to learn that.
Because after that, it’s too late.
God is so loving that, while we deserve punishment for our pride, anger, ambition, and lust, He sent His Son to take our place in death and then to rise again, insuring that we can have a place with God in heaven. He has called for you and shown you the truth, but perhaps you ignored it. I did for many years. He has offered mercy, but perhaps you have decided that you don’t need it. He has warned you of the wrath to come, but perhaps you have said you don’t believe it.
On the Day of Judgment, you will learn that it is all true, but it will do no good to beg for mercy then.
Had I asked for mercy from the beginning rather than defied my parents and scoffed at their punishment, perhaps I would have been let free right away. In the same way, some people play chicken with death for their very souls, saying, “I will find God when I am older,” as though any of us were guaranteed another day.
In mercy, God has given you your whole life to repent and turn to Him. He has given His Son to pay your price for you. But do not think that God’s love will cause Him to ignore His justice. Repent now, for in the next life, He will not answer.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Proverbs 1:27: Oh, hell
[Wisdom will laugh] “when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.”
-Proverbs 1:27
I don’t like talking about this. I don’t. But I’m going to, because it’s true. Because it’s important.
There is a hell. It is a place of eternal torment and eternal death. And people are going there. And because I know it’s true, then I have to speak of it, because this is too important to not say.
When we were made in the likeness and image of God, we were given souls that do not perish. That part of us is eternal. We will live forever. Period. The question is not IF we will live, but WHERE.
The two options are that we will live with God or without Him. Anyone would prefer heaven to hell (despite what some may claim), but there’s a problem.
We are in rebellion against God. He is perfect, Holy, righteous, and just, and we do not follow His Law. We do not consider Him worthy of praise, even though He created everything. We do not follow Him, but we follow our own devices instead.
And because God is just, He cannot let these transgressions, what the Bible calls “sin,” go without punishment.
There’s no fine we can pay. There’s not a prison we can go to for a few years. The price for rebellion, for treason, has always been the same: death. Without blood, there is no forgiveness of sin.
Revelation 20:15 says this: “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
No one is righteous, not even one. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. You have sinned. I have too. We have both rebelled against God. We have both fallen short. We both deserve the lake of fire.
Take a look at this verse from Proverbs. It’s one of many biblical descriptions of what is to come. Terror, calamity, distress, and anguish. That is what we deserve for our treason.
There is only one way to escape this fate. The debt is too high for us to pay, but the Son of God can to earth in human form to pay the debt for us. He died upon the Cross to pay for our sin. In Him, we may have life.
Nothing you can do can earn it. It is His gift if you would take it. Lay down your arms; renounce your rebellion. Repent, repent, repent, and ask for His mercy.
There is no other way. Christ told us this: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). He is our source of life. Religion cannot do it; being a “good person” cannot do it. Only Him. Repent to Him, for He is our only hope.
-Proverbs 1:27
I don’t like talking about this. I don’t. But I’m going to, because it’s true. Because it’s important.
There is a hell. It is a place of eternal torment and eternal death. And people are going there. And because I know it’s true, then I have to speak of it, because this is too important to not say.
When we were made in the likeness and image of God, we were given souls that do not perish. That part of us is eternal. We will live forever. Period. The question is not IF we will live, but WHERE.
The two options are that we will live with God or without Him. Anyone would prefer heaven to hell (despite what some may claim), but there’s a problem.
We are in rebellion against God. He is perfect, Holy, righteous, and just, and we do not follow His Law. We do not consider Him worthy of praise, even though He created everything. We do not follow Him, but we follow our own devices instead.
And because God is just, He cannot let these transgressions, what the Bible calls “sin,” go without punishment.
There’s no fine we can pay. There’s not a prison we can go to for a few years. The price for rebellion, for treason, has always been the same: death. Without blood, there is no forgiveness of sin.
Revelation 20:15 says this: “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
No one is righteous, not even one. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. You have sinned. I have too. We have both rebelled against God. We have both fallen short. We both deserve the lake of fire.
Take a look at this verse from Proverbs. It’s one of many biblical descriptions of what is to come. Terror, calamity, distress, and anguish. That is what we deserve for our treason.
There is only one way to escape this fate. The debt is too high for us to pay, but the Son of God can to earth in human form to pay the debt for us. He died upon the Cross to pay for our sin. In Him, we may have life.
Nothing you can do can earn it. It is His gift if you would take it. Lay down your arms; renounce your rebellion. Repent, repent, repent, and ask for His mercy.
There is no other way. Christ told us this: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). He is our source of life. Religion cannot do it; being a “good person” cannot do it. Only Him. Repent to Him, for He is our only hope.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Proverbs 1:26: They’re all going to laugh at you!
[Wisdom says:] “I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you,”
-Proverbs 1:26
Maybe I shouldn’t have, but I found it funny sometimes.
I used to work in the criminal courts, and I was always amazed at some of the people who asked some of the things they did. Sometimes they had just been convicted of crimes that very day, and they came to me, wanting me (a lowly clerk) to wipe it off their record, or maybe clear a fine for them. So boldly they asked, as though they deserved it! Sometimes they wanted me to write letters to employers that their record was clean. And when I wouldn’t, they would get upset at me, like I was the problem!
Most common of all were the people who didn’t go to a court date because they didn’t feel like it, and then they would yell at me when a cop came to their door to arrest them. I would try to explain that they had missed their court date and a warrant was issued, but they didn’t feel like those rules applied to them.
My coworkers and I would often laugh at this. We weren’t laughing so much at the situation these people were in, but that they somehow thought it was OUR fault.
We sometimes have that attitude with God. We don’t even think about it! Whenever we die, we are sure God will have no problem just wiping away any sin we have committed. God is love, right? Surely He won’t really expect us to pay for what we have done! We’re good people!
Let me tell you the truth. We are thieves, liars, blasphemers, and murderers. Have you ever stolen anything? Ever told a lie? Ever used the Lord’s name in vain? Ever been unduly angry at someone? Then we are guilty.
Do you think that all thieves, liars, blasphemers, and murderers should be allowed into heaven, or only you? Are you like one of those people in my court, who don’t think the law applies to you?
Say a murderer went before a judge and said, “Sir, I am a thief, but you are a loving person, let me free!” Say the judge said, “Okay, you’re right! Go free!” What would we think of the judge? Not much, I imagine. We would not think him just at all.
How much more just is God than any of us? God invented justice, after all! Why do you think He would not justly punish those who do wrong? The punishment is not one you want to face, for breaking merely one part of the Law is a transgression against the entirety of the Law (James 2:10), and the sentence for sin is death (Romans 6:23).
If you are just shrugging off the things you do wrong, thinking that God won’t care or He won’t notice, then you’re in for a surprise. You will be mocked. You will be punished.
But isn’t God merciful? Indeed He is, more so than any of us ever could be. That is why He sent His Son.
See, every sin must be paid with blood, but the perfect Man, Jesus Christ, died undeservedly, and in that death He is able to take our sin and pay our debt for us. In exchange, He is able to give us His righteousness so we can walk in the light.
But as with any gift, you must accept it. You must repent of your sin and turn your life over to Christ. If you get to Judgment Day with an attitude that “I am good enough,” you’ll find a perfectly just God laughing at your sheer silliness. But if you go with the confession that you are NOT good enough, but that you have laid your sins at the foot of the Cross, you will find that Christ has already paid the price for you.
This is too important to be left until tomorrow. If you do not know Him, then seek Him today. Ask for His forgiveness and His mercy, and let His wrath against you be sated at the Cross.
-Proverbs 1:26
Maybe I shouldn’t have, but I found it funny sometimes.
I used to work in the criminal courts, and I was always amazed at some of the people who asked some of the things they did. Sometimes they had just been convicted of crimes that very day, and they came to me, wanting me (a lowly clerk) to wipe it off their record, or maybe clear a fine for them. So boldly they asked, as though they deserved it! Sometimes they wanted me to write letters to employers that their record was clean. And when I wouldn’t, they would get upset at me, like I was the problem!
Most common of all were the people who didn’t go to a court date because they didn’t feel like it, and then they would yell at me when a cop came to their door to arrest them. I would try to explain that they had missed their court date and a warrant was issued, but they didn’t feel like those rules applied to them.
My coworkers and I would often laugh at this. We weren’t laughing so much at the situation these people were in, but that they somehow thought it was OUR fault.
We sometimes have that attitude with God. We don’t even think about it! Whenever we die, we are sure God will have no problem just wiping away any sin we have committed. God is love, right? Surely He won’t really expect us to pay for what we have done! We’re good people!
Let me tell you the truth. We are thieves, liars, blasphemers, and murderers. Have you ever stolen anything? Ever told a lie? Ever used the Lord’s name in vain? Ever been unduly angry at someone? Then we are guilty.
Do you think that all thieves, liars, blasphemers, and murderers should be allowed into heaven, or only you? Are you like one of those people in my court, who don’t think the law applies to you?
Say a murderer went before a judge and said, “Sir, I am a thief, but you are a loving person, let me free!” Say the judge said, “Okay, you’re right! Go free!” What would we think of the judge? Not much, I imagine. We would not think him just at all.
How much more just is God than any of us? God invented justice, after all! Why do you think He would not justly punish those who do wrong? The punishment is not one you want to face, for breaking merely one part of the Law is a transgression against the entirety of the Law (James 2:10), and the sentence for sin is death (Romans 6:23).
If you are just shrugging off the things you do wrong, thinking that God won’t care or He won’t notice, then you’re in for a surprise. You will be mocked. You will be punished.
But isn’t God merciful? Indeed He is, more so than any of us ever could be. That is why He sent His Son.
See, every sin must be paid with blood, but the perfect Man, Jesus Christ, died undeservedly, and in that death He is able to take our sin and pay our debt for us. In exchange, He is able to give us His righteousness so we can walk in the light.
But as with any gift, you must accept it. You must repent of your sin and turn your life over to Christ. If you get to Judgment Day with an attitude that “I am good enough,” you’ll find a perfectly just God laughing at your sheer silliness. But if you go with the confession that you are NOT good enough, but that you have laid your sins at the foot of the Cross, you will find that Christ has already paid the price for you.
This is too important to be left until tomorrow. If you do not know Him, then seek Him today. Ask for His forgiveness and His mercy, and let His wrath against you be sated at the Cross.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Proverbs 1:25: Repentance or regret?
[Wisdom says:] “because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof,”
-Proverbs 1:25
What happened when you repent?
I ask because we don’t seem to know. Is it a matter of saying sorry and then ignoring the problem? Is it making a confession and then going to do the same thing again?
“To repent” means “to turn away from.” I find that very interesting. If you are going to really repent, you are going to turn away from that thing of which you are repenting. Are you repenting of junk food? Then you won’t eat it any more. If you do keep eating junk food, then you never repented; you only regretted.
I worked with a woman a few years back who smoked. She was making an effort to quit, but never could get over the cravings, and so she always went back. She would make an announcement to the office that she was quitting. A couple of days later she would be smoking again.
It’s interesting that she always said that: “I’ve quit smoking,” but she never did. I think that’s how a lot of people who go to church view repentance.
That’s not what it is.
The modern church clings to the truth that we are saved by faith. That is absolutely true, but they forgot part of it. What they do not understand is that faith must lead to repentance, which must lead to a change. If there is no change, there has been no true repentance; if there is no repentance, there has been no faith. In other words, if I have not been changed by the awesome power of Christ, can I really claim to have experienced it?
Take this example. If a man claims to love his children, but does not care for them, does not provide for them, and does not even speak to them, can we really say he loves them? Obviously not!
Take a look at John 14:12a: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do.” Did you catch that? If you believe in Christ, then you will also follow His example.
How about 1 John 1:6? “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”
Part of the call of Christ, of Wisdom in this chapter in Proverbs, is a call to obey. Turning to Christ means obeying Christ.
Some of you are going to read this and say to yourself, “We must obey Christ to get to heaven!”
You have it wrong. Faith is what gets us to heaven, not works. Works come out of faith. If you look at your life and you see no evidence of Christ in your heart, then your problem is not a lack of works. Your problem is a lack of faith!
The Bible tells us these things so we can test ourselves and know that we are children of God (1 John 2:5-6, 2 Corinthians 13:5). Have you repented, or only regretted?
Right now, some of you are getting upset, because you’re thinking, “Hey, I prayed a prayer when I was eleven and the pastor said I never had to worry about getting to heaven again! How dare this blogger question that!”
And I say to you, many will say “Lord, Lord” who never knew Jesus, and He says He will tell them to depart (Matthew 7:21-23). The Bible never says that you can pray a certain prayer and never worry about your spiritual state again. The Bible tells us to repent and to examine ourselves to see the evidence of Christ. I was one who prayed one of those prayers and thought I was saved, only to come to the truth years later when I truly repented. Examine yourself!
If you find yourself still in sin, then the solution is not to “try harder.” The solution is to turn away from sin and turn to Christ. Repent of your ways and seek His Grace. It was the religious who put Him to death, not who followed Him. And yet Jesus’ sacrifice has made room in heaven for even the most hardened, self-righteous, proud, religious person there is.
Look at yourself. Do you know Him? If not, let today be the day you turn.
-Proverbs 1:25
What happened when you repent?
I ask because we don’t seem to know. Is it a matter of saying sorry and then ignoring the problem? Is it making a confession and then going to do the same thing again?
“To repent” means “to turn away from.” I find that very interesting. If you are going to really repent, you are going to turn away from that thing of which you are repenting. Are you repenting of junk food? Then you won’t eat it any more. If you do keep eating junk food, then you never repented; you only regretted.
I worked with a woman a few years back who smoked. She was making an effort to quit, but never could get over the cravings, and so she always went back. She would make an announcement to the office that she was quitting. A couple of days later she would be smoking again.
It’s interesting that she always said that: “I’ve quit smoking,” but she never did. I think that’s how a lot of people who go to church view repentance.
That’s not what it is.
The modern church clings to the truth that we are saved by faith. That is absolutely true, but they forgot part of it. What they do not understand is that faith must lead to repentance, which must lead to a change. If there is no change, there has been no true repentance; if there is no repentance, there has been no faith. In other words, if I have not been changed by the awesome power of Christ, can I really claim to have experienced it?
Take this example. If a man claims to love his children, but does not care for them, does not provide for them, and does not even speak to them, can we really say he loves them? Obviously not!
Take a look at John 14:12a: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do.” Did you catch that? If you believe in Christ, then you will also follow His example.
How about 1 John 1:6? “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”
Part of the call of Christ, of Wisdom in this chapter in Proverbs, is a call to obey. Turning to Christ means obeying Christ.
Some of you are going to read this and say to yourself, “We must obey Christ to get to heaven!”
You have it wrong. Faith is what gets us to heaven, not works. Works come out of faith. If you look at your life and you see no evidence of Christ in your heart, then your problem is not a lack of works. Your problem is a lack of faith!
The Bible tells us these things so we can test ourselves and know that we are children of God (1 John 2:5-6, 2 Corinthians 13:5). Have you repented, or only regretted?
Right now, some of you are getting upset, because you’re thinking, “Hey, I prayed a prayer when I was eleven and the pastor said I never had to worry about getting to heaven again! How dare this blogger question that!”
And I say to you, many will say “Lord, Lord” who never knew Jesus, and He says He will tell them to depart (Matthew 7:21-23). The Bible never says that you can pray a certain prayer and never worry about your spiritual state again. The Bible tells us to repent and to examine ourselves to see the evidence of Christ. I was one who prayed one of those prayers and thought I was saved, only to come to the truth years later when I truly repented. Examine yourself!
If you find yourself still in sin, then the solution is not to “try harder.” The solution is to turn away from sin and turn to Christ. Repent of your ways and seek His Grace. It was the religious who put Him to death, not who followed Him. And yet Jesus’ sacrifice has made room in heaven for even the most hardened, self-righteous, proud, religious person there is.
Look at yourself. Do you know Him? If not, let today be the day you turn.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Proverbs 1:24: Don’t turn away
[Wisdom says:] “Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,”
-Proverbs 1:24
There are some churches in this country, some big important churches, that refuse to speak of sin. They say they want to be “positive,” and so they only speak of love. They probably would have spent some time in verse 23 and skipped right over this next section, as though God put this part in by accident.
The promise of verse 23 is a wonderful one, which is why I spent four blog entries talking about it. If you don’t remember, they precede this one. It is a promise that is, in all honesty, the hope of my life, and it is a hope that will be fulfilled.
But if you remember verse 23 at all, you will remember that the promise is contingent on repentance. What happens if someone ignores the call of the Lord and keeps walking by his own counsel?
The next few verses will tell us. It’s not pretty.
At the start, let us be clear. It is a choice to turn away from God. It is your choice, and you cannot blame it on anything else. People from all circumstances, all walks of life, all families have this choice. On the day you meet God (and you will), you will have to answer for that choice.
Romans 1:19-20 says this:
Like Wisdom of Proverbs 1 stands in the streets and calls, God has made Himself known to all. He has given all of us a chance to repent.
Repent from what? See, a lot of pastors will tell you that you’re okay, and that everything’s alright. But the Bible tells us differently, and, if you think about it, you’ll know differently too. This world is not okay, and you’re not either. This world is filled with hatred, greed, lust, and ambition, and you are too. Face it, the same terror that dictators cause on a large scale exists in your heart too.
You may be thinking, “Hey, I’m a good person!” Maybe you are, but only compared to others. By God’s Holy standard, you are not. Have you lied? James tells us that if you have broken one part of the Law, you are guilty of the whole thing (2:10). Have you looked at a woman lustfully? Then you are an adulterer (Matthew 5:28). Have you used the Lord’s name in vain?
Let us not fool ourselves. God’s standard is perfection, and not a one of us has not sinned.
Depressed yet? Go back to verse 23, for there is hope. Repent, and you will be forgiven. Turn to Christ, who has the power to grant you eternal life. There’s no scorecard in heaven to tell you if you have passed the test or not. We all failed, except for Jesus, who lived a perfect life. But in His death He is able to take your sin upon Himself and give His own righteousness to you.
The alternative to eternal life is eternal death. There is a Hell, and people will go there. You don’t just cease to exist. Every sin will be punished. The question is whether you will take the punishment yourself, or if you will take Christ’s offer to pay the price for you.
Repent, my friends. Go to God and see for yourself how good He is.
-Proverbs 1:24
There are some churches in this country, some big important churches, that refuse to speak of sin. They say they want to be “positive,” and so they only speak of love. They probably would have spent some time in verse 23 and skipped right over this next section, as though God put this part in by accident.
The promise of verse 23 is a wonderful one, which is why I spent four blog entries talking about it. If you don’t remember, they precede this one. It is a promise that is, in all honesty, the hope of my life, and it is a hope that will be fulfilled.
But if you remember verse 23 at all, you will remember that the promise is contingent on repentance. What happens if someone ignores the call of the Lord and keeps walking by his own counsel?
The next few verses will tell us. It’s not pretty.
At the start, let us be clear. It is a choice to turn away from God. It is your choice, and you cannot blame it on anything else. People from all circumstances, all walks of life, all families have this choice. On the day you meet God (and you will), you will have to answer for that choice.
Romans 1:19-20 says this:
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
Like Wisdom of Proverbs 1 stands in the streets and calls, God has made Himself known to all. He has given all of us a chance to repent.
Repent from what? See, a lot of pastors will tell you that you’re okay, and that everything’s alright. But the Bible tells us differently, and, if you think about it, you’ll know differently too. This world is not okay, and you’re not either. This world is filled with hatred, greed, lust, and ambition, and you are too. Face it, the same terror that dictators cause on a large scale exists in your heart too.
You may be thinking, “Hey, I’m a good person!” Maybe you are, but only compared to others. By God’s Holy standard, you are not. Have you lied? James tells us that if you have broken one part of the Law, you are guilty of the whole thing (2:10). Have you looked at a woman lustfully? Then you are an adulterer (Matthew 5:28). Have you used the Lord’s name in vain?
Let us not fool ourselves. God’s standard is perfection, and not a one of us has not sinned.
Depressed yet? Go back to verse 23, for there is hope. Repent, and you will be forgiven. Turn to Christ, who has the power to grant you eternal life. There’s no scorecard in heaven to tell you if you have passed the test or not. We all failed, except for Jesus, who lived a perfect life. But in His death He is able to take your sin upon Himself and give His own righteousness to you.
The alternative to eternal life is eternal death. There is a Hell, and people will go there. You don’t just cease to exist. Every sin will be punished. The question is whether you will take the punishment yourself, or if you will take Christ’s offer to pay the price for you.
Repent, my friends. Go to God and see for yourself how good He is.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Proverbs 1:23: I don’t get it!
[Wisdom says:] “If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.”
-Proverbs 1:23
I am a SEINFELD fanatic. I’ll admit it: I have a problem.
I have seen every episode at least four times. It’s true. Some episodes I have seen ten or more. I have all the DVDs and it’s fairly regular that I will put one in and watch a few episodes. A few years ago, when I was more into television than I am now, I watched at least two episodes a day on late night television.
I’m not suggesting this as a great idea, just telling you the truth. Since I became a Christian, my priorities have shifted away from SEINFELD more and more, but I still love the show.
All of that to say this. When I am with my SEINFELD-loving friends, we will often quote lines from the show and laugh. Constantly we are doing this. And if someone is around us who doesn’t really know SEINFELD that well, he’s going to be lost. It’s an inside joke.
We have our inside jokes, something that requires special understanding to even get. The Bible is sort of like that.
Let me put it another way. I can read medical charts for the most part, because I’ve been trained to, being in insurance. If you give me a mechanic’s notes about my car, I’ll understand less of it. Give me the schematics to a microchip, and I’m lost. I do not have the training or understanding to even begin.
The Bible is like that too.
You can read the Bible and learn a great deal. People all over the world and throughout history are doing so. You can get the basic gist of things. But you’re not going to understand the depth of it until you have the right training. Just like I can only glean a little if you told me how my engine works, much of the teachings of the Word may be lost on you without something important.
No, it’s not a decoder ring or special knowledge. It’s the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 2 is a wonderful discussion of this. In verse 14, Paul writes, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”
It’s like someone who has never seen SEINFELD trying to make sense of the conversations I have with my friends. It’s like me trying to build a microchip from scratch using only a diagram of one. Not going to happen.
Furthermore, the Spirit drives us to seek the Word. 1 Peter 2:2-3 tells us to “long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord” (NASB).
I find it rather humorous when non-Christians try to tell me what the Bible says about things. They usually butcher it, saying some nonsense like the Bible promotes slavery or something like that. They do not understand, because they do not have the eyes to see it. But it also worries me when I find Christians who do not read it. If you have the Spirit, untold depths are awaiting you in these pages.
It is the Spirit that moves a man to God, not that man himself. The Spirit does it, because a man cannot even understand that much of God to want to do that. But when the Spirit prompts, suddenly certain truths will become evident, that everyone has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and that no one is righteous enough to enter heaven on his own.
But the Bible tells also of the greatest truth of all, that Christ came and died so that we can be united with God. Has the Spirit taught you the truth of yourself, that you are not good enough to reach Him alone? If so, then turn away from your old ways and look to the truth of Christ. You deserve death because of your sins, but He died in your place. Now you can take His righteousness and walk in His truth.
-Proverbs 1:23
I am a SEINFELD fanatic. I’ll admit it: I have a problem.
I have seen every episode at least four times. It’s true. Some episodes I have seen ten or more. I have all the DVDs and it’s fairly regular that I will put one in and watch a few episodes. A few years ago, when I was more into television than I am now, I watched at least two episodes a day on late night television.
I’m not suggesting this as a great idea, just telling you the truth. Since I became a Christian, my priorities have shifted away from SEINFELD more and more, but I still love the show.
All of that to say this. When I am with my SEINFELD-loving friends, we will often quote lines from the show and laugh. Constantly we are doing this. And if someone is around us who doesn’t really know SEINFELD that well, he’s going to be lost. It’s an inside joke.
We have our inside jokes, something that requires special understanding to even get. The Bible is sort of like that.
Let me put it another way. I can read medical charts for the most part, because I’ve been trained to, being in insurance. If you give me a mechanic’s notes about my car, I’ll understand less of it. Give me the schematics to a microchip, and I’m lost. I do not have the training or understanding to even begin.
The Bible is like that too.
You can read the Bible and learn a great deal. People all over the world and throughout history are doing so. You can get the basic gist of things. But you’re not going to understand the depth of it until you have the right training. Just like I can only glean a little if you told me how my engine works, much of the teachings of the Word may be lost on you without something important.
No, it’s not a decoder ring or special knowledge. It’s the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 2 is a wonderful discussion of this. In verse 14, Paul writes, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”
It’s like someone who has never seen SEINFELD trying to make sense of the conversations I have with my friends. It’s like me trying to build a microchip from scratch using only a diagram of one. Not going to happen.
Furthermore, the Spirit drives us to seek the Word. 1 Peter 2:2-3 tells us to “long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord” (NASB).
I find it rather humorous when non-Christians try to tell me what the Bible says about things. They usually butcher it, saying some nonsense like the Bible promotes slavery or something like that. They do not understand, because they do not have the eyes to see it. But it also worries me when I find Christians who do not read it. If you have the Spirit, untold depths are awaiting you in these pages.
It is the Spirit that moves a man to God, not that man himself. The Spirit does it, because a man cannot even understand that much of God to want to do that. But when the Spirit prompts, suddenly certain truths will become evident, that everyone has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and that no one is righteous enough to enter heaven on his own.
But the Bible tells also of the greatest truth of all, that Christ came and died so that we can be united with God. Has the Spirit taught you the truth of yourself, that you are not good enough to reach Him alone? If so, then turn away from your old ways and look to the truth of Christ. You deserve death because of your sins, but He died in your place. Now you can take His righteousness and walk in His truth.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Proverbs 1:23: Nine times nine
[Wisdom says:] “If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.”
-Proverbs 1:23
I am surrounded, more and more, by a world that does not know the multiplication tables. Especially now, with the state of American schools, fewer people are even considering this information, fewer people will admit it worthwhile, and fewer people can really multiply nine and nine and get eighty-one without a calculator.
If you’re wondering, I did not use a calculator for that one, but maybe I should . . . Yep, I was right the first time.
If you go around to the people you know, chances are that many of them will have no clue when it comes to mathematics. Many of them will just have a blank look on their faces when you start talking about the multiplication tables.
Doesn’t mean they aren’t true.
Anyone can grab a handful of rocks and work out these tables for their own, making nine little piles of nine rocks each and then counting eighty-one rocks. Any fool can do this. And yet it is so telling that I’ve heard some mathematicians are now questioning the meaning of ONE.
There are absolute truths in this universe of a higher order than ONE. There is wisdom beyond that which a normal man on the street will admit to. There are those who will tell you there is no truth, that nothing is good or evil, that there is no God. But then there are people who do not understand nine times nine, but that doesn’t change the answer away from eighty-one.
In one of my favorite episodes of STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION, Picard is tortured for an extended period. One of the things the Cardassians do to him is to shine four lights in his eyes and tell him there are five lights. They promise him freedom, food, whatever, if he will just admit there are five lights.
But there were four lights. In just the same way, the evidence of God is all about us, from the way we are fearfully and wonderfully made to the precise balance of the universe to the moral law inscribed within us to love, to love, to love.
Wisdom cries out in the street, and she cries out the name of Christ Jesus, the evidence of a love beyond any other we could ever know. While we were sinning, while we were in rebellion, God sent His Son to save us. Jesus died for us, paying the price for our sin upon the Cross.
It is true, more true than nine times nine being eighty-one. If you repent of your old ways and fall at His feet for mercy, you will find it. Ask Him for His forgiveness and walk in His ways, and you will find love and wisdom as you have never before known.
-Proverbs 1:23
I am surrounded, more and more, by a world that does not know the multiplication tables. Especially now, with the state of American schools, fewer people are even considering this information, fewer people will admit it worthwhile, and fewer people can really multiply nine and nine and get eighty-one without a calculator.
If you’re wondering, I did not use a calculator for that one, but maybe I should . . . Yep, I was right the first time.
If you go around to the people you know, chances are that many of them will have no clue when it comes to mathematics. Many of them will just have a blank look on their faces when you start talking about the multiplication tables.
Doesn’t mean they aren’t true.
Anyone can grab a handful of rocks and work out these tables for their own, making nine little piles of nine rocks each and then counting eighty-one rocks. Any fool can do this. And yet it is so telling that I’ve heard some mathematicians are now questioning the meaning of ONE.
There are absolute truths in this universe of a higher order than ONE. There is wisdom beyond that which a normal man on the street will admit to. There are those who will tell you there is no truth, that nothing is good or evil, that there is no God. But then there are people who do not understand nine times nine, but that doesn’t change the answer away from eighty-one.
In one of my favorite episodes of STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION, Picard is tortured for an extended period. One of the things the Cardassians do to him is to shine four lights in his eyes and tell him there are five lights. They promise him freedom, food, whatever, if he will just admit there are five lights.
But there were four lights. In just the same way, the evidence of God is all about us, from the way we are fearfully and wonderfully made to the precise balance of the universe to the moral law inscribed within us to love, to love, to love.
Wisdom cries out in the street, and she cries out the name of Christ Jesus, the evidence of a love beyond any other we could ever know. While we were sinning, while we were in rebellion, God sent His Son to save us. Jesus died for us, paying the price for our sin upon the Cross.
It is true, more true than nine times nine being eighty-one. If you repent of your old ways and fall at His feet for mercy, you will find it. Ask Him for His forgiveness and walk in His ways, and you will find love and wisdom as you have never before known.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Proverbs 1:23: Speaking all sorts of foolishness
[Wisdom says:] “If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.”
-Proverbs 1:23
There was a woman who worked with me about ten years ago who was dating a friend of mine. I really disliked this woman greatly at first. I really can’t even remember why, but that’s hardly important. The point is, because she was dating a friend and she worked with me, I had to be around her quite a bit, and I got to know her a lot better.
And I started to like her a lot better too. She became a friend.
I was interesting, because a few weeks later I was talking with yet another friend, who was commenting on this same woman, saying some rather unkind things about her. I had to stop him. “I used to think those same things,” I told him, “but I got to know her better, and she’s really a much better person than either of us gave her credit for.”
He didn’t believe me, but I wasn’t surprised. That didn’t much matter either, because she left that job after a couple of months and my friend broke up with her, so none of us saw her much after that summer.
Sometimes we say so much out of foolishness. Every time I turn on the television it seems I see someone proudly proclaim some kind of nonsense. We don’t want to admit that maybe, just maybe, we are in the wrong, and so we put on our lives as a show to all as though there were nothing to be ashamed of. We proclaim things we do not even understand.
Wisdom stands before us, saying, “Don’t you think there may be a better way? Don’t you think there may be a higher truth than merely your own desires and lusts?”
We ignore her mostly. I did for two and a half decades. But then she finally smacked me over the head with the truth, and I have never seen things in quite the same way again.
The “spirit” she is referring to is the Holy Spirit. When you become a Christian, Christ sends the Spirit to you as a guide and coach, teaching you and changing you. In what ways does He change you? Take a look at the fruit of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23)
Since Wisdom clubbed me, I have seen these areas of my life transform and multiply tenfold. Many have seen it in me and have dismissed it foolishly, but we have already seen how much Wisdom is ignored, even as she shouts in the street.
When Christ died, He paid the price we owe in our foolishness, but He also made it possible for us to live in wisdom and righteousness. By His Blood our debt is paid, and in His Spirit we may now live.
We find this life by answering the call of Wisdom. What does she say? Repent. Turn away from your old ways and come to Christ. You may have spoken against Him in the past, but I stand before you today saying, “I used to think that way, but I have gotten to know Him, and He is greater than you could ever imagine. Turn to Him.”
If you do, you will be given the Holy Spirit, and you will be cleansed of the past so that you may live freely in Him.
-Proverbs 1:23
There was a woman who worked with me about ten years ago who was dating a friend of mine. I really disliked this woman greatly at first. I really can’t even remember why, but that’s hardly important. The point is, because she was dating a friend and she worked with me, I had to be around her quite a bit, and I got to know her a lot better.
And I started to like her a lot better too. She became a friend.
I was interesting, because a few weeks later I was talking with yet another friend, who was commenting on this same woman, saying some rather unkind things about her. I had to stop him. “I used to think those same things,” I told him, “but I got to know her better, and she’s really a much better person than either of us gave her credit for.”
He didn’t believe me, but I wasn’t surprised. That didn’t much matter either, because she left that job after a couple of months and my friend broke up with her, so none of us saw her much after that summer.
Sometimes we say so much out of foolishness. Every time I turn on the television it seems I see someone proudly proclaim some kind of nonsense. We don’t want to admit that maybe, just maybe, we are in the wrong, and so we put on our lives as a show to all as though there were nothing to be ashamed of. We proclaim things we do not even understand.
Wisdom stands before us, saying, “Don’t you think there may be a better way? Don’t you think there may be a higher truth than merely your own desires and lusts?”
We ignore her mostly. I did for two and a half decades. But then she finally smacked me over the head with the truth, and I have never seen things in quite the same way again.
The “spirit” she is referring to is the Holy Spirit. When you become a Christian, Christ sends the Spirit to you as a guide and coach, teaching you and changing you. In what ways does He change you? Take a look at the fruit of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23)
Since Wisdom clubbed me, I have seen these areas of my life transform and multiply tenfold. Many have seen it in me and have dismissed it foolishly, but we have already seen how much Wisdom is ignored, even as she shouts in the street.
When Christ died, He paid the price we owe in our foolishness, but He also made it possible for us to live in wisdom and righteousness. By His Blood our debt is paid, and in His Spirit we may now live.
We find this life by answering the call of Wisdom. What does she say? Repent. Turn away from your old ways and come to Christ. You may have spoken against Him in the past, but I stand before you today saying, “I used to think that way, but I have gotten to know Him, and He is greater than you could ever imagine. Turn to Him.”
If you do, you will be given the Holy Spirit, and you will be cleansed of the past so that you may live freely in Him.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Proverbs 1:23: Forgiveness and repentance
[Wisdom says:] “If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.”
-Proverbs 1:23
How many times have I heard this one?
I’ve asked a few people if they think they will make it to heaven. Of course they say yes. I ask about sins they have committed. What about those?
“Well, God is loving. I’m sure He’ll forgive me.”
What about this one?
A few years ago we went through a series of political figures who were caught in moral indiscretions. More than one of them stated that Christians should not criticize them because Christians were supposed to forgive.
And again . . .
What about the person in your life who does something terrible, and when you call them on it, they will say something like, “I thought you loved me! Obviously you don’t if you can’t forgive me.”
We have such a messed up understanding of forgiveness. We so often think it’s something owed to us, something we deserve. It’s not. Justice is something owed to us; that is what we have earned. Forgiveness, by its very nature, is not earned at all. It is given despite what we deserve.
I love this verse. I love it because it’s the gospel message in one sentence. I’m going to deal with the first part today and continue on in future messages. Today I’m going to deal with forgiveness.
Let me use this analogy (it is one I’ve used before). Say a man has cheated on his wife. If he repents from that and asks her forgiveness, perhaps she will forgive him. Perhaps they can work it out, and we would probably all be okay with that, as long as the man is resolved to be faithful.
But say he does not repent. He is not sorry at all. Not a bit. Say she forgives him in that case, just forgets the whole thing, even while he continues. Would any of us be happy about that? Of course not! We would say that the wife is co-dependant and encourage her to stand up for herself!
And yet we want God to treat us like that co-dependant wife treats her husband. We want to walk all over God and still have Him welcome us into heaven, just because He is loving.
Well, none of us thought, “Oh, how loving!” when the wife let her husband run around on her. Why do we think that forgiveness from God should come without repentance?
True forgiveness must come from true repentance. We know this from our own lives.
In this illustration, Wisdom cannot be met until the person turns away from foolishness (see the previous verse). That’s the only way it can happen. You cannot be wise and foolish at the same time. You must turn from one to embrace the other.
Likewise is God opposed to the ways of this world. You cannot embrace both. You must turn from one to gain the other.
We have lived our lives embracing the world and ignoring God. By all rights He could have just walked away and left us to our fate. But like Wisdom in this illustration, He does not. He stands and calls for us to repent. “If you turn at my reproof,” He says, “behold, I will pour out my spirit to you.”
Repent. Turn from the world and face God. He does not care how foolish you have been in the past. Only turn now, and you will find Him there. Have you heard His call? I ask you to respond.
-Proverbs 1:23
How many times have I heard this one?
I’ve asked a few people if they think they will make it to heaven. Of course they say yes. I ask about sins they have committed. What about those?
“Well, God is loving. I’m sure He’ll forgive me.”
What about this one?
A few years ago we went through a series of political figures who were caught in moral indiscretions. More than one of them stated that Christians should not criticize them because Christians were supposed to forgive.
And again . . .
What about the person in your life who does something terrible, and when you call them on it, they will say something like, “I thought you loved me! Obviously you don’t if you can’t forgive me.”
We have such a messed up understanding of forgiveness. We so often think it’s something owed to us, something we deserve. It’s not. Justice is something owed to us; that is what we have earned. Forgiveness, by its very nature, is not earned at all. It is given despite what we deserve.
I love this verse. I love it because it’s the gospel message in one sentence. I’m going to deal with the first part today and continue on in future messages. Today I’m going to deal with forgiveness.
Let me use this analogy (it is one I’ve used before). Say a man has cheated on his wife. If he repents from that and asks her forgiveness, perhaps she will forgive him. Perhaps they can work it out, and we would probably all be okay with that, as long as the man is resolved to be faithful.
But say he does not repent. He is not sorry at all. Not a bit. Say she forgives him in that case, just forgets the whole thing, even while he continues. Would any of us be happy about that? Of course not! We would say that the wife is co-dependant and encourage her to stand up for herself!
And yet we want God to treat us like that co-dependant wife treats her husband. We want to walk all over God and still have Him welcome us into heaven, just because He is loving.
Well, none of us thought, “Oh, how loving!” when the wife let her husband run around on her. Why do we think that forgiveness from God should come without repentance?
True forgiveness must come from true repentance. We know this from our own lives.
In this illustration, Wisdom cannot be met until the person turns away from foolishness (see the previous verse). That’s the only way it can happen. You cannot be wise and foolish at the same time. You must turn from one to embrace the other.
Likewise is God opposed to the ways of this world. You cannot embrace both. You must turn from one to gain the other.
We have lived our lives embracing the world and ignoring God. By all rights He could have just walked away and left us to our fate. But like Wisdom in this illustration, He does not. He stands and calls for us to repent. “If you turn at my reproof,” He says, “behold, I will pour out my spirit to you.”
Repent. Turn from the world and face God. He does not care how foolish you have been in the past. Only turn now, and you will find Him there. Have you heard His call? I ask you to respond.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Proverbs 1:22: Can of worms alert
[Wisdom says:] “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?”
-Proverbs 1:22
I have this can of worms here, and I’m tempted to open it. I’d really rather not, but when I read this verse, Evolution immediately came to mind. See, I’m working on a short series about Creation for my website, and I’m right in the middle of listening to a sermon series on Creation and Evolution by John MacArthur. In addition, the documentary on Intelligent Design, Expelled, just came out on DVD, and I’m anxious to get my hands on a copy. And so the topic is rather on my mind.
Thus the can of worms. I think I’ll go ahead and pop it open. Should be fun!
I thought of this topic when reading this particular verse because of the fierce passion some people have in clinging to this idea. To say even the smallest thing against Evolution will often bring such hatred and scorn. And yet, to believe that random chance brought everything together out of nothing is so astronomically unlikely that it requires more faith to believe in that than to believe in God. I like the way John MacArthur puts it, that simple logic will steer you away from any theory that claims that “nobody times nothing equals everything.”
Yet the desperation to remove God from the equation turns Evolution into a religion. And that is the only way to understand it. After all, if it is true, and chance alone made this universe, then what does it matter what I believe? And yet Naturalists will insult me, argue with me, and even call me names for my beliefs. Why? If they are right, then ultimately what does it matter if I believe in God?
Because they have turned from Him, and they do not want to be reminded of the truth.
Everywhere you turn in this world, you will see people celebrating their own lostness, bragging about their own impiety. You hear radio shows encouraging people to sin sexually, you see famous talk show hosts encouraging people into cults, you see parades celebrating godlessness, you hear of the scientific community automatically dismissing the words of anyone who believes in God, you hear Christianity rebuked by political leaders, you hear the Bible denies in pulpits; we are a land shrouded in darkness.
How long?
It is impossible that nobody times nothing equals everything. By the very sunrise is a Designer proven in every day. Surely you must see it. Do you hate knowledge so much that you can only see chance when you look around?
In this world shrouded in darkness, God Himself came to us in the form of a man to show us the way to truth. He is the truth; He is our salvation. In Christ we may be rescued from ignorance, pride, and simplicity. We can be set free by the truth.
I ask you to repent of your old ways and turn toward Him. By letting go of your own prideful thoughts and all the ways you have it figured out, you will find true freedom. In surrendering your life to Him, you will live for the first time.
-Proverbs 1:22
I have this can of worms here, and I’m tempted to open it. I’d really rather not, but when I read this verse, Evolution immediately came to mind. See, I’m working on a short series about Creation for my website, and I’m right in the middle of listening to a sermon series on Creation and Evolution by John MacArthur. In addition, the documentary on Intelligent Design, Expelled, just came out on DVD, and I’m anxious to get my hands on a copy. And so the topic is rather on my mind.
Thus the can of worms. I think I’ll go ahead and pop it open. Should be fun!
I thought of this topic when reading this particular verse because of the fierce passion some people have in clinging to this idea. To say even the smallest thing against Evolution will often bring such hatred and scorn. And yet, to believe that random chance brought everything together out of nothing is so astronomically unlikely that it requires more faith to believe in that than to believe in God. I like the way John MacArthur puts it, that simple logic will steer you away from any theory that claims that “nobody times nothing equals everything.”
Yet the desperation to remove God from the equation turns Evolution into a religion. And that is the only way to understand it. After all, if it is true, and chance alone made this universe, then what does it matter what I believe? And yet Naturalists will insult me, argue with me, and even call me names for my beliefs. Why? If they are right, then ultimately what does it matter if I believe in God?
Because they have turned from Him, and they do not want to be reminded of the truth.
Everywhere you turn in this world, you will see people celebrating their own lostness, bragging about their own impiety. You hear radio shows encouraging people to sin sexually, you see famous talk show hosts encouraging people into cults, you see parades celebrating godlessness, you hear of the scientific community automatically dismissing the words of anyone who believes in God, you hear Christianity rebuked by political leaders, you hear the Bible denies in pulpits; we are a land shrouded in darkness.
How long?
It is impossible that nobody times nothing equals everything. By the very sunrise is a Designer proven in every day. Surely you must see it. Do you hate knowledge so much that you can only see chance when you look around?
In this world shrouded in darkness, God Himself came to us in the form of a man to show us the way to truth. He is the truth; He is our salvation. In Christ we may be rescued from ignorance, pride, and simplicity. We can be set free by the truth.
I ask you to repent of your old ways and turn toward Him. By letting go of your own prideful thoughts and all the ways you have it figured out, you will find true freedom. In surrendering your life to Him, you will live for the first time.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Proverbs 1:22: The joys of simplicity
[Wisdom says:] “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?”
-Proverbs 1:22
My wife (I do like saying that, and it’s only been true for a little over a week now) is a teacher, and I often hang around teachers, and so I’ve heard many stories about the general reactions kids have when teachers try to teach something.
It isn’t always good.
Which is a foreign concept to me, since I devour books at every opportunity. I love them. I love learning. But then, it’s important to me.
It’s not to a lot of people.
I know some people who voted in this last election that didn’t spend a single moment looking at issues. Actually, a couple of people I know looked at the issues, but fully admitted that they made their decision based on race.
And then the most blatant example of all: boy bands. People keep buying CDs by boy bands.
Whether we want to admit it or not, we live in a world where people love being simple. They hate knowledge, and they want nothing to do with truth. They want to follow their own ways.
And they make fun of people who go the other way. I cannot tell you how many times people make fun of me for going to church or reading books. Seriously, reading books. We live in a world where people make fun of you for READING.
The world tells us that Angelina Jolie’s newest baby is earth-shattering news, but seeking to secure our eternal soul is fodder for mockery and scorn. Are we going to deny that a world in which two generations go wild over New Kids on the Block is a fallen one?
I say that half in jest, of course, but only halfway. The people around you, the people on the street, at work, in the grocery store, flee from beauty and truth in every step. They hate these things. They pretend that their way is the right one, and yet they cannot even bring themselves to research their vote for the President of the country.
So many people trust Oprah and Tom Cruise for their spiritual security as well. Why? Because they love being simple. They delight in scoffing.
Truth should be sought. We should run through the streets, seeking out Wisdom. As a matter of first importance we should figure out how eternity is going to be, and then worry about our 70 years here on earth.
Jesus tells us that He is “the way, and the truth, and the life.” He is the path for eternal life. He is Wisdom. Even though we love being simple, even though we delight in scoffing, He came to us to offer us a way out of our pettiness and to life.
In His death He paid the price for our wasted lives. Even though we deserve no better than damnation because of our selfishness, greed, lust, and pride, He took on our punishment so we could take on His righteousness.
I ask you to repent of your love of ignorance, your scoffing, your sin. Turn away and run toward Him. Let Him be truth in your life.
-Proverbs 1:22
My wife (I do like saying that, and it’s only been true for a little over a week now) is a teacher, and I often hang around teachers, and so I’ve heard many stories about the general reactions kids have when teachers try to teach something.
It isn’t always good.
Which is a foreign concept to me, since I devour books at every opportunity. I love them. I love learning. But then, it’s important to me.
It’s not to a lot of people.
I know some people who voted in this last election that didn’t spend a single moment looking at issues. Actually, a couple of people I know looked at the issues, but fully admitted that they made their decision based on race.
And then the most blatant example of all: boy bands. People keep buying CDs by boy bands.
Whether we want to admit it or not, we live in a world where people love being simple. They hate knowledge, and they want nothing to do with truth. They want to follow their own ways.
And they make fun of people who go the other way. I cannot tell you how many times people make fun of me for going to church or reading books. Seriously, reading books. We live in a world where people make fun of you for READING.
The world tells us that Angelina Jolie’s newest baby is earth-shattering news, but seeking to secure our eternal soul is fodder for mockery and scorn. Are we going to deny that a world in which two generations go wild over New Kids on the Block is a fallen one?
I say that half in jest, of course, but only halfway. The people around you, the people on the street, at work, in the grocery store, flee from beauty and truth in every step. They hate these things. They pretend that their way is the right one, and yet they cannot even bring themselves to research their vote for the President of the country.
So many people trust Oprah and Tom Cruise for their spiritual security as well. Why? Because they love being simple. They delight in scoffing.
Truth should be sought. We should run through the streets, seeking out Wisdom. As a matter of first importance we should figure out how eternity is going to be, and then worry about our 70 years here on earth.
Jesus tells us that He is “the way, and the truth, and the life.” He is the path for eternal life. He is Wisdom. Even though we love being simple, even though we delight in scoffing, He came to us to offer us a way out of our pettiness and to life.
In His death He paid the price for our wasted lives. Even though we deserve no better than damnation because of our selfishness, greed, lust, and pride, He took on our punishment so we could take on His righteousness.
I ask you to repent of your love of ignorance, your scoffing, your sin. Turn away and run toward Him. Let Him be truth in your life.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Proverbs 1:21: My ex-girlfriend, the spy
“at the head of the noisy streets she [Wisdom] cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:”
-Proverbs 1:21
I had a really strange dream several years ago about an ex-girlfriend. I had not seen this person in many years, but I had a dream where I happened upon her on the street somewhere. We had lunch, and I dropped her off at her house. This house of hers was only a garage and two rooms: her bedroom and a room where she kept all of her berets. There were hundreds of them, all of the walls and cabinets.
If you’re wondering, no, I never saw her wear a beret in real life.
I talked some more, and I left, only to be cornered down the street by a group of CIA agents, who told me that this ex-girlfriend of mine was a Russian spy. Would I help them gather proof against her?
I was torn in my dream on whether to help them. After all, this woman and I had really hit it off, and that seems a lot more important than national security (thus was my thinking in the dream). I left these agents and walked around the town, thinking things through.
And it was then that I woke up. It took me some time, maybe a half hour, to fully understand that it had been a dream. It seemed so real to me then.
But it doesn’t seem real at all. The woman had a room dedicated to berets in a two-room house! The same house from which she was stealing all of America’s secrets! It was completely unbelievable! The truth began to dawn within me, and I really felt stupid for ever believing this silly scenario was the truth.
I felt the same way becoming a Christian. It was like I was waking from a dream, and I felt rather silly for believing all those things I had before.
We are so skilled in believing what we want to. We are so good at telling ourselves things so long that we believe they are true. Like Stuart Smalley, we look ourselves straight in the eye and lie to tell ourselves that we are on the right path.
You want proof? Go outside and ask this question of the people you meet: “Are you a good person?” Most, if not all, will say yes. And yet these are people who lie every day, who lust after the good-looking woman at work, who cut corners at work, who explode in anger regularly, who cut others down to get ahead, who neglect their families so they can spend more time at work to get more money, and who will yell and scream when calling some customer service line to get what they want.
And then they look themselves in the eye and say, “I am a good person.”
Baloney.
Habakkuk tells us about others who are fooling themselves in ridiculous ways: “What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it, a metal image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation when he makes speechless idols! Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a silent stone, Arise! Can this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in it” (2:18-19).
How silly is the person who builds his own idol and then worships it? And yet we do it every day. We make our own idols to solve our problems. We are lonely? A girlfriend becomes an idol we worship, someone to whom we sacrifice time, money, and effort. We want money? Work becomes the idol. In a bad marriage? Divorce is somehow the thing that will solve all your problems. Like to eat? A really great sandwich becomes a idol, something for which you sacrifice, something you pursue. We all worship something; the only question is “What do you worship?”
We work so hard on this, checking every dank corner for a savior, when Wisdom is standing right in front of us.
When truth sets in, you begin to wonder how you ever believed the falsehood. When I became a Christian, I looked back on my life and realized that God had His hand in every moment of my life, and I looked right through Him.
Christ came to earth, to stand amongst us, and we killed Him for it. That’s how intent we are in ignoring the God who loves us so much. And yet, even that was not the end, because Jesus rose from the dead, and He is alive today, still willing to be our Savior, our true and perfect Savior.
Repent of those old ways. Stop and look at what Christ has done for you. He is willing to forgive all of it, all of the wrong you have done, and welcome you home. He stands before you, in plain sight. There is no secret to finding Him, for He has sought you first. Only turn from the world and fix your eyes upon Him.
-Proverbs 1:21
I had a really strange dream several years ago about an ex-girlfriend. I had not seen this person in many years, but I had a dream where I happened upon her on the street somewhere. We had lunch, and I dropped her off at her house. This house of hers was only a garage and two rooms: her bedroom and a room where she kept all of her berets. There were hundreds of them, all of the walls and cabinets.
If you’re wondering, no, I never saw her wear a beret in real life.
I talked some more, and I left, only to be cornered down the street by a group of CIA agents, who told me that this ex-girlfriend of mine was a Russian spy. Would I help them gather proof against her?
I was torn in my dream on whether to help them. After all, this woman and I had really hit it off, and that seems a lot more important than national security (thus was my thinking in the dream). I left these agents and walked around the town, thinking things through.
And it was then that I woke up. It took me some time, maybe a half hour, to fully understand that it had been a dream. It seemed so real to me then.
But it doesn’t seem real at all. The woman had a room dedicated to berets in a two-room house! The same house from which she was stealing all of America’s secrets! It was completely unbelievable! The truth began to dawn within me, and I really felt stupid for ever believing this silly scenario was the truth.
I felt the same way becoming a Christian. It was like I was waking from a dream, and I felt rather silly for believing all those things I had before.
We are so skilled in believing what we want to. We are so good at telling ourselves things so long that we believe they are true. Like Stuart Smalley, we look ourselves straight in the eye and lie to tell ourselves that we are on the right path.
You want proof? Go outside and ask this question of the people you meet: “Are you a good person?” Most, if not all, will say yes. And yet these are people who lie every day, who lust after the good-looking woman at work, who cut corners at work, who explode in anger regularly, who cut others down to get ahead, who neglect their families so they can spend more time at work to get more money, and who will yell and scream when calling some customer service line to get what they want.
And then they look themselves in the eye and say, “I am a good person.”
Baloney.
Habakkuk tells us about others who are fooling themselves in ridiculous ways: “What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it, a metal image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation when he makes speechless idols! Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a silent stone, Arise! Can this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in it” (2:18-19).
How silly is the person who builds his own idol and then worships it? And yet we do it every day. We make our own idols to solve our problems. We are lonely? A girlfriend becomes an idol we worship, someone to whom we sacrifice time, money, and effort. We want money? Work becomes the idol. In a bad marriage? Divorce is somehow the thing that will solve all your problems. Like to eat? A really great sandwich becomes a idol, something for which you sacrifice, something you pursue. We all worship something; the only question is “What do you worship?”
We work so hard on this, checking every dank corner for a savior, when Wisdom is standing right in front of us.
When truth sets in, you begin to wonder how you ever believed the falsehood. When I became a Christian, I looked back on my life and realized that God had His hand in every moment of my life, and I looked right through Him.
Christ came to earth, to stand amongst us, and we killed Him for it. That’s how intent we are in ignoring the God who loves us so much. And yet, even that was not the end, because Jesus rose from the dead, and He is alive today, still willing to be our Savior, our true and perfect Savior.
Repent of those old ways. Stop and look at what Christ has done for you. He is willing to forgive all of it, all of the wrong you have done, and welcome you home. He stands before you, in plain sight. There is no secret to finding Him, for He has sought you first. Only turn from the world and fix your eyes upon Him.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Proverbs 1:20: Answering the call of Wisdom
“Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice;”
-Proverbs 1:20
I really wasn’t a very bright kid.
There was one time when I took the ladder that went up to my bunk bed and leaned it against the wall and climbed up. I don’t even know why I did it, but I did. While I was up there, I saw my parents turning the corner in the hallway to come see me. I leapt off and sat on the bed, feigning innocence.
My parents came in and asked me if I had been on top of the ladder.
Now, it seems pretty obvious that they had seen me, but there was a slim chance that they hadn’t, so I lied and said no. Of course, I got in trouble not for climbing the ladder, but for lying. If I had just admitted it, I probably would have only gotten a warning.
Well, I don’t think I’ve done anything quite that moronic in a while, but I still do my share of hiding in the shadows.
The Bible tells us something strange. It tells us that “the gate is narrow and the way is hard” to heaven (Matthew 7:14), but it is not a HIDDEN way.
In fact, it is in the open. It is the path of light.
It is the ways of selfishness, of pride, of lust, and of hatred that is concealed in darkness. Even today, when sin is celebrated on the streets, are we very careful about who sees us in the act. We scheme and disguise ourselves; we don’t like to admit it.
The way to God is obvious. The Bible even tells us that. “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).
Wisdom here is actually plural in the original: “wisdoms.” As though it is the ultimate Wisdom, the most important. We are talking about understanding of the highest order, and she is in the streets, crying for others to see her.
Do you see her? Can you look outside and admit the obvious, that God is wondrous and powerful, high above all things; that we do not measure up to His holiness; that we cannot reach Him on our own? That is evident to me in every sunrise. I see it every time I look at the sky. I see clearly that I am not worthy, and that my only chance is Grace.
And Grace is available to us in Christ Jesus. One commentator I read says that Wisdom in this passage is referring to Jesus Himself. I do not disagree. Instead of staying in heaven, Christ came to us, to stand before us, to teach us directly, to show us the way, and to die for us. He stands in the open, calling. Has He called for you? Answer Him by bowing before Him (for He is worthy) and praying for mercy.
It is the wise action.
-Proverbs 1:20
I really wasn’t a very bright kid.
There was one time when I took the ladder that went up to my bunk bed and leaned it against the wall and climbed up. I don’t even know why I did it, but I did. While I was up there, I saw my parents turning the corner in the hallway to come see me. I leapt off and sat on the bed, feigning innocence.
My parents came in and asked me if I had been on top of the ladder.
Now, it seems pretty obvious that they had seen me, but there was a slim chance that they hadn’t, so I lied and said no. Of course, I got in trouble not for climbing the ladder, but for lying. If I had just admitted it, I probably would have only gotten a warning.
Well, I don’t think I’ve done anything quite that moronic in a while, but I still do my share of hiding in the shadows.
The Bible tells us something strange. It tells us that “the gate is narrow and the way is hard” to heaven (Matthew 7:14), but it is not a HIDDEN way.
In fact, it is in the open. It is the path of light.
It is the ways of selfishness, of pride, of lust, and of hatred that is concealed in darkness. Even today, when sin is celebrated on the streets, are we very careful about who sees us in the act. We scheme and disguise ourselves; we don’t like to admit it.
The way to God is obvious. The Bible even tells us that. “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).
Wisdom here is actually plural in the original: “wisdoms.” As though it is the ultimate Wisdom, the most important. We are talking about understanding of the highest order, and she is in the streets, crying for others to see her.
Do you see her? Can you look outside and admit the obvious, that God is wondrous and powerful, high above all things; that we do not measure up to His holiness; that we cannot reach Him on our own? That is evident to me in every sunrise. I see it every time I look at the sky. I see clearly that I am not worthy, and that my only chance is Grace.
And Grace is available to us in Christ Jesus. One commentator I read says that Wisdom in this passage is referring to Jesus Himself. I do not disagree. Instead of staying in heaven, Christ came to us, to stand before us, to teach us directly, to show us the way, and to die for us. He stands in the open, calling. Has He called for you? Answer Him by bowing before Him (for He is worthy) and praying for mercy.
It is the wise action.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Proverbs 1:19: You only have yourself to blame
“Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors.”
-Proverbs 1:19
Have you ever really noticed the way young students talk, especially in the high school years? Think about it. How often have we heard the following two phrases: “I got an A!” “The teacher failed me!”
Did you notice the difference? In the former example, the student earned something great. In the latter, the teacher was the one at work, giving the failing grade.
It’s almost never the other way around. Very rarely will you hear anyone say that the teacher gave him an A, while he earned an F.
In truth, if a high school student fails, it’s almost always because that’s exactly what he earned. This is especially true now, since high school teachers are told to do whatever is in their power to make sure everyone passes.
But we, as people, are big on excuses. If you boss calls you in to praise you for a project, it’s usually only with false modesty that you will mention your coworkers, if you mention them at all. Meanwhile, if he calls you in to tell you how much you messed the project up, then all of a sudden your coworkers’ names are coming up a lot.
We come by it honestly (if that phrase is at all appropriate here). We’ve been making excuses since the third chapter of Genesis. When Adam and Eve sin, and God asks them about it, what do they do? Adam blames both Eve and God, and Eve blames the serpent.
We’ve been perfecting the practice ever since.
In the latest few verses of Proverbs, we’ve been looking at the results of sin. Solomon is telling us here that the paths of sin look very nice, but they lead to death. In this verse, he emphasizes the point by making it a universal truth. This happens to “everyone who is greedy for unjust gain.”
And let’s not pretend that we are only speaking of thieves here. Notice that he is speaking of a motive here, not an action. Do you desire those things that don’t belong to you and that you didn’t earn, whether money, things, women, men, a position at work? Even if you don’t act upon it, this verse is talking about you.
I know there are some people reading this that are ready to bail on me now. Motives? Am I expecting everyone to be perfect in motive?
Yep.
You see, Jesus tells us that morality can be summed up in two rules: Love God completely, and love others. Any time you’re not doing that, you are sinning. The wages of sin are death. It’s not enough to not kill someone; if you are angry with that person without cause, you’re still a murderer. You’ve earned eternal death (check out Matthew 5:21-22).
So if even bad motives earn death, then is there a way out? Because no one I know has perfect motives.
Yes, because that is why Jesus died. Your sins deserve death, but Jesus was without sin, and He died anyway. Because He did that, He is able to take your sins upon Himself and pay the price you were meant to pay. If you turn away from your greedy, lustful, prideful ways and submit to Him, you will find life.
-Proverbs 1:19
Have you ever really noticed the way young students talk, especially in the high school years? Think about it. How often have we heard the following two phrases: “I got an A!” “The teacher failed me!”
Did you notice the difference? In the former example, the student earned something great. In the latter, the teacher was the one at work, giving the failing grade.
It’s almost never the other way around. Very rarely will you hear anyone say that the teacher gave him an A, while he earned an F.
In truth, if a high school student fails, it’s almost always because that’s exactly what he earned. This is especially true now, since high school teachers are told to do whatever is in their power to make sure everyone passes.
But we, as people, are big on excuses. If you boss calls you in to praise you for a project, it’s usually only with false modesty that you will mention your coworkers, if you mention them at all. Meanwhile, if he calls you in to tell you how much you messed the project up, then all of a sudden your coworkers’ names are coming up a lot.
We come by it honestly (if that phrase is at all appropriate here). We’ve been making excuses since the third chapter of Genesis. When Adam and Eve sin, and God asks them about it, what do they do? Adam blames both Eve and God, and Eve blames the serpent.
We’ve been perfecting the practice ever since.
In the latest few verses of Proverbs, we’ve been looking at the results of sin. Solomon is telling us here that the paths of sin look very nice, but they lead to death. In this verse, he emphasizes the point by making it a universal truth. This happens to “everyone who is greedy for unjust gain.”
And let’s not pretend that we are only speaking of thieves here. Notice that he is speaking of a motive here, not an action. Do you desire those things that don’t belong to you and that you didn’t earn, whether money, things, women, men, a position at work? Even if you don’t act upon it, this verse is talking about you.
I know there are some people reading this that are ready to bail on me now. Motives? Am I expecting everyone to be perfect in motive?
Yep.
You see, Jesus tells us that morality can be summed up in two rules: Love God completely, and love others. Any time you’re not doing that, you are sinning. The wages of sin are death. It’s not enough to not kill someone; if you are angry with that person without cause, you’re still a murderer. You’ve earned eternal death (check out Matthew 5:21-22).
So if even bad motives earn death, then is there a way out? Because no one I know has perfect motives.
Yes, because that is why Jesus died. Your sins deserve death, but Jesus was without sin, and He died anyway. Because He did that, He is able to take your sins upon Himself and pay the price you were meant to pay. If you turn away from your greedy, lustful, prideful ways and submit to Him, you will find life.
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