Second Peter 1 opens with glorious words concerning the “like precious faith” of those who have “escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” Look at what that means. Lust is what brings on sin in the first place. Sin is what brings death. People often wonder from where the temptations and evils of this world come, and some blame God. But Holy Scripture proclaims God is innocent and our lusts (desires) are to blame: Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. (James 1:13-15) Those lusts pass away, but he who abides in obeying God will last forever (1 John 2:15-17). Such lusts, then, are inarguably the enemy. They are to be avoided. They are to be respected as powerful. One should not toy with his ability to master them, but flee from every hint of temptation (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:18) and “abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22). Those lusts are enslaving. Jesus taught, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin” (John 8:34). Paul echoed that every man serves either sin (which leads to death) or obedience (which leads to righteousness) (Romans 6:16). Only …
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Incense Abuse
Every authorized form of worship is subject to abuse and misuse; the Old Testament practice of burning incense is no exception. An altar of incense was authorized in Exodus 30:1-10. Even in that presentation, the warning to avoid offering “strange incense” is prominent. After preparing incense for burning in their censers, Nadab and Abihu were consumed by fire because of offering “profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them” (Leviticus 10:1-2). Incense burning became a popular trend among the ancients as an act of worship to a false deity (1 Kings 11:8; 2 Kings 17:10-11; 23:5-6, 8), or as a feel-good measure made in unauthorized places and means (1 Kings 3:3; 13:1-2; 22:43; 2 Kings 12:3). The burning of incense apparently helped Israelites appreciate the reverence necessary when coming into the presence of God, and thus was connected with the idea of prayer. The cloud from incense protected the high priest from dying in the presence of God in the Most Holy Place (Leviticus 16:11-13). The Psalmist wrote: “Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice” (Psalm 141:2). The imagery of incense in correlation with prayer continues in New Testament visions of grand worship to God. Revelation 5:8 identifies “golden bowls full of incense” of the heavenly vision as “the prayers of the saints.” In Revelation 8:3-4, an angel offers incense “with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke …
Interesting Outline
In Gareth Reese’s commentary on Acts, he notes the interesting parallels in the outlines of sermons in the Book of Acts. Here are his words: The same major points were regularly made by the apostles when preaching to Jewish audiences. I. An affirmation that the time of the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies had come II. A rehearsal of the ministry, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus III. An appeal to the relevant Old Testament Messianic prophecies whose fulfillment in these events are evidence Jesus is himself the Messiah IV. A call to repentance. (p. 58) These sermons can be checked for such a theme. In Acts 2, Peter preaches in Jerusalem on Pentecost. He makes use of prophecies from Joel and Psalms, reminds the people of the deeds of Jesus and boldly proclaims his Messiah-ship due to his undeniable resurrection. In Acts 3, Peter preaches in the temple area after healing a lame man. The message is the same: Even though prophet after prophet predicted the life of Jesus, those listeners had still been guilty of taking his life from him–that is, until he rose to take it back. In Acts 13, Paul preaches in the synagogue in Antioch in Pisidia. In all these cases, Jewish history is at the core of the sermon, because it was designed to lead up to One through whom all nations of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3). In all these sermons, Jesus is exalted as the Son of God, proven …
He Came to Compete
A particular emotional appeal as to the value of the Olympics takes the form of focusing on poorly trained athletes from underdeveloped countries who come with an abundance of heart to at least compete in the world’s spectacle of their sport. These athletes are poorly trained because they don’t have the practice time (due to work schedules) or the opportunity (due to facility deficiencies) equal to their competitors from advanced societies. In those economically advanced regions, athletes may be able to train all day, every day at state-of-the-art facilities with well-funded coaches and programs. They, therefore, should be contenders. But, no one expects these highlighted individuals from the third-world countries to do well in a sport. Why point them out? Because these are those who come for more glorious reasons than a medal. They come to represent the upward progress of a nation which warrants their patriotic loyalty. They represent the virtue of effort in the face of horrible odds. They shine with values of selflessness–building upon their losses (and possible embarrassment) to pave the way for others who will come after them. The appeal of such athletes does strike a heart-chord in many spectators. As one is reported to have put it, these are not here to win their races, but simply to finish. Can the Bible student help but be reminded of the analogy the apostle Paul drew from the games of his day? Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but …
Salvation’s Plan in the Epistle to the Romans
It is interesting how the Gospel plan of salvation unveils itself throughout the unfolding of the wonderful Book of Romans. Of course, there is much more to be said about the plan; all the books of the New Testament are to have their teachings heeded appropriately, but it is nevertheless good to notice how it unfolds in this particular book. Chapters 1-2–All the ungodly will suffer God’s wrath. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness…” (1:18, emph. mine, AR). All people will experience God’s fair judgment (2:6-10). Chapters 3-4–All are ungodly and need the justification that comes through Christ. (3:10-23, 24-26). Chapter 5–All can benefit from Christ’s reconciling sacrifice. He died for the ungodly (5:8-10). Being justified by his blood, we can be saved from that wrath that would otherwise be toward all impenitent (5:9; cf. 1:18). Chapters 6-7–All must be baptized into Christ (6:3-6). In doing so, one comes into contact with his saving blood by coming into contact with his death. In doing so, one is buried in the waters of baptism as Christ was buried in the earth. In doing so, one is raised to a new life as Christ was raised to a new life. What a fitting act of obedience. It is the turning point wherein one stops serving sin and starts serving righteousness (6:11-13, 16-18). Chapter 8–All can be assured of their salvation, if they are walking according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh (8:1). The power of Christ to hold onto his …
Neutral, Good or Bad
This life witnesses many inventions or phenomena that are neither good nor evil in themselves, but can be used in the extreme for either purpose. Music is one. The organized blending of vibrations–whether of the vocal cords, instruments or combinations thereof–is neither good nor evil within itself. History has shown many ways this medium can be used for either purpose. Composers of several centuries (not just the twentieth) have employed music to purvey some pretty immoral messages. Songs of varying popularity and genres have glorified sexual promiscuity, alcohol and drug abuse, marital infidelity, and even suicide. The destructive influence of such messages may be immeasurable, but an open mind sees a connection between the proliferation of such music and the degrading morals of a society. Sometimes art imitates life. Sometimes life imitates art. Sometimes, it seems just to be a vicious, self-perpetuating circle. On the other hand, music has had a positive effect on many souls and societies. In the secular world, there have been many songs that convey positive, even inspiring messages that are just the opposite of those ungodly communications mentioned above. Good, secular songs have become special emotional bonding points for couples and families. Almost all societies have a national anthem that inspires the hearts of its citizens to loyalty. In the case of a good society, where democracy aims to keep people free and prosperous, surely this is a good thing. Yes, even secular music can have a good message that is helpful (or, at the …
Beyond Absurd
Shirley MacLaine has written a book with her dog. Out on a Leash (a take off of MacLaine’s earlier work Out on a Limb) purports to be co-authored by MacLaine and her “humanimal” Terry. An interviewer asked why she hadn’t collaborated with pets before. She said she hadn’t yet been ready to listen. (Parade Magazine, Dec. 14, 2003). On MacLaine’s website, her dog Terry has a statement of introduction to the section “Pet Pages.” In it, the dog purportedly says this: “Hi. Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Terry. Shirley is my human Mom. …Mom asked me to create a section of her website that focuses on animals. I thought this was a wonderful idea.” Lest we think the suggestion of a talking and writing dog creating a website at his owner’s suggestion is intended to be a joke, this sentence is included, in a plug for “their” book: “Mom and I collaborated on a book, which is titled Out on a Leash. It is a serious book that looks at the world through her eyes and through mine.” Ms. MacLaine’s work with her Terrier is proposed to be a “serious book.” Further, the dog allegedly writes, “We did an audio book, too, that is available on CD or audio cassette. Mom reads the whole thing of course, but she acted my role while we recorded it.” Please excuse the sarcasm when I note that it was helpful that Shirley “acted” (i.e. read) the dog’s part of the script. One might think that a talking, writing, website-building dog …
Vicious Cycle
David Pharr makes an astute observation in his book, Thy Kingdom Come, on p. 148. “Ungodly living fosters unbelieving hearts. At the same time unbelieving hearts encourage ungodly living.” Evidence of the truth of this doubled edged statement is available on many fronts. Take the first half first. “Ungodly living fosters unbelieving hearts.” Any observer of human conduct can quickly come to the conclusion that many people likely do not believe in God because they realize the consequences. If they believed, they would have to change their lifestyles. Somewhere down deep, they know that admittance of the existence of the Divine would also be admittance of the existence of a Judge to whom they would someday answer. They don’t want to change their habits; they don’t want any unseen God dictating their lifestyles, so they simply deny he exists. These are but modern embodiments of the ancient principle set down in 2 Peter 3:3-5. Notice the passage: “Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’ For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water.” Those who want to “walk according to their own lusts” are fond of dismissing Christianity and the attendant notion of the Second Coming of Christ for judgment. …
The Beauty of His Holiness
Four times in Scripture God’s people are admonished to worship him “in the beauty of holiness.” Consider the passages: Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! (1 Chronicles 16:29) And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: “Praise the Lord, For His mercy endures forever.” (2 Chronicles 20:21) Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. (Psalm 29:2) Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. (Psalm 96:9) From these Old Testament passages several lessons can be learned for the New Testament Christian. Though worship patterns are different in a changed age (John 4:21-24), no change has taken place in God’s nature (Hebrews 13:8). The attitude and lifestyle behind worship are always the same. Whatever one may do in worship to God must be accompanied by a holy lifestyle. Holiness carries the ideas of purity, dedication, devotion and sanctification. One is different from the world around him by a separation from sin and a commitment to pure living. He becomes, then, a living sacrifice, whose life is “holy, acceptable to God” as a matter of “reasonable service” (Romans 12:1-2). When such holiness is evident in the everyday living of a …
Always Under Oath
The word play of the media and the political world is ever intriguing. Much ado was made when the National Security Advisor of the present administration agreed and was allowed to testify under oath and publicly before the 9/11 Commission. Inherent in all the attention given this landmark case was the implication that there was much more to be expected from the qualifications “under oath” and “publicly.” Private testimony without an oath, it was inferred, could not be trusted. Then, other officials testified privately and without an oath. The reports led listeners to believe there was something lesser and even sinister about such testimony. Without an oath, would people really tell the truth? Without being in public, would they be more apt to hedge on the full story? Perhaps. But the point of this article is neither to question the motives of either the media or the politicians, nor accuse anyone on either side of those volatile issues of any malice or perjury. Rather, the whole affair calls to mind a very relevant biblical principle. Christians, one should observe, should always be considered under oath. Whether or not a verbalized oath is taken, or a hand is placed on a Bible or a “so help me God” is uttered, Christians ought to be people who tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Consider the following biblical teachings: Jesus sharply rebuked the Pharisees for regarding some oaths as more binding than others (Matthew 23:16-22). Jesus also taught that such swearing should …
Thoughts for Reflection
When Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica, he greeted them with tender and complimentary words. He remembered their “work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope…” (1 Thessalonians 1:3). He admired them for receiving the Word of God even in much affliction (1:6; 2:14). He gave them accolades for being such a good example to the churches in the area (1:8). Paul appreciated these brethren. Paul had preached in Thessalonica to get the church started there (Acts 17:1ff.) As usual, there were some who gladly obeyed and others who bitterly opposed the teaching. In this case, those who were bitter became also aggressive. Upon not finding Paul, they aimed to punish some of those who had become Christians. Jason and some brethren were dragged to rulers of the city. They were accused of turning the world upside down and harboring those regarded as criminals (Paul and company). Such a troublesome beginning probably caused the church there to develop a closeness in the oft-sung-about blessed tie that binds. While Paul felt emotionally close to so many churches with which he had association, his words in 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:5 express a special tenderness: But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. Therefore we wanted to come to you — even I, Paul, time and again — but Satan hindered us. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown …
Relation to the Generation
“Be saved from this perverse generation.” These are words of Peter on Pentecost that follow the more familiar strains of Acts 2:38. Peter apparently elaborated on them to some extent, since the Holy Spirit records, “And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation’” (Acts 2:40). Wouldn’t it be interesting to know the illustrations and applications that elucidated this stern and loving warning? Perhaps Peter spoke of the rampant immorality of the Roman world, in which the Jews grudgingly resided. Perchance he spoke of corruption in leaders — both Jewish and Roman, although it is unlikely he railed against government, for later inspired teachings command a solemn respect for the authorities (Romans 13; 1 Peter 2; 1 Timothy 2). He may have mentioned the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. He had already spent accusations against Christ’s tormentors, and those bystanders who called for his death. He may have dwelt on that theme a while longer. It would be interesting to know, but it is obviously not necessary, or we would know. The whole thought, though, gives rise to the question of what times in history such a homily would be appropriate. Is every generation perverse? Are there some better than others? To this author’s mind, with limited historical knowledge, the application seems timeless. Every generation has its righteous people, and, conversely, its wicked. The wicked, as per Jesus’ prediction (Matthew 7:14,15), outnumber the godly. Never is there an age that cannot fit this …
Church Problems
“It is a shame the church has problems.” This saying is echoed throughout the brotherhood of the Lord’s church. The pressing thought is that God’s cleansed people should so put sin behind them that they overcome difficulties before they happen. Members think it. Non-members trumpet it — often as an excuse for disobedience. It is, indeed, a shame that the church has problems. A shame at least equal, though, is the discouraged surprise many feel when contemplating the fact. Church difficulties should never be defended, but perhaps they can be viewed in a little different light. While the design of the Lord’s church is perfect beyond doubt, the inclusion of fallible humans opens the door for sinful potential. Christians will stumble (1 John 1:7-9). Sin affects people, and not just oneself: “For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself” (Romans 14:7). (Spiritually speaking, the references to a “victimless crime” are even more absurd than in the physical world.) Put those two concepts together with the command of Christians to continually assemble together (Hebrews 10:25), and one has an inevitable, logical conclusion: Christians will sin, and thereby cause pain to other Christians. It is a shame, but it should not be surprising. The Lord was not surprised by it. In his omniscience, he even provided a means of dealing with offenses between individuals (Matthew 18:15-18). Ah. And, it is therein that the Lord separated his people from all other organizations of the world. While we must …
From a Distance
During the Gulf War, the radio stations oft repeated the emotionally provocative song, “From a Distance.” The thought was that God was watching over his creation from far away, and, when he did so, he saw a better situation than mankind had made for himself. From a distance, there were no bombs, no disease. From a distance, everything appeared better than it really was. The song had its theological fallacies (i.e., a God who is too far away and views the world too naively to do anything about the real problems), but it made for a stirring emotional experience. More recently, the astronauts in the earth-orbiting space station witnessed from far above the smoke rising toward them from the burning World Trade Centers. They expressed their sympathies and condolences, but obviously felt very helpless. Their feeling of helplessness, akin to most of ours, had to be magnified by the separating distance of an entire atmosphere plus. More significantly than the astronauts, and more realistically than as depicted in the song, God looks on his world feeling the pain evil causes. He is not so detached as to be able to merely express sympathy. Nor is he so distant as to erase the problems of man from his thought. Rather, as Paul stated on Mars Hill, he is quite attuned to man’s plight and everyday circumstances: God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. …
Prepare to Hear
God will answer Job’s questions with a humbling interrogation, prefaced (twice) by the blunt warning, “Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me” (Job 38:3; 40:7). Confrontation with God requires preparation. God’s revealed truth impacts its auditors with a challenge. With God’s Word, it always is. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:11). The Word of God will never leave a person in the same spiritual position. It will have some effect, depending upon the choice of the hearer. The listener could reject and rebel, as Stephen’s suddenly self-appointed executioners did (Acts 7:54-60). The listener could repent and obey, as did the Jews on Pentecost (Acts 2:37-47). The listener could even procrastinate (Acts 24:25), but he will not be left unchanged. The Word of God pierces to the guilt of the soul, like a sword through sensitive flesh. It would behoove everyone to behold the power of the message to be proclaimed during the Gospel. One wonders, then, if God’s message to Job might have modern application. Even though God does not speak person-to-person …
The Worship of God — And Others
Second Kings 17:33-34 are verses that may catch and hold the attention of the curious due to the apparent incongruity of the statements made there. The verses read like this: They feared the Lord, yet served their own gods — according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away. To this day they continue practicing the former rituals; they do not fear the Lord, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances, or the law and commandment which the Lord had commanded the children of Jacob, whom He named Israel. Before raising several questions, it is worthwhile to note that the Bible, of course, records Israel’s frequent digression into idolatry. Their monotheism (belief in one God) often degraded into polytheism (belief in many gods). They paid homage to the gods of the Canaanites, who had lived in the land there before them. They would not have been so tempted had they driven out all those pagan peoples as God had originally commanded (Deuteronomy 7:1-4). However, they did allow many of them to live. Then, they intermarried with them. Over time, they began to worship the molded images just as their predecessors, and now, cohorts did. As a side note, it is interesting to note that recent archeological finds confirm the paganism of the ancient Israelites. The May/June issue of Biblical Archaeology Review contained an article by Ephraim Stern that highlighted the finds that confirmed the many temples at numerous sites and the goddess worship that took …
Fear — The Random and the Right
There is a difference between random fear and righteous, godly fear. Random crimes cause whole communities to live in a justifiable paranoia. Terrorists, by definition, leave some of that effect upon a country. Those affected painfully note the absence of even distorted reason behind acts of violence. The slain and injured committed no particular crime, offended no particular crime boss and warranted no such treatment. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time was their tragic misfortune. The living about them mourn — and worry. Who might be next? The behavior of individuals doesn’t matter. Living righteously will not ensure exemption from the sniper’s bullet or the terrorist’s hate. This is random fear. The Christian has the opportunity to overcome random fear with the victory of faith. Jittery though he might be, the Christian knows of bliss beyond temporal sufferings in this life. He knows of justice beyond a world of injustices. But, the Christian still fears. Yes, 1 John 4:18 taunts “perfect love casts out fear,” but Philippians 2:12 reminds the saved to work out their salvation “with fear and trembling.” There is a fear of God that is justified; but it is so much better than random fear. And it is so for that very reason — it is just. Violent men who try to play God by instilling fear in a locale’s citizenry do so arbitrarily, without any sense of fair play. God, however, is a righteous judge (1 Timothy 4:8). He is quite different in …
Elisha and the Enemy
The king of Syria, in preparing to make war with Israel, was seeking a place to set up camp. When he settled on a tentative spot, it was — much to the frustration of Syria’s monarch — already known by the Israelites. The king of Israel, you see, received his information from Elisha, who received his information from God (2 Kings 6:8-10). The king of Syria — with an assumed anti-supernatural bias — wondered who was providing Israel with the intelligence. He thought there was a spy among his people (2 Kings 6:11). Somehow, his astute servants realized and reported to him that Elisha the prophet was the cause of Syria’s failed secrecy (6:12). Being a man of authority and power, a man used to getting his way, he sent “horses and chariots and a great army” to Elisha’s residence (6:13-14). He was apparently aiming to bring what he deemed foolishness to an end. Read the text: Now the king of Syria was making war against Israel; and he consulted with his servants, saying, “My camp will be in such and such a place.” Then the king of Israel sent someone to the place of which the man of God had told him. Thus he warned him, and he was watchful there, not just once or twice. Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was greatly troubled by this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me which of us is for …
The Most Neglected Command in the Bible
Every once in a while one hears those sorts of statements that press him to do two things: 1) Examine his own soul, and 2) Pass the thought-provoking message on to others. A few weeks ago I heard such a statement. The study of the hour had taken folks to the tenth chapter of the Gospel of Luke, and verse two. The verse records Jesus’ words to the seventy on the Limited Commission: “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Luke 10:2, NKJV). One person observed what he had heard another always say about this verse: “It is the most neglected command in all the Bible.” It doesn’t take long to catch on to what is meant by that statement, does it? There are a couple of implications: First, a person can be tempted by the lure of routine to consistently ask for material things, and end up neglecting the spiritual. Prayers can sound more like holiday wish lists than humble presentations of oneself for service to an Almighty God. One might ask himself, by way of examination, how often he prays for good weather, a good job, and good food and compare the results to how often he asks for wisdom and help in spiritual growth. Then, a step further along the same line is the second implication. How often does one pray for lost souls, and workers to harvest those ready …
A Little Story and a Big Lesson
All right, I’m going to let everyone in on one of my blunders in life, because it so well illustrates a biblical point. My car registration needed to be renewed by October 1. So, I took my paperwork to the courthouse in mid-September and got the registration and decal. Good move, I thought. I’m on top of things. Making many stops in town that day, I piled the decal and card in with the other stuff on the passenger side front seat, and it stayed there for a while. For the next two weeks, I kept seeing that decal there and saying to myself, “Ah, I’ll just leave it there so I can remember to do it later.” The front seat of my car is a pretty good repository for all different kinds of stacks from day to day — mail, books, sermons and brotherhood periodicals, etc. Those stacks get changed about daily as I shuttle stuff back and forth from home to the office. When Oct. 1 came, I drove around all day without the proper decal, because I’d forgotten to put it on. In the evening, remembering, I thought I’d take the five minutes necessary to do it. Get a wet paper towel and a dry one, clean off the spot on the license plate, and stick the thing on. Trouble was, it wasn’t there in my front seat any more. It wasn’t in the back seat either — or under the seats, or under the mats, or …
The American Dream and the Christian Reality
A friend recently requested help in defining the American Dream. My reply was my opinion — and that only — for the term is often used but vague in meaning. Many associate it with materialistic progress. To me, it is so much more than that. The American Dream unites high principles of the equality of all humans and the reward of a strong work ethic. It highlights potential and offers opportunity for the honest seizure of it through freedom from oppression. Many of history’s cultures have mired themselves in the dogmatism of racial and class distinctions. If one was born poor and enslaved, he stayed that way. There was no hope. Only with a democratic system that rewarded people for their individual effort were such binding shackles thrown off. The American Dream gives people hope to advance themselves. It provides opportunity for thinkers to propagate their ideas. It is not the license to serve one’s own pleasures, but the freedom for honest labor to be rewarded outside of the constricting boundaries of dictatorial societal castes and causes. Those rewards may be financial, but more often than not, they are otherwise. They are the rewards of knowing others have benefited from one’s research and work. That, to me, is the American Dream. The Christian Reality, if you’ll permit the coining of such a phrase, is, though, far better than such a dream. The American Dream is a lofty ideal, but it is often corrupted by man’s sinfulness. His greed hinders the …
Degrading
One dictionary’s entry on the word, degrade, includes these definitions: “To lower, especially in rank or degree; to debase morally.” To apply the word this way is to speak to either the character or the perceived value of a person. To affix the word to the recent reality TV show, The Bachelor, is a debate at hand. Viewers were treated to outtakes of a single man’s search for a wife, in a world constructed to be anything but real. In the lap of luxury, the man dated twenty-some women and gradually narrowed the choices down to one whom he thought might be worthy to be his bride. Americans tuned in regularly to see who was ousted and who was picked. Ratings apparently did well as the tournament proceeded. May the word degrading be used to describe the series? Did its premise degrade the value of women in a supposedly advanced society? What can one assume of ladies who would place themselves in such a situation? Were they each deeply in love with the bachelor? Or, were they tantalized by the exhibitionism of the thing? Had they no better options for relationships? Need they parade themselves as ancient maidens groveling for the favor of a self-aggrandizing emperor? Where, in all of this, is modern society’s push for respect for women? For years, women’s groups have sought better status for their gender. Females wanted rights equal that of males. Great progress characterized the twentieth century. Then, the twenty-first starts with this. Where are the organizations to cry foul? …
God’s Faithfulness
Haggai 2:4-5 records a portion of a message of Jehovah to those trying to lead in the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the captivity. God, through Haggai, says: ‘Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ says the Lord; ‘and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the Lord, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!’ (NKJV) It is the second part of the statement that was so eye-catching to me. If ever there was a bold statement of the faithfulness of God, couched in a command to be faithful to him in return, this is it. After the exile from their homeland, many Jews had been allowed to return to Judah and Jerusalem. They eagerly began reconstruction of the temple, but fell into a fear-filled delay when their enemies raised a fuss over it. The incidents are recorded in the first chapters of Ezra, and chapter four, verse twenty-four concludes with this sad recognition: Thus the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem ceased, and it was discontinued until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia. I guess we shouldn’t, as fellow human beings, be too hard on those folks who discontinued the work. After all, the opposition was persistent and vociferous. But, God, in …
Calmness and Control
It’s all about control, isn’t it? Especially the amount of personal security we feel — it’s based on the quantity of control we believe we possess. When Jesus encouraged his disciples to cross the sea with him, “a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling” (Mark 4:37). The disciples, quite understandably, were afraid for their very lives. They asked Jesus anxiously, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38). You see, it is natural to be fearful when things are out of control. The disciples must have felt merely an infinitesimal measure of security, for the wind and the waves were beyond their control. They were at the mercy of the forces of nature, and they were afraid. There was One in the ship, of course, who did not fear, but slept peacefully — at least until he was awakened by the nervous passengers. His calmness was, by measure of human nature, inexplicable. There was a storm going on! This ship could have sunk! How could anybody have been sleeping? The Lord slept soundly because he was secure. And he was secure because he knew he had ultimate control. He was the agent through whom everything (including the sea and the laws of nature) was made (John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16-17). Therefore, he knew he controlled them. He knew the storm was no threat to him. He was the One in control. That makes perfect sense. He arose from …
He Who Hates Correction
A minister who taught about teaching Bible classes once had a gem of a piece of advice. Noting that certain age groups become very defensive when their behaviors or beliefs are challenged, he recommended having students read Proverbs 12:1, then ask a simple question. Proverbs 12:1 reads, “Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, But he who hates correction is stupid” (NKJV). The question was, “Now, you’re not stupid, are you?” How the approach worked for him I never noticed, but it has worked well for me on a few occasions. People don’t want to admit stupidity, much less when the Holy Bible indisputably points the accusing finger. Many, when finally seeing the import of this verse as compared with their actions, have responded much better to loving rebukes. They have thought over again the issues that were so sacrosanct in their minds. They were willing to look again at the firmness of their beliefs. After all, they finally noted, someone who thinks they are above correction would certainly fall into the category of people denounced in Proverbs 12:1. The wise sayings that are the Proverbs develop this as a recurring theme. Proverbs 15:5 — “A fool despises his father’s instruction, But he who receives correction is prudent.” 13:1 — “A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.” 15:10 — “Harsh discipline is for him who forsakes the way, And he who hates correction will die.” 15:12 — “A scoffer does not love one who corrects him, …