Wisdom and Folly

In my readings today I read Proverbs 18:2, which says, “A fool has no delight in understanding, but in expressing his own heart.” I thought this was a very telling observation of a fool and a wise man. As Solomon sees things a wise man will listen and desire to understand what is being said to him, or what is happening to him. (A side note about understanding. We can learn and gain understanding not just from people teaching us or from reading books, but also from circumstances and events as well. God seeks to teach us and sanctify us by events and circumstances just as much as he does from the mouth of other people.) Whereas a fool, while he may look like he is listening, is not actually paying attention. He is not concerned with understanding what is being said or what is happening, he is only concerned with how he will respond, what he will say next and how he feels. Which of the two men/people are you? Do you listen and seek understanding, in all things, or do you simply listen superficially, waiting for your chance to speak and give your opinion? I pray that God will mold you into the former and crush any resemblance in you to the latter.

Father I thank you for insight into the condition of man. I thank you for opening up my sins and flaws and showing them to me. Help me now to move forward with this knowledge in a way that brings you glory. Help me to be a wise man and seek to understand all things and to find you in them and help me to be humble, to crush my own desire to speak and say what I feel. What I feel is inconsequential if I do not fully understand your purposes in what I am feeling. May you always be my focus and my life’s greatest joy. In your name Lord Jesus I ask these things, amen.

That wasn't part of the plan

My reading in Proverbs brought me to 19:21, which reads, “There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the Lord’s counsel– that will stand.” I want to just take a minute and think about the truth of this proverb. Many times each of the individual proverbs are read over with only a glancing view to the reality of their truth, I want to make sure not to do that with this proverb. I think that God offered Solomon a unique look into the heart of man and the sovereignty of God when he wrote this proverb. Something that the Bible tells us about men, and the way God created them, was that they are to be cultivators and managers, we were commanded by God to subdue and steward over the earth. So it is natural for us to plan and prepare and try to manage in ways to make this instinctual desire come to be. This is a fact that brings glory to God; we should not try to subdue these desires, we should let them glorify God. The problem that we see revealed in this proverb is not our desire to plan and manage and cultivate, the problem is when we do so out of our sinful nature. When God created us and built these instincts into us as a race He did so in view of His righteous and pure creation, but then due to Adam’s sin and rebellion against God all that was lost. We now have the same desires that God gave us for the purpose of stewarding and subduing the earth for God’s glory, yet we use them for our own glory. We plan and prepare and cultivate in ways that fulfill our own desires, which take the glory from God and gives it to us. Solomon cues in on this and offers some wisdom to us, he says that our plans are many but only God’s plans have any lasting value. To follow our own plans will only end in destruction and death. God’s plans are righteous and everlasting, so much so that to follow any plan other than God’s is futile. We can all speak to the validity of Solomon’s statement. We have all had our best-laid plans blown away with the wind. We have all seen hours, days and months of planning and preparing get thrown out like an old newspaper, worthless the day after it is printed. In our hearts we know this is true.

Now we face the real issue, due to our rebellious hearts and sinful nature we cannot follow God’s plan. All we see is our own glory; we can’t look to God’s. How do we overcome this? We don’t, we can’t, but God can, and did. Through the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, righteousness has been imputed to us and we can now look to the glory of God. Through the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit we can look away from our glory and give glory to God. We can put down our plans and take up the plans of God.

As I meditate on this passage three questions come to mind. 1. What plans do you have in your life that are your own and that aren’t God’s? To these I would say, they will amount to nothing so place no weight on them because they will crumble. 2. Do you know Jesus as your personal savior? He is the only way that you can take up God’s plans and make your plans line up with His. He is the only way that you can have anything that will stand. 3. Do you now what God’s plan for you is, or even for life in general? Find out what God’s plan for your life is, this way you can begin to glorify him. The real question is this, do you want your life’s efforts to be a part of something futile or do you want them to be a part of something that will stand?

Father I praise you for the men that you have sent before us to pass on your words. I thank you for scripture and for the obedience of men like Solomon to pass on to us your very words. As I read your word and you reveal truth to me help me to apply it my life and stand on your teachings. Make my life a reflection of you, through Christ. Help me to pass on all the truth that you reveal to me that I can be seen as faithful in your eyes. May your plans be my life’s plans and may I always seek to give you glory. In Jesus name I pray, amen.

Christ's Wingman

Why is it that we must share the gospel for people to come to a saving knowledge of Christ? This is a question many Calvinists ask. Isn’t God sovereign? Can’t God just fill them with the Holy Spirit and they be saved? Why do we have to take part? I was reading in John 16 today and came across a verse that answers this question from one perspective (I believe that there are other reasons as well, this is just one of them). John 16:14 says, speaking of the Holy Spirit, “He will glorify me, for he will take of what is mine and declare it.” The Holy Spirit’s main purpose is to glorify Christ. His work in salvation, through regeneration, faith and conviction of sin, is all purposed to glorify Christ. So it makes sense to say that if the Holy Spirit is here to glorify Christ then Christ must come first, otherwise the Holy Spirit has nothing to glorify. We see this in the life and work of Christ, he came and ministered and it wasn’t until after he left that the Holy Spirit came (in the fullness prophesied). He came after Christ. It is kind of like a kite with its tail, the tail can only go where the kite has already gone because it, the tail, is in existence for the kite. The same is true of salvation. The Holy Spirit follows behind Christ to glorify Him, so we must spread Christ to others before the Holy Spirit can come behind and do his work. If Christ has not been to a place first, through evangelism, then the Holy Spirit will not be there either, and we know from scripture that without the Holy Spirit there is no regeneration, no faith and no conviction of sin. This is why we must take part in evangelism and why we must spread the gospel in order for people to be saved. If people do not hear the gospel and do not know of Christ then the Holy Spirit has nothing in their life to glorify, i.e. Christ is not their to be glorified. This results in no Holy Spirit and therefore no salvation.

Father I give you praise and glorify your name because you are perfect and righteous and holy. You are the all that we need in life, your word is more precious than silver and even fine gold. You have given us your Son to bear our punishment and have given us your Spirit to follow behind and provide us with the tools necessary to be saved, and to glorify you as He glorifies you. Thank you for your provision of life, and it eternally. In Christ Jesus I pray, Amen.

A loss for words

I would like to write about Christ’s work on the cross, or more specifically his sacrifice of dying, what he went through, and all of his glory in sacrifice. But I cannot, because I do not have enough talent or skill in God’s gift of words to even attempt this endeavor. I do not even know where to begin to try and give God in Christ glory by speaking about his sacrificial death, I am overwhelmed at the mere thought of it. What I will say is this, human words cannot describe the pain of Christ on the cross, nor can they describe the gifts he gave by dying, nor can they describe the glory he received for his obedience. As I worship in Spirit and truth may the Spirit speak on my behalf and give God in Christ the glory in all the ways that I cannot.

Father, I thank you and praise you for your plan to redeem your children. Jesus, I thank you also for your obedience to the Father and for your willingness to die. As I ponder the redemptive work of the cross and all it contains I am overwhelmed, I am speechless before your glory. May I always praise you, even in my lack of words. Amen.

Deception, mockery and the faithful

I read an encouraging, yet sobering, word this morning in my scripture readings. The verses were Galatians 6:7,8, which says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, the he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” I know that sometimes things seem unfair. We always hear about how God’s will prevails and the evil are punished. In reality it seems that Christians, the faithful few, are walked on and that everyone who seeks his own, and not God, prospers. This verse gives us encouragement in this area. It begins so powerfully with the words “Do not be deceived.” Why does it start this way? Because these thoughts of unfair treatment, that God will not come through on his word, or that things aren’t happening the way God said that they would, are deceptions and are from Satan. His goal is to get you to lose faith in God and no longer trust him to do what he says. Paul exhorts us in a powerful way, “Do not be deceived.” He then says, “God will not be mocked.” Let me explain this. When people think that the words of God will not come to pass they undermine God’s sovereignty, and then when they act accordingly, as if God’s words will not come true, they functionally mock him. For man to go on in his life and sow to his flesh thinking that he knows best and that all the warnings from God will not come to pass is to mock God. And let me say this as a side note; even when men do not know the specific revelation of God through Christ they still have the general revelation of creation and also the Law written on their hearts, both of which testify of God. This makes their disobedience and rebellion mockery, something that God will not tolerate, for he will not allow his glory to be undermined. Paul then comes back and summarizes what scriptures teach multiple times in many places, “What a man sows, that he will also reap.” Which he explains even further by saying, “For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” Paul uses an agricultural illustration but is in no way talking about harvests, he is talking about eternal life. His whole statement is one with an eye toward eternity. The promise wasn’t for our prosperity in this life and evil’s punishment in this life but for reward and justice in eternity. We can be sure that even though we feel that things are unfair and that evil men and women prevail all around us, this is only temporary. We should never let ourselves be deceived into believing Satan’s lies. Although it may seem like things aren’t happening God’s way, that is only from our perspective, a perspective that is fallible and narrow. God sees all of time and knows what happens in eternity. His promises of justice may or may not pertain, in each specific case, to situations in this life, but we know without a doubt that they pertain to eternity. We also should heed Paul’s implied warning, sow to the Spirit or we shall receive death! This passage can be encouraging when we feel that evil is succeeding all around us, but it can also be quite sobering when we take stock of our lives. What have we been sowing to, the flesh, or the Spirit? What should we expect in eternity, corruption or eternal life? These are very important questions that we should ask ourselves on a regular basis. We do not want to find out too late that we have been sowing to the flesh. Let us always remember, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked.” Trust in the sovereignty of God and know that his will cannot be thwarted.

Father, I praise you for your everlasting strength, for your sovereignty which cannot be undone or outdone, and for your justice, the mighty show of your love. Continue to encourage me when I see evil running rampant all around and keep my eyes soberly on my own life, looking to what I have sown. Help me always to sow to the Spirit and not the flesh that I may receive eternal life in your presence and your glory. In Jesus name I ask these things. Amen.

A Daily Offering

I was reading in Exodus 8 this morning and came to verses 38-46 which discuss the daily offerings to the Lord. As I was reading it I began to draw a parallel between the daily offerings of the old covenant and those of the new covenant. Many people think that ‘offerings’ went away when Christ fulfilled the old covenant and ushered in the new, but that is not correct. Required sacrifices, for atonement, went away, because Christ became that atoning sacrifice, once for all time, but offerings still stand to this day. Offerings under the new covenant just look different. What are offerings under the new covenant, what do they look like? One offering is time given to the Lord daily. Time spent in the Word of God, in reading, meditation and prayer. I will show you how these activities parallel the offerings of the old covenant and how they serve the same purposes. I want to look now at the similarities in the offerings. First, old covenant (OC) daily offerings were made at the tabernacle of meeting (Ex 29:42) that later became the Temple of the Lord. Under the new covenant (NC) there is no longer a need for the Temple as it stood traditionally, because we are now the temples of the Lord (1 Cor 3:16; 6:19) so the offerings are made in our bodies, through our devotion to God in the actions mentioned above. Second, in response to the daily offerings in the temple God says, “There I will meet with the children of Israel” (Ex 29:43). This same purpose holds true in the daily NC offerings, it is here that the Lord meets with us, in our reading of the Word, meditation and prayer. This is where we can come face to face with God. Third, through this presence of God, in response to the daily OC offerings God said that he would sanctify the temple by His glory (Ex 29:43). In the same way, under the offerings of the NC we (the new temples) are brought into the presence of God and sanctified by his glory. If we do not offer this to God we will not be sanctified. Fourth, in response to these offerings God said that he would dwell among his people and they would know that he was their God (Ex 29:45-46). Under the NC, the only way to consistently hear from God and open up your life, open up the doors to your ‘temple’, your heart, for God to dwell among you, is through the daily offering of reading God’s Word, meditating on it and praying to him. Finally, the OC offerings were done twice a day, in the morning and in the evening (Ex 29:39). This was done as a reminder, first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening, that God was first, and that they served the one true God. This principle is extremely important under the new covenant. Since we no longer have a physical ‘temple’ to go to we are very easily distracted in our worship and dedication. Without daily reminders of what is important and who we serve we are led astray and fall quickly into temptation. Israel proves this over and over again in the Old Testament by their consistent apostasy and they had a temple to worship in. This daily offering, twice a day, serves to keep our eyes on God and preserve us in the long run, not to mention it gives God the glory and priority in our lives. So to summarize, OC offerings were made in the temple, in response to these offerings God said that he would meet with his people, sanctify the temple, dwell among his people and make Himself known to them. This was done twice a day as a reminder of the God that they served. What does this mean for us? If we want God to meet with us, sanctify us and dwell with us, in our hearts, the temple, and make himself known to us, we must make daily offerings to him as Israel did. Ours will be in our bodies, the new temple, and will be in the form of reading God’s Word, meditation and prayer. These offerings should be daily, twice a day, to keep us focused on God and in remembrance of him in all of our life. Morning and evening may God receive the glory.

Father I thank you for insight into your word. I thank you for understanding of the principles of offering and for the revelation of yourself through your Word. Help me to be consistent in my daily offering to you and in my devotion to your glory. Come to me, meet with me here, dwell with me, make yourself known to me and sanctify me. These are my hearts desires, that I could be a temple of God, a place where you remain. Amen.

A believer and a priest walk into a bar...

The reading in Exodus 28 spoke of the clothing the priests wore, mainly to separate them from the people and show them to be set apart for God’s service. It talked about what they should wear and why they should wear it. The reason their clothing was so extravagant was because it was for the service of God and his glory and the reason their clothing was so intricate was because all the different parts served to remind of some aspect of God, either in his blessings to Israel through the 12 sons or in his acting in the exodus, or of his holiness, etc. I began to draw a comparison to the work of the priest under the old covenant and the work of the Christian under the new covenant. I found that they are remarkably similar. We see that the priests were set apart by God to do his work and minister to the people, something that all Christians are called to do to this day. We see that they are to be a reflection of God’s work, God’s glory and God’s holiness, also something that all Christians are called to do. Priests interceded for the people, they served the people for God, etc. Many people relegate these tasks of the priest to the old covenant because under the new covenant there are no longer priests. Or are there? In Hebrews it is said that Jesus is our High Priest, in 1 Peter 2:5,9 Peter refers to Christians as a holy priesthood. This makes very clear that there are still priests, they just aren’t from a special lineage, they happen to be each and every one of us. The reason we do not have ‘priests’ proper any longer is due to one thing, Jesus Christ, our high priest. Upon his death on the cross we are told in Matthew 27:51 that the curtain between the Holy place and the most holy place was torn in two. This was a symbol to all who believe in Christ that they could now enter into the Holy of holies, a place that only the high priest could venture prior to this act. We can all now come into the presence of God. We no longer need a special office of priest because through Christ we all have the privileges of the priest. One of the main duties of the High priest was to enter into the Holy of holies once a year and atone for the people. This is no longer necessary, for the people have been atoned for, once for all, by Christ our high priest, and we can all now enter into the holy of holies, the presence of God. But these facts did not do away with all the other works and ministries of the priest. The other duties of the priest are still very necessary and have been passed to us, the believers in Christ, to fulfill in Christ’s absence. We must go out into the world with a missional heart to be priests of God, ministering to others on his behalf, sharing with them the grace, mercy and patience of God and the saving work of Christ. In the same way that the priests of the old covenant were to be set apart to God for service, holy in His sight, we also are to be set apart to God for service, holy in His sight. Let us not forsake this or take God’s holiness for granted. Let us honor him by fulfilling our duties as priests, for a believer and a priest are one and the same. To God be the glory.

Father I thank you for sending us a great High Priest in your Son Jesus. Through him I have been atoned for once and for all time and can now enter into your presence myself, through him. As I have been called of you and set apart for your service I ask that you would give me wisdom in fulfilling the priestly call on my life and honoring you and Christ. Strengthen me to bring you glory and serve your purposes. In Jesus name I ask these things. Amen.