I've had quite a few people ask me about my blogs and teachings especially related to how I study and who my sources are. I thought it might be important to devote at least one entry to this subject. I love this blog because it's an outlet for me to journal some of the really cool stuff that I learn and to share it at the same time. No, the blog doesn't have tons of followers but the ones that do read are fans of scripture and many of us chat daily about our amazement of God and His word.
I'm no genius regarding scripture. If I reveal something profound, it's because someone revealed it to me first. If the writing is particularly good - and sometimes it really is - it's God. I'm often amazed when I go back and read a good entry because often I will not recollect writing it. That's God. If it's lame, poorly constructed, and non-informative, THAT was me - forcing it. I have tried to learn to write when I have something to write, and to rest when I have nothing. Early on, especially, I forced it a lot, and it is painfully obvious. I still do, every now and then. Stay tuned.
My main source is the Bible. I try to read every day and at night before bed. Sometimes I get a nugget, sometimes not. Sometimes I have a season of 'not'. It's these dry times that I miss a lot of posts. There are also rainy seasons where I am so flooded that I can't land on a single thing to post due to being overwhelmed. Most of my friends can tell what season I'm in. I don't read many books. My personal conviction is that God can always show me more in a verse than a writer can show me in a chapter. That's me - however. I'm not knocking books.
I also listen to rabbis and teachers of various denominations and faiths, and I filter these through the inerrant Word of God in order to dig out more nuggets. If we limit ourselves to teachers that believe just as we believe, we will never think outside of the box we are in. By the way, our box can't hold Him. We can't build one that big.
If I had a single hint to offer people who want to study in a deeper way, it would be this: read suspiciously. There are no coincidences in scripture (I think Chuck Missler says this). If something appears oddly out of place in the text, pay especially close attention to that. Look at the Hebrew. Look at the Greek. Where was that used elsewhere? Once you start doing this, you find yourself on the most amazing rabbit trails. Start with Deuteronomy chapter 8, if you want a 'for instance'.
Peace and blessings to you all!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
The Sabbath
Gen 2:2-3 HNV
(2) On the seventh day God finished his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
(3) God blessed the seventh day, and made it holy, because he rested in it from all his work which he had created and made.
Christians have misunderstood - or ignored - the Sabbath, to some extent, since the time of Jesus. We all have questions. The Sabbath is important! Keep it! Yet... it is made for man, not man for the Sabbath. What does it mean to keep the Sabbath? How can I do it without being 'legalistic'?
Questions. To boot, this all falls under 'the Law' discussion which is a HUGE gray area to most Christians. We have lost much of our Jewish understanding.
First of all, the Sabbath (Shabbat) and 'a sabbath day' are not necessarily the same thing. If a Jewish feast day (hag; holiday) falls on a week day, then that day will be a sabbath day. Later in that week, Shabbat (Saturday) comes also. Two sabbath days in the same week, but only one Shabbat. Shabbat ('the' Sabbath) is always Saturday. Shabbat is equivalent to Saturday - in the Hebrew realm.
That said, can a sabbath be observed on a Sunday? Of course!
So how important is the Sabbath?
Exo 20:8-11 HNV
(8) "Remember the day of Shabbat, to keep it holy.
(9) You shall labor six days, and do all your work,
(10) but the seventh day is a Shabbat to the LORD your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates;
(11) for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the day of Shabbat, and made it holy.
Obviously this is important! But what does it mean for us? We are not under the law, right?
Fortunately, we are not justified by the law (read Romans 3), but by another law of 'faith'. Does this mean we put aside the law?
I believe everyone would agree that we do not put aside 'You shall not murder' or 'You shall not commit adultery' or 'Honor your parents'. That would be ludicrous! So then, what shall we do with Shabbat?
Paul wrote,
Rom 14:5 HNV
(5) One man esteems one day as more important. Another esteems every day alike. Let each man be fully assured in his own mind.
and Jesus said,
Mat 12:5 MKJV
(5) Or have you not read in the Law that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath and are blameless?
There is much I do not know about Shabbat. Do I believe it's important? Yes! Because God believed it was important. Does that mean I know how to observe it properly? Unfortunately, not really. When Jesus reminded the Pharisees that the priests in the temple were blameless even though they profaned the sabbath, He was not saying it was okay to profane the sabbath. Yet, there was MUCH importance placed on being a priest! Are you a priest before God? Anyone can be, if they are willing.
Another interesting tidbit... is that the land also was supposed to observe a sabbath. Every seventh year the land was to rest from plowing, sowing, and harvest. From the time Israel came into the Promised Land, they did not let the land rest. They ignored the land's sabbath for 490 years. After many warnings from the prophets, God told them that HE would rest the land. Since 490 years had passed, Israel owed God 70 years of Sabbaths. This was the length of Israel's captivity. For 70 years, Israel was denied a national existence.
Because of this, some teachers say that for every week we ignore a sabbath, God shortens our own lives by a day. Naturally, one cannot prove this, but in a culture where we value the 'get-ahead' mentality at all costs and above all else, this isn't such a stretch. He who dies with the most toys wins, right? Rest.
(2) On the seventh day God finished his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
(3) God blessed the seventh day, and made it holy, because he rested in it from all his work which he had created and made.
Christians have misunderstood - or ignored - the Sabbath, to some extent, since the time of Jesus. We all have questions. The Sabbath is important! Keep it! Yet... it is made for man, not man for the Sabbath. What does it mean to keep the Sabbath? How can I do it without being 'legalistic'?
Questions. To boot, this all falls under 'the Law' discussion which is a HUGE gray area to most Christians. We have lost much of our Jewish understanding.
First of all, the Sabbath (Shabbat) and 'a sabbath day' are not necessarily the same thing. If a Jewish feast day (hag; holiday) falls on a week day, then that day will be a sabbath day. Later in that week, Shabbat (Saturday) comes also. Two sabbath days in the same week, but only one Shabbat. Shabbat ('the' Sabbath) is always Saturday. Shabbat is equivalent to Saturday - in the Hebrew realm.
That said, can a sabbath be observed on a Sunday? Of course!
So how important is the Sabbath?
Exo 20:8-11 HNV
(8) "Remember the day of Shabbat, to keep it holy.
(9) You shall labor six days, and do all your work,
(10) but the seventh day is a Shabbat to the LORD your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates;
(11) for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the day of Shabbat, and made it holy.
Obviously this is important! But what does it mean for us? We are not under the law, right?
Fortunately, we are not justified by the law (read Romans 3), but by another law of 'faith'. Does this mean we put aside the law?
I believe everyone would agree that we do not put aside 'You shall not murder' or 'You shall not commit adultery' or 'Honor your parents'. That would be ludicrous! So then, what shall we do with Shabbat?
Paul wrote,
Rom 14:5 HNV
(5) One man esteems one day as more important. Another esteems every day alike. Let each man be fully assured in his own mind.
and Jesus said,
Mat 12:5 MKJV
(5) Or have you not read in the Law that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath and are blameless?
There is much I do not know about Shabbat. Do I believe it's important? Yes! Because God believed it was important. Does that mean I know how to observe it properly? Unfortunately, not really. When Jesus reminded the Pharisees that the priests in the temple were blameless even though they profaned the sabbath, He was not saying it was okay to profane the sabbath. Yet, there was MUCH importance placed on being a priest! Are you a priest before God? Anyone can be, if they are willing.
Another interesting tidbit... is that the land also was supposed to observe a sabbath. Every seventh year the land was to rest from plowing, sowing, and harvest. From the time Israel came into the Promised Land, they did not let the land rest. They ignored the land's sabbath for 490 years. After many warnings from the prophets, God told them that HE would rest the land. Since 490 years had passed, Israel owed God 70 years of Sabbaths. This was the length of Israel's captivity. For 70 years, Israel was denied a national existence.
Because of this, some teachers say that for every week we ignore a sabbath, God shortens our own lives by a day. Naturally, one cannot prove this, but in a culture where we value the 'get-ahead' mentality at all costs and above all else, this isn't such a stretch. He who dies with the most toys wins, right? Rest.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Our Daily Bread
Mat 6:9-11 HNV
(9) Pray like this: 'Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
(10) Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.
(11) Give us today our daily bread.
When Jesus told His disciples how to pray, He gave them this example. Typically, if we have grown up in Sunday School, we were taught this prayer at a young age. But how many of us pray this as adults?
To ask for today's bread means we do not want tomorrow's bread yet. When we pray this prayer and mean it, we are asking for no more than what we need today. We forfeit the security of tomorrow's provision: our savings account, our college fund, our pantry, our job security, our health report... Do we really want to pray this prayer?
If we wake up some day in a situation not unlike many Haitians today, how do we react? Do we totally go to pieces and change the prayer to "Today and tomorrow, God!"?
It's not that God doesn't want us to have security - but He wants our security to rest in Him. If our security is not in the Lord today, where is it?
(9) Pray like this: 'Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
(10) Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.
(11) Give us today our daily bread.
When Jesus told His disciples how to pray, He gave them this example. Typically, if we have grown up in Sunday School, we were taught this prayer at a young age. But how many of us pray this as adults?
To ask for today's bread means we do not want tomorrow's bread yet. When we pray this prayer and mean it, we are asking for no more than what we need today. We forfeit the security of tomorrow's provision: our savings account, our college fund, our pantry, our job security, our health report... Do we really want to pray this prayer?
If we wake up some day in a situation not unlike many Haitians today, how do we react? Do we totally go to pieces and change the prayer to "Today and tomorrow, God!"?
It's not that God doesn't want us to have security - but He wants our security to rest in Him. If our security is not in the Lord today, where is it?
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Close To The Flood
Joshua 3:14-16 LITV
(14) And it happened, as the people pulled up stakes from their tents to cross over the Jordan, and as the priests bore the ark of the covenant before the people,
(15) and as those bearing the ark came into the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the edge of the waters (and the Jordan was full, over all its banks all the days of harvest),
(16) that the waters stood still, those coming down from above rose up into a heap, very far above the city Adam, which is beside Zaretan; and those going down by the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite to Jericho.
The Jordan during the rainy season - although not the Mississippi - was still quite the obstacle. In fact, the nature of this flooding would be multifaceted. Naturally the river would be higher and faster and muddier. But as the water came over the banks, it ran out across a flat land a few inches deep, causing a miry mess for man and animals alike. Imagine treading out across this plain after 300,000 others had just done the same. Make that.... 2.5 million, with cattle in tow.
Scholars say that the distance between the listed landmarks - the City of Adam and the Dead Sea - is about 15 miles. God parted the Jordan River - 15 miles. That means those who went across in the center did not see the walls of water standing 7.5 miles to either direction.
With news of the horrible, catastrophic events in Haiti, some questions have occurred to me. Many of us cannot see what waters the Lord has parted for us. We look in all directions and we only see our neighbor - traveling the same basic direction we travel. We have no idea what God is holding back in order to allow us to pass. We are oblivious.
Perhaps only those who are closest to the eminent destruction can appreciate what we are being saved from.
(14) And it happened, as the people pulled up stakes from their tents to cross over the Jordan, and as the priests bore the ark of the covenant before the people,
(15) and as those bearing the ark came into the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the edge of the waters (and the Jordan was full, over all its banks all the days of harvest),
(16) that the waters stood still, those coming down from above rose up into a heap, very far above the city Adam, which is beside Zaretan; and those going down by the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite to Jericho.
The Jordan during the rainy season - although not the Mississippi - was still quite the obstacle. In fact, the nature of this flooding would be multifaceted. Naturally the river would be higher and faster and muddier. But as the water came over the banks, it ran out across a flat land a few inches deep, causing a miry mess for man and animals alike. Imagine treading out across this plain after 300,000 others had just done the same. Make that.... 2.5 million, with cattle in tow.
Scholars say that the distance between the listed landmarks - the City of Adam and the Dead Sea - is about 15 miles. God parted the Jordan River - 15 miles. That means those who went across in the center did not see the walls of water standing 7.5 miles to either direction.
With news of the horrible, catastrophic events in Haiti, some questions have occurred to me. Many of us cannot see what waters the Lord has parted for us. We look in all directions and we only see our neighbor - traveling the same basic direction we travel. We have no idea what God is holding back in order to allow us to pass. We are oblivious.
Perhaps only those who are closest to the eminent destruction can appreciate what we are being saved from.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
The House of the Lord
Psa 23:6 HNV
(6) Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the LORD's house forever.
Dwelling in the Lord's house... has such a great ring to it, doesn't it? When does this happen? After all, we've spent thousands of years now seeing the opposite happen - God with 'us'. Jesus was Emanuel - God with us. That seemed a complete restoration - of sorts - to what we had in Eden.
However, the Jewish people as well as many evangelicals celebrate the High Holy Feast of Succot, or Booths/Tabernacles. The premise of this feast is God sheltering man in the desert of life, just as He did Israel in the desert. God shelters us. We dwell - in Him.
Surely we are heading towards another age - one where He not only dwells within us, but where we dwell in Him. That will be the prophetic fulfillment of Succot - the final, Sabbath millennium. John has a brief description of this:
Rev 21:22 HNV
(22) I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple.
We will no longer enter into a temple of stone and mortar, but into God Himself - our Temple. And those who are His shall surely dwell in the House of the Lord (The House - which is the Lord) forever. Amen!
(6) Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the LORD's house forever.
Dwelling in the Lord's house... has such a great ring to it, doesn't it? When does this happen? After all, we've spent thousands of years now seeing the opposite happen - God with 'us'. Jesus was Emanuel - God with us. That seemed a complete restoration - of sorts - to what we had in Eden.
However, the Jewish people as well as many evangelicals celebrate the High Holy Feast of Succot, or Booths/Tabernacles. The premise of this feast is God sheltering man in the desert of life, just as He did Israel in the desert. God shelters us. We dwell - in Him.
Surely we are heading towards another age - one where He not only dwells within us, but where we dwell in Him. That will be the prophetic fulfillment of Succot - the final, Sabbath millennium. John has a brief description of this:
Rev 21:22 HNV
(22) I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple.
We will no longer enter into a temple of stone and mortar, but into God Himself - our Temple. And those who are His shall surely dwell in the House of the Lord (The House - which is the Lord) forever. Amen!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Be Dangerous
1Sa 2:18 MKJV
(18) And Samuel served before Jehovah, a child girded with a linen ephod.
From the beginning of his life, Samuel was destined to be a priest of God. He was brought up in the Temple from the time he was weaned, and learned - even from a very lame priest, Eli - the ways of God.
Samuel dealt with lameness most of his life. Saul, Israel's first king, had a problem with loving himself more than he loved God. This was something Samuel could not and did not stomach.
1Sa 15:31-33 MKJV
(31) And Samuel turned again after Saul, and Saul worshiped Jehovah.
(32) And Samuel said, Bring here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came to him daintily. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.
(33) And Samuel said, As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women. And Samuel cut Agag in pieces before Jehovah in Gilgal.
As we can see, Samuel was a dangerous man. He was not to be trifled with. We know he was raised as a priest, but here he steps in and does what the king should have done. He operated as both priest - and king.
1Ki 18:39-40 MKJV
(39) And when all the people saw, they fell on their faces. And they said, Jehovah, He is the God! Jehovah, He is the God!
(40) And Elijah said to them, Take the prophets of Baal. Do not let one of them escape. And they took them. And Elijah brought them down to the torrent Kishon and killed them there.
Elijah was another dangerous man. He had just offered a sacrifice to God before an audience of 450 priests of Baal, 400 prophets of Asherah, and the people of Israel. This was a priestly service. Immediately afterwards, he did that which the king should have done - exercised judgment upon the false prophets.
These are two examples of the manafest power of God in men who are willing to be as God called them to be. There is not a more powerful person on earth than a king who is also a priest. Are we to go out and destroy the wicked of the world? No - that is no longer our calling. Our battle is not with flesh and blood. However, there is a serious lack of authority being thrown against the spiritual strongholds in physical places and in real people. It's time to stand and be men and women of God. Study the verses above - where did fear fit into the equation of Samuel and Elijah?
(18) And Samuel served before Jehovah, a child girded with a linen ephod.
From the beginning of his life, Samuel was destined to be a priest of God. He was brought up in the Temple from the time he was weaned, and learned - even from a very lame priest, Eli - the ways of God.
Samuel dealt with lameness most of his life. Saul, Israel's first king, had a problem with loving himself more than he loved God. This was something Samuel could not and did not stomach.
1Sa 15:31-33 MKJV
(31) And Samuel turned again after Saul, and Saul worshiped Jehovah.
(32) And Samuel said, Bring here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came to him daintily. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.
(33) And Samuel said, As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women. And Samuel cut Agag in pieces before Jehovah in Gilgal.
As we can see, Samuel was a dangerous man. He was not to be trifled with. We know he was raised as a priest, but here he steps in and does what the king should have done. He operated as both priest - and king.
1Ki 18:39-40 MKJV
(39) And when all the people saw, they fell on their faces. And they said, Jehovah, He is the God! Jehovah, He is the God!
(40) And Elijah said to them, Take the prophets of Baal. Do not let one of them escape. And they took them. And Elijah brought them down to the torrent Kishon and killed them there.
Elijah was another dangerous man. He had just offered a sacrifice to God before an audience of 450 priests of Baal, 400 prophets of Asherah, and the people of Israel. This was a priestly service. Immediately afterwards, he did that which the king should have done - exercised judgment upon the false prophets.
These are two examples of the manafest power of God in men who are willing to be as God called them to be. There is not a more powerful person on earth than a king who is also a priest. Are we to go out and destroy the wicked of the world? No - that is no longer our calling. Our battle is not with flesh and blood. However, there is a serious lack of authority being thrown against the spiritual strongholds in physical places and in real people. It's time to stand and be men and women of God. Study the verses above - where did fear fit into the equation of Samuel and Elijah?
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Floods In The Desert - pt2
Imagine yourself as a tree in one of these wadis. You're anchored in the rock in a bend. It hasn't rained in months. All you see in front of you is fine, white sand. When the wind blows hard enough, a few leaves fly away. It's dry. But today is different. Today there is a roar of water getting closer, and closer. Soon the torrent hits and you bend in its wrath. Despite the boulders washing through and the relentless strain, you hang on.
After a while, the torrent has become a slow, steady stream. Then it slows to a crawl. After a day or two, you notice your leaves are green. Another day passes and fruit has begun its growth on your limbs. Finally, the water is gone, and the desert wind dries the floor of the wadi, and there you stand - as before.
Only now, your leaves are green and the fruit is weighing on your limbs. The temperature a few feet above is 120 degrees and there is no sign of water, and yet you have fruit.
So what has it really cost you to bear fruit in your life? What kind of floods have you had to endure in order to be productive in your Christian walk? What kind of floods are you going through right now? God does have a plan. Although this flood is highly unpleasant, your roots will dig deeper into the rock.
Sometimes we meet people who have spent their lives in the floodplain. They are scarred up - beaten up - weathered... and they bear MUCH fruit. We see evidence of water.
Understand, simply by looking at a tree in the wadi, it is impossible to determine how deep its roots run. Outside of church, have you ever seen your pastor study his bible? Have you ever seen him on his face in prayer? If all you have seen is what has been visible at church, then you've only seen the top of the roots. You wont know how deep his roots run until the flood comes.
Friday, January 08, 2010
Floods in the Desert - pt1
In the Middle East, especially in the area around Israel, one of the greatest dangers in the desert is flooding. That sounds strange, doesn't it? But the hills and mountains around the Negev and Judean Wilderness receive quite a lot of rain on a yearly basis, while the desert itself receives almost none. To further complicate things, the soil on the mountains cannot absorb the rain it gets. The result is flash flooding - not unlike what we get in the American west.
Wadis are formed. These are dry riverbeds in the wilderness. Sometimes they are just small canyons carved out by torrents of water. These often offer shade and pools of water in the brutal 120+ degree desert. The problem comes when the rains fall - miles away. On a cloudless day the floods come without warning, washing everything away that isn't firmly rooted.
It's ironic that the wadi offers refuge from the harsh reality of life. Shade. The sun is relentless in the desert. Without shade, death is quite a possibility.
Water. Pools have formed and they do look inviting! The sheep can drink and canteens can be refilled. But this isn't the still water of Psalm 23. This is flood water.
Who knows the difference? Certainly not the sheep. The sheep are content to drink. What they don't know is the flood is coming.
As Christians, do we dabble in sin? Do we attempt 'sin management'? I have been guilty of this. I already know it doesn't work. I know that if I walk in this way... it's only a matter of time before the flood hits. It will be a cloudless day. It will be the VERY SAME as yesterday - when I got by with it. But today... my thirst for immediate gratification might just cost me everything.
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Megiddo
Megiddo is a strategic hill in the Jezreel Valley in Israel. It has always been an important location, militarily, and still remains so. Today Israel has an underground airbase in the valley. In ancient times, this was a military outpost that had storehouses and a water supply. It was a city, of sorts.
The Hebrew word for hill or mountain - har - is often used when identifying Megiddo, which is where we get Har Megiddo or Armegeddon. According to historians, archaeologists have discovered seventy-seven layers in this ruined outpost - each representing a time when the city was battled for, destroyed, and rebuilt.
In ancient times, for one culture to war against and conquer another meant that the god of one culture was superior to the god of the conquered culture. Had Goliath killed David, the news on the morning headlines would have read 'Dagon Is the True God!'. In the land of Israel, there is perhaps no greater symbol of strategic possession than Har Megiddo - outside of the city of Jerusalem itself. What does this hint at?
From a Hebraic perspective... if there were going to be a final, symbolic battle to determine once and for all whose god was supreme, this battle would be fought at Megiddo. Isn't that something? Perhaps God thinks so, too! This is exactly why the last battle will be fought at Armageddon.
Rev 16:16 HNV
(16) He gathered them together into the place which is called in Hebrew, Megiddo.
The Hebrew word for hill or mountain - har - is often used when identifying Megiddo, which is where we get Har Megiddo or Armegeddon. According to historians, archaeologists have discovered seventy-seven layers in this ruined outpost - each representing a time when the city was battled for, destroyed, and rebuilt.
In ancient times, for one culture to war against and conquer another meant that the god of one culture was superior to the god of the conquered culture. Had Goliath killed David, the news on the morning headlines would have read 'Dagon Is the True God!'. In the land of Israel, there is perhaps no greater symbol of strategic possession than Har Megiddo - outside of the city of Jerusalem itself. What does this hint at?
From a Hebraic perspective... if there were going to be a final, symbolic battle to determine once and for all whose god was supreme, this battle would be fought at Megiddo. Isn't that something? Perhaps God thinks so, too! This is exactly why the last battle will be fought at Armageddon.
Rev 16:16 HNV
(16) He gathered them together into the place which is called in Hebrew, Megiddo.
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
What Shapes Your World?
In the day of Jesus, there were only so many ways to influence the world. Trade. War. Exploration. The Romans understood war, conquest, and occupation. They had a rich culture that spread to the ends of their empire. The Greeks were no different in the time of Alexander. Herod saw the opportunity to build the greatest port of his time, perhaps, at Caesarea. This he did. As a result, Jesus walked in a diverse world of many cultures. Even though His ministry did not physically effect an area much larger than 7 square miles, His message went to the ends of the earth.
Since that time, there has been a massive shift. The only peoples who are still solely effected by trade are the poorest people - those in jungles or in remote outposts. Largely our world today is effected by media, sports, and Hollywood. How have we adapted?
Are our churches setting aside funds to send its kids to seminary? Or are our churches setting aside funds to send its kids to film school? How about... Olympic training camp? Or journalism school?
It's very easy to look back - even past the time of Jesus - and wonder why the Israelites did not seize the opportunity to take control of the trade routes of the world. They could have influenced the entire world for God! But they didn't. It's not as easy to look at the here-and-now and ask the same question.
Mar 16:15 MKJV
(15) And He said to them, Go into all the world, proclaim the gospel to all the creation.
It seems worldly to focus on such things as - film school. But how are we going to influence a dying world if we cannot speak its language?
Since that time, there has been a massive shift. The only peoples who are still solely effected by trade are the poorest people - those in jungles or in remote outposts. Largely our world today is effected by media, sports, and Hollywood. How have we adapted?
Are our churches setting aside funds to send its kids to seminary? Or are our churches setting aside funds to send its kids to film school? How about... Olympic training camp? Or journalism school?
It's very easy to look back - even past the time of Jesus - and wonder why the Israelites did not seize the opportunity to take control of the trade routes of the world. They could have influenced the entire world for God! But they didn't. It's not as easy to look at the here-and-now and ask the same question.
Mar 16:15 MKJV
(15) And He said to them, Go into all the world, proclaim the gospel to all the creation.
It seems worldly to focus on such things as - film school. But how are we going to influence a dying world if we cannot speak its language?
Monday, January 04, 2010
A Prophet Without Honor
Mat 13:57 MKJV
(57) And they were offended in Him. But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country and in his own house.
Moses had grown up in the house of Pharaoh. The call on his life, however, was starting to manifest in strange ways. He saw the injustice of Egypt upon his own people. On a certain day, it was just too much. He saw a Hebrew man being mistreated and he struck the offending Egyptian taskmaster. Moses panicked, naturally, and hid the body in the sand.
One might think the would-be savior would be appreciated and welcomed. Not so.
Soon there-after, seeing an argument between two Hebrew men prompted Moses to act as a peace-maker. They acted as though they resented him, asking if he would kill them as he had the Egyptian. Afraid, Moses disappeared... for a long, long season. When he finally returned, he did so as a redeemer to his people. Sent by God, he led his people out of bondage.
This story does sound familiar. Jesus was also resented by his brethren - although it was for no wrong-doing. When the time was right, He, too, disappeared for a long season. He is going to return, though. Sent by God, He will lead His people out of this world.
Aren't you thankful for the Holy Spirit? For He can lead us out of bondage right now!
(57) And they were offended in Him. But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country and in his own house.
Moses had grown up in the house of Pharaoh. The call on his life, however, was starting to manifest in strange ways. He saw the injustice of Egypt upon his own people. On a certain day, it was just too much. He saw a Hebrew man being mistreated and he struck the offending Egyptian taskmaster. Moses panicked, naturally, and hid the body in the sand.
One might think the would-be savior would be appreciated and welcomed. Not so.
Soon there-after, seeing an argument between two Hebrew men prompted Moses to act as a peace-maker. They acted as though they resented him, asking if he would kill them as he had the Egyptian. Afraid, Moses disappeared... for a long, long season. When he finally returned, he did so as a redeemer to his people. Sent by God, he led his people out of bondage.
This story does sound familiar. Jesus was also resented by his brethren - although it was for no wrong-doing. When the time was right, He, too, disappeared for a long season. He is going to return, though. Sent by God, He will lead His people out of this world.
Aren't you thankful for the Holy Spirit? For He can lead us out of bondage right now!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
From Not Knowing... To Knowing
Have you ever done something that was risky - and you knew it? Of course! We all take chances from time to time. Sometimes it's an ordinary thing like jumping off a diving board. Do you remember the first time you did it? It seemed SO high! If you were little, you might have been terrified. But by the 20th or 30th time, it didn't seem so bad. In fact, fear had turned into fun.
That's an example of what it's like to have a fear of the unknown and to overcome it.
There is a part of the Christian walk that is similar. In fact, many would say that a Christian walk without risk-taking is an impotent venture. It lacks power. It's... dead. Faith without works... right?
But we reach a point where reaching out and sharing the Gospel of Jesus is no longer terrifying. Perhaps it becomes (as it should) second nature. Maybe even fun! I'm just using this as an example. What would scripture say about it?
Jos 5:12 MKJV
(12) And the manna stopped on the next day after they had eaten the old grain of the land. And there was no more manna to the sons of Israel, but they ate the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
Joshua was no longer in the desert. He and the Israelites were now in the Promised Land. Where had they been? They had been in a situation where they could not rely upon their wealth to get them through tomorrow. They had ONLY ENOUGH FOR TODAY! They had to rely upon God to send manna. Manna... remember, means 'what is it'.
Then comes Jericho and the Promised Land. Promised Land living affords us some security we did not have in the desert. With that security comes a responsibility. Now we can save enough food for today and tomorrow and maybe the next day. We can accumulate wealth. The manna stops. The 'what is it' goes away, meaning, there isn't a question about tomorrow any longer. It's a land of plenty. But do we forget God? Does the blessing of today distract us from He who gave it?
Even if the manna stops in the physical, we have a responsibility to continue gathering and consuming Manna in the spirit.
A good question that I heard a rabbi ask is this: Do I have what it takes to go beyond the next ten minutes - alone? I'm a sheep who has wealth. I have enough grass to last me for right now - and I have a Shepherd.
That's an example of what it's like to have a fear of the unknown and to overcome it.
There is a part of the Christian walk that is similar. In fact, many would say that a Christian walk without risk-taking is an impotent venture. It lacks power. It's... dead. Faith without works... right?
But we reach a point where reaching out and sharing the Gospel of Jesus is no longer terrifying. Perhaps it becomes (as it should) second nature. Maybe even fun! I'm just using this as an example. What would scripture say about it?
Jos 5:12 MKJV
(12) And the manna stopped on the next day after they had eaten the old grain of the land. And there was no more manna to the sons of Israel, but they ate the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
Joshua was no longer in the desert. He and the Israelites were now in the Promised Land. Where had they been? They had been in a situation where they could not rely upon their wealth to get them through tomorrow. They had ONLY ENOUGH FOR TODAY! They had to rely upon God to send manna. Manna... remember, means 'what is it'.
Then comes Jericho and the Promised Land. Promised Land living affords us some security we did not have in the desert. With that security comes a responsibility. Now we can save enough food for today and tomorrow and maybe the next day. We can accumulate wealth. The manna stops. The 'what is it' goes away, meaning, there isn't a question about tomorrow any longer. It's a land of plenty. But do we forget God? Does the blessing of today distract us from He who gave it?
Even if the manna stops in the physical, we have a responsibility to continue gathering and consuming Manna in the spirit.
A good question that I heard a rabbi ask is this: Do I have what it takes to go beyond the next ten minutes - alone? I'm a sheep who has wealth. I have enough grass to last me for right now - and I have a Shepherd.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Blessed - The Man
It has been a long couple of weeks for me. South Dakota has been a very white place over Christmas, and people didn't move around much. I was shacked up with my family in a farmhouse with no cable TV, Internet, or cellular service, so God graciously afforded me some study time.
I spent quite a bit of time on this passage:
Psa 1:1-2 HNV
(1) Blessed is the man who doesn't walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers;
(2) but his delight is in the LORD's law. On his law he meditates day and night.
When trying to commit passages to memory, I try to take out the italicized words, meaning... the ones that were not in the original text. It's intellectually stimulating to sit on a passage that comes across as awkward in English. This one isn't so bad... in fact instead of awkward, I think it becomes more potent.
BLESSED the man - it's emphatic. Notice all the negative actions. Blessed is he who does not... and does not... and does not.
But then there is the one big positive action. The pathway to being blessed is to meditate on the law of the LORD. Do we do this? Much? Some might say... the Law has passed away - that's 'Old Testament'. Was this the stance Jesus took?
Or did Jesus say that not one jot or tittle would pass away from the Law? Yes, Jesus fulfilled the Law, but He also said that it all hung off of two commands:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind, and also... love your neighbor as yourself. Easy, right?
Tremendously simple! Horribly difficult. That Jesus fulfilled the Law means that to follow Him requires us to chase after these two commands.
It would be quite a feat to love God with everything you are... and your neighbor as yourself... and also to sit in the seat of scoffers, or walk in the counsel of wicked men, or stand as a stumbling block to sinners. Here is a question that we can consider rhetorical: do the biggest scoffers you know consider themselves Christ-followers?
I spent quite a bit of time on this passage:
Psa 1:1-2 HNV
(1) Blessed is the man who doesn't walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers;
(2) but his delight is in the LORD's law. On his law he meditates day and night.
When trying to commit passages to memory, I try to take out the italicized words, meaning... the ones that were not in the original text. It's intellectually stimulating to sit on a passage that comes across as awkward in English. This one isn't so bad... in fact instead of awkward, I think it becomes more potent.
BLESSED the man - it's emphatic. Notice all the negative actions. Blessed is he who does not... and does not... and does not.
But then there is the one big positive action. The pathway to being blessed is to meditate on the law of the LORD. Do we do this? Much? Some might say... the Law has passed away - that's 'Old Testament'. Was this the stance Jesus took?
Or did Jesus say that not one jot or tittle would pass away from the Law? Yes, Jesus fulfilled the Law, but He also said that it all hung off of two commands:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind, and also... love your neighbor as yourself. Easy, right?
Tremendously simple! Horribly difficult. That Jesus fulfilled the Law means that to follow Him requires us to chase after these two commands.
It would be quite a feat to love God with everything you are... and your neighbor as yourself... and also to sit in the seat of scoffers, or walk in the counsel of wicked men, or stand as a stumbling block to sinners. Here is a question that we can consider rhetorical: do the biggest scoffers you know consider themselves Christ-followers?
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Wrestling With God?
-from FoxNews
Obama arrived in Copenhagen Friday with a large American delegation in tow, hoping to pressure China and other nations into accepting a global framework for combating climate change.
Obama and an estimated 120 world leaders converged on the city in hopes of saving the long-awaited summit from ruin by hammering out a framework deal in its closing hours. But the stormy two-week conference was marred to the end by flare-ups between the developed world and developing nations.
I don't think there is anyone (with full faculties) that believes any longer that all of this climate change hoopla is truly about saving the planet. We have surpassed that bit of idiocy and have gone straight to power struggle. The world has finally found its avenue - it thinks - to falsely obtain the blessings of God. What avenue is that?
God's blessing on our nation has been unprecedented. We have blessed Him and have blessed His people, Israel, and as a result we have become the greatest empire on earth. Only that season is over. We have turned our back on God and on Israel and now the only ones laughing are our enemies. The world smells blood in the water and it endeavors to siphon off all of the wealth that God has given the United States. How does it do that?
With a Copenhagen Climate Change agreement, that's how! Only the blessings of God cannot be bought, stolen, or had in any way other than through His favor. The world cannot wrestle blessing from the hand of God. The funny thing is that we can all see where this goes prophetically. As the world scrambles for its piece of the pie, God chuckles, because the world cannot organize itself to 'get' the pie. Why? The devil as at the source of all this - and confusion is all he can muster. Look at the last segment of this FoxNews article:
"But the stormy two-week conference was marred to the end by flare-ups between the developed world and developing nations."
What is the characteristic of the last human empire?
(41) And as to that which you saw: the feet and toes, part of potters' clay and part of iron; the kingdom shall be divided. But there shall be in it the strength of the iron, because you saw the iron mixed with miry clay.
(42) And as the toes of the feet were part of iron and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle.
The world can unite on one thing: a hatred of Truth. All other bets on international cooperation are off.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
What Does The Spirit Say Today?
Heb 3:7-11 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "Today if you will hear His voice, (8) do not harden your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness, (9) when your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My works forty years. (10) Therefore I was grieved with that generation and said, They always err in their heart, and they have not known My ways. (11) So I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter into My rest."
What did the Spirit say hundreds of years prior?
Psa 95:7-11 For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today if you will hear His voice, (8) harden not your heart, as in the day of strife, as in the day of testing in the wilderness; (9) when your fathers tempted Me, tested Me, and saw My work. (10) For forty years I was grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they have not known My ways; (11) to whom I swore in My wrath that they should not enter into My rest.
Heb 4:11 Therefore let us labor to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of unbelief.
What did the Spirit say hundreds of years prior?
Psa 95:7-11 For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today if you will hear His voice, (8) harden not your heart, as in the day of strife, as in the day of testing in the wilderness; (9) when your fathers tempted Me, tested Me, and saw My work. (10) For forty years I was grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they have not known My ways; (11) to whom I swore in My wrath that they should not enter into My rest.
Heb 4:11 Therefore let us labor to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of unbelief.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
New Frontiers
For those of you who occasionally like to watch a good animal documentary (I know there are many of you who do...) you have probably seen one that depicts dangerous encounters. The one that comes to mind for me is the problem polar bear in some remote Canadian town. You've seen it - the authorities are shooting firecrackers and shotguns in the air to frighten the creature out of town.
The problem typically occurs when an animal becomes so hungry that its hunger surpasses its fear.
As followers of Jesus, we have to reach this point. Walking like Jesus is not easy. It's not easy to take a stand, or to be different, or to deny the flesh. But the Holy Spirit creates such a hunger in us that eventually - hopefully - the hunger trumps everything else. Then we can step into the frontier of risk.
It is difficult to separate flesh from spirit. In the scriptures, the flesh was the skin and hide, and spirit was the fat. There is a way to separate it, but it takes FIRE. It's the fire within - the hunger within - that drives us into our destiny. If we don't have that, we should be praying for it.
The problem typically occurs when an animal becomes so hungry that its hunger surpasses its fear.
As followers of Jesus, we have to reach this point. Walking like Jesus is not easy. It's not easy to take a stand, or to be different, or to deny the flesh. But the Holy Spirit creates such a hunger in us that eventually - hopefully - the hunger trumps everything else. Then we can step into the frontier of risk.
It is difficult to separate flesh from spirit. In the scriptures, the flesh was the skin and hide, and spirit was the fat. There is a way to separate it, but it takes FIRE. It's the fire within - the hunger within - that drives us into our destiny. If we don't have that, we should be praying for it.
Monday, December 14, 2009
My Friend, You're Going To Die
John the Baptist is in prison. He is frightened, because chances are good that he is going to die. So he asks Jesus this very cryptic question.
Mat 11:3 MKJV
(3) And they said to Him, Are You he who should come, or do we look for another?
John, a rabbi, was doing something very rabbinic. He was prompting Jesus for an answer that only Jesus would give. What he actually asked was, "Are you the coming One?" This is a ramez, which I've explained in previous posts. Only this is a very difficult one to track down. We have to know where in the text Messiah was referenced to as the 'Coming One'. The reference is found in Zechariah:
Zec 9:9-11 HNV
(9) Rejoice greatly, daughter of Tziyon! Shout, daughter of Yerushalayim! Behold, your king comes to you! He is righteous, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
(10) I will cut off the chariot from Efrayim, and the horse from Yerushalayim; and the battle bow will be cut off; and he will speak shalom to the nations: and his dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
(11) As for you also, because of the blood of your covenant, I have set free your prisoners from the pit in which is no water.
Why was John asking this in this way? Because the Coming One would set those free who were 'prisoners', and John was definitely this. Here is his question in western English, "Jesus, are you going to leave me in prison?"
What did Jesus say?
Mat 11:4-6 MKJV
(4) Jesus answered and said to them, Go and tell John again those things which you hear and see:
(5) the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear; the dead are raised, and the poor have the gospel proclaimed to them.
(6) And blessed is he, whoever shall not be offended in Me.
If you do not think these men knew the text, this passage should prove to you differently. Jesus is quoting from 6 different places in Isaiah to John, who would have known all of this - by heart.
1) & 4)
Isa 42:6-7 MKJV
(6) I Jehovah have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand, and will keep You, and give You for a covenant of the people, for a Light of the nations;
(7) to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness out of the prison house.
(8) I am Jehovah; that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to graven images.
(9) Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; before they happen, I cause you to hear.
2) & 3)
Isa 33:23-24 MKJV
(23) Your ropes are loosened, they do not hold the base of the mast; they could not spread the sail. Then the prey of a great spoil shall be divided; the lame take the prey.
(24) And an inhabitant, the people who live in it shall not say, I am sick; iniquity is taken away.
5)
Isa 26:19-20 MKJV
(19) Your dead ones shall live, together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust; for your dew is as the dew of lights, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
(20) Come, my people, enter into your rooms and shut your doors around you; hide for a little moment, until the fury has passed by.
6)
Isa 61:1 MKJV
(1) The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is on Me; because Jehovah has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
All of these references of the sick being made well and the ropes loosened, the lame walking and the ropes loosened, blind eyes opened and the prisoner set free, those made to hear and the prisoner set free, the dead live while the people are beckoned, and the Gospel is preached while the prison doors open. Yet Jesus tells John, "the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear; the dead are raised, and the poor have the gospel proclaimed to them." What is missing? The captive is set free. John, my friend, it is all true, but you are going to die in prison.
But blessed is he... what? That aren't offended because of these things. What things in our text are so obviously offensive? It is so very hard to know... if you don't know the scriptures. This is a personal challenge - to me.
Mat 11:3 MKJV
(3) And they said to Him, Are You he who should come, or do we look for another?
John, a rabbi, was doing something very rabbinic. He was prompting Jesus for an answer that only Jesus would give. What he actually asked was, "Are you the coming One?" This is a ramez, which I've explained in previous posts. Only this is a very difficult one to track down. We have to know where in the text Messiah was referenced to as the 'Coming One'. The reference is found in Zechariah:
Zec 9:9-11 HNV
(9) Rejoice greatly, daughter of Tziyon! Shout, daughter of Yerushalayim! Behold, your king comes to you! He is righteous, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
(10) I will cut off the chariot from Efrayim, and the horse from Yerushalayim; and the battle bow will be cut off; and he will speak shalom to the nations: and his dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
(11) As for you also, because of the blood of your covenant, I have set free your prisoners from the pit in which is no water.
Why was John asking this in this way? Because the Coming One would set those free who were 'prisoners', and John was definitely this. Here is his question in western English, "Jesus, are you going to leave me in prison?"
What did Jesus say?
Mat 11:4-6 MKJV
(4) Jesus answered and said to them, Go and tell John again those things which you hear and see:
(5) the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear; the dead are raised, and the poor have the gospel proclaimed to them.
(6) And blessed is he, whoever shall not be offended in Me.
If you do not think these men knew the text, this passage should prove to you differently. Jesus is quoting from 6 different places in Isaiah to John, who would have known all of this - by heart.
1) & 4)
Isa 42:6-7 MKJV
(6) I Jehovah have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand, and will keep You, and give You for a covenant of the people, for a Light of the nations;
(7) to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness out of the prison house.
(8) I am Jehovah; that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to graven images.
(9) Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; before they happen, I cause you to hear.
2) & 3)
Isa 33:23-24 MKJV
(23) Your ropes are loosened, they do not hold the base of the mast; they could not spread the sail. Then the prey of a great spoil shall be divided; the lame take the prey.
(24) And an inhabitant, the people who live in it shall not say, I am sick; iniquity is taken away.
5)
Isa 26:19-20 MKJV
(19) Your dead ones shall live, together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust; for your dew is as the dew of lights, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
(20) Come, my people, enter into your rooms and shut your doors around you; hide for a little moment, until the fury has passed by.
6)
Isa 61:1 MKJV
(1) The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is on Me; because Jehovah has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
All of these references of the sick being made well and the ropes loosened, the lame walking and the ropes loosened, blind eyes opened and the prisoner set free, those made to hear and the prisoner set free, the dead live while the people are beckoned, and the Gospel is preached while the prison doors open. Yet Jesus tells John, "the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear; the dead are raised, and the poor have the gospel proclaimed to them." What is missing? The captive is set free. John, my friend, it is all true, but you are going to die in prison.
But blessed is he... what? That aren't offended because of these things. What things in our text are so obviously offensive? It is so very hard to know... if you don't know the scriptures. This is a personal challenge - to me.
Friday, December 11, 2009
True Discipleship
Jesus spent perhaps thousands of hours memorizing the scriptures - the Tanakh. This was what Jewish children did. By the age of twelve, Jewish boys were to have done their best to memorize Torah - the first five books of the Bible. Naturally, not every boy did. In fact, probably most didn't quite make it - although 'most' would have huge portions of the text memorized.
If the child was particularly talented and had shown an amazing capacity for the scriptures, they could advance to the second level of Jewish schooling - Bet Midrash (understanding - or explanation). This occurred at the age of 12 IF the child had all of Torah memorized. Also, as a rite of passage, the child was allowed to go to Jerusalem on that year on Passover and offer the lamb for his family.
Where do we find Jesus at the age of 12 on Passover? In Jerusalem, at the temple. If you had to venture a guess, would you think He might have been adept at memorizing scriptures?
Being a disciple of Jesus in the truest sense is the endeavor to be just like Him. That means what He found to be important, we, too, should find important. How much time did He spend in the scriptures?
It's very easy to write this off as works... or as legalism, or fill in your own blank. Truly, if one memorizes the entire bible and has not love, he has nothing. But for those of us who have love, or claim to have love, how much time do we really seek to be just like Jesus?
If the child was particularly talented and had shown an amazing capacity for the scriptures, they could advance to the second level of Jewish schooling - Bet Midrash (understanding - or explanation). This occurred at the age of 12 IF the child had all of Torah memorized. Also, as a rite of passage, the child was allowed to go to Jerusalem on that year on Passover and offer the lamb for his family.
Where do we find Jesus at the age of 12 on Passover? In Jerusalem, at the temple. If you had to venture a guess, would you think He might have been adept at memorizing scriptures?
Being a disciple of Jesus in the truest sense is the endeavor to be just like Him. That means what He found to be important, we, too, should find important. How much time did He spend in the scriptures?
It's very easy to write this off as works... or as legalism, or fill in your own blank. Truly, if one memorizes the entire bible and has not love, he has nothing. But for those of us who have love, or claim to have love, how much time do we really seek to be just like Jesus?
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Not Buying Into It
Daniel was quite a guy. He made a name for himself in a pagan nation simply by being true to God and not letting circumstances shake him. With a death sentence upon all wise men - himself included - Daniel won reprieve from the king by interpreting his dream. As a result, he was named the chief wise man.
Dan 2:48 Then the king made Daniel great, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over all the province of Babylon, and chief of the prefects over all the wise men of Babylon.
As great an honor as that was, that title came with some baggage that Daniel probably didn't want. Being a wise man, according to his world's standards, was a great thing. But according to his own Godly standard, it was a compromise. Daniel didn't use sorcery or witchcraft to divine answers. He sought God. But as we see below, God didn't always get the credit.
Dan 4:9 MKJV
(9) O Belteshazzar, master of the horoscopists, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no secret troubles you, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its meaning.
He was known as a master of the horoscopists - the chief astrologer. This brings up quite a spiritual dilemma. Do we accept worldly recognition and praise and justify it as the reward of the blessed? Or do we seek the God and let the world find its own heroes? What did Daniel do?
The story shifts to Nebuchadnezzar's grandson who sees the writing on the wall. This is one of the more classic verses that truly comes (hilariously) to life in the King James translation:
Dan 5:6 KJV
(6) Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.
The man... was frightened. What he needed was a good horoscopist to translate the writing on the wall.
Dan 5:10-12 MKJV
(10) The queen came into the banquet house because of the king's words, and his nobles. And the queen spoke and said, O king, live forever. Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your face be changed.
(11) There is a man in your kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. And in the days of your father there was found in him light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, your father the king, appointed him master of the horoscopists, conjurers, Chaldeans, and fortune-tellers,
(12) because an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, explaining of dreams, and revealing of hard sentences, and the unraveling of knots, were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will reveal the meaning.
Here is our answer. Daniel had been the chief astrologer, but where was he now? The king apparently had never heard of him. Only the queen (the king's grandmother, Nebuchadnezzar's wife) remembered Daniel for the wise man he was. Why? Because Daniel had separated himself from the reward of the world - the titles, the prestige, the ceremonies. Reading on, we see that he truly did not care for the recognition of the king:
Dan 5:17 MKJV
(17) Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let your gifts be to yourself, and give your rewards to another. Yet I will read the writing to the king, and make the meaning known to him.
Daniel's walk with God was one of steadfastness - his eyes always locked on the Father. Daniel was perhaps the only bible persona other than Jesus Himself that never had a single derogatory remark made about him. Despite the law, he prayed. Despite the reward, he remained focused. Despite hardship, he remained thankful. He did not buy into the reward of this world.
Dan 2:48 Then the king made Daniel great, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over all the province of Babylon, and chief of the prefects over all the wise men of Babylon.
As great an honor as that was, that title came with some baggage that Daniel probably didn't want. Being a wise man, according to his world's standards, was a great thing. But according to his own Godly standard, it was a compromise. Daniel didn't use sorcery or witchcraft to divine answers. He sought God. But as we see below, God didn't always get the credit.
Dan 4:9 MKJV
(9) O Belteshazzar, master of the horoscopists, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no secret troubles you, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its meaning.
He was known as a master of the horoscopists - the chief astrologer. This brings up quite a spiritual dilemma. Do we accept worldly recognition and praise and justify it as the reward of the blessed? Or do we seek the God and let the world find its own heroes? What did Daniel do?
The story shifts to Nebuchadnezzar's grandson who sees the writing on the wall. This is one of the more classic verses that truly comes (hilariously) to life in the King James translation:
Dan 5:6 KJV
(6) Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.
The man... was frightened. What he needed was a good horoscopist to translate the writing on the wall.
Dan 5:10-12 MKJV
(10) The queen came into the banquet house because of the king's words, and his nobles. And the queen spoke and said, O king, live forever. Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your face be changed.
(11) There is a man in your kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. And in the days of your father there was found in him light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, your father the king, appointed him master of the horoscopists, conjurers, Chaldeans, and fortune-tellers,
(12) because an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, explaining of dreams, and revealing of hard sentences, and the unraveling of knots, were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will reveal the meaning.
Here is our answer. Daniel had been the chief astrologer, but where was he now? The king apparently had never heard of him. Only the queen (the king's grandmother, Nebuchadnezzar's wife) remembered Daniel for the wise man he was. Why? Because Daniel had separated himself from the reward of the world - the titles, the prestige, the ceremonies. Reading on, we see that he truly did not care for the recognition of the king:
Dan 5:17 MKJV
(17) Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let your gifts be to yourself, and give your rewards to another. Yet I will read the writing to the king, and make the meaning known to him.
Daniel's walk with God was one of steadfastness - his eyes always locked on the Father. Daniel was perhaps the only bible persona other than Jesus Himself that never had a single derogatory remark made about him. Despite the law, he prayed. Despite the reward, he remained focused. Despite hardship, he remained thankful. He did not buy into the reward of this world.
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