I was reminded today of the hopelessness that we face when we try to understand life apart from God. As I searched the Scriptures for something to share with my family this morning, I turned to 2 Peter 1:20-21. For ease, the NIV puts it as so: "20Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. 21For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." By itself, you might say "So what?" Lately, however, I've been having a curiosity for prophetic Scripture. Do you see where the point is going to be yet?
A couple of times recently I opened to Ezekiel chapter 24. I assumed that the passage must somehow relate to me on a more personal level than as a prophecy spoken through Ezekiel to the remnant of Israel that was about to be destroyed as the Babylonians laid seige to Jerusalem. In my self-centeredness I assumed that the Spirit led me to this passage to explain a parallel in my life. So I started trying to draw connections and conclusions. Aha, with my problem-solving abilities given by the Lord, I figured it out -- I, like the prophet Ezekiel, was going to lose something precious to me. Like Ezekiel, it would be as a sign to the rebellious. Like Ezekiel, I was forbade to mourn. And it would be used to show that He alone is the Lord. How marvelous are the ways the Lord chooses to work!
I would like to think that I wasn't actually as prideful in my thoughts as I just portrayed. But that's basically the way that I interpreted the events in my life recently combined with that Scripture. Thankfully, then God gave me a little wakeup call with 2 Peter 1. Interpretation isn't by the will of man. I was looking for an interpretation, for a way to make sense of things. I found something that sounded good in my own mind. I was blind to see that it was the product of my own thinking and reasoning, however. And that happens far too often. We look for meaning; we look to understand the world and events around us. We assume that once we find a plausible answer, especially if it fits well with our belief system, that we found truth. Too often we assume that anything supernatural, if not overtly evil, must be divine. We only look for truth as far as it directly concerns us and as far as it can provide us with an answer that we are willing to accept.
What is the Lord telling us that we are choosing not to accept? Do we not see this as denying Christ, who, with the Father, is sovereign over all creation? What interpretation, what meaning, what answers are we assuming to be truth? What in our beliefs, in our lives, is vanity? What needs to be torn away and burned in the fire? To what are we clinging instead of Christ? It's time to allow every part of our lives to be threshed by the Lord. We, too, have been a part of the harvest. Now it's time to be purified, for the chaff to be removed from the grain.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Breaking
Brothers and sisters, taste and see that the Lord your God is good. Jesus Christ did suffer and die for our disobedience. And our hope should be in Him, for He also was raised from the dead. We don't worship a dead man but the living God. So easily we forget or deny what that means.
For too long we have lived, both us and our fathers before us, acting as though a loving and merciful God will not judge righteousness but will abound in mercy to all, even those who do not yet seek it. As a part of the church in the West, we have continually failed the body by not proclaiming truth. We have failed our neighbors by attempting to make the narrow and difficult path more easily traveled. We have failed our God by acting in disobedience to Him time after time, acting in unrighteous or impure motives, claiming the lie of subjectivism - what each person believes is good for them, being anything but the lights that we are supposed to be in this world.
In Revelation, the churches are told to either endure faithfully in the trials that face them or to repent from their sins. The majority of the churches are told to repent. What is it that we are doing any differently? We are broken, prideful, hardened, worldly people. We are called to wake up and repent - to be the changed people that Christ has allowed us to be. But we choose not to give the time to the Lord. We keep our talents, we withhold from the Lord what He has given to our care. But we refuse to even admit that, as a body, we need to come to true repentance! We need to be broken. We need to be laid bare. We need to be shaken from this comatose state of what we call Christianity, that we would turn and choose life abundantly, that we would repent and turn from our multitude of sins, that we would seek the Lord with all our hearts, that we would call out to Him, that we would be obedient before Him. Oh Lord, "Why should the nations say, 'Where is their God?'" (Ps. 115:2).
There is a strongman who works tirelessly to tear down the stone foundation. His endurance appears inexhaustible. Stone by stone, he slowly demolishes the building. It is not illustrious, but it is effective. Who shall come upon him, who shall rise up to stop but a single man? Is there no one to call upon? There is no battle cry against this single strongman. There is none who takes note of him. Woe to those who choose inaction.
"For our struggle is not against enemies of the blood and flesh, buth against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. . . . Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints" (Eph. 6:12-13,18). Father, call us back to Yourself!
For too long we have lived, both us and our fathers before us, acting as though a loving and merciful God will not judge righteousness but will abound in mercy to all, even those who do not yet seek it. As a part of the church in the West, we have continually failed the body by not proclaiming truth. We have failed our neighbors by attempting to make the narrow and difficult path more easily traveled. We have failed our God by acting in disobedience to Him time after time, acting in unrighteous or impure motives, claiming the lie of subjectivism - what each person believes is good for them, being anything but the lights that we are supposed to be in this world.
In Revelation, the churches are told to either endure faithfully in the trials that face them or to repent from their sins. The majority of the churches are told to repent. What is it that we are doing any differently? We are broken, prideful, hardened, worldly people. We are called to wake up and repent - to be the changed people that Christ has allowed us to be. But we choose not to give the time to the Lord. We keep our talents, we withhold from the Lord what He has given to our care. But we refuse to even admit that, as a body, we need to come to true repentance! We need to be broken. We need to be laid bare. We need to be shaken from this comatose state of what we call Christianity, that we would turn and choose life abundantly, that we would repent and turn from our multitude of sins, that we would seek the Lord with all our hearts, that we would call out to Him, that we would be obedient before Him. Oh Lord, "Why should the nations say, 'Where is their God?'" (Ps. 115:2).
There is a strongman who works tirelessly to tear down the stone foundation. His endurance appears inexhaustible. Stone by stone, he slowly demolishes the building. It is not illustrious, but it is effective. Who shall come upon him, who shall rise up to stop but a single man? Is there no one to call upon? There is no battle cry against this single strongman. There is none who takes note of him. Woe to those who choose inaction.
"For our struggle is not against enemies of the blood and flesh, buth against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. . . . Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints" (Eph. 6:12-13,18). Father, call us back to Yourself!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Standing Firm
What does it mean to stand firm? We are encouraged and exhorted to do so throughout the Bible. 2 Thessalonians 2:15 - So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. 1 Corinthians 16:13 - Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. 1 Corinthians 15:58 - Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. Philippians 1:27-30 - Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.
Take a stand. Don't let people sway you. Don't give in to false teachings, to ease of lifestyle. Don't give in to sin, to temptation, to the works of the flesh. Stand your ground. Why should you not fight? Don't let yourself be trampled. You will be persecuted for Christ's sake if you are following Him. Don't give in. Don't give up. You learned truth through Christ. Don't brush it aside. Everything that should matter to you is from Christ. So take a stand for Him. Why should you give ground to the enemy when Christ, who is the Head of this side you claim to be on, is all-powerful? These are speaking personally. It is each believer's individual responsibility to stand firm. Whether we are obedient to that call does not dismiss the fact that all believers are called to stand firm. Don't give up! Don't lose heart! Act in truth and love. Follow Christ, none other! Lay yourself bare before the Lord. He will protect you and strengthen you. In your weakness, His power is perfect. When we are exhausted and want to give up, when there's nothing left of ourselves to give - STAND FIRM! Be obedient to the Lord your God. He will overcome, as He always has. Standing firm is not inaction; it is not "holding the course" for the sake of keeping the status quo. Standing firm is something that we must do every day of our lives, through the small skirmishes and through the devastating onslaughts - for we do face both - to be refined by the Father for His sake, for His glory.
Take a stand. Don't let people sway you. Don't give in to false teachings, to ease of lifestyle. Don't give in to sin, to temptation, to the works of the flesh. Stand your ground. Why should you not fight? Don't let yourself be trampled. You will be persecuted for Christ's sake if you are following Him. Don't give in. Don't give up. You learned truth through Christ. Don't brush it aside. Everything that should matter to you is from Christ. So take a stand for Him. Why should you give ground to the enemy when Christ, who is the Head of this side you claim to be on, is all-powerful? These are speaking personally. It is each believer's individual responsibility to stand firm. Whether we are obedient to that call does not dismiss the fact that all believers are called to stand firm. Don't give up! Don't lose heart! Act in truth and love. Follow Christ, none other! Lay yourself bare before the Lord. He will protect you and strengthen you. In your weakness, His power is perfect. When we are exhausted and want to give up, when there's nothing left of ourselves to give - STAND FIRM! Be obedient to the Lord your God. He will overcome, as He always has. Standing firm is not inaction; it is not "holding the course" for the sake of keeping the status quo. Standing firm is something that we must do every day of our lives, through the small skirmishes and through the devastating onslaughts - for we do face both - to be refined by the Father for His sake, for His glory.
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