"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator." - (1Pe 4:12-19)
Here's the thing about these verses. Sometimes they are taken out of context and applied to anything negative that jut might be going on in our lives. Sometimes a verse or two is applied to show that the final judgment has to start with the Church and then will proceed to the world. Well, all of this might be true, but in context, that's not what Peter is saying at all.
So what's he saying? Simple. If you follow Christ, you will be persecuted. Some of you may be put into prison for preaching the gospel. If you aren't afraid of that, and you are popular in your religious circles, perhaps you should examine yourself and/or the message you are bringing. Popularity has never been on the side of Biblical truth. If you aren't being persecuted or tried by others for your faith and expression of the gospel, then perhaps there is a reason. Think about it.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
No Peace for The Wicked
"Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another. Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last. Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together. All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? The LORD hath loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans. I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous. Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me. Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea: Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me. Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob. And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out. There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked." - (Isa 48:10-22)
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
I'm Still Waiting ... Are You?
"To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him? The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains. He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved. Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble. To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth. Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." - (Isa 40:18-31)
The main point of this passage is simply this: God is in control. Regardless of what we think He's still got everything under control. Even in our democratic republic (yeah, I know, don't get technical on me here, ok?), God is in control. That means whether you like Obama or not, whether you voted for McCain or not, God is still in control. He sets up rulers, even in today's "democracy" laden world! Believe it or not. We can't outguess Him, we can't hide from Him, and He is in control.
So next time you start to think about running the race without Him, think again. All you will do is wear yourself down trying do to this on your own. By the way, look up the work "wait" in the Strong's concordance, as in "wait upon the LORD." It actually means "to bind or bond." Contemplate that for today. Those who bond themselves to the LORD, He will renew their strength. I've often heard this last verse used as a trite comforting mechanism to tell people who aren't getting what they want right now, or aren't seeing their personal miracle, or whatever else you can think of ... they are told to just wait, and God will provide or answer, etc. However, this actually doesn't mean that at all. It means that we should actively bind ourselves to Christ. Just as Jacob wrestled with the angel and said "I will not let you go!", we are to do the same with Christ. But that, is another passage for another day.
The main point of this passage is simply this: God is in control. Regardless of what we think He's still got everything under control. Even in our democratic republic (yeah, I know, don't get technical on me here, ok?), God is in control. That means whether you like Obama or not, whether you voted for McCain or not, God is still in control. He sets up rulers, even in today's "democracy" laden world! Believe it or not. We can't outguess Him, we can't hide from Him, and He is in control.
So next time you start to think about running the race without Him, think again. All you will do is wear yourself down trying do to this on your own. By the way, look up the work "wait" in the Strong's concordance, as in "wait upon the LORD." It actually means "to bind or bond." Contemplate that for today. Those who bond themselves to the LORD, He will renew their strength. I've often heard this last verse used as a trite comforting mechanism to tell people who aren't getting what they want right now, or aren't seeing their personal miracle, or whatever else you can think of ... they are told to just wait, and God will provide or answer, etc. However, this actually doesn't mean that at all. It means that we should actively bind ourselves to Christ. Just as Jacob wrestled with the angel and said "I will not let you go!", we are to do the same with Christ. But that, is another passage for another day.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Riches of This World
"And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions." - (Mar 10:17-22)
Here is a man who comes to Jesus seeking eternal life. His question is simple, and so is Jesus' reply. We find that the man has been a good, upstanding lawkeeper, keeping the Laws of Moses from the days of his youth. Jesus informed him that only one thing stood between him and eternal life ... his riches. Apparently he had laid up for himself many great possessions here on this earth. Instead of gratefully giving all those up to help the poor and following Christ, he went away and wept. The pull of the worldly possessions on his heart was too much. He clung to them like there was nothing else left. Esau sold his inheritance in the Old Testament for a bowl of soup. Here, this man gives up the most valuable prize of all, eternal life, in order to keep his worldly possessions. After this incident, Jesus had to have another discussion about this with his disciples. Let's see what else he had to say.
"And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." - (Mar 10:24-27)
The bottom line here is that all things are possible with God. However, Jesus is emphatically pointing out that it is harder for people who cling to and trust in their possessions to enter into the kingdom of God. Archaeological studies in and around Jerusalem have revealed that the "eye of the needle" was a small gate that allowed entrance into the fortified city. It was so small, however, that it would require the traveler to dismount their camel and unload any and all possessions from off of the camel before entering. It was impossible for a man to enter through that gate without making changes.
While this story is repeated in other gospel accounts, it varies only little from what we have read from Mark. Whether the rich man was a young ruler or an older gentleman is of little consequence. The request of Jesus and the man's response is what ultimately counts. Make no mistake, this wasn't a parable. This happened in real life. Imagine being one of the disciples and watching Jesus tell this man what to do, and then the man goes away weeping. How great an impact this must have made on them! What impact will it make on us today? What is Jesus asking you to give up in order to obtain eternal life? What is standing in the way of you taking up your cross and following the master daily?
Here is a man who comes to Jesus seeking eternal life. His question is simple, and so is Jesus' reply. We find that the man has been a good, upstanding lawkeeper, keeping the Laws of Moses from the days of his youth. Jesus informed him that only one thing stood between him and eternal life ... his riches. Apparently he had laid up for himself many great possessions here on this earth. Instead of gratefully giving all those up to help the poor and following Christ, he went away and wept. The pull of the worldly possessions on his heart was too much. He clung to them like there was nothing else left. Esau sold his inheritance in the Old Testament for a bowl of soup. Here, this man gives up the most valuable prize of all, eternal life, in order to keep his worldly possessions. After this incident, Jesus had to have another discussion about this with his disciples. Let's see what else he had to say.
"And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." - (Mar 10:24-27)
The bottom line here is that all things are possible with God. However, Jesus is emphatically pointing out that it is harder for people who cling to and trust in their possessions to enter into the kingdom of God. Archaeological studies in and around Jerusalem have revealed that the "eye of the needle" was a small gate that allowed entrance into the fortified city. It was so small, however, that it would require the traveler to dismount their camel and unload any and all possessions from off of the camel before entering. It was impossible for a man to enter through that gate without making changes.
While this story is repeated in other gospel accounts, it varies only little from what we have read from Mark. Whether the rich man was a young ruler or an older gentleman is of little consequence. The request of Jesus and the man's response is what ultimately counts. Make no mistake, this wasn't a parable. This happened in real life. Imagine being one of the disciples and watching Jesus tell this man what to do, and then the man goes away weeping. How great an impact this must have made on them! What impact will it make on us today? What is Jesus asking you to give up in order to obtain eternal life? What is standing in the way of you taking up your cross and following the master daily?
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