Romans 8:31 → If God is for us, who is against us? Is it possible that we ought not consider ourselves truly opposed by anyone? That the infinite God so outpaces whatever and whomever we face so badly that it is our shame to count it as opposition? Our own failure to obey is what causes us to stumble and struggle, not the strength of our enemy. It is that we count earthly struggles at a level worth comparing, when they don't belong there.
Romans 8:28-30 → Man, this is a passage that we use and abuse so much! 1.) All things work together for good. Not all things are good. And good is judged in light of eternity and God. He doesn't make all things good, He makes it work for good. I can't imagine how some of the tragedies people face could ever be made good, but I know they can be made to work for good. It may seem subtle, but it's important. I need to realize that while I proclaim the promises of God, not to make new ones on His behalf. 2.)Foreknew, predestined, called, justified, glorified. This passage on its own does not guarantee a doctrine of irresistible grace or exclude it. It tells us that God has known, and has always known, those who are His, and that He intends to justify and glorify those that are His. It's more in support of working all things together for good , as many of the readers would have been struggling with being ignored, abandoned, neglected, persecuted, and many other bad treatments. He's pointing them to the fact that, while Rome and the opponents of Christianity would not justify or glorify Christians, God would. So, v. 31, who do you want? God or Caesar? (need a hint which is better? All Caesar's got left is a chain of pizza franchises.)
Drop in mostly unrelated directly to today's Scripture: I've got iTunes running in the background, using a random of everything in the “Instrumental” genre. Currently, it's a recording of our National March, “The Stars and Stripes Forever” by J.P. Sousa. Now, if you know band music, you know this has got an awesome piccolo solo the first time through the last strain, right after the break strain. If you don't know what that means, you now know how I feel in certain sports metaphors, and in practically all hunting discussions. Just watch a 4 th of July special and listen for the high pitched whistle-sounding part. Anyway, the part is written for the piccolo, the highest pitched mainstream instrument in a band. This recording is of the US Merchant Marine Academy Band, and repeats the solo twice. First time, piccolo as written. Second time? Tuba. Playing the same solo. The tuba, being the lowest pitched mainstream band instrument, covers the piccolo part. My point? The guy that hits that tuba solo rocks it. And it's what makes this an awesome version of the song. Here's somebody who has taken on a part that his instrument and his training (tuba players typically play bass clef, piccolo music is in treble) are not geared toward handling. But he does a phenomenal job. If I remember to, I'll come back and link it here. Sometimes, we have to take on jobs and responsibilities that aren't the perfect match for our training, tools, gifts, and talents. What do we do with those times? Do we tackle it and do the best we can? Do we create a memorable recording? The tuba is still obviously a tuba. You will still, obviously to everyone, not be the nursery worker who has been there 40 years and is wonderful, but you can love kids. You might not be the funnest youth worker, but can you love kids your own way? Can you share what God has done for you, even if you're not the most speaker? Can you still preach, knowing you're not as good as Billy Graham or Charles Spurgeon? When you're a tuba player with a piccolo solo, what do you do? (PS: Most of the rest of the music is Chris Rice's The Living Room Sessions vol. 1. There were supposed to be more volumes, he did one Christmas one, but that's all. More piano, please!!)
I'm still reading DeYoung & Kluck's Why We Love the Church . I'm now wanting to plan my next vacation to hear DeYoung preach. I just read probably the most touching point in the book, where Kluck talks about that one of the things he loves about their church is the lack of happy endings. That there are people with struggles, with diseases that will kill them, and that the church loves, cares, and prays through those, but isn't addicted to the idea that the only things worth celebrating are the 'happy' stories where people are miraculously healed. He's not any more against the happy healings than I am, but just realizes that it doesn't happen very often, and in light of Romans 8:28-30 above, isn't guaranteed, and is thankful that his church isn't destroyed because life isn't perfect.
Proverbs 29:2 ->Again, wicked rulers, people groaning, but not rebelling? When does Proverbs tell us to lock, load, and march? What? Never?
Proverbs 29:4 → Wait a minute, a man “who demands contributions” (I'm in HCSB, but I can't get reftagger to pull HCSB. Here it is:
4 By justice a king brings stability to a land, but a man [who demands] “ contributions” demolishes it.
Is this anything like earmarks, kickbacks, bribes, and ACORN? Please, find me that verse about overthrowing rulers! Quick, like David did with Saul, who went insane and was abandoned by God. What? He waited—for the country to lose a battle and have the king killed in the process? You mean that 1 Peter 2:17 thing about honoring the king still applies when I didn't vote for him? I have other things to worry about? Like focusing on fearing the Lord, loving the brotherhood, that stuff? Certainly I will exercise my authority as a citizen to speak out, ask my representative to do on my behalf, but at the end of the day, God has not commanded me to change the President of the United States (until election time). He has commanded me many other things to work on first.
Proverbs 29:7 → Are we showing our righteousness in our treatment of the poor? Or do we act unconcerned?
Proverbs 29:9 → Note that sometimes fools take wise men to court, and it's to the detriment of the whole system.
Proverbs 29:12 → Who does a ruler listen to? Who do you listen to? Who do I listen to? Does my commitment to truth extend to demanding it from those around us?
Proverbs 29:15 → Don't leave your teenagers to themselves. It's not just children here. If they be at home, you have to continue to impart wisdom. Even if by rod.
Proverbs 29:18 → Obedience to God-given revelation makes happy. Read: Do what the Bible says.
Proverbs 29:21 → Present your workers with the reality of the work to begin with, and hold high the standards.
July 28, 2009
Lord God, I ask that today I be a fitting vessel for your glory. I have no hope in this world, except what you give to me. Hold me closely to your side. I ask that you protect my family, and look after those who trust in you. Especially, Lord God, I ask that you strengthen the members of the family of faith that face death for their commitment. May the Christians in North Korea be strengthened by you. And let us not forget them.
Proverbs 28:6 → Yet who do we have running our government(at all times, not just now)?
Proverbs 28:7 → Not a discerning son pleases his father, but keeps the law. The best way for children to act is in obedience to Christ. Fathers have to learn to be pleased with that behavior.
Proverbs 28:8 → Excessive interest is a passive way to make money off the work of others. There's value in work, and to simply profit always from others' work is not the wisdom God sends.
Proverbs 28:9 → There are some people that should not pray. Why offer a detestable prayer? Better to turn your ear to listen, to hear what God has said in his word. Then to offer that prayer. And side note: when planning 'public' prayer occasions, keep this mind. It's often the greatest 'earthly measure' person who is leading it, yet does this person listen to God's Word?
Proverbs 28:12 → Run away! This is another Biblical reason to homeschool---yes, we are hiding ourselves, because when you look at who runs government schools, it's time for people to hide themselves. And their children.
Proverbs 28:14 → There's a place for reverence, for some of the formalistic traditions of worshiping God. Whether it's the music, the structure, the dress, they reflect our attitudes. A heart hardened against reverence will lead to trouble.
Proverbs 28:16 → Good thoughts, whether church leader, business leader, government leader.
Proverbs 28:17 → Besides, Sam Gerrard will catch him. But, if it really was the one-armed man, it'll be okay. Also, don't provide continual aid to those who reject God and carry the bloodguilt of their sin. They'll never be at rest, and they'll never face the consequences.
Proverbs 28:19 → Do the work you have available, don't spend all your time daydreaming. Or on get-rich-quick schemes. To spend all of your work time chasing fantastic ideas leads you to poverty. Chase them when you can, but don't neglect what you've got to do.
Proverbs 28:24 → Honor your parents. It's as great a sin to rob your parents, whether of dignity or respect, as any other sin.
Proverbs 28:28 → People hide, rather than rise up? I wonder why...interesting that here and v. 12 show the righteous hiding when the wicked rule. Proverbs 28:2 shows rebellion as a bad thing, uncategorically. How do we reconcile that?
Psalm 119:129-136 → Do we seek the unfolding of God's words to have light? Are we troubled over the lack of keeping of His word? It seems that a great many times, I'm more concerned that I have violated the dictates of man than I am concerned about the dictates of God. Likewise as a body, do we concern ourselves more for our failure to do His work or for our fitting-in with society?
Establish my footsteps (Psalm 119:133) God, I ask that you give me stability in my obedience, as I seek to walk in the path your word has given.
If I ever find myself in Michigan, I'm going to Kevin DeYoung's church. Reading his book Why We Love the Church, that he wrote with Ted Kluck. Learning to be a little more patient with the structures and some of the things that seem like nonsense.
Revelation 20:2 → Need to remember, that even now, unbound, Satan is still a limited, finite created being. Many times I started to think like a dualist, that there are equal forces of good and evil in the universe. Not so. Evil is weaker, by more than a measurable amount.
James 2:1-4 → And suppose, brethren, that one comes among that carries an iPhone, and can tweet ideas in to the church staff and ask questions, while another comes in without digital service, and can only speak face-to-face. If you look with favor, and harken to the tweets of the first man, allowing him to virtually attend, though capable of physical attendance, if you listen to his questions and ideas, whilst shushing him that has no phone, have you not discriminated against the one? Are you not judging who is worthy to be a part of the service, and who must sit aside? I'm all for tech helping us when we fall short, but tech's no substitute for the real.
1 Peter 2:17 → Fear God, honor the king. Let's remember that one, shall we? I'll fear and worship God. I'll honor the President. But I didn't worship the last one, and I'll not fear this one. Or the next one. The phrase 'From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs' keeps coming up, even if just on right-wing blogs. Well, my ability to worship goes to my need to worship the one true God. Thankful to realize, though, that the people that thought President Obama was the Anti-Christ have got to be wrong. Really, who's going to buy Keith Olbermann as the false prophet? Who in their right, left, or centrist mind? Come on, now.
Our efforts should be in honoring all people, by loving them enough to share the truth with them of God's love and Christ's sacrifice. Love the brotherhood, that's the family of faith, the Church, your church. No one who abandons the family is showing that love. Does the family have issues? Sure. Some of us younger siblings get grouchy with our older siblings, but all those who follow Christ and trust in Him are the family.
Psalm 143:1 → Thankfully, He answers according to His righteousness and faithfulness. Lord God, let me live with those qualities in my heart today, not my own!
Oh Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world: Spare me
Oh Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world: Pardon me
Oh Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world: Hear me.
Lord God, that today I will not forget my deep need for grace, nor your abundant depth of it. I thank you for granting Ann and I measurable success in our fitness efforts, and I ask you to continue to do so. Thank you for helping me learn self-discipline in the process. Lord, help this, your church, to see measurable successes from our efforts to follow you. We ask for your grace to cover our sins, and for your power to be in what we do.
Genesis 29:15-28
As I begin to see the goal that I think I should work for, it is becoming easier to conceive of time in long amounts. The idea of spending several years to accomplish something seems far less daunting than it was even two years ago. I see this in Jacob and Leah and Rachel. I also see the idea of an intermediate reward. Jacob had to work a total of 14 years, but he received his reward, Rachel, half-way through, although he couldn't have left with her until the 14 were up. I wonder how often our setbacks would be followed by an intermediate reward if we didn't give up?
James 2:1-13
I wonder what James would say about our celebrity obsession in American Christianity? How we'll fall all over ourselves for Miss California or Mel Gibson or Tim Tebow, but for an ordinary Christian, we could hardly give consideration? What of young women who have chosen to honor God by keeping all of their clothes on? What of people that present the Gospel through relationships, not on the movie screen? What about for the Christian that overcame much adversity to be a clarinet player in the band, not a star quarterback? We may not automatically fly to the rich, but we will dance with joy over 1 celebrity while quietly ignoring a thousand ordinary people. Lord God, let me develop a love for everyone, from the famous to the infamous, and the totally non-famous in the middle.
Then there's the whole technology in church debate. Lord, keep me from being so overly techie that I lose the people in church that just aren't there. And I will strive to realize that worship and technology aren't either mutually exclusive or mutually necessary.
The whole law stands and falls together, and it is not for us to show favor for those who break the parts we don't mind against those who break the parts we dislike. We may not have pet sins that we'll ignore and pet sins that we'll disdain. As believers, we need to take a stand against all sin, especially in our own lives and the behavior of our churches.
Proverbs 27 (HCSB)
Proverbs 27:1 ->Don't boast about things you have no control over. Boast in the greatness of God instead. And remember, the world is incredibly unpredictable, though it is completely in God's hands.
Proverbs 27:2 ->As my old pappy used to say, “Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back.”
Proverbs 27:5 ->Let's live this one in our churches. Done with grace and consideration, love and truth, and based on God's standards. But let's quit keeping silent when correction is necessary.
Proverbs 27:7 → Modernized: Them that hath remarkable medical coverage, consider not those that will suffer at the hands of their legislation and change.
Proverbs 27:12 → What danger do you see? And are you just going to take it? Or will you take cover? What about we Americans? Will we take cover? Make preparations to deal with the danger?
Proverbs 27:13 → I think if we took people's clothes for going into debt, we'd have fewer financial collapses now, because who wants to roam about naked just for wanting a new car? Maybe this would be a good punishment for the people that wrote, approved, and profited from the bad loans and complex market derivatives. Take their clothes away. As my old pappy used to say, “I'll slap you naked and hide your clothes!”
Proverbs 27:14 → Be certain that what you intend to be a blessing is presented such that it is received that way.
Proverbs 27:17 → I need that iron.
Proverbs 27:18 → Look after your leaders. They'll look after you.
Proverbs 27:21 → How do you handle positives? That reveals a lot about you.
Psalm 86:10 → He alone is God! So, I need to quit acting like I'm trying out for his position.
1 Peter 2:10 → Peter's referencing Hosea, and God's promises of redemption and restoration. When we know the Word, we see how God has always been the same, and always been in the redemption business.
1 Peter 2:12 → There will always be slander of the church. Let's make sure it's about stuff we can be proud of. For example, let's have the world slander us for not being materialistic enough, for being too responsive to each other's needs, for, not being holier-than-thou, but for being too much like Christ.
May today be met with abundant effort towards obedience by me, and abundant grace for the task by Him. Lord God, let your power come in fullness on we your people, that we may do the tasks you have given.
