Encourage one another TODAY

Our reading today from Hebrews (McCheyne's 4th column) has an important application. (Actually the word "important" seems too weak for this as you will see.) In verses 12-13 the author says, "Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called 'today', that none of you may be hardened by the deceitful of sin."
Note the following points:
1. The author is offering a warning. He says, "Take care, brothers..." He is very concerned that his readers understand that something great is at stake.
2. What is at stake, is an "evil, unbelieving heart" - a heart that although it has seen God work, and provide in mighty ways does not look to God in trust and faith.
3. An unbelieving heart leads one to fall away from the living God. (Are you beginning to see the seriousness of this passage.) Real life is only experienced as we are connected to our Creator. To fall away from Him is to be separated from our life source. It is a sure route to experiencing the death about which God warned our first parents. Life was meant to be lived in communion with the "living" God.
4. At the very center of this is the deceitfulness of sin. Sin has a way of making itself look good to us humans. It has a way of offering us things of which it is unable to provide. We so easily get sucked into its lures and before we know it our hearts are being hardened, unbelief crops up, and we begin to stray from the "lover of our souls".
5. The solution to this human dilemna is that we "exhort one another every day". Knowing that we are all tempted by sin's deceitfulness, knowing that our hearts can so easily be hardened, knowing that we can so easily slip into unbelief and fall away from the living God, should urge us to be diligent to encourage one another.
6. Finally, the author calls for this mutual exhortation to be done "without delay". He says, "as long as it is called Today" to emphasize that we should not put this off.
This is especially important in light of what we read in Psalm 39 today. The psalmist indicated that life is short. He said, "Let me know how fleeting I am!" He also indicated that God "disciplines a man with rebukes for sin..." Since life is short and since there are consequences for sin, there is an urgency to exhort one another. To waste even one day in unbelief, or to give one's time to experience God's judgment for sin instead of the blessings of His presence, is a tragedy indeed.
Brothers and sisters, a vital application of Jesus' command to "love one another" is to encourage one another TODAY. Every day we must ask God to be His vessels of encouragement, bringing the truth of God's Word to fight the deceit of sin, thus saving our fellow brothers and sisters from wasting time, which is so short, in a state of unbelief. May God grant us all grace to see how we might live obediently to this important calling.

Thoughts on aging

The author of the book of Ecclesiastes is very honest. He makes the observations and lays them out for our consideration. Sometimes we don't like to think about what he has to say, but that will not make those realities go away.
In the 12th chapter of Ecclesiastes the Preacher is at his best. He describes, in somewhat poetic form, what it is like to grow old - and the description is not too exciting. He describes the loss of sight and hearing, the inability to sleep, the loss of teeth, the difficulty of getting out and about, the increased fears, the decreased desires... He says in the first verse of the chapter that these are evil days about which we will say, "I have no pleasure in them."
In light of these coming realities is there any way to prepare for them? Is there any way to makes these days more joyful? We may not be able to do much to mitigate the deterioration of our bodies, but is there something we can do to soften the harshness of these days?
Maybe the answer is found in the first verse. The preacher says that we should "remember also our Creator in the days of our youth.". There may be more wisdom in this than we think. Consider this: if you live for the things you can see and hear, if you live for the places you are able to go (travel), if you live for the comforts of this life, and for the fulfillment of desires.... when these are taken away they can have major impact on your attitude. When everything you lived for is slipping away, life will take a negative bent. But if you have lived for your Lord; if He has been your soul's desire.... you will find the impact of the loss of other things much diminished. In fact, you may find, at these times when the Lord is weaning you away from earthly things, that your desire for the Lord and His presence increases. The end of your days, despite the physcial difficulties, can be sweeter than you could have ever imagined.
Paul's words in 2 Cor 4:16 are appropriate here. "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day." Young person...remember your Creator in the days of your youth. Don't live your life seeking after earthly things. Instead seek the Lord with all your heart, soul, strength and mind. Not only will that prepare you for your days of old age, but this will fill your daily living will the greatest of abundance. Older saint - gain perspective of the realities which are most certainly coming or already in processs. Let God's merciful process of aging, wean you away from your earthly affections, and in place grow your affection for the Lord and the eternal inheritance you have in Him.

Christ in our midst

How does a holy God dwell in the midst of a sinful people? The book of Leviticus (which we just finished) gives us an elaborate system for holiness that provides for such a relationship. And when that system was running and working it enabled what we observed in the first chapter of Numbers: God in the mdist of the camp. A holy God (represented by His tabernalce - the place of His dwelling) surrounded by the priests, then surrounded by the people is a reality made possible only as the people lived out the instructions for holiness laid out in Leviticus. But all this was only a shadow of the things to come.
Titus 3:4-6 gives us the fulfillment of these shadows. In these verses Paul says, "But when the goodness and lovingkindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior..."
The ritual we found in Leviticus never was able to take away sin. The blood of bullls and goats, says the author of Hebrews, was never able to take away sin. It only covered it until such a time when "the goodness and lovingkindness of God our Savior appeared." But when it appeared in the person of Jesus Christ on a cross, we were saved. This salvation is wholly by God's mercy, not man's merit. God took the initiative, cleansing us through the Spirit's washing (not just covering), and He then pours His Spirit into us to continue the renewal that only His presence in our lives can effect. God made possible through Christ, not just a shadow of His presence among us (as we have in Leviticus), but now the substance of His presence. We have the Spirit of God living in us, enabling us to live out our calling as His people.
As believers we ought be ever grateful that the Lord has been unswerving in His purpose. He has desired to live in our midst and bless us with His presence, and throughtout time He has brought to pass all that He purposed. May His name be praised.

Why is life so hard?

Why is life so hard? Have you ever asked that question? If you are the average human chances are you have! So many things can present challenges to us. Our children can be willful and even rebellious. Our spouse can be unattentive or needy. Our colleagues at work or school can be uncooperative. People in ministry can be unresponsive. Our health can present a myriad of challenges to surmount. Life on planet earth is marked by trial!
The Apostle Paul was no stranger to such trials. A previous reading in 2 Corinthians 11 lays out his list. Even in today's reading in 2 Timothy 4 we get a glimpse of his life's challenges. He was deserted, left almost alone, put into prison, opposed to the face, having to stand for the gospel with no one supporting him. I am sure this was only part of what he had to endure.
Now the "why" question is not an easy one to answer. In one sense it requires us to know the mind of God, and quite honestly God does not always let us in on why He does things. After all - He is God! But on a more foundational level we can say that since the fall of man life has been hard. As part of the curse for man's sin he would find that things would not come easy. All of our work(s) are marked by difficulty and trial.
But I must say there is a smell of mercy even in the curse. Man's trying to "do it alone" brought this curse upon him. So part of God's mercy to us is to make life in such a way that shows man their need of God. God has so designed the difficulties of life to show us our weakness, so that we will continue to depend on Him, and look to Him for strength.
This is how Paul handled his challenges. He says after telling his readers that no MAN stood with him..."But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might heart it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen."
Do you see Paul's confidence? In the midst of difficulty when no man was standing with him, Paul's trust was in the Lord. He truly believed that the Lord would strengthen him and see him through all the way to his arrival in the heavenly kingdom.
Are you going through a rough patch? We all do! How are you handling it (or is it handling you)? Paul's example to us today is to go to the Lord for strength, and to claim the promise that the "Lord will rescue you from every evil deed and bring you safely into his heavenly kingdom." Trusting in the Lord this way will equip you with endurance for today's and tomorrow's challenges. May the Lord be praised for the strength of His nearness!

The Profit of Scripture

In 2 Timothy 3:15-17 Paul reminds his child in the Lord, Timothy, regarding the worthiness of Scripture. He says, "...and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."
Timothy had obviously had the fortune of being taught the Scriptures from an early age. Apparently, it wasn't his father who taught him, but his grandmother and mother. (Praise God for all those who are faithful to pass on the faith even when the situation isn't ideal!) Paul saw this as great profit to Timothy because it was the Scriptures that "make one wise for salvation through faith in Jesus".
And how do the Scriptures make us wise for salvation? I believe it employs the 4 ways mentioned in verse 16: teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness.
1. Teaching - The Scripures will teach us the way of God. A simplified version of that way given to us by Jesus, is to say that we are to "love God with our all and to love our neighbor as ourselves."
2. Reproof - But having taught us the way of God, the Scriptures is also faithful to show us how we have not lived as we ought. It will expose the hidden sins of our hearts and show us all to be those who do not love God nor man as we ought.
3. Correction - But praise be to God, the Scriptures do not leave us there. They do not beat us down and then walk away. Instead they show us the way back to God, and that way is always through the cross of Jesus Christ. As one avails themselves to the Word Jesus will be held up high, and to those who are awakened to express faith in Christ, salvation will be theirs.
4. Training in righteousness - Having made us wise unto salvation the Scriptures is not done with its work. As we continue to avail ourselves to its wise ways we will learn to avoid that which leads to death and destruction (what we see in verses 2-7), and to embrace that which leads to life and godliness. The Scriptures will also equip us for every good work to which the Lord has called us.
Now that is profitability! To have something that will awaken us to our dead way of living, and lead us to the only One who can breathe new life into our souls, and then empower us to live in that newness of life, "fulfilling every good work", that is to have something of great value! And that is what we have in the Scriptures!
Bible readers, let us not grow weary in our reading! For the book we read is no common book. It is THE BOOK, the only book, which can, by God's Spirit, make us wise for salvation, helping us to live as we were meant to live.

Christ in the Feasts

The Apostle Paul was a man well versed in the Old Testament scriptures. He had the advantage of learning from the best teachers of his day. Most importantly and significantly he had the advantage of being taught of the Lord. Through His encounter with Christ at his conversion, to visions he received, to being caught up into the third heaven,... he had received much insight into the plan of God. His epistles make sense of many details of our Bible that without Paul we might still be in the dark.
One area that Paul seemed to have insight was in regards to the OT feasts which were introduced to us in our reading from Leviticus 23. In this chapter Moses lays out the following feasts: Passover / Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of Firstfruits, Feast of Weeks (50 days after firstfruits), Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Booths. This seems to be a great layout of occasions which would encourage the people of Israel to remember the greatness of their God throughout the year, but is there something more to this layout of feasts? Could they be pointing us to Christ?
The answer is at least a partial "yes", because Paul seems to be tying some of these feasts to events in the life of Christ. Take the following as examples:
1. In 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 Paul says, "For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." In this passage Paul clearly links the Passover to the death of Christ on the cross, followed by an exhortation to those who have applied this to their lives to live out a life without leaven, without malice and evil.
2. In 1 Corinthians 15:20,23 Paul says, "But in fact Chrsit has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep... But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ." Here is seems that Christ is identified with the next feast, that of Firstfruits. Fruitfruits is identified with the resurrection of Christ which followed His death, and offered to believers the hope of their own resurrection.
3. In Romans 8:23 we may have a clue to the next feast. In this text Paul says, "And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies." It is interesting to note the the Feast of Weeks occurs 50 days after Firstfruits. It is also a feast that has a firstfruits dimension. If we think about the life of Christ we note that 50 days after Christ's resurrection we have Pentecost, or the giving of the "firstfruits of the Spirit".
4. Now it is interesting to note that there is a space of time before the next three feasts which occur together in the seventh month. Could it be that this space of time equates with the time between Christ's advents. It is interesting to note that that interval of time will be "interrupted" with the Feast of Trumpets. Could this be referring to Christ's second coming which will be accompanied by trumpet blasts. Again Paul says in 1 Thess 4:16, "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first."
I will have to do some more research to try and figure out what aspects of Christ the other feasts point to, but I have to sit back and marvel at the wisdom of our God. He has a plan, which is centered around Christ, and He is unveiling it step by step without fail. How marvelous for Him to create a people and a history into which He imbeds the person and work of His Son Jesus Christ.
In this season of remembrance of the life, death and resurrection of Christ may we all find wonder and joy in God's goodness expressed to us in His Son - no longer veiled, but now out in His glorious light.

Set apart to set the Lord apart

In Leviticus 22 the Lord says over and over, "I am the Lord who sanctifies you". That word "sanctify" means "set apart". By this the Lord is saying, "I am the Lord who sets you apart". But from what does the Lord set His people apart? Certainly we could answer that question by saying the Lord sets us apart from sin. He no longers wants us to be slaves to sin, to live according to its dictates, so He acts in Jesus Christ to set us apart from the sin. He also sets us apart as a people to be recipients of His blessing and of a relationship like none other. But I think this passage would indicate another way we are set apart. We are set apart by how we set the Lord apart. We are set apart by how we respond to the Lord, by lives that demonstrate that we think the Lord is like none other. As Moses talked about the sacrifices the people were to bring the Lord, he emphasized that the animals would need to be perfect. The lame and the blind and the deformed were not acceptable. To offer the Lord something other than our best is to suggest that we don't think very much of our Lord. If a King was to visit our land and we had an opportunity to honor him with a gift, what kind of gift would we bring. If we brought a "white elephant" type of gift we would be saying that this King doesn't mean that much to us. But if we brought something of great value, we would be saying to the King and to all in attendance that we thought much of this King. The same is true with our Lord. If we offer Him things that cost us nothing; if we offer Him our leftovers, or things that are damaged, we are saying by these offerings that the Lord does not mean very much to us. We are saying that He is not really something special or "set apart" from everything else. If you are a recipient of God's sanctifying grace; if you know His incredible mercy in bringing you up from the pit; if these truths have pierced your heart, it is likely that you have grown to appreciate the "special" nature of the Lord Christ. It is also likely that that experience of grace and mercy will move your heart to enthrone the Lord as your King, and you will want to show the world that your God is like none other; that your God is worthy only of the best we humans have to offer. Are you doing that? Are the gifts you bring to the Lord each day showing the world that you have "set apart" the Lord above all others? Is His name being honored by your life which shows He has been given a place offered to no other?

Seeking True Riches

The author of the book of Ecclesiastes pulls no punches. He tells it like it is. For this we ought to be thankful, because his honesty can awaken us from our sleep. In today's reading in chapter 4, the author speaks again of the vanity of all our toil and work. We work and work and work, never satisfied with the riches we gain. So we work all the harder to gain more, but in trying to gain more we find we now have no time to enjoy what we have earned. Our labor for more keeps us from finding joy in what we have. So for who are we really laboring? That's a question the writer says those who strive after earthly riches rarely ask themselves, for if they did they might change their life pursuits. In 1 Timothy 6 Paul offers Timothy some important counsel regarding wealth. He reminds young Timothy that earthly riches are not permanent. Verse 7 says that we entered the world with nothing, and we will leave the world with nothing. All the mummies who were buried with their riches are gone; but their riches still remain. Earthly riches are momentary and we must not cling too tightly to them. Besides loosing them at our death, they can be lost in an instant while we still live as many rich persons have found out. Earthly wealth is at best an "uncertain" hope (vs. 17) Paul also warns Timothy of the danger of earthly riches. He mentions those who have a desire to be rich - how many times this pursuit plunged the pursuer into ruin and destruction. He warns Timothy that the love of money (I take this to mean the inordinate desire for money) is the pathway to all sorts of evil, the worst being that it often leads a man to wander away from his faith. Instead a man should be content with food and clothing and seek the gain of godliness with contentment. Such a man should pursue true riches. As Paul advises he should set his hope on God or we could say pursue the riches of God by "doing good, being rich in good works, being generous and ready to share." Such a pursuit actually stores up riches for the future and enables a man to experience in this life what is truly life (vs 19). Today it would do us all a lot of good to step back and evaluate our work. Ask yourself, "What am I pursuing?" Am I locked into a treadmill that is taking me nowhere? Am I pursuing riches that are uncertain and will not last? Or am I pursing the riches that cannot be taken away from me - the riches that come when I cease the human tendency to be self-grasping, and begin to release all the blessings the Lord has poured on me for the good of others? This is the way to fullness of life in the present, and offers a great foundation and reward for the future. May God help us to pursue true riches.

Proclaiming His Excellencies

It is easy to get lost in all the detail in the book of Leviticus and to miss what is really going on. So it is good to step back and remind ourselves of the "big picture". In Leviticus 19:2 we find the words, "You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy." Then throughout the chapter the Lord says over and over again, "I am the Lord". This central truth spoken over and over, not just in this chapter, is essential to take in, for our God is the LORD. And how is He the Lord? I believe Scripture would declare His lordship in at least two ways. First He is Lord in that He is creator or all things. We were reminded of this in Psalm 24 today, "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers." Our God created all things; He founded them and established them, and because of this the psalmist declares that they are His. He owns them and as owner He has the right to expect that all He owns serves His wishes. That's what it means to be Lord. But our God is also Lord by virtue of His redemption. When God acted to redeem His people, first with Israel from the bondage of Egpyt, but later through Christ, from the bondage of sin, he became Lord of the people. He paid the redemption price to buy His people out of slavery and now they belong to Him. They are no longer their own; they have a new Master who bought them with precious blood. This truth requires that we, His people, now serve His wishes all the days of our lives. That's why all the commands in Scripture make sense. God owns us by creation. He has a right to rule and reign over us. He owns us, as well, through redemption, and again has the right to be our Lord and Master. So it is right that we look to His commands, embrace them and seek to walk by them. But there is more to this then the establishment of a Master / servant relationship. God is interested in spreading His glory throughout the nations, and the way He has chosen to do it is through a people - in the OT through the people of Israel; in the NT through the new Israel, the Church. And how does this work? As this people responds to the reign of their Lord in faith and obedience, as they walk in His ways, living out the "love" ethic so clearly seen in Leviticus 19, they will be showing how good it is to live under the reign of God. As the nations see that God's rule brings such wonderful blessing they will be drawn to want to know, and hopefully embrace this God, and eventually join the chorus of those who live to the praise of His glory. Peter captured this idea in his first epistle when he said, "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." That is what was going on in Leviticus - God was forming a people who would be declaring how good it is to live under His reign. It is also what is to be going on in our lives as Christians. Having been redeemed, we now have a Lord, under whose reign we gladly submit, trusting that by doing so we will be providing a compelling witness to the world and a call to them to come with bended knee to this loving King. May God give us grace to live in light of this great truth!

Did you know these facts about your blood?

How much blood does your body have? About 6 quarts; 1.5 gallons.

How long does it take for your blood to circulate through your body? It takes 20 seconds which means it circulates through the body 3 times per minute. This means that in one day your blood travels no less than 12,000 miles – four times the distance from US coast to coast.

How much blood does your heart pump during an average lifetime? 1 million barrels of blood.

How important is your blood? It is absolutely vital. You cannot live without it, for every part of the body need this life-giving blood . Our blood carries nourishment, electrolytes, hormones, antibodies (to fight disease), heat and oxygen to the cells of your body. It also carries away the waste your cells produce. Without a constant supply of fresh blood your cells could not survive. It has been said that if you brain goes without blood for 4 minutes it will likely be permanently damaged.

The Life is in the blood

Did you know these facts about your blood?

How much blood does your body have? About 6 quarts; 1.5 gallons.

How long does it take for your blood to circulate through your body? It takes 20 seconds which means it circulates through the body 3 times per minute. This means that in one day your blood travels no less than 12,000 miles – four times the distance from US coast to coast.

How much blood does your heart pump during an average lifetime? 1 million barrels of blood.

How important is your blood? It is absolutely vital. You cannot live without it, for every part of the body need this life-giving blood . Our blood carries nourishment, electrolytes, hormones, antibodies (to fight disease), heat and oxygen to the cells of your body. It also carries away the waste your cells produce. Without a constant supply of fresh blood your cells could not survive. It has been said that if you brain goes without blood for 4 minutes it will likely be permanently damaged.

The God who reveals

Isn't it great that we have a God who reveals Himself, for if He did not, we would not be able to know Him. This would be to our great loss! Psalm 19 declares that He reveals Himself in at least two ways. Theologians call this natural and special revelation.

The psalmist begins by talking about natural revelation. By this we mean that God reveals Himself through what He has created. When we look toward the sun, and bask in its warmth, and realize it has too much glory for us to look directly at, we learn that God is awesome in His glory and that it is a blessing to bask in the light of His glory. When we look at a star filled night and realize that God's universe goes on forever and ever; when we consider what wisdom and power must have gone into the creation of all this....we come to realize that our God is an infinite God, unsearchable, full of wisdom and power. We learn so much about God from His natural creation. In fact, according to Romans, there is enough revelation about God in the natural order, to condemn a man for not believing. Surely this revelation is available to all at all times, and to neglect this communication of God, is to place oneself in a dangerous position.

The second way God reveals Himself is through His Word. The second part of Psalm 19 speaks of this. As the psalmist describes this source of revelation he speaks of it as perfect, and sure, and right, and pure, and clean, and true, more worthy than anything we value on earth. These are, of course, great descriptors of our God who is as well perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, true and most worthy. When we avail ourselves to this source of revelation we come to know God in greater fullness.

But not only is the contemplation of God's revelation profitable for building our understanding of Him, but it is profitable in many other ways. The psalmist says that it revives the soul, makes wise the simple, rejoices the heart, enlightens the eyes, warns the servant keeping him from presumptuous sins, provides a reward, and so much more.

That may be why Paul was so insistent in 1 Timothy 1 that his son in the faith, Timothy, contend hard for the truth. If the truth, God's Word, reveals the nature of our God, and provides such wonderful benefits to those who believe and follow its teaching, it is no wonder that Paul wants Timothy to fight for it. It's no wonder as well that the evil one works hard to distort that truth, and get people talking about myths and foolish things which have no value for the soul.

Are you availing yourself to God's revelation? Do you take time on a starlit night to consider the God who made it all? And are you committed to growing in your knowledge of God by consistent meditation on His Word? To neglect God's revelation is to impoverish your soul, but to give it it's appropriate attention is to breathe life into the soul - the very life of God. Bible Readers....let's continue to be consistent in our pursuit of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord!

The Work Ethic of the Cross

As you read the epistles of Paul you come to learn that everything he teaches flows from his understanding of Christ, especially the cross. Paul saw in the cross an ethical principle to apply to all of life. It was a principle that says you lay down your life for others so that they might have life and that more abundantly.

That's why when Paul found out what was happening in Thessalonika he was not very happy. He heard that some people, perhaps because of a belief that Christ was going to return shortly, had stopped working. This was troubling to Paul on several levels.

First of all, these people became a burden on others. By not working they threw themselves on the benevolence of others, but in doing so were living contrary to the cross. The cross would dictate that they labor not only to meet their own needs, but also to have enough left over to help others. Instead of being on the "take" - having other people taking care of you, the Christian should be looking for ways to "give".

Paul and those with him were careful to not be a burden on others. They wanted to "live out the cross", so if that meant working night and day, that's exactly what they did. (2 Thess 3:8) It should be noted that Paul did this even though, as an apostle he could have demanded that his needs be met by others. But Paul gave up this right because he wanted to set an example. He wanted his life to be marked by the cross, and if that meant giving up his rights, he gladly did so.

Paul was also disturbed by the Thessalonikans who weren't working because their idleness led to being busybodies. With too much time on their hands and nothing to do, they began to stick their "noses" in other people's business, and this always leads to unnecessary conflict, gossip and strife among God's people. This is not consonant with the cross either because the cross is the symbol of reconciliation not division and conflict. So Paul made it very clear to his readers that they were to work, in fact he said that they should not eat unless they work.

Have you ever thought about your work in light of the cross? Have you ever thought that your daily work to provide for your own needs and possibly the needs of others is really living out the cross? This is how Paul looked at work. In fact, he looked at all of life in light of the cross and as he applied this "principle of death" he experienced the fullness of life that rises out from it.

May God help us all to consider the implications of the cross not only for the forgiveness of sins, but also as a principle of life!

The Healing Balm of Confession

Proverbs 28 :13 states "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not propser, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy." Since that is true why are we humans so slow to confess our sins, and so diligent to hide them and continue to live in them?

When you look at it objectively it doesn't make sense. Sin messes things up. From the first chapters of our Bible we learn all the consequences of sin. It shattered our relationship with God. Sin cut off our power source for living. We live in alienation from the One who made us and wants to live in us and through us.

Sin also shattered our relationships with others. It did for Adam and Eve and every human since them. It creates conflict, hurt, bitterness, anguish and can lead to things as hideous as abuse, even murder.

Sin also affected our physical universe. It affected our bodies resulting in the many and frequent maladies that we have to fight day after day. Illnesses such as flus and cancer and AIDS have come as a result. Beyond these we deal with things like depression and anxiety that lead us to despair of life, even lead us to want to take our life.

The physical affects also touched our world. Things like earthquakes and tsunamis and tornadoes and flood all came when sin entered our world and subjected it to corruption.

In light of all this (which is only touching the surface of the problems) why is it that we seek to hide our sin and continue to live in it. As the proverb says if we hide our sin we will not prosper. So to hide our sin is to choose NOT to prosper. Who would chose that? And yet that is what we all tend to do. There seems to be a blindness in the human heart that causes us to pursue such an insane course.

But there is an alternative. Confess and forsake your sin. When you are confronted with sin, and we all will be - even those who have trusted Christ for salvation - agree with God that it is wrong and turn away from it. To hang on to it will do you no good, but to confess and forsake will result in a tsunami of mercy flooding into your soul. To confess and forsake brings healing into our innermost being and we begin to feel whole again. Who wouldn't prefer that?

Yet it is a mystery that we hang onto sin, hiding it, afraid to be revealed for the sinners that we all are - neglecting the mercy that the Lord is ready to pour into our souls. May the Lord help us to see the folly of this course, and may He grant us grace to confess and forsake our sin quickly. Perhaps a daily time of self-examination may help to stay attune with our hearts and make us more aware of our sin and more ready to jettison it with the Lord's help.

Be Holy for I am Holy

Chapters 11-12 (our reading today) of Leviticus share many regulations for cleanness. It tells the reader what kind of animal to eat and what kind not to eat; what kind of animal to touch and what kind not to touch. To the modern perspective it may all seem a bit much and may cause one to wonder "why?". What is the purpose of all of this?

Fortunately God, through Moses, gives us the answer. In verse 44-45 it is recorded, " For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground. For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”

There it is in black and white - very clearly laid out. God is the Lord. He Himself is holy. He has redeemed the people from their bondage to become His possession (that's the meaning of redemption - we are bought out of slavery - we have a new master). Therefore, since God is our new master, since we are His possession, since He Himself is holy....therefore, we must also be holy.

From this perspective we can see the reason for all the detail about being clean. We dare not offend a holy God with our uncleanness, but.....there are so many ways we can become unclean. And we need to ask another question? Did all these regulations really make the people clean?

I think the answer to that is "yes" and "no". Following all these regulations would make one "ceremonially clean" but would have no efficacy to make one's soul clean. Even the blood of bulls and goats could not do that as the author to the book of Hebrews reminds us.

So where does that leave us? Fortunately we see a fuller picture as we read on in the New Testament. In Paul's letter to the Thessalonians, the 5th chapter, we receive some encouraging instruction. In verse 23-24 Paul says, "Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. "

Now that is good news! What we really could not do on our own - for who could fully keep the law - God did and does. He is the God of peace. He makes our peace bringing us back to Himself through the blood of Christ's cross. He sanctifies us or makes us holy. When He says "Be holy for I am holy" He fully intends to bring to pass what He commands. He will make all of us (body, soul and spirit) blameless at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. And why can we be encouraged by this? He (God) will bring this to pass, and we know Him to be faithful. We can "bank on" this.

Praise God that He did for us, through Christ, what we could have never done on our own through following a myriad of regulations. Praise God that we have hope because the One who says, "Be Holy for I am Holy" acts to make us holy.

So holy one of God....live out in your practice today, what God has already made you in Christ! The Holy Spirit lives in you to enable you - lean on God's helper each moment of this day!

The lies we believe

In Psalm 10 the psalmist registers his complaint: Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? Then as he lays out his complaint and petition he provides for us insight into the heart of the wicked. He lays out the common lies men believe as they pursue their own course. The first lie, found in verse 4, is "There is no God." A lack of belief in God is always at the heart of evil behavior. But why do the wicked not believe in God? Is it because they have sought to find Him - sought to find evidence that would support His existence? No, not at all. They don't believe, not for intellectual reasons, but for moral reasons, for to believe in God would make them accountable for their actions. They could no longer oppress the poor and pursue their greedy course. It's not that belief in God is unreasonable, but rather it makes a man accountable for his behavior. The second lie, common to man, is found in verse 6. The wicked man says in his heart, "I shall not be moved; throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity." It is amazing how blinding these lies can be. How many times have we seen a man, seemingly on top of the world with wealth and fame, come crashing down because he thought he was above the law; because he thought from his perch he could never be taken down. It is a fact that when we climb the world's ladder of success, we often find ourselves thinking that we are impervious to life's vicissitudes. That leads us to more foolishness, which in time takes its toil on the dreamland in which we were living. The third lie, found in verse 11, may be seen as a concession, but is still a deluding principle. The lie is "God has forgotten, He has hidden his face, He will never see it." This lie appears to be saying that there is a God, but.....this God does not see. As the wicked man goes about his evil schemes, taking advantage of others, building his empire at the expense of others, his heart may be singed with guilt. But to assuage the guilt the wicked man tells himself that even if there is a God, he does not see, so there are no worries. And when he is not immediately punished for his behavior he feels confirmed in his belief. That leads to the final lie found in verse 13. The wicked man says in his heart, "You will not call to account!" This time it seems that the men concedes that there is a God, AND He may even see what's going on. But he continues to live in his dreamland by telling himself that God will not judge. God may sure enough see,.....but there will be no calling to account. Of course, this is what the wicked man seeks to avoid at all costs, and is the reason he walks himself down this path of lies. It is heartening that at the end of the psalm, the psalmist sets the record straight - He proclaims the truth to which all men must give account. He says in verse 17-18, "O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that a man who is of the earth may strike terror no more." The psalmist affirms that God is a God of justice. He hears the cries of those who are oppressed. His heart goes out to the afflicted, and in His perfect time He will call all to account. The wicked man who may have brought terror to the earth will one day be silenced and given his due, while the afflicted will find strength and deliverance. A day of reversals is coming! Be assured of that. So live every day in light of the truth, and ask the Lord to keep you from these insidious lies. Take a moment even now and ask the Lord if there is any area of your life where you have espoused these lies. If God reveals anything to you, repent, and be freed from them, and seek all the more to live in the truth.

The Way of Christ's Servant

1 Thessalonians 2 has to be one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. I love it because it teaches me much about being a servant of Christ. Consider the following observations: 1. Though persecuted, even shamefully treated the servant of Christ continues to proclaim Christ to those who need to hear this good news. Personal safety and comfort do not carry the day for Christ's servants. 2. The servant of Christ has boldness in God. There is a confidence that God will take care of His servants who are faithful to their calling. 3. The servant of Christ has a calling. There is a sense that God has placed them into service - approved by God, entrusted with the gospel. There is also a sense that all they do, they do under the gaze of God. Paul continually says, "God is witness". 4. The servant of Christ seeks to please God above all. Pleasing man is not his first motivation, nor is the desire for more (greed), nor glory, nor power. 5. The servant of Christ is gentle, like a nursing mother, who exercises abundant care for her children. Like a mother, the servant is willing to lay down her life, not just speak words from a distance. 6. The servant of Christ demonstrates the affection of a father as well. Seeking not to be a burden on others the servant lavishly pours out on others encouragements, exhortations and admonitions. 7. The servant of Christ realizes that his message is not his own. The word that the servant shares is from God. Those who accept it are accepting God. Those who reject are rejecting God. The servant is merely the means of delivering this precious message that has the power to change lives. 8. The servant of Christ considers those to whom they are ministering their joy and glory. As they consider the future, their greatest hope and delight will be found in seeing others come to know Christ and eventually join them in the heavenly city. May the Christ who converted Paul and then empowered him for this kind of ministry, work in all of us in the same way. May our service to others on behalf of Christ display a similar kind of character.

Marks of the Christian

As someone who has been commissioned by Christ to "make disciples of all the nations" how do you know when you have "made" a disciple? What do you look for? Are there telltale signs that demonstrate a person has transferred their loyalties to Christ? In reading Paul today in 1 Thessalonians 1 you can see the qualities that he looked for. In fact, you can find these same things in all of his epistles. So what did Paul look for? In 1 Thessalonians 1:3 Paul says that as he thanks God for them he remembers their "work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope." In short, Paul looks for faith, love and hope. As he develops the passage he describes the faith as "turning to God from idols", the love as "to serve the living and true God", and the hope as "to wait for His Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.?" You see Paul was convinced of their conversion - their coming to Christ - their being chosen by God (vs. 4). Paul's word of truth, the Gospel, came to the Thessalonians "not in word alone, but in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction." Paul not only spoke the word, but he also lived it out. He embodied the truth he proclaimed. The crucified Christ whom he lifted up in their midst with his words was also seen in his life - a life which showed a compelling and sacrificial love. When the Thessalonians heard this message and saw it lived out, they responded. As proof of their response they began to imitate what they saw in Paul - ultimately what was true in the Lord Christ. They then took this same message and passed it on to others, who also experienced the message not just with words, but with a life saturated with faith, love and hope. Those really are keys to discipleship: a faith that looks to and trust in only the Lord Jesus Christ; a love that is not only directed to God and exhibited in obedience, but is directed to one's fellow man and is continually seeking their "eternal" good; and a hope that causes one to live in light of eternal realities instead of being mired in earthly things which are so soon to be passing away. Hopefully, these are some clues to look for in those to whom we are trying to minister. But as we look at the lives of others it is important to look at our own lives. Would Paul be encouraged when he looked at our lives? Would he thank God for us as he remembered our "work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope"? May God's Spirit give us great encouragement as It reminds us of the good work that Christ has begun and is perfecting in our lives.

The harsh reality of sin

Leviticus 4 gives us a vivid picture of what it would mean to participate in a sin offering. Entering in this description may help you to understand what Christ has done for you. As you go through the passage you see different groups of people addressed (priest, people, leader, common person,....) but all of them have something in common. They have all unintentionally broke God's law. Sadly that is one thing that binds us together as humans for as Paul says "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God". In each case that sin is discovered either by the sinner or by someone else. Sin comes to light, and with it a knowledge that something must be done, for it separates one from his Creator. The presciption for atoning (a word that means "covering") the sin was for the person to take an animal (bull or a lamb), place one's hands on that animal, and then slay that animal. Once the blood was applied to the altar and the fat and meat properly disposed of, it is said in each instance that "the priest shall make atonement ..., and he shall be forgiven. But let us step back for a moment and enter in to this situation. Imagine that you are the sinner. Your sin has been discovered and now you must seek atonement. Imagine taking that animal and placing your hands on it, almost as a transfer of your sin onto that animal. Then imagine taking a knife and slaying that animal. Imagine realizing that that animal had to give up its life for your sin - in order to cover your transgressioni. One would hope that that experience would move your heart to not want to sin, to never again want to have to place your hands on an animal and slay it for what you have done. But let's go a bit deeper with this! Imagine that animal is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Imagine that it is the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Imagine that you are placing your hands on the Lord of glory, transferrring all your sin upon Him. Imagine as well that you are giving Him the stroke that you deserve which takes His life. ... As you well know this is not imagination, this is reality. We just really haven't looked at it through this lense of Scripture. Having thought of it this way one would hope that we would desire to run from sin; that when we think of sin and what it really meant for our Lord, that we would grow to hate its hideous nature. In our reading in Colossians 2 Paul says, "And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, NAILING IT TO THE CROSS." That's the same conclusion we saw in Leviticus 4 - the priest (in this case, Jesus) shall make atonement for them (this time not with an animal sacrifice, but the sacrifice of Himself), and they shall be forgiven. May we rejoice in our forgivenness but never forget what it cost our Lord for such a gift!