Friday, October 31, 2008

November 1

Nov 1 – Today from Proverbs 1 we look at verses 25 & 26
"Since you ignored my advice and would not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock you when calamity overtakes you –"

For those of us who know God, who have seen Him in the life and character of our Lord Jesus Christ, this just doesn’t sound like His voice. Actually, that’s because it’s not. Whose voice is it? By going back to verse 20, we discover that it’s the voice of wisdom. The Teacher uses the literary technique of teaching a principle by giving voice to an inanimate object. Wisdom ‘laughs and mocks’ when those who ignored her call in better times suddenly fall on hard times. The Hebrew term for mock in this passage means to imitate a foreigner or to speak unintelligibly. The point the Teacher is making is that if one fails to study and practice wisdom as they process daily life, they will not understand its basic principles and applications when it is most needed in life – in times of extreme difficulty and disaster. ‘Wisdom from above’ (based on the values taught in scripture), is indeed a ‘foreign language’ to the heart of man’s fallen nature. His fallen heart is tuned to the ‘wisdom of this world’ (the values embraced by this world system). When a person who never bothered to study the language of wisdom from above is thrust into a situation where only such wisdom can provide and protect – that person is doomed to suffer the consequences. Diligence studies wisdom and applies her instruction in such times. But many are complacent to study wisdom, and when her instruction is most needed, it is unintelligible – it makes no sense whatsoever. "The complacency of fools will destroy them" (Proverbs 1:32).
What then is God’s voice in such matters? He says, "As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn form their wicked ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil way! Why will you die, O house of Israel?" (Ezekiel 33:11). Here there is no doubt who is speaking, and there is no hidden meaning. Here God calls His people to turn from the deceitful values of this world system and embrace life as He meant it to be. In the ‘New Covenant’, sealed with His Son’s own blood, "He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9). This is the voice of our Father. He is worth listening to.
Wisdom calls us to abandon ourselves anew to Him each day – regardless of circumstances. Don’t put off seeking wisdom because the circumstances of life do not demand it. That’s called complacency. When circumstances suddenly change and it is critical to apply wisdom, it may be too late. Her voice may sound very foreign to you.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

October 31

Oct 31 - Today from Proverbs 31 we look at verse 15
"She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls."

Before commenting on this verse, I would like to preface it with the text of Ephesians 5:31& 32 and from that truth, change one word from verse 10 of Proverbs 31:
"'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' This is a profound mystery - but I am talking about Christ and the church. A church of noble character who can find?"
From verse twelve on, the Teacher describes what a church (wife) of noble character looks and acts like. Being that the 'wife' is an illustration of a spiritual truth, we are left to work out the spiritual concepts of nobility and virtue for the church. The Teacher points to a woman of high moral character. We then must seek to be a church with high standards of moral behavior if we are to honor our Lord (husband). Morality goes far beyond it's most common perception of dealing only with sexual behavior. It covers the entire range of virtue - how we are to behave toward our fellow man. Because we are working from the Word of God, and we are speaking of His Church, we are constrained to use only one standard of 'good' when we define good behavior. That standard is the moral code given us in God's Word.
The church of noble character then 'gets up while it is still dark'. What is the concept here? I believe it is related to time and not to darkness. The noble church is not to be idle. She knows that time is a gift from God, and that she must be a very good steward of the time allotted her. She does not waste time by being idle, waiting for a more proper time to begin to 'fulfill her purpose'. Now is the time. "And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because your salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here." (Romans 13:11, 12). The virtuous church does not wait until she feels like being a virtuous wife - she knows that she is the virtuous wife, and the time for serving her Husband is now. Woe to the church who is waiting for the right opportunity and time to serve when suddenly the Husband returns and finds her idle.
The church of noble character 'provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.' What is the concept here? I believe the issue is priorities of provision. The church is to care for her own first, not neglecting those outside (verse 20). Jesus says the world will know that the church is made up of His disciples by their unconditional love for one another. That's a bit of a paraphrase of John 13:35, but it is accurate. Sin has made individuals in the world self-serving. That is our state when we are born in the flesh. Grace through Christ Jesus has restored the church to God's original purpose of others-serving. The evidence of God's original purpose for man is to be manifested in the church. Jesus was the example for the Church (his wife), she is to be the example to the world. That is how we glorify Him, by reflecting His character. If the church does not care for her own first, how can we bear witness to the world our love for one another? "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." (Galatians 6:10). When the church treats its fellow believers with contempt and withholds her blessings from them, she dishonors her Husband. When the church fails to make adequate provision for her servants (Pastors and staff personnel), she dishonors her husband. The church of noble character makes sure her own are cared for first, and then she looks for ways and opportunities to serve those outside of her household.
"A church of noble character who can find?" YOU are the church.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

October 30

Oct 30 - Today from Proverbs 30 we look at verse 33
"For as churning the milk produces the butter, and twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife."

Little is known about Agur, the author of chapter 30 of the book of Proverbs. If you have read the entire chapter today, you will see that his style is quite different. This chapter is a prime example of Metaphorical Theology, the dominant philosophical process of ancient Eastern thought - and still quite prevalent in the East today. The Western mind struggles with this process because we have been trained in Process Theology, or Systematic Theology, which began to dominate Western thinking when the great Greek philosophers prevailed and their influence spread throughout the great empire of Alexander the Great. Out of the Greek influence came Platonism, Aristotelism, scholasticism, rationalism, Hegelianism, existentialism, and finally process theology. Because of the radical differences in these two approaches (Metaphorical Theology and Systematic Theology), it sometimes becomes difficult for us in the West to understand or interpret the Old Testament scriptures, which were written primarily in Metaphorical Theology. This would include the Gospels, written by men who were naturally acclimated to this thought process. The apostle Paul was the apostle to the gentiles, who were much more under Greek influence. Thus, Paul used a much more systematic approach in his writings - the book of Romans being one of the finest pieces of Systematic Theology available.
Very briefly, the primary difference in the two thought systems is the approach. In the West, we begin with a concept, and then illustrate the concept with examples and analogies. The Eastern approach begins with a parable or illustration and then moves to conceptual interpretation of the illustration. This is the way Jesus taught theology because His audience was Eastern. It was the way they processed thought.
I am a Western mind, and sometimes (often), I still struggle through some of the theology of the Old Testament. It requires a new way of thinking. Agur was considered a very wise man in his day. He was not 'over the head' of his audience. He did not introduce concepts. He simply introduced illustrations which the Eastern mind would be challenged to apply conceptual interpretation. This is a key for us in most of the book of Proverbs, particularly in chapter 30. Today we are looking at verse 33. I am only going to go in perhaps one or two levels of conceptual interpretation of this verse. The Holy Spirit may take you deeper, because illustrations cover so much more area than a single concept.
The overriding concept I see in this illustration is by-products. When one churns milk, one should not be surprised that the chief by-product would be butter. When one twists another's nose, one should not be surprised that the by-product would be a flow of blood. The simplest of minds understands the concept of natural by-products. Yet, humanity still does not seem to understand that strife is a natural by-product of stirring up anger. We do something that we know will make another angry, yet we are surprised at how it produces long term strife. Am I right? We think that people should just get over their anger. We got our way. . . or our shot in . . . or our frustration vented . . . now just drop it. Human nature doesn't just drop it. We are surprised to discover that it wasn't the end of the game, it was only the first volley in a long game of strife. The game only ends when LOVE makes its entrance. "Love is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs." (1 Cor. 13:5). No return volley. Game over. Wisdom always acts and reacts in love. This kind of love only comes by the grace of God. It calls for us to surrender to Him that we might appropriate that which He offers through the power of His Spirit. It is the incredible paradox of the exchanged life - we surrender in order to get the victory.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

October 29

Oct 29 - Today from Proverbs 29 we look at verse 16
"When the wicked thrive, so does sin, but the righteous will see their downfall."

It seems that the concept of ‘wicked’ is politically incorrect these days. Why? Because identifying wickedness calls for a standard of morality, and a standard of morality erodes one of our highest post-modern social values - freedom. For instance; it is our freedom of speech that allows pornographers to erase moral boundaries, and without moral boundaries there is no wickedness (sic). In his pursuit of the wisdom of this age, man deceives himself and moves ever deeper into darkness. It is in the darkness that moral lines disappear. When believers in God's moral code attempt to bring light, they are persecuted. Jesus says to His disciples (even today), "No servant is greater than his master, If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also." (John 15:20). Persecution can be in the form of rejection, mockery, isolation, harassment, and even physical harm. As wickedness becomes more acceptable and darkness more pronounced, persecution increases. So much so, that the righteous may begin to wonder if the wicked will prevail all together.
Today the Teacher puts those fears to rest. The wicked may prevail for a season, but eventually the righteous will see their downfall. Why? Because sin is corrosive. Sin rots the fabric of society to where eventually a wicked society can no longer hold together. The payback for immorality will eventually become greater then the pleasure of sin, and wicked man's house of cards will come tumbling down. History has proven this ever since man began to record it.
History has also proven that the righteous will sacrifice and invest into the Kingdom even when they know the dividends may not appear in their generation. They do not live in the darkness, for they see far ahead with an eternal perspective. Love (the God kind), does not simply serve self. In Bible times there were often fig trees along the roadsides to refresh weary travelers in season. Where did they come from? Those who originally planted fig trees by the roadside knew they would probably not live to eat the fruit - but future generations would. These planting servants may well have benefited from trees planted by those who had gone before them. They did not live a selfish life of pleasure hoping that the current trees would at least provide fruit through their lifetime. They took the seed of the fruit from which they had benefited and nurtured some new plants for the future. They invested themselves in service to others - others they may never meet in their lifetime. That is what the righteous do. Hebrews chapter 11 lists a number of the righteous from the Old Testament, and explains their fruit-bearing acts of faith that identifies them as righteous. In verses 38 and 39 God says this of them, "The world was not worthy of them. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what was promised." Unless we see with eyes of faith, we may never see the downfall of the wicked.
Faith calls us to action. The righteous are to "do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life." (Philippians 2:14-16). The righteous will never overcome the darkness by retreating. We are to let our lights shine, for the light overcomes the darkness. The light of the righteous is not indignation and judgment. The light of the righteous is God's grace. That's what those in darkness need to see. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
Tired of the wicked prevailing in our sinful, post-modern culture? Plant some fig seeds out there. Follow God's lead in serving your community with good deeds. So what if you do not immediately benefit from it? Someone will - perhaps your grandchildren.

Monday, October 27, 2008

October 28

Oct 28 - Today from Proverbs 28 we look at verse 20
"A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished."

Beginning with chapter 25 we are in the section of Proverbs specifically compiled for leaders, but the principles are applicable to all. In today's verse, we are once again confronted with motives in life.
This is a proverb of contrast. Here we see a faithful man, and a man eager to get rich. They cannot be of the same heart, for the consequences of their motives are clearly at the opposite ends of the spectrum. Thus we quickly conclude that a man who is eager to get rich will not be a faithful man. This little mirror in life is meant for us to reflect our own heart, so that we might get an accurate assessment of ourselves. What indeed is our true character?
Motives. There are some Teachers out there today who put forth a very appealing teaching from the scriptures that if we properly formulate our faith, we will become prosperous beyond our dreams. There is still at least one TV evangelist who constantly focuses on the assumption that the 'good news' is realized in miracles of healing and in gaining material prosperity. I come upon his program periodically, and I may watch and listen for ten or fifteen minutes to see how much of the 'good news' that Jesus preached is included in this evangelist's message. I seldom hear it, and when I do, it is almost always contaminated with an appeal to the miraculous in the material realm. These Teachers always start with the premise of the first half of today's verse. They always keep the premise of the second half out of the picture. This particular evangelist makes an appeal to his listeners every week for a 'faith commitment' of $1000 to his ministry. He then shows numerous testimonies from people who have already sent in their thousand dollars, and how God did some great miracle of healing or prosperity in their lives. The only one I see getting ‘prosperous’ is the evangelist.
The motive of the faithful man is to be faithful. Faithful to God's leading. Faithful in discipleship. Faithful to selflessly love and serve others. The faithful apostle Paul said "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things." (Philippians 3:8). This great apostle never made an appeal to his audience to 'sow into his ministry' in order that they might receive a material blessing from God. He knew that would be appealing to the base nature of man - a stumbling block in discipleship. He constantly called his audience to be faithful; to know Christ and to love and serve others. Even the Teacher of this proverb did not offer material riches as a reward. He simply says the faithful will be richly rewarded. For Paul the rich reward was "the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith." (Phillipians 3:9). It was an inner joy that even the most damp and darkest of prisons could not extinguish. It was an inner peace that even shipwrecks, persecutions and beatings could not extinguish. It was an inner assurance that even betrayal, rejection and isolation could not extinguish. Paul's rich reward was to attain the character of the One he loved and served with his all, the Lord Jesus Christ.
A man cannot be eager to get rich and be faithful to the Lord at the same time. Jesus tells us it is impossible to serve two masters. One will always have dominion over the other in the heart. It doesn't take Christian faith to increase in the riches of this world. It takes Christian faith to let go of them. This is done in one's heart before God. It is a surrender of all self-serving control. It is not done once - but on a daily basis. Only then can we truly take hold of Him.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

October 27

Oct 27 - Today from Proverbs 27 we look at verse 19
"As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man."

Back in the days when the Proverbs were written, they did not have mirrors as we know them today. If any were fortunate enough to possess a mirror, it probably would have been some sort of flat metal object with a highly polished surface. You can imagine the high possibility for distortion. But there was a flawless reflective process available to everyone - a dish or bowl of water set on a stable surface. By combining the property of water with the effect of gravity, the surface of the bowl of water would be flawless, and would perfectly reflect the face of the person looking into it. The Teacher could think of no better analogy for providing a picture of understanding the true character of a person. One can get some sense of who a man is by the things he owns. But that would still leave room for flaws in the reflection. One can get some sense of who a man is by his occupation. But that would still leave room for flaws in the reflection. One might get some sense of who a man is by what he says about himself. But that would still leave room for flaws in the reflection. One might get some sense of who a man is by what others say about him. But that would still leave room for flaws in the reflection. How can we best know who a man is? By discerning what is in his heart.
We can get some sense of who God is by observing the beauty and precision of His creation - but we still could not understand His character. We can get some sense of who God is by studying His law - but we still could not understand His character. We can get some sense of who God is by witnessing His miracles - but we still could not understand His character. We can get some sense of who God is by what others say about Him - but we still could not understand His character. How can we best know who God is? By discerning His heart. The chorus from the hymn Near to the Heart of God says 'O Jesus, blest Redeemer, sent from the heart of God'. Hebrews 1:3 says it so beautifully; "The Son is the radiance of God's glory, and the exact representation of His being." If we want to know who God is; if we want to understand God's character; if we want to discern God's heart; we see Jesus. The heart of Jesus emanated the love and grace of God. The heart of Jesus was to search and to save. The heart of Jesus was to serve. We can get a sense of God's power and glory by observing His creation, but we can only truly understand His character by seeing Jesus' heart.
Jesus says to us, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples; if you love one another." You cannot fabricate the love of God, and you cannot fake the love of God. You can only receive it and let it flow from your heart. Paul writes in Romans 5:5, "God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us." People can know something about us by what we own, by our occupation, by what we say about ourselves and by what others say about us - but people can only truly know our character by what is in our hearts. If Christ rules in our hearts, His character will be reflected. If we rule our own hearts, we misrepresent Him to the world. The greatest characteristic of His heart was love through service.
A man may espouse the great doctrines of God; he may be in church every time the doors open; he may place huge sums in the offering plate; he may be highly esteemed in the community; but his true character will be reflected in his heart. If he does not have a loving, serving attitude, he is not fit for the kingdom of God. Am I overstating the case? Read 1 Corinthians 13. It's God's Word.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

October 26

Oct 26 - Today from Proverbs 26 we look at verse 11
"As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly."

Why does a dog return to its vomit? Because it tasted so good the first time! Because the dog lacks the ability to reason why it vomited, it doesn’t realize that whatever caused him to be sick in the first place is likely to be in the contents of that very vomit. I know it’s a repulsive picture – but I think that is exactly what the Teacher is trying to accomplish here. I think he would have his students vividly remember how dangerous foolish behavior can be - and how utterly repulsive it is when the same behavior is repeated.
Because dogs are prone to eat spoiled things (I never understood a dog’s tastes), God designed the dog’s body with a protective reflex that expels that which would do it great harm and possibly kill the animal. (It’s better to be a little sick than dead.) Hopefully the experience is so traumatic that the dog will have lost his appetite for awhile and walk away. But sometimes the temptation is just too great, and the ignorant beast returns to that which is able to kill him and once again he ingests it. What a pitiful thing!
People have been endowed with a much greater ability to reason than have dogs. How much more pitiful when a person escapes from severe harm or death when they have acted foolishly, only to return once more and enter the same folly. Why not just be grateful and walk away? Because it tasted so good the first time! The fool never takes the time to reason that the consequences were a direct result of their self-serving, self-gratifying actions. It seems that often they never take the time to reason at all. They are driven by their senses, and when properly stimulated their first course of action is to satisfy whatever senses are in play.
Sometimes English can be a strange language. Take the word sense. It can mean having to do with the five senses of the flesh (hearing, sight, smell, touch, and taste). From this definition we get the word sensual. Or, sense can pertain to acquired perception (having good sense). From this definition we get the word sensible. Although God created us with both, the one that is to dominate is the second. The sensual fool is like the dog that returns to its vomit. The sensible man is the one who understands the poison in the vomit and is repulsed by it. Let us live as sensible men.

Friday, October 24, 2008

October 25

Oct 25 - Today from Proverbs 25 we look at verse 25
"Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land."

The war in Iraq introduced a new experience in the incredible ability to follow battlefield events in real-time. For the first time we had TV news reporters imbedded with the troops and actually broadcasting the war live from multiple locations. Today we get updated reports of events from around the world as they happen. Often it is anxious, even disheartening. But every once in awhile, there is some really good news. We all enjoy hearing good news. In the midst of the realities of a fallen world and all of the pain and corruption caused by the fracturing effects of sin (self-serving ways), good news is indeed as refreshing as a glass of cold water to a parched thirst in a dry and weary place. Good news from a distant land intensifies the refreshing.
In contrast to the modern marvel of real-time technology, in the days in which the proverbs were written communications came by way of runners. There was no 'real-time' news from distant events. As the battles raged, the peoples of the nations involved would wait with great anticipation to see the figure of a runner on the horizon. Kings and leaders would often try to anticipate what the news would be in accordance with the number of runners or the character of the runners. If the news were favorable, the military leaders would usually send a favored runner, as the runner would often be rewarded. If the news were unfavorable, the runner chosen would be of lesser importance - perhaps even expendable if the news were bad enough. We can see this cultural reality in 2 Samuel 18. Here the battlefield news of the death of Absalom, David's rebellious son, was to be delivered to King David in Jerusalem. Commander Joab knew how the news would affect David, so he sent an unfavorable Cushite to run. A favored runner, Ahimaz, thought David would be delighted with the victory over the rebel, and desperately sought to be the runner. Joab says, "My son, why do you want to go? You don't have any news that will bring you a reward." Ahimaz thought he had some 'fresh water', but Joab knew that the water was to be tainted with bitterness for the King.

"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'" (Isaiah 52:7) As believers, we are chosen and called to be runners for Christ the King. We are to carry the good news that Jesus overcame sin and death at the cross and rose again from the tomb. The battle is won! Sin has been dealt a mortal blow! OUR GOD REIGNS TRIUMPHANT!
We live in a world of 'weary souls'. Weary from trying to please self, weary from trying to please others, weary from trying to please God. It's maddening. We have the best news possible - that God made peace with us through Jesus Christ. "Peace on earth, good will toward men." That is our message. We bring it from a distant land - from the home of the Father. It is a matter of perspective. It is really the lost who are in the distant land, and we bring the news to them from the heart of God; "God loves you and offers you immunity from your sin through the death of His own Son." Only this time there is no bitterness in the Father's heart, for the Son lives! He was resurrected and lives to restore all who will believe on His Name. Indeed, "Our God reigns!"
We soon begin the season of Advent. We contemplate the first coming of Messiah, Jesus Christ. The world celebrates Christmas, but they do not celebrate Christ. It is a great opportunity for the Church. We must stop bearing an attitude of 'serve us', and develop the attitude of 'service'. He came to redeem - and to set an example unto the redeemed. Let us faithfully carry His message through our service.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

October 24

Oct 24 - Today from Proverbs 24 we look at verses 33 & 34
"A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest - and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man."

This passage must be taken in context with verses 30-32 where the Teacher shares an experience where he passed by a field and vineyard belonging to someone who failed to properly care for them. They were overgrown with choking weeds and the protective stone wall that surrounded them was broken down and in disrepair. The Teacher did not simply shrug and walk on. He contemplated as to just how this potentially fruitful enterprise ended up in such a state. What a shame to have something with such great potential in one's possession, and then see it lie in an unproductive state! "Why?" he asks himself.
Today's passage is the conclusion of his pondering. It primarily has to do with two commitments to the land; vigilance and diligence. The Teacher is not forbidding proper rest, he is warning against resting at improper times. The passage could easily read, "A little more sleep, a little more slumber, a little more folding of the hands to rest. . ." Brought into today's culture, it could read, "A little more TV, a little more shopping, a little more golfing . . ." name your own little more.
Just as there are two commitments at hand, there are also two applications. We have been given stewardship of our time, our talents and our material possessions. We are to be vigilant that we do not allow laziness and procrastination to overcome and rend them fruitless. How fruitful is four hours in front of the TV set? Is that the best use of our time? We have become a society that 'channel surfs', looking for at least the best of the worst. If we were disciplined to watch something on TV that might be decent or beneficial, then why do we need to channel surf? If we have been given spiritual gifts (and every believer has), are we diligent in developing and utilizing them in a manner that brings honor to God? Or do we merely intend to attend that task when there is nothing better to do? How about our material possessions? Do we seek to invest our treasure where there will be a return for God's Kingdom? Or do we seek more to spend our treasure for pleasure and convenience? Tough questions. Questions that deeply convict me. What am I going to do about it today?
The second application is closely related. The apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:9, "For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building." The we Paul refers to is the equippers; the apostles, pastors and teachers. The you Paul refers to is the members of the local body, in this case, the church at Corinth. God has greatly invested in the field of His Church, and He invested in order to see a fruitful harvest. In the same breath, Paul also uses the analogy of a building in order to bring out another facet of his illustration. The analogy of the field cannot properly be used to show how God will judge the church's vigilance and diligence in use of her time, talent and treasures. With the building he can. The building will be tested by fire (judgment of the saints), and everything that is not genuine will be burned up. All the hours of TV watching, of shopping, of playing golf, . . .whatever. If it was not of God and was not genuine of the faith, it will be removed. Only what is of God will remain. This is not a message of salvation or damnation - Paul is writing to the blood-bought church. It is a message of what will we take with us into eternity when we pass over; our character. Everything else will have been sent ahead as we followed God's lead. An equipper recently gave our church a profound thought to as we sat under the teaching of God's Word. It was this:
"What you do here will count when you get there."
You are God's field. He has provided everything you need to be fruitful. What a shame to have something with such great potential in one's possession, and then see it lie in an unproductive state. The choice is yours.

October 23

Oct 23 - Today from Proverbs 23 we look at verses 13 & 14
"Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die. Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death."

First we must qualify what this proverb is not: It is not license for parents to arbitrarily beat their children. To give such license would be an excuse for venting frustration, anger and rage. Discipline of a child is never meant to be an outlet for the anger of the parent, it is to be controlled by the parent as a tool of corrective measure.
Now let's examine what this proverb is. It is corrective instruction to parents who believe that a child will eventually find the right path if left to their own ways. Some parents refuse to apply proper discipline for fear that they will alienate their children, or will damage them emotionally. The Teacher reveals that just the opposite is true. Children who are allowed to 'mature' (sic) without boundaries become prideful, self-centered, and are among the first to become disrespectful of their parents.
The 'rod' is an analogy for discipline that requires anguish. For a very sensitive child, this might be no more than a corrective word. For a strong-willed child, this might be a spanking. In either case, the measure is to be controlled and corrective - administered in tough love. A child needs to learn that when they disobey, the payback is greater than their self-serving pleasure. If they continue to grow with no immediate consequences of their inappropriate behavior, they will continue to ingrain such behavior into their character right into their adulthood.
The Teacher is addressing the reluctant parent - not the over-zealous. Some parents cannot bring themselves to inflict anguish on their children for fear that it will 'kill their spirit'. The Teacher is saying that this is a great misconception. If the situation warrants, go ahead and apply the needed discipline, it will not kill the spirit of the child. In fact, properly applied discipline will keep the child from developing destructive behaviors into adulthood that will bear far more serious consequences.
Pain is a part of life. It is an indicator that we need to correct something. If we touch a hot stove, pain indicates that we need to move our hand quickly or there will be serious consequences. Pain if a gift from God, and we need to learn how to utilize this gift as much as any other. God takes no personal pleasure in disciplining us with anguishing situations. He does it because He loves us, and He wants us to 'pull away' before we suffer even more serious spiritual consequences. As you study God's Word, you will see that any time painful discipline is applied, He always follows up with grace when the lesson is learned.
Not all pain in this life is disciplinary action from God. No more than all pain in a child's life is disciplinary action from the parents. But when we are experiencing extraordinary anguish in our lives, and we have conviction in our hearts, we would be foolish not to run to our Father and confess our error and ask for His grace to repent and make it right. That's his desire. That's called 'maturing'. That's what every parent should want of their child.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

October 22

Oct 22 - Today from Proverbs 22 we look at verse 2
"Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is maker of them all."

This proverb is not about how much or how little wealth God endows us with in this life. Rather, it is about pride and prejudice. People’s financial positions in life are a result of many factors. Most of the basic factors are out of our control. People who use financial wealth as a measure of the quality and value of a human life are in serious error. God is not going to judge any man by what he was able to accumulate by the end of this life. He will judge each of us according to what we did with the resources with which He did endow us. Any who happened to be in a position to have lots of wealth will also be held with lots of responsibility before God as to how they administrated their endowment. We came into this world with nothing, and we leave it with nothing. The only thing we will take with us is our character. That is the part of our lives that God is most interested in.
People of Godly character are people who realize that every human being is uniquely made in God's image. That's what gives a person value. Sin has fractured and distorted that image, but it is not material wealth that restores it. To think that man's greatest potential and highest achievement is realized in how much wealth he accumulates is the basis for idol worship - whether we claim to be believers or not. We are called to love God with our all and to serve one another in community. There are no qualifiers on who we are to serve. Our greatest example was our Lord Jesus. The gospels say little or nothing about His financial status, but constantly focus on His excellence of character. His character is later defined by the apostle Paul in his epistle to the Galatians. We know them as the fruit of the Spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
I have had the marvelous privilege of traveling to numerous third-world countries and meeting some saints who had so very little of this world's goods yet were of the richest of character. To know them made me richer. The circumstances of life that daunted their ability to gain material wealth were the very circumstances that forged the character of Christ in them. Were they in any way inferior to the wealthy I sit with in church each week? Not at all. In fact, I suspect that on that Great Day, we will all discover that their wealth will far exceed ours.
That's just a guess of course.

Monday, October 20, 2008

October 21

Oct 21 - Today from Proverbs 21 we look at verse 17
"He who loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich."

The Hebrew word for 'loves' in this proverb means to have 'great affection for'. Affection is most generally related to the emotions rather than the will. In our language, the root of the word affection is the Latin word affect, which means to do. The Hebrew word for 'pleasure' means 'lightheartedness and carefree'. Thus, as we contemplate what is being said here, we are talking about being brought into carefree action through emotional influences. Sounds pretty good up to this point, doesn't it?
Affect also means to bring about change. Thus, we can assume that the love of pleasure will bring about some sort of change. The Teacher says that the change will be exhausting. It will exact some sort of cost. The big problem with people who have a great affection for carefree living is that they seldom develop a sense of responsibility. Left to their own devices, they indeed will become poor. Instead, they often turn to deceitful and sometimes criminal ways in order to sustain their carefree lifestyles. And, if they ever were to tell themselves the truth, they would have to eventually admit that it isn't so carefree after all. The love of pleasure always exacts a cost.
Why is that? Because the return on pleasure is temporal. Pleasure is pure expenditure, there is nothing given back for investment. For example: A man can go out for an evening, enjoy some fine cuisine, get heady on a bottle of fine wine, listen to some fine music, dance with an enchantingly beautiful woman and feel like he has found a bit of paradise on earth. When he awakes the next morning he has little more than a headache, a lightened wallet, and some fading memories. He has nothing in hand to invest into his future. Pleasure exhausts resources. People who place pleasure high on their values list are people who live by emotional affections, and people who take little responsibility in life. They are either going to have to 'grow up', or they will become exhausted of resources or exhaust the resources of people around them. Usually both.
God does not forbid man any pleasure in this life. In fact he encourages it in moderation. (For a rather astounding example, read Deuteronomy 14:22-27). He simply wants man to keep pleasure in perspective and He asks that we enjoy our pleasures in His presence. Pleasures are designed to share in fellowship. God enjoys our fellowship. He asks that we live balanced lives, living responsibly. Our pleasures are to be a benefit of responsible living, not a priority.
The apostle Paul sets forth this principle quite well in 1 Corinthians 6:12. It is believed that the Corinthian Church's argument was that in being saved by grace, 'everything is permissible for me.' Paul adds the law of discipleship and says, "'Everything is permissible for me' - but not everything is beneficial. 'Everything is permissible for me' - but I will not be mastered by anything." Disciples are to live in a manner that honors and glorifies their Lord. Jesus never set pleasure as a priority, yet I am sure He and His disciples enjoyed numerous pleasurable experiences together. His first recorded miracle was at a pleasurable event - a wedding reception where God's people were celebrating His goodness in His presence (John 2:1-11). Jesus turned water into wine in order that this celebration before God could continue to its appointed end. But - it did end! Jesus and His disciples never shirked their responsibilities in order to keep the party going. That would not have been beneficial. Wisdom calls us to view and to live all of life in proper perspective - even the pleasures in life.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

October 20

Oct 20 - Today from Proverbs 20 we look at verse 22
"Do not say, I'll pay you back for this wrong!' Wait for the Lord and He will deliver you."

And from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:43-45a, "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven."
And from Paul' epistle to the Romans, chapter 12:17-19a, "Do not repay evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath."
Did you ever set up a row of dominoes in such a way that when you push the first one down, a chain reaction occurs and they all go down? That serves as an excellent illustration of how pride and sin work in this fallen world system. Ephesians 6:11 & 12 exhorts us to put on the full armor of God so that we might stand against the devil's schemes. Our struggle is not against people, but against the spiritual forces of darkness. Revenge is one of the devil's schemes. He influences and exploits evil men in attempts to set a chain reaction that will topple as many others as possible. As long as men act in pride, the row continues to go down. It is only when one acts in love that the chain is stopped. Satan is the epitome of pride. Love is as foreign to him as light is to darkness. When he plots his evil schemes, he never calculates the element of love. When God's people act in love instead of pride, it undoes his scheme, and God gets the glory. Will the prideful pawns of the devil 'get away' with their evil acts? That is up to the Supreme Judge. From the truths we read in the three passages above, we can be assured that our Father will make sure justice is served - His way. The important thing is that we do not play into the schemes of the enemy by taking justice into our own hands. When we do, the row just keeps falling - and we will never know how far it will go.
A 'pound of flesh' may seem very satisfying for the moment, but you can be sure it appeals only to wounded pride. And, you can be sure that there will continue a reactionary chain of events in the spirit realm which will trigger more evil. Love, mercy and kindness disarm the schemes of the devil, and gives entrance to the rule of the kingdom of Christ. If there is to be judgment and wrath, we are to leave room for God's wrath, it's not ours to personally handle. If we try, we'll just push the next domino.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

October 19

Oct 19 - Today from Proverbs 19 we look at verse 2
"It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, or to be hasty and miss the way."

This proverb is not a cautionary statement about the evil of zeal. It is a statement about balance. I believe that if one transposed the nouns in the first thought, it would also be a correct admonition; "It is not good to have knowledge without zeal." The Hebrew word for which the translators decided to use the term 'zeal' is a form of the word which can also be translated 'soul' (KJV). But in addition to just being a breathing creature, it also suggests appetite and desire. Thus the NIV has made a good choice in using the word zeal. To have a zeal for the Lord means one hungers to know and to be near Him. It alludes to a desire for intimacy with Him. There are those who seek knowledge of the Lord without ever having worked on having a zeal for the Lord.
But, this proverb speaks of zeal without knowledge. Regarding the Lord, it is most common among new believers, and is the reason why proper mentoring and discipleship are so terribly important for new believers. I know . . . I was there. When I first discovered that the gospel was real, and that Jesus really died for me and that He had a whole new way of thinking and living for me, I had a tremendous zeal for the Lord. I came to this discovery quite on my own and had no spiritual mentor. I began to 'devour' the Bible and came up with as many questions as I did answers. The questions I accumulated were mostly seated in the mysteries of the faith, and some in the traditions of the faith I was raised in. When I took my questions to the Pastor of the church that we were attending at the time, he basically told me not to be focusing in those areas, they just brought confusion and division in the church. But, it was in the Bible and I had a zeal for answers. So, I turned to the media preachers and evangelists who had all sorts of answers (it was in the late 1970s at the time). They fueled my zeal but seldom deepened my knowledge. (My definition of knowledge here is correct information.) I quickly got caught up in the hyper-faith teachings ("name it and claim it"), that came to prominence in the 70s and 80s. Strong emotional impulses became the statement "The Lord told me". If one could not hear the Lord, then one was not zealous enough. One of the hallmarks of the followers of this 'neo-charismatic' movement was that statement; "The Lord spoke to me and said. . ."
Then in 1986 the Lord in His wisdom brought me into contact with the persecuted church in Eastern Europe. All of that 'name it claim it' theology fell apart in the face of the people I met who were walking in true faith and who suffered great loss of the material things of this world for it. Yet they were richer in Christ then I had ever experienced. This was the door God chose for me to place me into ‘school’ and get the knowledge to balance my zeal. I rediscovered that God primarily speaks by His Spirit through His Word. Our emotions can fool us. His Word is unshakable. I learned to let the Word interpret itself. Clever men can interpret the Word to make it say what they want it to say. Truth is the sum of God's Word, not just a slice of it. Zealous people who follow the clever teachings of men will soon lose their way. If their zeal is truly for the Lord and not just for what they can get from the Lord, the Lord can correct them - if they will be open to His correction. I once again became a student of the Word. I wanted to have the heart of the Berean believers who accepted nothing at face value - even from the great apostle Paul. "For the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." -Acts 17:11
While serving as the director of the USA office of Dorcas Aid International (an international Christian relief and development organization), I was often privileged to visit our projects in the field and attend our international conferences. Because Dorcas is interdenominational, we had volunteers serving from every flavor of Christendom. I can tell you without hesitation that the most troublesome of these volunteers were those from the neo-charismatic movement. Because they had a 'direct line' to the Holy Spirit, they believed they could override the authority of the organization. They would come to a project full of zeal. ‘The Lord told them' that this is where they were to serve for the next year (and always had great expectations that they would be a tremendous change agent through miracles resulting in impressive fruitfulness). After a few weeks or months they would discover that in God's economy the rule was that patience and perseverance in selfless love was to be the standard change agent. Miracles happened, but these zealous volunteers seldom recognized them because things didn't happen overnight. Inevitably they would eventually come to their project coordinator and share that ‘God told them' that they were called to move on to another area or ministry. "Has God changed His mind about your one year commitment to serve here?" the director would ask. They never had a good answer - but it didn't matter. If 'God told them' to move on, no institution of this world could overrule God. The project then became disadvantaged because it had to operate without a critical volunteer position. We soon came to the conclusion that except for extraordinary exceptions, we would not entertain placing young believers from charismatic churches as volunteers on our projects. As for zeal, you couldn't hold them down. As for knowledge - they simply were not grounded.
Balance. We need true zeal for the Lord and for service in His kingdom. And we need the proper knowledge to keep us on the right path.

Friday, October 17, 2008

October 18

Oct 18 - Today from Proverbs 18 we look at verse 21
"The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit."

Life. Something we cherish and are willing to give almost anything to preserve, yet we struggle to define it. What is life, and where does it come from? Life is a profound concept, and it is even more profound that the small muscle in our mouth called a tongue is considered to have power to control it.
We have often defined death as separation - a good definition. When man sinned, he was separated from a vital relationship with God. This was the death of man. When a man's spirit is separated from his body, his body becomes 'lifeless'. This is the 'first death'. Life in the body is a man's spirit. Where did it come from? A cosmic accident? Life does not originate in organic matter. Life does not originate in the most complex configurations of matter - DNA. Dead people have DNA. Does life originate in the brain? No. The brain is only an organ of the body. Life is something greater than the marvelous organic tabernacle that God created to house the spirit of man. Genesis says that life originated from the breath of God. He designed man's body from the organic materials found in the earth ("from the dust of the ground"), and then "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life." (Genesis 2:7). That's as much as God reveals about the origin of life - but it is vastly more than what science has been able to come up with in the absence of a Creator. They have come up with nothing but far-fetched, totally improvable theories which generally include 'cosmic dust', 'primordial soup', and 'electronic charges'.
The truth is that every person ever born on the face of the earth has been given the gift of life from the Creator, and every person will eventually experience the 'first death'. The 'second death' of the individual will be total separation from God - forever. This will happen to those who when they leave their earthly body, remain in the state of sin, for sin cannot abide in the presence of God. The Bible teaches that every man has sinned, therefore every man deserves the second death. But God is merciful beyond our comprehension, and has provided a solution through the offering of His own sinless Son, the God/man and eternal Lord, Jesus Christ. He bore the sin of the world in His own body and paid the full penalty by his innocent crucifixion. That's the 'good news'. In order to benefit from this unspeakable gift, you must receive it. Like any gift, if it is not received it is of no benefit. Romans 10:9 & 10 says, "If you confess with you mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." Your heart (spirit) is where life abides and your mouth (tongue) connects the spiritual with the physical. An amazing instrument indeed.
There are issues of life and death we must deal with in our lives every day. Life and death have to do with relationships. Ultimate life has to do with our relationship with God. Jesus refers to this relationship as 'life abundant' in John 10:10 (KJV). But there are also life issues with those around us. How we use our tongue can determine if there is 'life' in those relationships (words of blessing, encouragement, support, instruction, etc.), or if there is death in those relationships (curses, lies, deceit, hatred, etc.). The tongue holds the power of life and death. When 'self' is in control of the tongue, it will eventually bring some degree of death into every relationship. When the Holy Spirit is in control of the tongue, it will eventually bring a degree of life into every relationship. We get to choose:
Am I going to give him a piece of my mind, or am I going to give him a piece of the mind of Christ? One brings death, the other life.
Am I going to humiliate her for what she said about me, or am I going to confront her in love and bless her? One brings death, the other life.
Am I going to put him down in front of everyone because he is unpopular anyway, or am I going to say something nice to him in spite of his attitude? One brings death, the other life.
When self is poised to take control of the tongue and unleash a death thrust, remember, it cannot be taken back. Once words are released, they do their damage. What do we do in a situation where the cutting words are boiling on the tip of our tongue?
Practice His presence. Jesus says to pray in the time of temptation, the spirit is willing but the body is weak (Matthew 26:41). When we pray, we are acknowledging His presence and calling on His power. His power is love.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

October 17

Oct 17 - Today from Proverbs 17 we look at verse 1
"Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting with strife."

This proverb is probably accepted much more by means of experience than it is by counsel. One must exist in the 'house full of feasting with strife' for a period of time before one even begins to appreciate the 'dry crust with peace and quiet'. If not, it is very difficult to convince a person who has little more than a dry crust that the feasting isn't worth it.
The proverb for today speaks to us about the value of contentment. The dry crust represents our daily bread in perhaps the most minimal of circumstances - yet still sufficient to nourish our needs. God calls us to pray for our daily bread, and He promises to provide for our basic needs if we will but seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. Yet, early in life, we often tend to enter into the house full of strife in order to get our share of the feast. The lesson of contentment doesn't come easy. For many it doesn't come at all. It is only after strife begins to take its toll that we begin to understand that there is a lot of 'collateral damage' in living a life of discontentment. There is collateral damage suffered in marriages and personal relationships. There is collateral damage suffered in the souls of our children. There is collateral damage suffered in our physical health. Worst of all, there is collateral damage suffered in our relationship with God.
Discontentment is very deceiving. It can often be hidden behind more socially acceptable terms; ambition, drive, go-getter, rising star . . . these adjectives do not necessarily define discontentment, but the motive beneath them will. It is found in the layer of our values. When we adopt world values, we knock on the door of the house of strife. "For everything in the world - the cravings of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boasting of what one has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world." (1 John 2:17).
Contentment does not come by finally having enough; by being one of the 'winners' in the house of strife. That's the lesson that seems to be so difficult to learn. Contentment comes by knowing Christ, by serving Him and knowing that He will provide what you need along the way. It comes by placing relationships in the highest value category; a relationship with God first, and relationships with our family and fellow man second. Jesus taught this principle in His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:19-34. The writer of Hebrews emphasizes it in chapter 13:5, "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'" Paul instructs the church in 1 Timothy 6:6-8, "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it. But we have food and clothing, we will be content with that." The great apostle Paul shares the secret of his contentment though his own testimony in Philippians 4:12, 13, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret to being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."
Kingdom values are not found in how much or how little bread one has. It is found in the contentment of one's soul.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

October 16

Oct 16 - Today from Proverbs 16 we look at verse 20
"Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord."

Two terms come to mind this morning; preventative maintenance and damage control. Both are action terms. Both require some sort of expended energy. In this life, we must choose which of the two we intend to pursue, because everyone will be involved in one or the other. Very few people I know actually choose to live by the code of damage control. Yet, when failing to choose preventative maintenance, that is exactly the choice they make.
In order to perform effective preventative maintenance, one must learn maintenance procedures (instruction), and then actually follow the procedure (give heed), on a constant basis. The thing about preventative maintenance - people seldom get any recognition for it. It goes pretty much unnoticed. It seems to be a lot of effort for such little notice. The people who seem to get more recognition are the people who are involved in damage control. Yet, the funny thing is, a lot of the damage we see in this life is due to poor preventative maintenance. Let me site an example in the mechanical realm;
Let's say there are two identical office buildings. One of the buildings has a very conscientious maintenance man and the other a rather apathetic maintenance man. Periodically during the year it is required to oil the pumps, pulleys and motors, change the filters, check the belts, and test the coolants of the central air conditioning units. One carefully gets attended to on schedule, the other seems to be working fine so it is ignored. All of the office personnel in both buildings take it for granted that their offices will be comfortable during the warm summer months. No one gives it a second thought. Then one day the office personnel enter building two and it is uncomfortably warm. A cry goes up. The regular maintenance man is called. The main air handling unit is down and requires new parts and specialists to change them. The cost of the repair is exorbitant, but by the end of the day the temperature in the building is going down to a comfortable level. The office personnel are very happy about it - but the manager of the building isn't! What should have been a few dollars well invested in proper maintenance turned into thousands of dollars in damage control. Meanwhile, building one just kept functioning as usual. No one thought about office comfort or maintenance budgets that day. It was just another normal day.
The Lord has a maintenance instruction manual for us. He instructs us to maintain moral integrity so we don't have to go through costly damage control processes. Those who faithfully live according to His instruction seldom get recognition, but they benefit each day. The benefits are also enjoyed by those around them, but it is so expected that they are often taken for granted. These are kingdom people. These are people who are restoring life to the way God meant it to be. The church can get unduly focused on damage control (miracles), when in fact we are called to be a people of maintenance (wisdom). Miracles are God's business. Wisdom is ours. When we choose to engage in moral failure, we are making a choice for damage control. We won't always get the miracle - sometimes God has greater lessons for us to learn.
I don't know how many professional athletes practice fidelity in their marriages, because for those who do, their relationships pretty much go unnoticed. That's the thing with preventative maintenance. Today our news is overwhelmed by a bright young basketball player who chose moral failure in his marriage, and he is entering into an incredible episode of damage control. No one will be able to fully calculate the cost, both monetarily and emotionally, but I doubt that he will EVER think it was worth it.
Need a little excitement in your life? Thinking about choosing a little moral failure to get it? Stop, and consider the costs. God revealed moral law as a maintenance factor, to save us from costly damage control in our lives and in the lives of others. Don't be concerned that preventative maintenance seems to get no attention. It does. It gets God's attention, and it subtly gets the attention of those around us because we have established a piece of God's kingdom that touches their lives.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

October 15

Oct 15 - Today from Proverbs 15 we look at verse 22
"Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisors they succeed."

Would you like a jewel to place in the treasures of your memory bank? Something of true value and incredibly useful? Well, here it is: "I do not have all of the information I need."
Any time we seek to devise a plan, we need to remind ourselves of that. The bigger the plan, the greater the truth. Good and successful plans call for careful processing. A very important part of that process is to gather as much correct information about the object of the plan as possible. The best way to do that is to incorporate advisors who would tend to have information and experience in the field of the objective. I must confess, I am no big fan of committees. My years of experience serving on and with committees has soured me on them. . . with one exception. I am a very big fan of ad hoc committees. This is a committee specially selected to process only the specific situation at hand. Because of the nature of such a committee, members are usually selected for their experience and knowledge of the situation. The goal of the committee has closure. Their task is to process a workable solution - a plan. Once the plan is devised and implemented, their task is complete and they are disbanded. The success rate of carefully chosen ad hoc committees is very high.
If we are to grow in wisdom, we need to carry the principle of the ad hoc team into every area of planning possible. When looking to purchase a house or some other major investment, we assemble an ad hoc team of realtors, bankers, financial experts, etc. We depend on their knowledge and experience to keep us out of trouble as we make the transaction. Why would we do any less when making plans for the kingdom of God? We are called to serve in excellence. There are folks in the body of Christ who excel in specific areas. Place them on ad hoc teams specifically geared to a task where their experience and ability will count. Give the team a target and let them process the plan. When the target is achieved, their task is complete. They are relieved until the next situation arises where their unique gifts and experience are needed.
Good leaders learn how to discern and utilize the gifts and abilities of those around them. They know how to choose good teams for addressing specific issues. A good leader doesn't have all of the information, and he or she knows it. But, they seek to know who does have the information, and they know how to pool that information through team building. It's not shameful not to have all of the information. It's shameful to have failed because we failed to utilize those who do have the information. It called processing through teamwork.

Monday, October 13, 2008

October 14

Oct 14 - Today from Proverbs 14 we look at verse 35
"A king delights in a wise servant, but a shameful servant incurs his wrath."

Where am I in this proverb? Where are you? Am I a 'king' figure? Am I a 'servant' figure? Am I merely a passing observer? Am I not in the picture at all? We address Jesus as King - but do we truly identify ourselves as His servants? Do we rise each morning with the understanding that we are to use our lives in service to Him? How do we do that? How much of my day is to be sent serving Him? Do I have any life of my own where I am allowed to make decisions apart from His rule? Doesn't the Bible teach that He is the Servant? Didn't Jesus come to serve mankind? Isn't He still serving us today? How can He be our King if He is our servant?
So many questions. Questions we need to ask ourselves in the light of God's Word.
Jesus is the Servant King. I suppose by today's standards, that would be an oxymoron. But by God's standards, the term is very congruous. In God's economy the king was never meant to be a tyrant who benefited himself at the expense of the people. The king was to be God's agent to serve the people by assuring justice among those under his area of responsibility. The servant was never meant to be a conscripted possession of another to be enslaved for self-serving purposes. The servant was to use his particular gifts and abilities to enhance the quality of life for the betterment of all. Thus the king was to be the servant of the people much as the head serves the body. The people were to be servants of the king much as the parts of the body serve the head as well as the entirety of the body. The hand never 'tells' the head what to do, and the head never 'tells' the hand to harm the foot. Sound familiar? The apostle Paul uses the analogy in 1 Corinthians 12. The analogy, however, breaks down. The parts of the body are not assigned free will. The hand could never exercise its will against the head. People can.
Jesus had a free will, and totally submitted His will to the Father. In serving the Father, He served us. Yes, He still does. . . as the Head. We sing "All Hail King Jesus", but do we truly serve Him as head? We pray "Lord Jesus", but do we truly serve Him as Lord? Do we arise each day and totally surrender our will to Him? Do we seek to place our particular gifts and abilities at His disposal in order to benefit the whole? Are we looking to use our time, talents and treasures to enhance the quality of life for the betterment of all?
As believers, we are to be in a constant process of transformation. Romans 12:2 tells us that we are no longer to be conformed to the perceptions and ways of this world system in which we live. We are to be transformed by renewing our minds with the truths of God's Word in order that we might properly respond to the will of God. It's not always easy, but it is rewarding. "The king delights in a wise servant." Wisdom is understanding life the way God meant it to be. God meant for us to serve Him and one another in community. A great part of our service to God is to serve our fellow man. Our King is a Servant King, and He constantly calls us to follow His example. God has given each of us a charge - stewardship. "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions" -Jesus; Matthew 24:45-47. Faithfulness will be rewarded.
"A shameful servant incurs his wrath." There is great consequence to those who are given a charge and choose to use that charge for self-serving purposes. "But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself. 'My master is staying away a long time,' and he then begins to abuse his fellow servants and eat and drink with the drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him to a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." -Jesus; Matthew 24:48-51. Shamefulness will be punished.
Where am I in this proverb? By His grace, I am a servant of the King - every hour of every day.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

October 13

Oct 13 - Today from Proverbs 13 we look at verse 9
"The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out."

How often do we really ponder the properties of light? It is an amazing subject. It is more than just brightness. Light contains the entire spectrum of color. As we move through the autumn season here in Michigan, we see the splendor of the trees turning to fiery hues from yellow to red, sprinkled with the deep green contrast of the evergreens, all against the backdrop of the clear blue sky. When the sun comes up and touches the landscape, the magnificent iridescent beauty all but takes one's breath away. The light not only illuminates the scene, it is the very source of all the colors that please the eye. Rick Warren writes in his book 'The Purpose Driven Life' that when anything fulfills its purpose, it brings glory to God (p. 55). Truly, the splendor of the autumn landscape gives glory to its Creator!
The Bible teaches us that ‘God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.’ (1 John 1:5). We can find no clue in God's Word that He created darkness. Darkness appears to be no more than the absence of light. Darkness cannot abide in the presence of light. Whatever objects are hidden in the darkness, when exposed to light they reveal their form and color; they give up their secrets. Isaiah writes in verse 2 of chapter 9, "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." This is the beginning of the great Messianic prophesy which has become a favorite of the Christmas season; "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given. . ." (Isaiah 9:6). God's purposes for man were hidden in the darkness of sin and evil. God sent His Word through Moses to cast light upon those purposes. But, the law could not overcome man's pride, and instead it became a stumbling block. Then God sent His Son, and the Word became flesh. God's purposes could no longer be mistaken. Now we see Jesus, living out God's purposes. Jesus is the light of the world. When Jesus perfectly fulfilled the purposes for which He was created, He brought glory to God.
"Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Col. 1:27). The more that Jesus' life is manifest in us, the more the light of the righteous shines; the more we glorify God; the more others who remain in darkness begin to see by our light. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says to us, "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16). It is in doing the good works for which we were created, by which we let our light shine and bring glory to God. We serve for His glory, not our own. Righteousness through 'keeping the law' is for man's glory, and it remains darkness. Loving and serving our fellow man out of obedience to Him is for God's glory and it brings light. The beauty of the splendor of autumn is lost in the nighttime. But, when the glory of the sun breaks forth in the dawning of the day, one's heart cannot contain the awe of the moment. Such is the contrast between legalism and grace.
A brief thought on the second half of today's verse. How is it that "the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out"? We find the answer in the very book in which we are studying. Proverbs 24:20 says this; "The evil man has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out." Where Christ in you is the hope of glory, the wicked have no future hope. Whatever the wicked live for, they live only for today. They are not aware of the purpose for which God created man. Their pride keeps them in darkness, and unless they respond to the witness of the righteous, they will never get to see the sunrise that is going to illuminate the splendor of God's purpose. By faith in Christ the righteous are able to see some of that splendor now filtered through the righteous acts of the saints. But on that Day we will see the unobstructed light of His glory. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:12; "Now we see but a poor reflection in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."
"Christ in you, the hope of glory."
Amen.

October 12

Oct 12 - Today from Proverbs 12 we look at verse 14
"From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things as surely as the work of his hands reward him."

Don't you appreciate the metaphoric beauty of the Eastern language? I do. We in the West are so conceptual. If a Westerner were to have written this Proverb, he probably would have said something like, "What we say is just as important as what we do." That's a concept, but it lacks the dimension of the metaphor before us.
"The fruit of the lips." What does that suggest to you? Something of substance. Fruit is an outcome, or a result of a fruit-bearing plant. It is, in essence, the final result. Galatians 5:22-23 speaks of the "fruit of the Spirit". It reveals the result of a person's character who lives by the Spirit. It is the Character of Christ. There is another thing about fruit - it contains seed that bears after its own kind. Not only is there a final outcome of the efforts of our speech, but there is contained in that outcome seeds for the future. Wow! That opens a whole new dimension of thought. Galatians 5:22-23 reveals the character of Christ. That character was 'seeded' in us by the Holy Spirit when we were found of Christ and restored to the Father. When we bear the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, we become agents of seeding Christ's character into the lives of others. Can there be an outcome of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control by the things we speak? Of course - when we give control of our lips to the Holy Spirit.
"The work of his hands reward him." This is the second metaphor for the reality that there is a substantial outcome regarding the words we speak. The first was fruit. This is creative ability. Two different metaphors for the same outcome. Fruit has a creative ability in its seed. A man's hands have creative ability through intentional effort. One is a natural process, the other requires discovery, training and practice. One flows from man's heart controlled by the Holy Spirit, the other is developed through an act of man's will. One is the result of God's integrity, the other is a result of man's integrity. One is God's divine action, the other is man's free will. Yet, both are different facets of the same truth. In both, God is glorified. God created creative hands, and God specifically gifted them. Man's duty is to discover what particular gifting he has and then develop his God-given skills to acquire productive outcome. Whatever that outcome is, it is man's reward for his effort. "The work of his hands rewards him" if he is astute enough to discover his skills, diligent enough to develop and hone his skills, and industrious enough to apply his skills. Thus the second metaphor reveals the creative ability of the words we speak. It requires discovery, diligence and purposeful application in order to produce good things with our words. Even this is only possible through God's grace.
Speech creates. It creates emotions, attitudes, and reactions. Speech seeds. Our words plant seeds into the minds and souls of others. Seeds that can germinate and bear fruit through the actions and words of those who hear. Fruit that bears after its own kind. We must constantly keep that picture in our mind. It is so much more powerful than saying "what we say is important."
In the end, we can only but pray the humble words of the Psalmist in Psalm 141:3 -
"Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips."
- Amen

Friday, October 10, 2008

October 11

Oct 11 - Today from Proverbs 11 we look at verse 1
"The Lord abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are His delight."

The initial concept is easy enough to understand. The merchants of the Middle East would buy and sell many goods by weight. There would be some sort of balance scale involved. Measured weights were placed on one side of the scale and the goods placed on the other side until they were equally balanced. Crooked merchants would often keep two sets of weights in the bag. One set was accurate, the other set was lightened in his favor. Through years of experience, he would know the opportunities to use the lightened weights. The socially weak and disenfranchised were particularly vulnerable. If the merchant was discovered by the wary customer, there was seldom any around who would come to their defense. They could expect to be cheated - that's the way life was. The vulnerable people were cheated and the merchant's purse got fatter.
Just weights are accurately metered weights that are to be used for every customer. The merchant is not to have a second set at the ready for poor, unsuspecting consumers. Not many of us are deceived in such a manner by the merchants of today. We buy pre-packaged goods of which the weights and measurements are carefully monitored by the U.S. government. Even our gas pumps are regularly monitored for accurate volume. Never the less, there is a very clear principle in this proverb which is applicable to all generations of all cultures: It is the principle of the double standard.
We all fall prey to the use of double standards in life. One of the most contributing factors to this truth is that we think we own things, and therefore we have a right to control them as we feel fit. We have lost the sense of stewardship.
When John the Baptist came preparing the way for Jesus' ministry of restoring the kingdom of God, he called people to repent. Like all Rabbis of his day, John was a Metaphoric Theologian. To take his statements literally is to miss the deeper kingdom principles involved. In Luke 3:11 John declares to the crowd, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same." Justice and equity are kingdom principles. The man with two tunics (or more than he needs), does not own them, he has been endowed with them by God. God created man to serve his fellow man in community. The self-serving man who believes he owns the two tunics might say, "I worked hard for my two tunics. Let the one without go and earn his own." It is a throw-back to Cain's statement to God when he said, "Am I my brother's keeper?" This is the root of the double standard. "I will bestow favor to those who will benefit me and I will withhold favor from those who are none of my concern or whom I dislike. If they need what I own, let them curry my favor." The Lord abhors double standards. They dishonor the victims, and they dishonor God.
The merchants didn't have to feel anything toward their customers. Feelings have absolutely nothing to do with justice and equity. The merchant should have feelings for God - feelings of gratitude, honor and respect. Out of those feelings the merchant is to use only one set of weights - the just weights. The man with two tunics need not feel anything for the man with none. His gratitude, respect and honor of God should be enough motivation to be a good steward and provide for his needy fellow man. The standards we use in our every day relationships with others should have nothing to do with feelings. We are to love our neighbor - and even our enemy - out of gratitude, honor and respect for our God and our Redeemer. Our integrity is to be grounded in our relationship to Him, not in our relationships with others. That is the true mark of a disciple.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

October 10

Oct 10 - Today from Proverbs 10 we look at verse 5
"He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son."

It didn't matter where you were on the socio-economic scale in Bible times, the summer harvest was the time of opportunity for family survival. So important was the harvest, that one of the chief strategies of war and subjugation was to invade the enemy's fields just before harvest and destroy as much of the crop as possible. The local markets in the cities and villages were mostly supplied by local produce. When
production failed, only the rich could afford the very costly imports.
When the crops ripened, the harvest had to be brought in before it spoiled in the fields. The grain needed to be gathered before the autumn rains fell. It was an 'all hands on deck' effort for the community. The land owners hired laborers from the village squares. Even the survival of the disabled and the aliens were covered by God's social law as the landowner's were required to leave the (accessible) edges and corners of the fields unharvested for their provision (Lev. 19:9 & 23:22). Ruth was an alien in the land when she was instructed by Naomi to go and glean the fields of Boaz. Without this provision of grace, they would have faced begging for their food and perhaps worse. Harvest was a huge event on the civil calendar of the day.

In Matthew 20:1-16, Jesus tells a parable about a landowner of a vineyard whose crop was ripe and needed to be harvested. I want us to look at the parable in order to understand the customs of the day. The landowner went out early in the morning to hire laborers. Where did he go? He went to the village or city square where all of the available laborers gathered, hoping to get a job for the day. This was customary hiring practice in Bible times. Idle laborers had a job, and that was to find work to support the family. This included sons. So, here we are; the crops are ripe, the owners are going to the village square to hire laborers for the day - or if the laborer is really good, the owner would retain him for the duration of the harvest. The eager able-bodied men rose even earlier to be sure they were of the first available to be chosen for service in the harvest. This was the best opportunity of the year for family members to earn some extra income for the household. This was the best time of the year for the disabled and aliens to fortify their supplies. This was the most important time of the year for the landowners to realize a profitable return on their investments. Everybody was focused on the great task ahead . . .
. . . except for the disgraceful son who had other things to do. Perhaps his personal social life was more important. He partied with his friends into the night and in the morning he was unable to rise to get to the market square. Perhaps his comfort was more important. He did not want to toil in the hot sun and in the dirty fields and vineyards. He would rather stay home and find things to amuse himself with. Perhaps he was not 'gifted' in picking grapes, so he will wait until something comes along that he likes to do.
Jesus tells us that the fields are white unto harvest (the waves of white heads of grain), and yet the laborers are few. Where are the laborers today? What 'other things' occupy us during the great opportunities that lie before us? Why are times so lean for the church when there is a ripe harvest to be brought in?
There are no unemployed in the kingdom of God, only the idle.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

October 9

Oct 9 - Today from Proverbs 9 we look at verse 12
"If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer."

We have been using a rather simple definition for wisdom, which is 'understanding life they way God meant it to be' and I guess we should include 'proper application of that understanding'. Although the definition seems at first to be simple, it gets to be quite profound when one thinks of all the implications. We have shared much about wisdom in our daily studies. But what about the mocker?
Who mocks, and why do they mock? If wisdom is proper understanding from God's perspective, then it stands to reason that scornful men mock that which they do not understand. Jesus' half-brother Jude echoes the thought of the Teacher in the tenth verse of his epistle; "Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals - these are the very things that destroy them." Jude is warning against false teachers and leaders in the Church!
It is quite understandable that the world is full of mockers - I was once a mocker. I didn't understand God's purpose for mankind, or for my own life. Although I was churched and even professed Christ, I mocked God with my attitude, my speech and my behavior. I mocked the things I did not understand. Then I came under conviction. I confessed and repented, and I determined to receive Christ's offer and make Him Lord. My perspective changed, and I have been pursuing wisdom and growing in my understanding ever since. By His grace I will continue until I meet Him face to face.
The puzzling factor is, why are there so many mockers in the church? Why would there be any in leadership? Paul warns the Elders of the 'infant' Church of Ephesus in Acts 20:28-31; "Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit made you overseers; Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from among your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard!" The biggest difference between the wise and the mockers in the church is in understanding God's purposes for the church. The wise have a shepherd's heart. They purpose to keep the church unified under the leading of the Holy Spirit. The mockers have an agenda of their own - whatever that might be. The evidence of their agenda is that they divide the flock rather than nurture it.
Mockers in leadership are to be dealt with by their peers. Mockers outside of leadership are to be dealt with by the leaders. This is God's charge to them made through the Apostle Paul. As for the body of believers, their imperative is quite clear, "Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you." (Hebrews 13:17). And again from Jude; "But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in the most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life." (Jude 20 & 21)
As individual members of Christ's body, we need to check our hearts daily; "Am I acting in wisdom; supporting the purpose of the church, respecting the authority of the leaders, building myself up in the faith, keeping myself in God's love? Or, am I mocking God; by attempting to promote my own agenda, by doing 'end runs' on the leadership, by formulating my own power base, by causing factions in the body?" Self-righteousness is a tool of the mocker, it is not righteousness at all. Let us guard our hearts that we not be deceived. Jesus is the Head of His Church. He set the example when He visited us, He left clear instruction behind when He went back to the Father's right hand, and He sent His Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth. We are without excuse.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

October 8

Oct 8 - Today from Proverbs 8 we look at verse 18
"With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity."

The subject of this verse is wisdom - personified and speaking in the first person. The key word in this verse, in my opinion, is the word enduring. One needs some wisdom just to properly interpret this verse. If the focus were to be riches and wealth, it could tend to pervert the motive of the disciple in a pursuit of wisdom.
Let's take a Biblical look at endurance, and apply it to spiritual values.
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." (Jesus, Matt. 24:35).
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Cor. 4:18)
". . . now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater value than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine, and may result in praise glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." (1 Peter 1:6, 7).
It doesn't take a lot of commentary to develop a proper set of values by meditating on these passages. One of the greatest indicators of value is endurance. The riches of this world have an expiration date - even gold refined by fire will perish. They will not endure. When we set our hope on perishable things, we will perish with them. "Yeah, but at least in the meantime I am going to enjoy my perishable things." (sic) There is no wisdom in such a statement. A soap bubble can be as beautiful as a diamond, but who of us would trade a diamond for a soap bubble? People are doing it every day.
What enduring wealth and prosperity does wisdom then offer? Jesus reveals one - His words. They are alive and active, and hold the power of salvation and deliverance. Peter reveals that our faith endures. Our faith can see us through the most difficult of trials, and rather than diminish, it grows even stronger. Paul adds two more to faith in 1 Corinthians 13:13; "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." Agape love. It is much different than the temporary love the world plays with. Agape love is an unconditional commitment to an imperfect person. That is how God loves me. That is how He loves you. That is how Jesus has called us to love one another. When one is the recipient of such enduring love, all the riches of this world pale in its significance.
Growing in wisdom is growing in our understanding of God's purposes. As we grow in our understanding, we accumulate and distribute the enduring riches of His word, of our faith, and above all, of His love. Everything else is going to perish.

Monday, October 6, 2008

October 7

Oct 7 - Today from Proverbs 7 we look at verses 16-18 & 27
" 'I have covered my bed with colored linens from Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon. Come, let's drink deep of love till morning; let's enjoy ourselves with love!' . . . Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death."

Proverbs chapter seven contains a rather lengthy narrative of a simple young man who lacks moral conviction being seduced by a clever adulteress. Within the narrative we see two descriptions of the same house, found in today's verses. The first description is that which is experienced through the senses and is spoken by the seducing wife. The second can only be seen through the discerning heart of one who looks from an eternal perspective and is spoken by the Teacher. Although the two descriptions give quite a radical contrast, they are both accurate.
The first description is accurate in that it gives a physical description. It speaks of colors, scents and textures that arouse and please the senses. The simple - people without wisdom and discernment - are most often led by their senses. Thus, the seductress speaks a very sensual word-picture to her prey, enticing him to come and experience all she has up till now only described to him. The problem here is, that what she has just described is morally wrong. No matter how gratifying the temporary act is to the 'flesh' (where our senses are found), there are still consequences to moral failure.
The second description is accurate in that it gives a spiritual description. It speaks of death - separation and isolation. We would err if we were to apply the physical description to death (separation of spirit and body), when we are speaking of spiritual matters. The first spiritual separation that occurs when we give into moral failure is between ourselves and our God. It is not that He wants to be separated from the morally corrupt, it is more that the morally corrupt cannot abide in the presence of a Holy God any more than darkness can abide in the presence of light. It is a consequence, not a decision. God's decision is to love, and to find a way to restore the morally corrupt unto Himself - to remove the record of their failure that they may abide in His presence. Thus, the blood of the perfect sacrifice, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is through His blood that our stain is removed and we can come into the presence of God. His Holiness will not consume us as light consumes darkness because we are made light in Christ. As we continue to confess and repent of our failures, we continue to be perfected. When we choose to follow our sensual desires and yield to the seductions of the world, we become separated in our intimate relationship with God. . . even as born-again, heaven-bound believers.
Then, death and the grave continue their work in separation and isolation - in our relationships with others. Not sometimes. Not most of the time. All of the time. It is the very nature of sin. That is why God so hates sin. He created man to live in a serving community, in unbroken relationship with Himself and with one another. Sin fractures that community. There is no sin in colored sheets, pleasing fragrances and interesting textures. They are but sensual lures to entice a victim into an immoral act. The Teacher does not warn the student to avoid things pleasing to the senses, but to look at the deeper moral issues: What purpose do these sensual things serve? If they were to enhance the sensual relationship between a husband and wife, they would serve as an enrichment to a moral relationship. If they were to enhance the sensual relationship to anyone outside of a couple joined in a covenant relationship before God, they are but tools of separation and isolation - moral failure. There is no gray area here.
So it is with any sensual stimulus. If it is purposed for use within the bounds of moral conviction, it can serve to enhance God's purposes. If it is used to draw us away from moral behavior, it becomes a tool of separation and isolation. Moral corruption is not found in sensual things, but is found in the improper intent for which those things are being used.
Madison Avenue is synonymous with commercial advertising in our nation. Madison Avenue has perfected the art of sensual enticement. It does not sell a pair of blue jeans; it sells the sensuality of the person wearing the jeans. It does not sell a new car; it sells the sensuality of the person driving the car. It is a very strong force - and God's people must be a people of conviction and discernment in order to live in His purposes. He gives grace - we just have to learn how to live in that grace.
"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." -Galatians 5:24, 25

Sunday, October 5, 2008

October 6

Oct 6 - Today from Proverbs 6 we look at verse 34
"For jealousy arouses a husband's fury, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge."

The context of this verse is the indelible shame of adultery and the inescapable consequences born of a betrayed husband to the intruder of his marriage. In Proverbs, the Teacher never warns the adulteress. She seems to be introduced only as an object of extreme temptation with devastating consequences. The Teacher constantly warns the student to avoid her at all costs. Biblically, the man carries first responsibility in a marriage relationship. Not just the man in the marriage, but all other men outside of the marriage. Even in this day of 'equality among the sexes', men are the first to be held responsible before God for fidelity in the marriage.
Modern man has attempted to 'neutralize' gender in the Bible because gender has become politically incorrect. They claim that gender was emphasized in accordance with the strong cultural trends of the day in which it was written. I think that we as 'students of the Word' must be more careful in our attempts to make God's Word fit our strong cultural trends. Perhaps our culture is headed down a very wrong path - a path that might be corrected if we sought to make our trends more in line with God's Word. Listen to Paul's exhortation in Ephesians 5:22-24; "Wives submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything." Wow! Talk about politically incorrect!
"In Paul's day the women were not socially liberated at all." Yet, Paul gave an illustration that is absolute sound doctrine; the analogy of Christ and His church. Culture will never change that relationship. Good hermeneutics should tell us that culture is to never change the relationship of the husband and the wife in the marriage. The key focus in Paul's statement, and in the marriage, is this; "The husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church." Christ did not subjugate the church, He liberated her. Christ did not force the church into a submissive posture, He loved her in that He gave His life for her and thus gave her the confidence to totally submit to Him. Christ never demanded that the church make herself presentable to Him, He accepted her unconditionally and He gave His all to make her presentable unto Himself. It is very clear who is the more responsible in this relationship - the Lord Jesus. He is responsible first to be worthy of the wife's submission. Her responsibility is then to reciprocate and submit out of trust and honor.
The man did not appoint himself as head of the marriage relationship - God appointed him. Man did not decide he would be the head of the marriage relationship, God gave him the responsibility. That responsibility means that he is to commit himself to one woman for life. That responsibility means he will commit himself to be the kind of man his wife would desire to submit to. That commitment means that he will spend the rest of his life keeping her, nourishing her, giving her freedom, and making himself worth 'being under'. If a man cannot make such a commitment, then he has no business getting married. And worse, he has no business involving himself in another man's marriage! It does not matter what the issues are in that marriage, man is responsible to STAY OUT! It is men who have the strongest tendencies to act pagan. It is our modern culture that is influencing men to become even more pagan. It is men who are more responsible for the moral decline in our culture - because our culture has 'neutralized' gender and taken moral responsibility away from the men. God never did.