Concise Alignment

Reaching both the lost and found to make disciples and bring glory to God

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Wisdom is... Walking Down the Street?

Last time when we took our first look at the books of proverbs I highlighted three themes that I wanted to share. God cares about the mundane parts of our lives, Proverbs points towards Christ-like living and that growing in wisdom and Knowledge is a necessity.

This week we are going to cover chapter 8 of Proverbs. This chapter is special though. Wisdom here is illustrated as a woman who is in the streets calling out to other people as she passes by (V. 1-3). The contrast with chapter 7 is interesting because in that chapter the focus was on a woman who was an adulteress. We are warned to not listen to her or give into her temptations. In chapter 8, where a woman is illustrated as wisdom and we are called to listen to her. Ms. Wisdom here has a few important things to share with us. All of it is equally important. (As we go over these points I’d like to encourage you to open up your Bible to Proverbs 8 so that you can follow along.)

So what does wisdom wish to share with us?

Wisdom calls us to continue to grow in wisdom. (v. 4-11) Growing in wisdom should be a daily goal of ours. God hasn’t called us to be foolish or to lack sense, but to be wise. Not only does wisdom help us grow and mature, but it also pleases God. Solomon asked God to give him wisdom so that he may discern between good and evil and that he may govern God’s people properly. God was pleased that Solomon asked this of him, and he gave Solomon the wisdom that he requested (1 Kings 3:8-12). Solomon’s example here should be followed. Ask for wisdom and seek after it. Wisdom itself beacons all of us to come, learn and grow (v. 4-6). Don’t be a fool, take up it’s offer. You can never have too much or enough of it.

Wisdom is powerful (v. 12-21) Something that is a common trait among good leaders is that they are wise. This allows them to make good decisions and also influences their followers in meaningful ways. This is a special kind of power. A kind of power that is not to be squandered or used for shameful gain, but is used for the benefit of those who are around us. It’s a form of wealth that is better than all the fine material things of the world and its also something that anyone can come to posses and use for the glory of God.

Wisdom was used in creation (v. 22-31) This may be one of the most interesting parts of Proverbs. Here was are told that wisdom was not only created by God, but existed before God created the universe. She played a big part in creation, “like a master workman” that was right beside God every step of the way bringing him much delight. Next time you are observing nature and the world around you, remember that God not only created these things, but he created them using wisdom. The way things work is not a result of bring created by God and then left alone for it to sort itself out, instead it was intentionally made to work the way it does using wisdom. When we are creating something, we should follow God’s creative example and use wisdom. See what happens.

Wisdom brings favor and life (v. 32-36) The sort of life that wisdom brings is the ability to relate to God better. Being able to relate to God better will help you line up with the way that God created things to work in the first place. This all brings about a certain kind of favor from God. This isn’t a theology of favoritism or a theology that says, “you’re so special and amazing” (thats not biblical by the way). This sort of favor is referring to your fellowship with God being enriched. Wisdom draws us closer to him and his will for our lives. Often times, my generation gets so infatuated with just trying to be near to God that they forget to actually do anything that really brings us closer to him. Wisdom tends to be lacking from their hearts and minds (and I don’t walk away from that statement unscathed). Their closeness to God is often all about experiences and feelings, while the mind plays next to no part in their pursuit of closeness. Experiences and feeling are fine, but the mind must also be present. Do you want to grow closer to God? Grow in the  wisdom that comes from him and you will become more like him.

While all of these statements are important, some may stick out to you more than others. My advice to you would be to note what section of proverbs chapter 8 stuck out to you the most, read through it a few times, and think about it as you go through your day. Are you a leader who is in need to wisdom to lead properly? Are you looking to grow closer to God? Do you need the swift kick in the pants to remind you that your never done growing in wisdom and that you should continue to seek it? You should find out.

Grace and peace,

Rob

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Proverbs: Foundations

Originally this study was intended to be a series portrayed via video, but because I lack a camera that would deliver a visual quality that I’m happy with, I’m just going to stick with writing.

That aside, this is the first blog in a series from the book of Proverbs. I will not be covering Proverbs exhaustively, considering that something of that magnitude would take a really long time to complete. For those who read these, I hope that this series is encouraging, merciful and a chance for us all to grow in wisdom and knowledge.

In mid August, I began to study the book of Proverbs. At first I was not very excited about it, but after a few weeks my attitude began to change. I never disliked the book or anything like that, but I was never enthusiastic about it. Now I’ve really come to a place where I see the treasure that it is.

There are numerous themes that stand out in Proverbs and there are three that I really want to focus on. None of them are revolutionary, but all three are incredibly important to keep in mind every single time we open up this 31 chapter book. There is a lot to say from this book that contains many proverbs of Solomon, the wisest man to ever live.

So what are these themes?

Proverbs shows that God cares about the mundane parts of life. Thinking that God doesn’t care about us or we shouldn’t bother him with the everyday parts of life can be really easy. Another day at work, another day at class, another day at home… those really don’t matter right? Wrong. He does care. He cares about all of it: what you say, who you spend time with, how you work, who you take advice from, how you spend your money and so on and so forth. Everything that you do each and every day matter to God because what you do is to be a direct reflection of what Christ would do in that situation. That last statement may make sense, but you may still be wondering, “Christ hadn’t walked the earth yet, what does this have to do with Him?” I’m so glad you asked.

The Proverbs points towards Christ-like living. The name of Jesus never comes up in this book however, Jesus is the living example of this book. Jesus embodies this wisdom without fault. Understanding Proverbs is to understand the wisdom of Christ that blew the minds of those who heard him speak (Matt 13:54). Understanding and applying the wisdom of Proverbs plays a big part in the sanctification process. This means that…

Growing in wisdom and knowledge is a necessity. Something that I think a lot of people do really well today is inhale information and grow in knowledge. However I think one of the main issues with a lot of information today is that much of it isn’t true or useful. When Proverbs talks about knowledge, it’s ONLY referring to knowledge that is true. This is crucial because the knowledge that you accumulate will not only inform you but also help you grow in wisdom. However, if the knowledge is bad, it’s going to lead you in the opposite direction of wisdom towards foolishness. It’s so important that we seek knowledge from reliable sources, because without it, we will be misinformed and lost. This is why we must not only study our Bible but also seek the council of the Holy Spirit to understand truth from the source.

Now more than ever, wisdom and knowledge is needed. We need to not only seek wisdom and knowledge, but we need to seek the one who is the source of these 2 things, Jesus the greater Solomon. While Solomon was the wisest being on earth, Jesus is the source of that wisdom. Solomon was a king of Israel, but Jesus is king over all things. Solomon with all of his wisdom and insight, couldn’t free the people from their bondage to sin and death, but Jesus not only knows the way, but is the way.

Seek Jesus, ask Him for wisdom, open His word and learn from it. You won’t regret it.

Grace and Peace,

Rob

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What’s Next For The Blog?

Over the past month I have been reading through the book of Proverbs. I haven’t quite finished but I can say that It has been rather refreshing, which is funny coming from me because I have found prior readings of the book of Proverbs to be very boring. Maybe not as boring as Leviticus or Numbers, but still pretty boring. I could expound on that, but it is of no benefit to you.

What I do what to do for your benefit His glory is to share with you, once or maybe even twice a week a short teaching from Proverbs. And with this, I am going to attempt to do this by making short videos instead of writing a blog because I’m a more efficient speaker than I am a writer. My grammar and spelling can be bad so trying to write something takes me a lot more time and can be downright frustrating for me. Plus, going in the direction of video is something that I have been considering for a while and I think I’m ready.

So we are going to give that a shot and hopefully next week I will be able to put at least one video out. From there we will see what happens.

I think this is going to be fun and I hope you benefit from them.

For His glory,

Rob

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Jude: Hidden Reefs

In the past two entries, we have talked about the difficulties and challenges of teaching, why we need to take teaching seriously and why the we can’t pervert the Gospel in any way. This week we are going to look at some of the characteristics of False Teachers and how we are to identify them properly.

We are continuing right where we left off last time. Jude has just given examples of rebellion against God to show the severity of God’s wrath and he isn’t going to hold any punches when he describes these false teachers.

In verses 8-13 Jude says:

“Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you." But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam's error and perished in Korah's rebellion. These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.”

None of this should come as a surprise to these people. Here’s why:

“It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, ‘ Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.’ These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.” (Jude 14-16)

You may be curious as to why Jude would quote something from the book of 1 Enoch. It’s not a book of the Bible and the book as a whole isn’t considered an authoritative piece of scripture. It’s part of a collection of books known as The Apocrypha. The Apocrypha is also known as “Books For The Church". At no point do these books ever make a claim to be authoritative scripture and they should never be included in the Bible or seen as equal. Ever. So why did Jude choose to quote this book? Because this portion of 1 Enoch is true and because Jews would know this quote well.

That being said, we should never be surprised when false teachers spring up. From the time the church began, there have been false teachers. People who set out with agendas and bad theology to lead people towards someone who they think to be God, but ultimately isn’t God. This was one of the great issues in Jude’s day, and it’s an enormous issue in our world today, especially here in the West.

So how are we to identify them? Jude gives us 4 examples:

They rely on dreams for revelation In this day an age it takes very little effort to find a preacher or teacher that is teaching something that they “learned” from a dream. These aren’t things that scripture agrees with, but “new revelation”. Ideas and teachings that you can’t find in the Bible or can’t be supported by the Bible. Now we all at some point or another interpret things from what we read in the Bible a little differently, or we may even think too hard about something that we read, but all of that is rooted in the scriptures, not something learned in a dream.

They defile the flesh False teachers do not have the ability to fight sexual sin because they don’t know God (1 Thess. 4:5). In verse 19 Jude states that false teachers are “devoid of the Spirit," which is the power to fight sin in your life. At some point or another, their sin will be found out, and it will be devastating to the congregation.

They reject authority I see this all the time. Younger pastors and teachers that do not heed to the direction and authority of those who are older than them and (get this) know more than them. Not submitting to authority and not seeking council is dangerous. Always look to see what their elder board is like, or if they have one at all.

They blaspheme the glorious ones You may read “glorious ones” and wonder what that mean. It’s a reference to both God and to His angels. It’s easy to see how one would blaspheme God; taking his name in vain or by mocking His word, but how does one blaspheme angles? The best explanation that I could come up with has to do with the fact that angels played an important role in delivering the Law (Galatians 3:19, Acts 7:53, Hebrews 2:2). These False teachers have been rejecting the authoritative word of God in favor of their own revelation that contradicts scripture. By rejecting the message, you reject the messenger (angels) and the one who sent them (God).**

Along with the above 4 examples, Jude gives us some names and a few of their attributes :

Cain Rejected the direction from God on sacrifices. (Genesis 4)

Salaam Loved wealth more than being obedient to God. (Numbers 22-24)

Korah Rejected authority (Numbers 16)

Lastly, Jude gives what I think is the highlight of all these examples. This list expresses an illustration using nature to describe the dangers of false teachers.

Hidden Reefs Reefs can sink unsuspected ships when the crew had thought they were safe. It’s something we can all face when we walk into a church, a christian book store or when we turn on Christian radio or television. We may think it’s safe but there is danger looming beneath the surface.

Waterless Clouds Clouds that don’t produce rain can’t bring life to the world below. A preacher and teacher are there to nourish the flock and give them what they need. When they don’t provide the necessary nourishment the flock will suffer and wither.  

Fruitless Autumn Trees You will know trees by their fruit (Matt 7:15-20)… or lack there of. What you believe and what you know will fuel your actions. Those who have a strong foundation in the Bible and practice what they believe will produce good fruit but those who don’t will produce bad fruit or no fruit at all.

Wild Sea Waves Wild waves can cap size ships. These leaders are uncontrollable and deadly. They may seem like they have good intentions but at a moment’s notice everyone around them could find themselves drowning.

Wondering Stars Or this could be described as a shooting star. It shoots across the sky in a beautiful display, and then it disappears. Just like a flash in a pan that lacks any substance. Just because a teacher puts on a good show and draws people in, doesn’t mean he has any substance or the ability to lead effectively.

With all this in mind, it’s clear that false teachers are dangerous and everywhere. They may know the Bible really well and they can quote what ever verse you can possibly think of, but  in the middle all of that, there are lies and deception. It’s tricky to navigate at times, and even harder to not believe them, especially if it’s something that appeals to you.  Before I say anything more, I want to make a clarification. I don’t claim to know everything and I’m careful to call someone a false teacher. I don’t think that one misunderstanding in the text makes someone a false teacher. If that was true, anyone (including myself) would be considered a false teacher.

Be on the look out though for teachers that fit the descriptions that Jude gave us. We need to be constantly aware that people like this can slip into our lives through many avenues. It’s easier than ever for false teachings to enter our thinking nowadays, thanks to the internet. This is why, more than ever, we need to know our Bible, and we need to know it well. Regular reading and study is critical to our growth as a Christian and it fortifies us against bad teachings.

Be on the look out for false teachers.

Grace and peace,

Rob

**There was numerous interpretations of this specific portion verse 10. I went back and forth between two specific interpretations of this verse. I think they were both sound and valid, but this is the interpretation that I finally landed on and I believe to be true.

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Jude: Take Teaching Seriously

When I started teaching a few years ago I really didn’t have any idea as to what I was getting into. I had spoken in public numerous times before in college, but this was something very different. I was teaching the Bible, not the fundamentals of distance running or why one game is better than another. I was teaching the Word of God to help the body of Christ grow and mature for God’s glory. It was intimidating and I was terrified of making a mistake.

On the night of my first attempt to teach everything seemed fine. Everyone who usually would come to the group came. I knew all of them so it made things a little easier. I was getting settled in but then came 6 or 7 new people that I had never met before. Anxiety began to set in when I saw them, but that wasn’t anything compared to what was about to paralyze me with fear. The lead adults pastor of the church came in and said he was going to spend the evening with us. At this moment I may have seemed fine on the outside, but inside I was freaking out. I just thought, “One mistake and I’m never going to be teaching again after tonight.”

I laid down on a couch and closed my eyes and asked God to help me. I just wanted to go home and never come back. I was terrified of what people would think, especially if I made a mistake. However, we eventually started. I asked them to open to Acts 4 and I started to talk. With a little quiver in my voice I delivered the message and closed in prayer. People came by afterwards and said that I did well. I didn’t believe them. I thought it was an awful message. I wrestled with thoughts of giving up for about a week, but just before I threw in the towel, a little piece of info was passed on to me.

The pastor who joined us that night found my parents in-between church services. He asked my parents how long I had been teaching. They said that the message that I gave a few days before was my first. His response was along the lines of “Really? You would have never known that was his first try. He did really well.” That was the encouragement that I needed. A pastor who I respect and look up to said that I did really well. From that day forward I have been doing all that I can to improve how to be the best teacher that I can be. However there has been one thing that has stuck with me since that first day that I taught.

Teaching the Bible is serious business. No matter where or how you do it, its needs to be taken seriously. However, my mind set wasn’t quite right. I later read a verse that gave the seriousness of teaching its proper weight and direction.

“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” - James 3:1

The judge in that passage is none other than God himself. You see, I was so concerned about the judgements of other people that I wasn’t even concerned about the judgements of God. As a teacher, God is the only one that you need to be concerned about. You may teach something that is 100% biblical and people may not like it, but that’s ok. The one and only opinion that you need to be concerned about is God’s.

Now I’m not saying that you should ignore other people’s comments, complaints or suggestions, especially from people that you know are godly men and women whom you trust.  What I am saying is that God has the final say in the matter. He knows the Bible inside and out. He inspired the whole book after all. If you don’t take what He says seriously then there will be consequences. Dire consequences. Our God is a Lion, not a tamed house cat. He is wild, deadly and He can’t be controlled by you. When He says something, He means it. It’s not a suggestion. That being said, we need to teach His word as accurately as we possibly can. Teaching the Bible incorrectly will lead to sin, rebellion and a loss of vision for those who are listening.

In Proverbs 29:18 it tells us, “Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.” This verse isn’t talking about a vision that you have for your own life, it’s talking about teaching the Word of God to the people. Without proper instruction and knowledge of the Bible, people lose sight of what God has called us to do and how He wants us to live.

Jude is about to remind the readers of the consequences of disobeying God or flat out rebelling against Him:

"Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.” - Jude 5-7

All of these historical moments can be found in the Old Testament. This passage is one of the reasons many people (myself included) believe that this letter is written to Jews. Gentiles probably wouldn’t even know these stories, but Jews, even ones from the first century would.

As we can see from looking at the consequences of these stories, rebellion against God can have eternal ramifications. The Jews refused to enter the Promised Land that God had told them to take, so all the Jews above the age of 20 died before anyone was allowed to have another chance to enter into the Promised Land again. Angels were punished for their rebellion and were placed in eternal chains under gloomy darkness. Also, Sodom and Gomorrah was completely destroyed because of sexual immorality and unnatural desires.

God takes rebellion seriously and false teaching is just another form of it. False teachers don’t help the body of Christ, all that they do is lead them away from God and the way He has created everything to be. Regardless if it is those who teach salvation by works, the Health-Wealth-Prosperity Gospel, Mormonism or other crazy heresies, they all end up leading people away from the truth. The list of problems that occur because of false teaching are just as dizzying as the teachings themselves.

But above all that, if you are a teacher, you need to keep James 3:1 in your mind at all times. “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” If you have believed the one true gospel then your salvation is sealed. We all make mistakes at one time or another, even the best teachers of our day have made mistakes while teaching and in their interpretation of the Bible. But when we do, we have to own up to it and make the correction. Maybe if you are unable to teach the Bible properly you should consider stopping for the sake of the body of Christ and even yourself.  

Since I became a teacher, there was a verse that was shared with me that I remind myself of each and every time I teach. It comes from one of my favorite letters in the New Testament and I believe it’s a great verse to set the standard for yourself and your teaching:

“Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.” - Titus 2:7-8

That’s the kind of teacher I strive to be. One of integrity, dignity, sound speech that can’t be condemned by anyone, including God. People may not like what you have to say, but your real concern needs to be what God thinks of what you say.

I encourage anyone one who teaches the Word of God to do the same. Take God seriously. Take teaching seriously.

Grace and Peace to you,

Rob *All scripture is quoted from the ESV (English Standard Version) translation of the Bible.

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Jude: Contend For The Faith

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: May mercy, peace and love be multiplied to you.

- - Jude 1-2 - -

Here is where we start the book of Jude. There isn’t a whole lot to know about Jude himself  except for the fact that he is the brother of James the Apostle (Jude 1), half brother of Jesus (Matt 13:55, Mark 6:3) and he, like James, didn’t believe that Jesus was the Messiah (John 7:5) until after His resurrection (Acts 1:14).

I’ll be honest, every time I think of this book I hear Sir Paul McCartney begin to sing, “Hey Jude”. McCartney wrote the song to a boy by the name of Julius Lennon who was dealing with the unfaithfulness of his father John Lennon, on the other hand, Jude wrote this letter to a church that had problems of their own. These people were likely Jewish because on multiple occasions Jude makes references that would be relevant to Jews, not to Gentiles. So what does Jude have to say to us?

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

- - Jude 3-4 - -

So, Jude didn’t write the letter that he originally wanted to write. He could’ve been prioritizing and telling these people what they needed to know right now instead of what he wanted to tell them. However, being that this book is part of scripture, which is inspired by the Holy Spirit and breathed out by God (2 Tim 3:16-17), I can’t help but believe that this change in Jude’s topics was prompted by the Holy Spirit.

Jude wrote here that these people, which includes us, are to “contend for the faith” because people who “pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” have snuck into the body of believers. In other words, the problem in this church is false teachers. They had them thousands of years ago, we most certainly have them today and we are to contend with those who pervert the grace of our God.

To contend for something is to go to battle against an opponent for it. The Greek word for contend is an athletic word from which we get the word agonize. An athlete will go through some sort of agony to try win a competition against a competitor. We will have to struggle and fight because contending for the faith isn’t easy. It will likely be grueling. This is where we have to be careful though. We shouldn’t intentionally cause divisions within a body of believers that are essentially on the same side. There are several examples of those who contend carelessly all throughout history, including the past few years. Each result has been destructive rather than productive in building the body of Christ.  We are not to stir up divisions among our brother and sisters in Christ.

That being said, what does Jude mean here when he tells us to “contend for the faith”? He isn’t just broadly talking about anything when it comes to faith. He’s referring to the truth of what Jesus has done and the salvation that He brings to us. In other words, the gospel. The gospel is the most important teaching in the Bible and it’s intertwined through all scripture. But why should we really contend for it? Is it really that big deal if it is changed a little? Let’s look at the trouble that changing the gospel can bring.

Changing the Gospel Breaks The Foundation Of the Bible The Gospel is the foundation of everything that the Bible teaches. Paul tells us that the Gospel is “of first importance” (1 Cor 15:1-5). Without it, we run into innumerable problems with anything from handling laws to the nature and character of God. Legalism, Health/Wealth/Prosperity and any other false Gospel wreck the Bible’s cohesiveness, some more than others. There is only one Gospel (Gal 1:6-9) and it’s the one that the Bible contains. We contend for the faith by sticking close to the one true Gospel so that our theology and the theology of others isn’t fractured.

Changing the Gospel Makes False Converts Before I say anything else. Could someone hear a perverted gospel and still be saved by hearing and understanding the parts that are true (if any). I think so. But could someone believe a perverted gospel and be saved? No, I don’t see how they can. One can only be saved by hearing the truth that is found in the one and only Gospel of  Jesus Christ. In my experience, there are churches that have shared the true Gospel without anything added during their alter call but then have their own agenda once this new Christian becomes more involved. Some churches add to the gospel while newly found Christians are being instructed in discipleship training or one on one mentorship. Personally, I become bothered by this and find it difficult to understand why it is done. It feels as though they try to hide their true colors until people commit to their church.   We have to clearly speak the Gospel with our mouths so that it is clearly understood with no additions. In Galatians 3, Paul shares a little bit about how clearly he shared the Gospel with the Galatians: “It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.” (v.1b) They didn’t actually see Jesus crucified, but Paul spoke the Gospel in such a clear way that it was as if they were at Golgotha and witnessed this Crucifixion. We need to contend for the faith this way, by sharing the Gospel this clearly and warning others of the way that they can be deceived by false gospels that may come from the mouths of others.

Dealing with these two problems can be really frustrating, at times a little maddening, but there is more at stake than any old doctrine. This is Gospel. It’s the message that saves and we can’t afford to mess this up. We have to get this right. The lives of millions depend on it. I think it’s appropriate to share one last little scripture from 1 Timothy 6. I hope that it encourages you and emboldens you like it has for me.

"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (v.13)

Grace and peace to you,

Rob

*All scripture is quoted from the ESV (English Standard Version) translation of the Bible.

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4 Ways To Lead A Terrible Bible Study

Leading a Bible Study can be an incredibly fun way to serve in the church, but it is very easy for it to turn into a disaster if you don’t know what you are doing. I have lead or joined in on many Bible studies over the past 3 years. I’ve seen Bible studies go really well, and I’ve seen them go really bad. I’m not a seriously seasoned expert but I can offer some advice that may help some who are beginning to lead a Bible study or advice for those who have been at it for a while.

At one point or another I have done every single thing one this list…. plus a lot more. I learned the hard way a few times and other times i had people gracefully share these with me. I want every person who is reading, who leads a Bible study or small group, or may lead one in the future to lead a group that glorifies God and edifies the church.

That being said, what are some ways to lead a terrible Bible Study?

1. Don’t come prepared

Do you want to totally confuse people and show that you really don’t care that much about what you’re doing? Don’t come prepared. I’ve heard the “you don’t need to prep, just let the Holy Spirit lead you through it.” Do you know what that is? That’s a cop-out for not taking your responsibility seriously. The Holy Spirit should be guiding you through what you teach, but he’s good at helping you prep a message before you give it.

Now I can say safely that on 1 or 2 occasions that I had little to no time to prep because I found out 15 minutes before I was going to teach that I was going to be teaching. I relied on God in that moment, I delivered a short message, everything went great and I fully believe that God did all the work. The difference between what I did and what I’m telling you not to do is I didn’t procrastinate.

Don’t put yourself in a situation where you have to wing it without prep. Things happen where you can’t prep much if at all, but don’t make a habit out of it.

2. Leave out prayer

As a teacher, I tend to be all about studying and reading with very little prayer. Being that I tend to pray a lot less than I should I had a tendency to just being teaching without praying before or after.

To be perfectly clear, don’t skip out on the prayer. While you are at a study to learn more about God and grow in your relationship with him, communing with Him is also incredibly important. Before the lesson pray for the lesson and ask God to join you all in this time of study. Take prayer requests or leave it open to people to pray for what ever is on their heart.

Prayer is crucial. Don’t skip out on it.

3. Don’t respect other people or their intelligence.

Believe it or not, the people you are teaching to don’t know everything about the Bible and God himself. And even when they do believe something, chances are that someone will have a belief that will contradict what you’re saying. Guess what many of  them are going to want to do: ask you question.

Whenever you receive a question always respect the person and their intelligence. Never treat them like an idiot. Some people are new Christians and others are very seasoned. Regardless of their maturity, treat them like an intelligent being. If you don’t respect them they will shut down and will not listen to you.

If for some reason you don’t know an answer to their question, go seek out an answer and later share your answer will them when you see them next. Care for the people that you are leading.

4. Run down Rabbit Trails… Lots of Rabbit Trails

Noting helps people lose focus and track of the point of a Bible Study than a leader who feels the need to run down every single rabbit trail that comes about. Rabbit Trails are not taking the subject matter to a deeper level but it is a rant or story that provides little to no value to what you are trying to communicate.

I was in a sunday school class that had a teacher that could have cut his teaching from an hour all the way down to maybe 25-30 minutes if he took out all the stories and rants that had little to do with what he was talking about. I couldn’t follow him and he was entirely boring. It got to the point after a few months where I couldn’t take it anymore and I ditched the class. When his class would be the next one up on the list, I would skip out and just study the Bible on my own in the cafe.

Save the rest of the people in the study from boredom, don’t run down every rabbit trail that comes along.

Grace and Peace to you,

Rob

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The Bible: Dwell Deep

I love to read many of the old writings from famous puritans like Augustine, Edwards, Calvin and Luther. There is something about what they write that is so often very striking and thought provoking. I sat the other day and asked myself, “What is it about these things that were written long ago that makes them rock the minds of people?” I don’t think that it’s necessarily the way that is written or the old English, I think it is the fact that the men that wrote these things were thinking deeply about God and His word. This act of thinking deeply is also called meditation.

Meditation can be an interesting word to ask other people about. People will give you many different answers. I think the picture that most people paint is someone sitting on a mat, burning incense, eyes closed, their hands held out, touching a few fingers together, humming or chanting for a certain period of time. Some christians say that it simply is prayer. While prayer is a part of mediation, there is so much more to it than just prayer.

I would describe meditation this way:

“A quite act of pursuing God and the deepest parts of Him by focusing and thinking deeply on His written word and the world He created around us.”

In my experience, most people who are around my age that call themselves Christians don’t think deeply about what they just read or heard from the Bible. They read through it like a news article or a Facebook post. They don’t really think about what they just read once they close the book or shut down their Bible app. They check off the box saying that they read their Bible today. Maybe they did learn something from it, but thinking deeply about it is not involved at all.

This is one of the great tragedies of today. So many people are in such a hurry with every portion of their life that they never stop and think about what they just read or experienced. If you want to use a common phrase, they don’t “stop and smell the roses”. They just kinda look at the roses and say, “That’s pretty” and then move on.

What if we began to break this trend? What if we really began to think deeply about the things of God? Where would this take our relationship with Him? Where would it take our worship? Where would it take our witness?

I don’t have a whole 3 point lesson to give you on how to stop and think, that would be a little over kill. But more or less, I can provide a few things for you to help you as you stop and think.

1. Clear Your Head and Focus

We all have a million things going on in our lives every day. We think about all of these things and they tend to dominate our thinking…. even when we don’t need to be thinking of them. Do your best to stop thinking about those things, it’s a good idea to ask God to help you clear your head and help you focus on Him.

2. Eliminate Distractions

Yep. Turn that phone off or put it on "do not disturb”. Phones are great things, but they are also great distractions. I know some people have to be on call for work or for a emergency that could happen soon like your wife possible having a baby, but if we are completely honest with ourselves, most of us are not in that position. Maybe you need to shut the door of the room that you are in (Matt 6:6) or go off to a place where no one else is (Mark 1:35). Yes, I know that with kids this can be hard, but do your best!

3. Read Just A Small Portion Of Scripture

You don’t have to read a whole chapter or more a day. God isn’t going to throw a fit at you for not reading half the book of John in a day. I fully believe that God would rather have you learn about Him at a deeper level a little bit at a time instead of just reading a lot about Him without actually taking any of it in. I know I said this in a previous post but I can’t emphasize this enough. LESS IS MORE.

4. Dwell On In

While we are reading less, let’s spend more time on those portions of scripture. You don’t have to jump to a new scripture every single day. We can spend days if not weeks on a scripture. I mentioned this before but I spent a good amount of time on John 3:30. After about a week and a half of writing, meditation and self reflection I learned so much more about where my heart really is and where I need to go in life by thinking on that scripture for as long as I did. Be attentive to the Spirit and allow Him to lead you threw these times. Maybe next time I read through John 3:30 He won’t have me stop there and meditate. Maybe He won’t even have that verse stand out to me, maybe it will be verse 29 instead. Be sensitive to the Spirit.

I hope and pray that my generation and the generation coming up would grow to be thinkers who have deep relationships with God that amplifies there worship of Him and  glorifies Him above all things.

Grace and peace to you,

Rob

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The Bible: Putting On The Right Lenses

In the fallen world that we live in today, some of us are in need of some vision correction. Our eyes are not up to snuff and we can’t see clearly unless we have contacts or glasses. I am one of these people. I wear contacts 90 percent of the time, but if I’m feeling a little bit lazy in the morning, I may just throw my glasses on for the day. Regardless of what I wear, being able to see correctly is vital. Without it I can’t do my job correctly. I can’t drive safely. I won’t be able to read anything that is a foot away from my face or be able to play video games. Being able to see correctly is vital, and being able to read the word of God with the correct lenses on is critical, and I’m not talking about your actual glasses or contacts.

I believe that I heard about “putting on the right lenses” from Tim Keller. Looking at the Bible with the correct lenses on is invaluable to seeing God as He truly is. If we don’t see God for who He truly is, then when we think about God, it’s really not God we’re thinking about, it’s someone else.

So what are some of the lenses that we need to look at the Bible with?

1. The Bible is a Book about God, not about you.

To clarify before I start: Yes, the Bible does tell us about us and we can understand ourselves better by reading the Bible, but we are far, far from the point or the focus of the Bible. I would call the Bible, God’s auto-biography. The writer, Frank Powell, said, “The Bible is not the roadmap to life. It is the roadmap to God.” Part of reading the word of God is to grow in a relationship with God. It’s just like when you talk and interact with a friend, family member or spouse. The more time you talk and interact with them, the closer you grow to them. The same works with the Bible if you read it with the mindset of getting to know God better. The more you read it, the closer you will grow in a relationship with Him.

So next time when you are reading your Bible, look at all the text as words given to us by God to help us understand Him in a greater way.

2. The Old Testament Points to Jesus and the New Testament Flows from Jesus

From the fall all the way to the end of revelation, the story that can be found through the whole Bible is God restoring everything back to Himself and its former perfection. In Genesis 3 we see that sin entered the world when mankind betrayed God. Mankind was unable to be restored back to perfection by his own effort and was in need of a Savior that would live a perfect life.

When we look at the people in the Old Testament I think we tend to look at them as the heroes of the Bible, when really they were just as flawed and in need of a Savior  as we are. They were waiting for a Savior to come. They knew He was coming. The Old Testament points to Jesus and the need for Him.

In the New Testament He came, lived the perfect life that we could not live, paid the price we couldn’t pay, and rose to life so we could have life. Everything changed after Jesus rose from the grave. The Apostles went out along with the rest of the believers and spread the good news about Jesus to everyone they could. The New Testament was written by the Apostles or people who were around the Apostles. Without the apostles, we wouldn’t have the New Testament. The New Testament flows from Jesus and shows that we can be saved.

The Gospel is threaded through the whole Bible. You need both the Old and New Testament to tell it. When you read any passage in the Bible think of how this fits into the redemption narrative in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament.

These two points I believe are the more important of them all and are  foundational to our sanctification as believers, our relationship with Christ, our joy and for the glory of God.

Remember: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” - 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Happy reading!

Grave and peace to you,

Rob

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The Bible: 6 Ways We Hurt Our Studies and Devotions

Today we are starting a series about the Bible, more specifically, how we read the Bible and understand it. If you know me well, it’s not a secret that I love the Bible.  I get giddy about Bible Study, I look forward to reading it during my breaks at work, I enjoy writing about it (if you couldn’t tell) and I love to teach it to other people. If you know me well enough to know that I love the word of God, you will also know that I get slightly irritated when people think the Bible is all about us, or they twist the Bible to make it say what they want it to say or if they (…drum role) use it out of context. Now, before I continue on, I should tell you that I am not the best Bible scholar in the world. I’m not the authority, but I want to do all that I can to make sure that people are at least using the word properly so that God is glorified and so that we learn who He really is. This series aims to improve our understanding of the Bible and to enhance how we read it.  It’s worth it to get this right. This week, I want to bring up some of the mistakes that we make while studying and reading the Bible in our devotions as well as point us towards solutions. If we had all the time in the world, we could address many more mistakes that we (myself included) make, but that list would be an exhausting and every growing so we will keep the list to 6 for right now. So what are some of the ways we hurt our devotions and study of the word?

1. We make it work and not a joy

Most of us probably work a good portion of the day or we go to class all day, which in and of itself can feel like work sometimes. Often we even make our time in the word work. It very easy to do because it has everything to do with your approach and attitude. Simply put, “Why do you read the Bible”?

One of the ways that we grow in our relationship with God is by reading His word and understanding it. In a way, it’s the same as you talking to your spouse or significant other. If you love that person enough to call them your spouse then you will talk to them not just to have conversation, but to know them at a deeper level. From experience, it’s a lot of fun to begin to know all the little details about your spouse. Our relationship with God is no different. If we want to know the God of the universe that loves us, has shown us grace, mercy and is patient with us, then one of the best ways (including prayer) is by reading the Book that is all about Him. Learn the promises that He has made to you. Let Him comfort you and bring you peace. Allow your time in the word to be motivated by joy and gladness for God.

2. We punish ourselves if we miss a day

Overachievers can really be hard on themselves for missing a day of devotions. Let me be frank: God is a lot less peeved at you then you are at yourself. In fact, He is not likely to be mad at you at all. Reading the Bible each day just to check off the box  isn’t how you build a relationship with God, it is actually called religion. What’s more important is doing something with what you have learned, maybe you read a text one day and you think and dwell on it for a day or two. There is nothing wrong with that, in fact I encourage it. Don’t sweat missing a day. 

3. We jump to commentaries and study notes too quickly

Both commentaries and study notes are incredibly important and useful, but as we continue to interact with God’s word, it also important for us not use them immediately. We need to be able to think for ourselves without the help of other people. Now this does not give you a license to be irresponsible. We are to be careful with it. If we get the Bible wrong then you will develop a view of God that is perverted. However, I don’t believe that our God wants us to simply just form correct views of Him by reading what other people have said about Him. I believe that He wants us to use the brain that He gave us and allow His Holy Spirit to direct our thinking. Next time you want to reach for a commentary or look at the study notes at the bottom of the page, stop and think about what you’re reading for a second. Maybe write down a short note and then, if you wish, go and read some study notes or a commentary on that text. If your response to the text differs from theirs, use wisdom and consider how  the scholar came to his conclusion, he may have thought about it and researched it more in depth than you have. Commentaries are useful but not the end all be all, sometimes we should learn and consider text from the Bible for ourselves.

4. We read too much at one time

I was guilty of this for a long time. I would think that I needed to read 10 chapters a day to be sufficient.  There is nothing wrong with reading a lot in one sitting, but if you are looking to get as much out of what you read as possible, reading a bunch of chapters isn’t the way. Instead, if we want to get a lot out of what we read, we only need to read a few verses and think on those verses as you go throughout the day.  When we only read a few verses at a time, we can digest it more and are less likely to miss something important. Right now, I am reading through the Gospel of John and after 3 days I’m only to verse 15 of the first chapter. I read maybe a paragraph and try to be attentive to the Holy Spirit as He points me towards a verse or two. Less is more.

5. We leave out prayer

This is the one I have to remind myself of all the time. Bible study and devotions are simply just acts of intelligence if we don’t have prayer. With prayer, they are time of spiritual growth that deepen our relationship with God and helps us grow in our knowledge of God. Start your next time of reading or study with prayer asking God to show up, give you understanding and help His living word come alive to you.

6. We don’t let the Bible read us

The word of God is not just something for you to read, but something that changes you. If you are a believer and have spent even just a little time in the Bible, I’m sure that you have had a time when you felt as if the Bible was speaking to you. When it hits an area that you struggle with or points out to you an area that you never knew was dishonoring to God. Leave your heart vulnerable to the word of God and His Holy Spirit, it’s a valuable part of your sanctification.

Hope this helps!

Grace and peace to you,

Rob

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Habakkuk: Joy and Idolatry

Finally, we arrive at the very end of Habakkuk which contains (at least from my observations) the most quoted section of the book. Once we read the whole passage together it probably won’t be hard to figure out why this particular passage is so popular, but let’s take this one step at a time and enjoy it for all it’s worth.

Up to this point, Habakkuk has expressed his frustration with God and the people of Judah. He complained to God and asked why He would allow His people to do all the wicked things that they had done. God responds by saying that He is about to address the wickedness in Judah by sending the Chaldeans (the Babylonians) to punish the people of Judah and drag them off into exile. Naturally, Habakkuk didn’t like this response and then proceeds to tell God what the Chaldeans would do and even goes as far as to claim that God has made man like lower creatures that have no moral accountability. He doesn’t believe that God would actually do what he said he would and runs up to his watch post to wait for God to respond.

Consequently, God speaks and reassures Habakkuk that He will also punish the Chaldeans who are not as righteous as the people of Judah. God then states that it is the righteous shall live by faith. Meaning that because of the faith that the people of Judah posses and the promises that God has made in the past, the people of Judah will persevere through the coming dangers and difficulties. In response to this back and forth conversation with God, Habakkuk breaks out in praise and prayer to God because he knows that God will keep His promises and recalls many historical examples of God’s faithfulness to His people. While Habakkuk quietly waits for death and destruction to come he continues his prayer and makes this statement.

“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,” - Habakkuk 3:17

You may be wondering what is the big deal about this particular list of items. They may not sound like much to those of us who live in an American culture, but to these people, they are all incredibly important items that the people of Judah need on a regular basis in order to survive. These essential items are figs, fruit, olives and sheep. In light of the probability of losing all these items Habakkuk tells us:

“Yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.”  - Habakkuk 3:18-19

As I read those verses over and over again, I immediately thought about Job. He was a man that had everything. He had riches in the form of belongings, a wife, children, workers, land, etc. He had everything that someone at that time could want, but one day, he lost all of it. His animals were taken away or killed, all of his children died and many of his workers were killed.  To make matters worse, his body became covered with sores which he scratched open with a broken piece of pottery. All he was left with was a few foolish friends and a critical wife that saw him suffering and said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die." (Uplifting isn’t she?) However, in the middle of all that is happening, even after losing so much that he found to be valuable he tells us:

"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” - Job 1:21

I know we sing about blessing the name of the Lord in seasons when life is going well, but how can anyone get to the point where they have just had their life ripped apart and they can still bless His name? It happens when someone has put their joy and satisfaction in God instead of the things of this world, even the people we treasure the most. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the things in this world and treasuring people, those things should stir up worship and thanksgiving in our hearts for God (1 Timothy 4:4), but what is wrong is when those things are more important to us than God himself.

So how do we increase our joy for God while avoiding pitfalls that are present in the human heart?

1. Understand that every sin you commit is a form of idolatry.

I was leading a mens group for a while and we did a series on idolatry. However there was a man who was convinced that he had no idols in his life. The problem with this thinking is that means that this gentleman is also saying that he has no sin in his life. All sin is a form of idolatry because in the middle of your sin you are saying, “God and His ways are not as important than what I want.” This is idolatry at its core. If you say you have no idols, then you’re saying that you have no sin. And if you say that you have no sin in your life, then the Bible calls you a liar. (1 John 1:10)

Idols will rob you of joy because everything that can be an idol other than God himself, will eventually let you down. God is the ultimate source of Joy (Colossians 1:18).

2. Continue to develop your relationship with Jesus.

A growing relationship with Jesus is not: - Just going to church each week - Just reading your Bible everyday - Just praying everyday

A growing relationship with Jesus is: - Going to church to worship Jesus in spirit and truth and continuing to grow in your knowledge of Him - Reading your Bible with the intention of knowing about Jesus and knowing His heart so you can become more like Him. - Praying each day with the intention of speaking to Jesus, worshiping Jesus and staying connected with Him.

The closer we grow to Jesus the more we can take joy in Him and the more we will enjoy Him.

3. Understand that you’re not going to do everything perfectly.

Sometimes when we are doing all we can to follow the laws of the Bible and do all that we can to please God, we can actually swing the pendulum too far in the other direction. This is where I hurt myself all too often. I love to try do everything right and I’m really hard on myself when I do something wrong, so I punish myself, but this is contradictory to what God wants us to do. Instead of beating ourselves up when we fail, God wants us to run to Him. When God tells us that He loves us, that is a commitment.

There is a beautiful piece of text in Isaiah 62 that reminds us of this truth:

"You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be married. For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.”

God was committed to His people in the time of Isaiah and He is just as committed to His people today. If you have repented of your sins and believed that Jesus Christ is Lord, then God will not love you any less than He does now. His love for His children is unconditional. He doesn’t look at your last failure and hold it against you. The cross of Jesus Christ paid the price for all sin. The worst of the worst sins and the least of the least sins are all payed for in full. What a wonderful God to take joy in! It’s not an excuse to continue to sin but a truth that should stir our hearts to worship God.

I hope that someday, we can be like Habakkuk and take joy in God even in the worst of times. Until then, lets us continue to chase after Jesus and follow Him even when it doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense to the rest of the world.

Grace and peace to you,

Rob

Recommended reading: Job 1-2 1 Timothy 4:1-5 Isaiah 62:1-5 Colossians 1:15-20 1 John 1:1-10 Ephesians 1

*All scripture is quoted from the ESV (English Standard Version) translation of the Bible.

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Habakkuk: Observing Your Own Prayers

Observation can be a powerful tool. I tend to use it all the time because I’m not always the most verbal person. I’m more of an analytical thinker and observer. I watch and listen to how people talk, what they talk about and what they don’t talk about. I also observe what they wear, how they keep their house or apartment, what kind of physical shape they are in, what kind of pet they have, etc. I don’t do this critically or judgmentally and observation doesn’t replace talking to someone to figure them out but it’s still a valuable way to learn things about them. We are all different, valuable and in many ways, a mystery.

There is also another very valuable way that we can use observation in our own life, by listening to our own prayers. Have you ever done that? Have you ever listened to the words that are coming from your own mouth? While clothing may tell you a lot about someone’s style, your prayers can tell you a lot about how you view God, what you know about God and what your relationship with God is like.

We are going to look at how Habakkuk views God, what he knows about God and what his relationship with God is like using his prayer in Habakkuk 3.

A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth. "O LORD, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O LORD, do I fear. In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy. God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. His splendor covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. Selah

His brightness was like the light; rays flashed from his hand; and there he veiled his power. Before him went pestilence, and plague followed at his heels. He stood and measured the earth; he looked and shook the nations; then the eternal mountains were scattered; the everlasting hills sank low. His were the everlasting ways. I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble. Was your wrath against the rivers, O LORD ? Was your anger against the rivers, or your indignation against the sea, when you rode on your horses, on your chariot of salvation? You stripped the sheath from your bow, calling for many arrows. Selah

You split the earth with rivers. The mountains saw you and writhed; the raging waters swept on; the deep gave forth its voice; it lifted its hands on high. The sun and moon stood still in their place at the light of your arrows as they sped, at the flash of your glittering spear. You marched through the earth in fury; you threshed the nations in anger. You went out for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of your anointed. You crushed the head of the house of the wicked, laying him bare from thigh to neck. Selah

You pierced with his own arrows the heads of his warriors, who came like a whirlwind to scatter me, rejoicing as if to devour the poor in secret. You trampled the sea with your horses, the surging of mighty waters. I hear, and my body trembles; my lips quiver at the sound; rottenness enters into my bones; my legs tremble beneath me. Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon people who invade us.” - Habakkuk 3:1-16

So what can we learn from his prayer? What does Habakkuk’s prayer say about God and what he believes about God? I picked out three that I believe are important for all of us to know and understand.

1. Habakkuk knows God’s word.

“O LORD, I have heard the report of you,” - Habakkuk 3:2aIn numerous portions of this prayer Habakkuk recalls things that have happened in history that God played a large part in. If we read the passage carefully we will see that he “heard” these reports. In that day and age most people would hear the stories and teaching, instead of reading about them. He may have read the scriptures, but he probably heard them in the temple.

- He brings up stories surrounding the exodus multiple times. (v. 8, 13-15) - The story of God making the sun and moon stand still for Joshua. (v.11)

Scripture should shape our prayers and lead us into a greater relationship with God. In our studies and reading we should take all that we learn beyond head knowledge and allow it to enter our hearts.

2. Habakkuk fears God.

“O LORD, do I fear.” - Habakkuk 3:2bThere may be a lot of confusion as to what the fear of God really is. It is described in Hebrews 12:28-29:

“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire."

Reverence and awe are the best ways to describe the fear of God and grasping what that truly means is critical to our relationship with God. Catching a glimpse of the one true God and seeing Him for who He is should stir up in our hearts awe and affection…. but at the same time it should stir up an intense respect for Him. Proverbs 1:7 tells us “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” If you want to know what true wisdom is develop a proper fear of God.

Fearing God is a true sign of knowing who God really is and should bring about genuine worship in the hearts of anyone who believes.

Lastly..

3. Habakkuk knows that God is faithful.

All of the stories that Habakkuk brought up shared same theme: God is faithful to His people. He led His people out of Egypt to save them from slavery. He parted the Red Sea to save them from the Egyptians. He caused the sun and moon to stand still for Joshua and the armies of Israel so they could defeat their enemies. Through this knowledge, Habakkuk understands that God will continue to be faithful to His people and will not abandon them. Habakkuk was going to “quietly wait for the day of trouble” (v.16), a sure sign that he put his trust in God who he knew will judge righteously. He could fully trust God.

Now that we have seen a little bit about how Habakkuk sees God through his prayer, it is time to look at our own prayers. Are your prayers filled with truth about God, praise for Him and requests that are in line with His promises? Or are your prayers filled with misconceived notions about God and are more focused on you than Him?

Give it some thought and pay attention to how you pray.

Grace and peace to you,

Rob

Recommended reading: Song Of Moses - Deuteronomy 32 Hannah’s Prayer - 1 Samuel 2:1-10 Decree of King Darius - Daniel 6:25-28 Jonah’s Prayer - Jonah 2:2-9 The Lord’s Prayer - Matthew 6:5-15 The Magnificat - Luke 2:46-55 The High Priestly Prayer - John 17 Paul’s Prayer for Strength - Ephesians 3:14-21 Paul Prays for the Philippians - Philippians 1:9-11

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Habakkuk: What All of Us Deserve

And the LORD answered me: "Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end--it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith. Moreover, wine is a traitor, an arrogant man who is never at rest. His greed is as wide as Sheol; like death he has never enough. He gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own all peoples.” Habakkuk 2:2-5

Last week we ended our time in Habakkuk looking at faith and why it’s important for any believer. We all need to build our faith with the tools and gifts God has given us. We should remind ourselves of the Gospel daily, know and believe the promises of God and simply ask God to strengthen our faith.

This week, we are going to look at the woes that God pronounced on the Chaldeans. Each woe focuses on one particular area of judgement. It may look like a good amount of text but bear with me as we run through it.

The 5 Woes to the Chaldean’s: 1. Greed - Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him, and say, “Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own--for how long?--and loads himself with pledges!" Will not your debtors suddenly arise, and those awake who will make you tremble? Then you will be spoil for them. Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder you, for the blood of man and violence to the earth, to cities and all who dwell in them. - Habakkuk 2:6-8 2. Reliance of Wealth - "Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high, to be safe from the reach of harm! You have devised shame for your house by cutting off many peoples; you have forfeited your life. For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the woodwork respond. - Habakkuk 2:9-11 3. Injustice - "Woe to him who builds a town with blood and founds a city on iniquity! Behold, is it not from the LORD of hosts that peoples labor merely for fire, and nations weary themselves for nothing? For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. - Habakkuk 2:12-14 4. Violence - "Woe to him who makes his neighbors drink--you pour out your wrath and make them drunk, in order to gaze at their nakedness! You will have your fill of shame instead of glory. Drink, yourself, and show your uncircumcision! The cup in the LORD's right hand will come around to you, and utter shame will come upon your glory! The violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, as will the destruction of the beasts that terrified them, for the blood of man and violence to the earth, to cities and all who dwell in them. - Habakkuk 2:15-17 5. Idolatry - "What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it, a metal image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation when he makes speechless idols! Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a silent stone, Arise! Can this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in it. But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.” - Habakkuk 2:18-20 These are some serious charges that are being made. While God is using the Chaldeans to discipline the people of Judah, He has not turned His back from the wicked deeds that the Chaldeans have committed. God is a God of Love, but He is also a just God who won’t let wickedness go unpunished. We know that this is talking about God’s wrath because of the reference to “the cup” in verse 16, which was also referenced in Luke 22 when Jesus asked the Father to take that cup from Him. We often do not like to talk about God’s wrath. Let’s be honest though, this shouldn’t be our favorite thing to talk about. I would hope that when we talk about the One who we love the most that we would talk about how good He is to us, even in difficult days. However, the wrath of God is also attached to the most loving and gracious act of God, the wrath-absorbing sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.   Since we can’t bury the wrath of God, we can’t hide it and it’s attached to the most important message in human history, here are three things we should remember about God’s wrath.

1. His wrath is different from discipline.

Simply put, wrath is for the unbeliever, discipline is for the believer. A loving father doesn’t release wrath on his children, but instead disciplines them. Hebrews 12:5-11 tells us:

"My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

The discipline of the Lord is one of the ways He molds us into the image of the Son. He does this for our joy and for His glory. Think back to a time when your father (if you had one) disciplined you and you didn’t like it at the time. It may have stung for a bit and you didn’t quite understand why he would do that to you. Now you can look back to see exactly why He did it and you can be thankful for what he did. God is a loving father who is still working things together for your good (Romans 8:28) and this will include discipline.

2. His wrath is what we deserve.

Every single sin that we have ever committed is an act of rebellion against God and He takes sin seriously. Ephesians 2:1-3 tells us:

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience -- among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind."

Did you catch that last part? “…by nature children of wrath.” You’re born that way. You come out of the womb broken. It’s like buying a new laptop and the moment you take it out of the box you notice that a button is missing and the space bar doesn’t work. You are broken from the get-go. Before someone is saved it is impossible for them to please God because they lack faith (Hebrews 11:6) and the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:6-11). We have committed treason against the God of the Universe and what we all deserve is his wrath, however…

3. His Wrath leads us to the Gospel.

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved--and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” - Ephesians 2:4-10

There is not a portion of scripture that I love more than Ephesians 2. When I taught from this passage I saw this particular scripture rock the minds of unbelievers and stir up affections for Jesus in the hearts of those who already knew Him.

If you haven’t believed and repented of your sins, there is a way to live life to the fullest as God intends (John 10:10) and also a way to not experience his wrath when you die. Believe that Jesus is the Son of God who paid the price for your sins, repent of your sins, turn toward Jesus and relentlessly follow Him. He lived the life that you couldn’t live and paid the price that you couldn’t pay. When Christ was on that Cross, He bore the wrath of God that was due to you and made it possible to be reconciled with God. It’s a gift. Please take it. It’s free to you. The price was paid so that you can be saved. Ask for his forgiveness and believe right now if you haven’t yet. Don’t wait.

If you already believe, constantly remind yourself of this passage or even try to memorize it.

Remind yourself of the Gospel each and everyday.

God is a just judge, but He is also a loving Father. He will joyfully welcome anyone who wishes to be reconciled to Him. He will lead you into a greater life and a greater joy.  He will line you up with the way that He intended for us.

To quote our Savior: “I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” - John 14:6

Life is found in Jesus. Take it.

Grace and peace to you,

Rob Recommended reading: John 14 Ephesians 2 Hebrews 12 (yes, again)

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Habakkuk: The Righteous Shall Live By His Faith

Last week as we began to walk through the book of Habakkuk we learned that God is sending the Chaldeans (the Babylonians), who “are dreaded and fearsome," to bring justice against Judah, God’s very own people, because of their unfaithfulness and wretchedness. Yes, the God of love, grace, and mercy is sending violent people to drag His own people into exile. Even though it may sound contradictory to call God good, all of what is being done is for the good of those who love God.

Today we return to the pages that were penned by a frustrated Habakkuk. A prophet that as we will see today, wasn’t crazy about God’s response to his first complaint and has something else to say.

Are you not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O Lord, you have ordained them as a judgment, and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof. You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he? You make mankind like the fish of the sea, like crawling things that have no ruler. - Habakkuk 1:12-14

At first, Habakkuk’s response sounded like it going to be positive, Habakkuk states that he knows that God lives forever (everlasting) and that he has made his foundation in God and in His promises. He seems to have a good theology, however, he turns the other way and asks why God would He allow wicked people to destroy those who are "more righteous.”  He challenges God by stating that He seems to have made man like a lower creature lacking in any moral accountability. He goes on to say:

He brings all of them up with a hook; he drags them out with his net; he gathers them in his dragnet; so he rejoices and is glad. Therefore he sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his dragnet; for by them he lives in luxury, and his food is rich. Is he then to keep on emptying his net and mercilessly killing nations forever? I will take my stand at my watch-post and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint. - Habakkuk 1:15-2:1

I like the use of imagery here. He describes the Chaldeans as dragging the people of God into exile like a fisherman dragging his catch out of the water and taking it as his own, it provides an interesting picture of how the Chaldeans conquer nations and people groups.

That being said, Habakkuk seems to be talking with a bit of swagger here. Going up into his watch post seems to me to be almost like a dare to God. A dare to rebuke him. I can remember times in my life when I was told that something bad was going to happen as a result of something that I did.  I had a similar response that was filled with swagger, except I ran to my room instead of a watch tower. (I didn’t have one of those handy.) Of course God does have something to say to Habakkuk in return:

And the LORD answered me: "Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it."

Scary...

"For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end--it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.” - Habakkuk 2:2-4

Did that last verse sound familiar? I’m guessing that most of you have probably read it or heard it quoted before, but I’m guessing many of you never read it from the original source (that being Habakkuk).

"The righteous shall live by his faith” is the hinge that the book of Habakkuk swings on. With all of this talk about going through difficult times and situations that seem hopeless, faith is what sustains us through it all. Faith is absolutely necessary. No ifs, ands, or buts. What we need to understand before we move on is that the faith that you possess is a gift from God, not something that you worked up or earned (Ephesians 2:8). In light of that, since it’s a gift from God, you can’t boast about your salvation or faith. God owns the glory for that. Since we are talking about faith, lets go back to the basics for a minute and define it.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” - Hebrews 11:1

I bet that many of you who are believers can quote a variation of that verse. If you don’t have that verse memorized I highly recommend that you learn it. Write it somewhere you will constantly see it. Highlight it, journal about it, repeat it. Whatever it takes. Soak that one in.

Since faith is what sustains us in difficult days, how do we go about strengthening it? The Bible gives us a number of ways to do this:

1. Remind ourselves of The Gospel daily:

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:1-2:

"Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you--unless you believed in vain."

The Gospel tells us three things in this passage:

Which you received - You were saved by hearing the Gospel and this was the beginning of your Christian life. (Past tense)

In which you stand - Being reminded of the Gospel constantly stirs up a gladness and reminds you of the love of God and it becomes a source of strength in the life of believers. (Present tense)

By which you are being saved - Your eternal reward that was won for you by the death of Jesus Christ. (Future tense)

Focus in on the second point “In which you stand.” Constantly reminding yourself of the Gospel stirs up your affections for Jesus but it also builds up your faith because you are reminded of God’s love and the fact that God will never leave you or forsake you. When you belong to Him, it is forever. There is nothing that you can do to make Him love you more and nothing that you can do that will make Him love you less. Martin Luther once said, “I remind myself of the Gospel daily because I forget the Gospel daily.” He’s not saying that he forgot the gospel literally, but that he needs a constant reminder of who God is, what he has done, what He’s doing and what He will do. Remind yourself of the Gospel message daily to strengthen your faith.

2. Understand God’s Promises:

"Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth." - John 17:17

This is coming from Jesus himself as he is praying to the Father. "Your word is truth.” The word (lower case "w”) here is referring to the written word of God that we would call the scriptures. This means that when God makes a promise to everyone who is reading (keep the passages in context), we can know and trust that God is going to keep that promise. So God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9), you can cast your anxieties on Him because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:6-7), nothing will be able to separate you from Him (Romans 8:38-39) and He gives believers eternal life and no one (that includes you) can take that from you (John 10:28-29). And on and on we could go… God always keeps His promises. Know that truth and let it strengthen your faith.

3. Ask Him to strengthen our faith:

Yeah, just ask. If you find that you are struggling to believe, ask him to help you believe like he did for the father whose child had an unclean spirit. He asked Jesus to help his unbelief (Mark 9:14-29).

In your daily walk with Jesus, do these things. They will not keep you from hurting, getting sick, or experiencing terrible things in life, but they will strengthen your faith and allow you to make Jesus the anchor of your soul in every day life including the dark days (Hebrews 6:19). Remember, turn your eyes upon Jesus (Hebrews 12:2).

Grace and peace to you,

Rob

Recommended reading: Psalm 19 Mark 9:14-29 John 17 1 Corinthians 15 Hebrews 6:13-20 Hebrews 11-12

*All scripture is quoted from the ESV (English Standard Version) translation of the Bible.

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Habakkuk: What Are You Doing!?

The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw. - Habakkuk 1:1 

So here we start the book of Habakkuk. Habakkuk is a Minor Prophet in the last quarter of the Old Testament. What we know about this prophet is that he apparently had a watch post (see Habakkuk 2:1), his name means “Embrace” and he at least lived before Israel’s exile. Other than that, we don’t know much about him, and that’s ok because what he has to say about God is more important, which we will read in the following verses.

O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you "Violence!" and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted. - Habakkuk 1:2-4

He doesn’t sound too happy does he? He has been witnessing the Fall of Judah since the death of Josiah. The people of God have turned from the Law and God himself. They do whatever they please, even after being called to repentance and already seeing Israel get laid to waste by the Assyrians. They have yet to turn back to God but in the midst of this and all their disobedience, of all things, Habakkuk is frustrated with God. He is asking the question that many of us ask in moments where nothing seems to be going right. “Why are you letting this happen?” Do you remember the last time that you were to this point that Habakkuk is at? You may actually be in the middle of a moment like this right now. “Come on God! Why don’t you seem to care!? Things are awful...!"

Many believers seek guidance, healing in prayer but often God doesn’t seem to be changing your circumstances.  Times like these are frustrating, and it's not necessarily because of a lack of faith. Even though God isn’t changing your circumstances, it doesn’t mean that He is not at work or is indifferent about you and what's happening. The ways that he works is not always the way we think things should be done and His timing may be slower than we wish it was, but His way is perfect (Psalm 18:30) and Paul tells us in Romans 11: 33, "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!" Habakkuk is about to find out all that God has planned.

"Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.” - Habakkuk 1:5

Sounds pretty awesome doesn’t it? I’m doing something that you wouldn’t believe me even if I told you. Sounds like a verse to highlight in your Bible or maybe throw on a t-shirt or tell to someone who is in a terrible place in life, right? Before you highlight anything or quote it to someone in a difficult time, lets see what what this work is that God is doing. (You gotta keep the verse in context.)

For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth, to seize dwellings not their own. They are dreaded and fearsome; their justice and dignity go forth from themselves. Their horses are swifter than leopards, more fierce than the evening wolves; their horsemen press proudly on. Their horsemen come from afar; they fly like an eagle swift to devour. They all come for violence, all their faces forward. They gather captives like sand. At kings they scoff, and at rulers they laugh. They laugh at every fortress, for they pile up earth and take it. Then they sweep by like the wind and go on, guilty men, whose own might is their god! - Habakkuk 1:6-11 

So much for a great verse to memorize and put on a t-shirt. God isn’t doing something that is pleasant at all here, in fact it sounds terrifying. God is sending the most violent and ruthless people on the planet after the people of Judah to bring judgment for their lack of repentance. The Chaldeans ( or Babylonians if you are reading the NIV ) will kill thousands, destroy the city and drag off the people of Judah off to exile in Babylon. So... this the same God that is called a God of love and grace and mercy? Yes, this is Him, but He takes lack of repentance very, very seriously. If you don't believe me, look at the reality of hell. But with all this, as strange as this sounds…. this use of evil is meant for good. God didn’t create evil, but He can still use it for His purposes and even for our good (Romans 8:28). What we have to understand is that when it says “good” in Romans 8:28 that doesn't mean comfort. Comfort is a crummy idol that you can chase for your whole life and it always runs a little quicker than you and right when you think you got it, it will escape.

Now Judah is being punished for a lack of repentance, but just because you are going through a difficult time doesn’t mean it’s because of anything that you did wrong. Please don’t make that false assumption. Life as hard as it may be isn’t about your comfort, and God isn’t about your comfort either.

In light of all of this, what we need is not comfort, but a proper mindset and understanding of what can come from difficult times and how God can use evil and suffering for our good.

1. We can learn that true joy is found in God and his promises, not in our circumstances. If we try to put our joy in anything other than God than we will always be let down. You will find out as you go through life that you are not as in control as you wish you were. Life likes to jerk the wheel from your hand and send you spinning. In moments like that, is when we need our seat belt. God is more greater than your circumstances, and he always keeps his promises. He will not leave you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6), in his presence is fullness of joy and at his right hand are pleasures forever more (Psalm 16:11).

2. Our faith can be strengthened James 1 tells us: "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

3. We can develop an eternal mindset. In Romans 8, Paul, the author is in prison and has been suffering greatly at the hands of people. But even after all the beatings and threats he says this in verse 18: "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” All the imperfections, difficulties in this life will be gone when we are introduced to the New Heaven, where we will be eternal. Eternal is forever, this life and our circumstances are infinitely shorter.

4. Draw closer to Jesus, He is empathetic. You can read through the gospels and see that our savior experienced many things that you and I experience. He was betrayed and abandoned by those who he was closest to, He was overwhelmed, He felt loss when a friend died and He suffered and died an agonizing death. He isn’t a king who can’t sympathize with you, He knows what it’s like. And when He lets you go through these hard times, It brings you closer to Him so that you can see Him as your greatest treasure. In 1922 Helen H. Lemmel wrote these words inspired by Hebrews 12:2:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.

Remember the words of that hymn. They are timeless and they are true. God has not abandoned you. Draw near to him and he will draw near to you (James 4:8). Next week we will look at Habakkuk’s response to God and how God responds back to him again.

Grace and peace to you,

Rob

Recommended reading: Genesis 37-50 Job Psalm 16 Romans 8 2 Corinthians 11:16-33 Hebrews 12

*All scripture is quoted from the ESV (English Standard Version) translation of the Bible.

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What is this Blog is for?

So I finally decided to begin a blog after a push that I believe came from God. I know that probably most of you at some point or another during the week read a blog or maybe even write your own. So you may be wondering a few things, what’s with the name “Concise Alignment” and what is your goal?

The name and my goal are both related and inseparable. I wish to write a blog that is not only clear and easy to understand (concise), but will also realign people with what the Bible really says (alignment). I’ve come to find that in the world we live in today, many people are very ignorant to what the Bible really says about…well, anything. Really weird ideas about heaven, odd ideas and “verses” that are not present in or supported by the Bible, twisted views of who Jesus really is, and on and on we could go.

So this blog is for the unbeliever but it is also for the believer. Yes, I am fully aware that someone out there, maybe even you, will have a problem with something that I say at some point. I am not infallible, but I will be doing everything I can to faithfully proclaim the word of God. I have a few things that I will not budge on and that’s because I have spent hours and hours (maybe days) on that subject and I believe with all my heart that the Bible either does or does not support it. Period. If you have questions feel free to ask me.

So I hope in the following days and weeks that you will give my blog a chance and hopefully learn something. The first series that I will be doing will be a exposition of the book of Habakkuk. It’s a rather important book that many don’t take the time to study or even read for that matter. I will try to keep the blog at a length that isn’t too short and isn’t too long. It will take me some time to nail that down. I will gladly take some feedback from all of you who read.

Looking forward to traveling down this new avenue!

Rob