Proverbs 26 (a day late)

⁴ Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
   or you yourself will be just like him.
⁵ Answer a fool according to his folly,
   or he will be wise in his own eyes.


THE SKY IS FALLING, THE SKY IS FALLING! THE BIBLE IS CONTRADICTING ITSELF! AAAAAAHHH! This is a great passage for lots of debate on its meaning. I don't actually believe these to be contradictory. We have to understand, for starters, that the Proverbs aren't airtight promises, but general principles that generally prove to be true. Since "fool" is often the name given to the person rejecting God, I believe these passages are talking about speaking to such "fools" about faith in faith-terms. If an atheist challenges your theology and you don't respond, verse 5 will be proven true. That person, who prides himself or herself in logical thought, will puff themselves and their cleverness up, since they were able to stump the Christian in the Christian's own belief system. However, if you do bite at the fool's bait and open the dialogue, you may fall into several traps. You may end up fighting an uphill battle that you will never win because a hardened heart stands in your way. You may also find yourself actually getting to a place where you allow such a "fool" to impact your faith. It may begin with subtleties and small concessions to their way of thinking, or it may be with a theological haymaker they drop on you that you don't know the answer to. Many people have lost faith because the naysayers say it just doesn't make sense. 


But here's their folly: atheists (often) know just enough scripture to make them dangerous. They know some key passages and verses that drive their point home, but often miss context and big-picture concepts. They take this limited understanding and base their theology (what they believe about God) around it, allowing their minds to run wild with limited information. If their folly is limited knowledge, then we need to combat this with truly knowing the Word of God. We need to see through these arguments, know what we believe about God, sin, salvation, Christ, grace, love, justice, angels, demons, judgement, etc. We need to seek it out in the pages of the Bible and trust God's Holy Spirit to do the talking, instead of our own logic. In this way we can avoid answering them according to their own folly. 


I believe these two verses, rather than contradicting, are exposing both extremes in a situation, and encouraging a balance on the part of the believer.

Proverbs 24

¹⁰ If you falter in a time of trouble,
   how small is your strength!


Boom. There it is. You don't get more plainly stated than that.


Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!!!

Proverbs 23

¹⁷ Do not let your heart envy sinners,
   but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD.
¹⁸ There is surely a future hope for you,
   and your hope will not be cut off.

Proverbs 22

⁶ Direct your children onto the right path,
      and when they are older, they will not leave it.


This is one of the more popular or well known proverbs in the book. But I thought it would be interesting to look at this through the lens of God being our eternal father, since Jesus told us we should be like children (Matt 19:13-15). If we can become like children, God will train us to see and follow the right path. The more often you follow that guidance and stay on the path the more natural that will feel in difficult times. But we have to be like children. We should be curious, pure, loyal and trusting towards God's plan. 

Proverbs 20

² Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!”
   Wait for the LORD, and he will avenge you.


There is a lot in the Bible about this and, while it's a really difficult concept to grasp and carry with us through our day, the days that we do will be so freeing. The idea here is that God's judgment will take care of those that do wrong and live in sin. We have our reward elsewhere! Jesus even preaches a similar message in Matthew 6 by saying those that give so others can see (earthly motives), pray so others will be impressed with their "God Vocab" (earthly motives) and those who fast so others will see how much of a struggle it is (earthly motives) have all received their reward in full, in the form of earthly blessing. Living for that final day of glory will lift you out of a lot of the stuff we tend to get stuck in!

Proverbs 19

¹¹ A person’s wisdom yields patience; 
   it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense
I don't know about you, but working through this book of proverbs has been a huge blessing, and one of the ways has been in patience. As I've read over and over the proverbs dealing with patience, I can't help but think of them when I am in the perfect position to let off some steam. It's because of this study that I've been more able to restrain myself in those situations! 

Proverbs 18

12 Before his downfall a man's heart is proud,
     but humility comes before honor

This comes in all situations. For me and my past, I read this through an "addict falling off the wagon" lens, where the most likely time to slip back into old habits is when you start to get proud of how far you've come, or prideful enough to think the temptation is not that bad anymore. But I think this comes in almost every area of life. When we get prideful we become less worried about others. That puts relationships on the fritz and leads to arguments and quarrels. When we think we are too big to be beat, we stop leaning on God to get us through each day and we end up making mistakes that may have dire consequences.

Proverbs 17

17 A friend loves at all times,
     and a brother is born for adversity.


I thought this was extremely uplifting. It's yet another reminder that we weren't built to go through life's storms alone. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says:
     ⁹ Two are better than one,
        because they have a good return for their labor:
     ¹⁰ If either of them falls down,
        one can help the other up.
      But pity anyone who falls
        and has no one to help them up.
and Proverbs 27:17 says "as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." I just love the message that we need to lean on each other and be available for others to lean on us. Uplifting and challenging message today.

Proverbs 16

6 Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for;
       through the fear of the LORD a man avoids evil.

I've always loved verses like this. While on the surface the Old Testament seems to be about rules and regulations while the NT is about grace and love, Old Testament verses like this show us God's heart has always been for us to love and be faithful and to fear him. I love finding places where we see God's New Testament message within the OT.

Proverbs 15

²¹ Folly brings joy to one who has no sense,
   but whoever has understanding keeps a straight course.
 ²² Plans fail for lack of counsel,
   but with many advisers they succeed.


I don't know whether these were meant to be read together or not but my eye read them as one and I'm thinking that is an interesting thought. Plans without counsel, ultimately will fail. Those where you seek advice, not just from one person but from MANY, will succeed. I think this applies for all areas of life, faith included. It is good to have spiritual advisers that we go to in helping us make decisions.

Proverbs 14

¹⁰ Each heart knows its own bitterness,
   and no one else can share its joy.


I think what this is saying is that we need to be aware of what is really on our heart, but also that we need to be cautious when judging other people's motives and actions, because only that person knows what is written on their heart.

Proverbs 13

 ³ Those who guard their lips preserve their lives,
   but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.


One of the over-arching themes in Proverbs is seeing the blessing behind living a disciplined life. We will all want to pop off when someone does us wrong. The mature believer isn't exempt form this, but will be disciplined enough to refrain. For me it's not so much what I say as the tone I take as soon as I feel unfairly treated. This is one of the hardest areas of discipline to conquer. I pray that this study will help us to get there!

Proverbs 12

1Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
   but whoever hates correction is stupid.


Wow. Bold words, but how often, when someone tries to correct us, even in love, fly off the handle and get upset? This hit me pretty hard today. 

Proverbs 11

³ The integrity of the upright guides them,
   but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

Proverbs 10

Today, there were a couple of verses back to back that talked about laziness. It has been made clear to me that just having God's will is not always enough. God's will gives you an opportunity and he needs faithful servants to take the opportunities they are given. Sometimes it takes hard work on our part. Here are the verses:


⁴ Lazy hands make for poverty,
   but diligent hands bring wealth.
 ⁵ He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son,
   but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

Proverbs 9

 ⁷ Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults; 
   whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse. 
⁸ Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; 
   rebuke the wise and they will love you. 
⁹ Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; 
   teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.


This is a great reminder! Many Christians, myself included, forget that we can't try to correct non-Christians' ways of thinking by telling them that it is un-Christ-like. Our primary audience for Christian accountability ought to be those in fellowship around us. How much more receptive will someone be if they are already striving to live for Christ? When dealing with non-believers, it may be helpful to remember that Jesus often used parables and the prophets used metaphors to bring God's word to an ungodly people. 

Proverbs 8

No post from me today. What did YOU get out of Proverbs 8?

Proverbs 7

I feel like it is necessary to go a little more in depth in this chapter. Take the time to read it. I hope it will bless you as you do.

First, I wanted to point out a theme that I've noticed in the first several chapters of this book. The author of these first nine chapters is repeatedly charging the reader with the task of wearing knowledge "around your neck" or "on your heart."

• 1:9 - "chain to adorn your neck;" 
• 3:1 - "keep my commands in your heart;"
•  4:21 - "keep them [words of wisdom] in your heart;" 
• 6:21 - "Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck;"
• 7:1 - "store up my commandments within you;"
• 7:3 - "Write them on the tablet of your heart."

Obviously, there is a symbolism of wearing something around your neck, and it has to do with ancient cultures having amulets that would be worn around the neck and thought to bring good luck or good fortune. By wearing it around the neck it falls right in front of the heart, protecting the wearer from bad fortune. The writer, then, is trying to impress the importance of not just reading these wisdom sayings, but also carrying them with us to protect our heart.

The second theme I'd like to point out is one of adultery. In the first seven chapters of Proverbs, two and a half of those have been solely devoted to adultery. This repetition sends a message that it is one of the primary  destructive forces to wisdom (which is synonymous in this book with Holy living). In chapter 7 specifically, we can learn much about this devastating sin. Proverbs 7:14-20 is a monologue spoken by the adultress and she makes several promises: that she is holy and pleasing to God (v.14), that she finds us attractive (v.15), that it is comfortable and sensual (vv.16-17), that there doesn't need to be an end to the affair (v.18) and that no one has to know (vv.19-20). These are not lies that are uncommon today. This shows us that adultery will be tempting. We cannot make the mistake of thinking we are exempt from such a temptation. If and when the opportunity arises, either in person or otherwise, it will be tempting to take it. Reading on, however, we see that it only leads to death. "Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng. Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death." Allowing ourselves to be taken by this lets impure thoughts and motives into our heart, encroaching on God's real estate. The death referred to hear is the separation from God that occurs as a result of unholy living.

The good news is that this passage also tells us how to fight such a foe. The first way is by paying attention to that theme I mentioned at the beginning of this post. Writing God's truth on your heart is one of the most effective strategies for alleviating sin from our lives. The more we read the more we learn God's character and our heart will become more like his heart. In Ephesians, when Paul describes the armor of God, there is only one offensive weapon, "the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God" (Eph. 6:17). A devotional life is a critical weapon against the devil and his schemes. The second tool this passage outlines lies in verses seven and eight: "I noticed...a youth who lacked judgment. He was going down near her corner," The lack of judgment did not lie in him committing adultery, but in going near the corner where he could be tempted. This is a subtle, yet powerful statement to the power of avoiding sin in our lives, as opposed to trying to stand up to it. In a world where sexualy implicit media is everywhere, this becomes an important strategy to internalize.

Jesus sent the message that the root of sin is a heart issue, and said that even looking on a woman lustfully is the same as committing adultery in your heart. These things reduce his hold on our heart and give it to things that will cloud our spiritual judgment. The author of proverbs makes a bold statement here: Just Stay Away!

Proverbs 6

I had verses 16-19 already highlighted and noted in my Bible. I love that!


¹⁶ There are six things the LORD hates, 
   seven that are detestable to him: 
¹⁷ haughty eyes,
   a lying tongue,
    hands that shed innocent blood, 
¹⁸ a heart that devises wicked schemes, 
   feet that are quick to rush into evil, 
¹⁹ a false witness who pours out lies 
   and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.


This passage serves as a great reminder that there is a place for righteous anger. As we seek in our daily lives to have a heart that is increasingly like God's heart we should also grow to hate the things he hates. The kicker is that I would be willing to bet that we can see more than one of these present in our own heart within the past 30 days. I know I can, and that helps to establish an understanding of the holiness of God and our inability to live up to his standard without help!

Proverbs 5

 ⁷ Now then, my sons, listen to me; 
   do not turn aside from what I say. 
⁸ Keep to a path far from her, 
   do not go near the door of her house, 


Today's passage has an obvious bend on adultery, and while there is much there to be dissected, I liked this verse because it's the charge that hits at the heart of the matter. Don't even go near it. Don't go near things that put your mind in that frame. Stay as far away from sexual immorality as you possibly can. This is a good reminder that the question shouldn't be "how far can I go and stay close to God?," but rather, "what can I do to intentionally draw closer to God."

Proverbs 4

²⁰ My son, pay attention to what I say; 
   turn your ear to my words. 
²¹ Do not let them out of your sight, 
   keep them within your heart; 
²² for they are life to those who find them 
   and health to one’s whole body.


What an awesome encouragement and reminder that God's word can heal even our whole bodies, and revitalize us to find life again!

Proverbs 3

It's interesting being in the position I am, between teaching opportunities and studies, because I have the blessing of reading a lot of scripture, but sometimes I get into a rut of thinking, "this would be a good lesson to teach on," instead of "this cuts to my core and I feel like God's telling me something here." In today's chapter in Proverbs I found a lot of the former and less of the latter, but I want to go personal today, so here is verse7:

Do not be wise in your own eyes.
Fear the Lord and shun evil.

I have found that in countless personal experiences, the times I know a fall is coming is when I read and suddenly find everyone else's flaws in the scripture and have trouble pinpointing my own. I keep finding (repeatedly) that it is healthy to be aware of the ways that we are less than God.

What stuck out to you in this chapter?

Proverbs 2

I had a hard time picking just one passage today, but here it is:

⁴ and if you look for it as for silver
   and search for it as for hidden treasure,
⁵ then you will understand the fear of the LORD
   and find the knowledge of God.


I have always found that God seems closer the harder I pursue Him. I know it sounds cliche, but it's totally true. Mountain-top experiences are a great shot of spiritual adrenaline and you can feel God without putting in a whole lot of effort, but the times that I search, with the intensity of someone looking for lost treasure, are the times that I can see God working in my day to day life. This was a good reminder to me to take action in order to find him.

Proverbs 1

Here's what jumped out to me as I read today's proverb:

Proverbs 1:18-19
¹⁸ These men [described in v. 11-14] lie in wait for their own blood; 
   they ambush only themselves! 
¹⁹ Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain; 
   it takes away the life of those who get it.


This stuck out to me because it seems so often that sinfulness comes out of selfish desires. We do things because we want to do them or the seem best for us, individually. This verse says that all those things will actually be our ruin. 

Proverbs: Getting Started

Overview

The ancient Israelites valued wisdom. Their gatherings in the temple would often involve debate and discussion, and they distinguished knowledge from wisdom this way: Knowledge is factual, wisdom is practical. In other words, wisdom is knowing what to do with the knowledge you have. Solomon was Israel's third king, the second of the permanent Davidic line, and was known to be the wisest of all kings (His full story is in 1 Kings 1-11). He is credited, if not with flat-out authorship, with the inspiration of the majority of the book's "wisdom sayings." These proverbs were never written as one book, but rather collected later in history to form a comprehensive "wisdom book."

Outline

The book begins with seven verses on the purposes of the proverbs. The next nine chapters will hold a wider focus to wisdom in general. These chapters will focus on criminals, a call to be wise, wisdom's rewards, adultery, (twice), business and human choices. After these nine chapters there are thirteen chapters of the "Proverbs of Solomon," believed to come from Solomon's own hand. These are more specific sayings, with ideas generally contained to a verse or two before changing topics. Chapters 22-24 are anonymous "Proverbs of the wise men," while chapters 25-29 hold proverbs of Solomon, but from Hezekiah's (one of the later kings of Judah's) records. The book ends with sections of proverbs from Agur and Lemuel, who are believed to have been Arabian royalty, but whose message stays in line with the teachings of Solomon.

Theme

The general voice of the proverbs preaches a message that, on the one hand, there are those who disobey God's law. These individuals are repeatedly called "fools" and their behaviors are marked as "folly." On the other hand are those who choose to live in line with God's will. These folks are called "wise" and their life choices show "wisdom." 

I know this study will be a huge blessing to everyone who sticks with it. God will speak to you in interesting new ways with each day's proverb. Happy Reading!

The Old Testament in Five Minutes.

As I've studied this semester, I've realized that I knew VERY little about the Old Testament, and have just found the structure of it's composition fascinating. For those of you who have, like me, felt like the Old Testament is under-taught in churches, here is a brief overview of the first 2/3s of our Bible. I'll try to keep to the essentials. Let's start with a basic outline of the history you'll see:

• God chooses Abraham to father his chosen people; 
• God delivers said people from slavery and gives them a promised land; 
• They grow increasingly ungodly; 
• They ask for a physical king to rule over them to be like the surrounding societies; 
• Corruption enters and the kingdom splits ("Israel" in north, "Judah" in south); 
• Corruption gets worse and they get overtaken by Assyrians (northern kingdom) and Babylonians (southern kingdom); 
• They are carried off into exile in Babylon; 
• Then they return to start rebuilding Jerusalem.

The OT takes us up to about 400 b.c. The history is contained in the books from Genesis through Chronicles. If you are looking for the story of Israel, these books tell that comprehensive tale.

The Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy)

Came about in the time of Moses, so some of the pre-mosaic history (Geneis) could be somewhat debatable, but the Theological themes in these first 5 books are nonetheless true. In Genesis, the major storylines are: Eden, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (later Israel). Jacob's 12 sons will become the patriarchs to the 12 tribes of Israel. We end Genesis with Jacob's family in Egypt because of famine. Exodus picks up, and the nation Israel has been put to work in Egypt as slaves. The rest of the Pentateuch (PEN-ta-took) is the story of leaving Egypt (Exodus), Moses and the people at Mt. Sinai (Ex. & Leviticus), then Moses and the people wandering the desert for 40 years before finding Canaan (Lev., Numbers & Deuteronomy), which is now what we know as Israel.

The Historical Books (Joshua, Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1& 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah)

Joshua picks up where Moses leaves off and leads the nation across the Jordan into Canaan. They were told to completely drive out all inhabitants of this land. They failed to do so, the importance of which we'll get to later. There was a time when priests acted as Judges on the land. They gauged the spiritual health of the nation and declared the cost in sacrifices, preached corrective strategy, etc. They grew corrupt. Then came Samuel, a judge who was truly Godly. The people came to him and asked for a human, physical king. He anointed Saul. 2 Samuel is the story of David, Saul's successor. David's line would continue to reign; he'd be followed by his son, Solomon (1 Kings), and then the line would continue (2Kings) until the people were overcome and taken into Exile. A HUGE part of this story is religious apostasy that came from not completely driving inhabitants from the land and the religious compromise that was a result. God used the Assyrians and Babylonians as a tool for divine discipline. 1 & 2 Chronicles are the story of the Kingship of Israel, but written while in exile, which brings a different light to the author's purpose. You will see many stories carry over from Kings to Chronicles, but told with a different perspective. Ezra & Nehemiah recount the first two expeditions back to Jerusalem from Babylon after the exile and recap the beginnings of the rebuilding process. Ezra led the rebuilding of the temple, Nehemiah, the city wall.

What about Ruth and Esther? - Ruth and Esther are not integral to the story of Israel. They read very similarly, like a dramatic story, but are not necessarily a chronological part of the story. There is a lot of good material about living faithfully, the faithfulness of God, etc, and Ruth was part of Jesus' bloodline, but as far as being a significant and integral part of the history, they aren't really.

 Poetical Books (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes)
Called "poetry" because of the form in which they are written. These books are not meant to be read like a story, but to be meditated on and applied to life. Job is about a faithful servant of God, whom God allows to be tempted by Satan to prove his faithfulness. If you read the whole book you will see a lesson underlying it all that sometimes good things happen to good people but we should not question God because we are infinitely less-informed. Psalms are songs and praises. Some point to Jesus, some praise God, some are lamentations. Proverbs are wisdom sayings, largely from Israel's most wise king, Solomon. They aren't promises, but proven by experience to be good sayings to live by, most of the time. Song of Songs is a collection of love songs between a man and wife. They display the beauty that lies within a Godly marriage between man and wife. Ecclesiates is a philosophical and theological book that deals, largely, with the insignificance of the physical life on earth.

The Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi)

These special people were the mouthpiece of God. They start during the Israelite monarchy, and go until the return from exile. Their messages can be cryptic, but almost always possess a certain duality of meaning: simultaneous focus on current issues in society and focus on looking forward to God's provision. These will not extend the history of the Old Testament, but will give more detail to certain parts. Some will speak of the monarchy, some (like Daniel) will give history of time in Babylon. They use a wide variety of literary styles to reach their audience, but their messages are almost always very united: the apostasy in our hearts is a problem, but if we repent and turn wholeheartedly to God, he will lift us up.

I always wished I knew more about the old testament. I hope this will help you because it was always something I wish I had. If you want to explore the Old Testament, I am a big fan of Samuel. Great stuff in there. 

Happy Reading!

Killing two birds with one post.

First "bird" - I just always find it interesting when part of what we discuss in class lines up with Buddy/Richard's sermon for the week. Mostly, it's because I can't decide if it is serendipitous or divinely supervised :) This was the message on Sunday, and was also touched on by James in chapter 3 and in chapter 2. The "deeds" that some think Christians can't be saved without need to come from a willingness and love in our hearts, not from obligation. James' words were, "in the humility that comes from wisdom." I found a verse that speaks to this in 1 Thessalonians. Paul writes this:

2 "We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. 3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 1:2, italics emphasis added by Nick) whole chapter here.

Second "bird" - This week we will be reading James 4:1-12. There is a lot in this passage but one section that always used to give me trouble was verse 9. The "grieve mourn and wail" passage didn't make sense but makes more sense now than it used to. This week I want to challenge you to read this passage daily, but also to dive deeper with verse 9 (and the verses on either side of it, really). What does being commanded to "grieve, mourn and wail" mean to us as Christians today? Does this contradict other scripture about being joyful? Think and pray on the passage this week and ask God to reveal Himself to you through it.

"Faith and Deeds" expanded

The debate between faith and deeds as a means to salvation is one that theologians have debated over for ages. There is a seeming contradiction between James', "you gotta walk the walk" stance (Jas 2:17) and Paul's stance in Romans that no amount of actions can change the fact that we are sinners in need of grace. This week in class (10/31) we will be looking at James 3:13-18. I'd like to key in on verse 13 for some food for thought. It says, "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom." Compare this to 2:14-26. I find it hard to read this and think that James is saying that certain actions need to be marked of a checklist in order for us to be saved. What do you think? Compare it to Jesus' words in Matthew 23:23-24. What is the importance of faith vs. deeds? Is it a balancing act between the two? is one more important than the other? 

Such Amazing Examples!

If you are looking for some devotional reading this week and don't know where to turn, try turning to Hebrews 11. The NIV heading for this section is "By Faith." The term, "by faith" is mentioned 20 times in this one chapter, and some form of the word, "faith," is used 26 times in all throughout the chapter. This collection of accounts starts early in the Old Testament and walks through several examples of servants living by faith. There is a formula to almost every one of the accounts:

• BY FAITH, So-and-so (DID). In parentheses could be inserted any number of verbs and actions.

The stories that are summarized in this chapter are ones that required God's people to choose allegiance to Him rather than to themselves, their safety or even their nation, in some cases. Happy reading!

A Little Background Never Hurts

This week we are looking at James chapter 2:14-26. This is a pretty loaded chapter and its study will be enhanced by looking at other scripture for understanding. We'll examine these on Sunday, but if you have a few minutes to spare you may want to look at and start digesting the following scripture:

• Romans 3:21-31 - Compare this to James 2:18. Is there a conflict in teaching?
• Genesis 22 - This is the story of Abraham that James refers to in 2:20-24. Even if you are familiar with this story it's always good to refresh and make sure you recollect correctly.
• Joshua 2 - This is the story of Rahab in Jericho that James refers to in 2:25-26. Again, it's good to refresh. Not only was Rahab spared but she became part of Jesus' genealogy. 

I can't wait for the discussion this week. I think it's going to be a really good one.

Legalism - Go deeper.

Scripture References NT and OT (in order of use in this post)

The question arose in class this week about legalism and what that term means. Legalism in the Biblical context is an unbalanced focus on rules and behaviors as a means to salvation. The Jewish community in the first century were highly legalistic in their practices and we see that throughout the New Testament. Pharisees tried to "catch" Jesus breaking all kinds of rules so that they could persecute him for false teaching (Matt 9:11-15; 12:1-3; 15: 1-3; Mk 7; Luk 6:1-11, to name a few). The pharisees got so wrapped up in piety (dutiful devotion to god and observance of religious principles -- Thank you, Dictionary.com!) that they had no relationship with God. They had no heart for holiness, but only a daily to-do and not-to-do list that they checked off as they went about their business.

The idea that God is after a willing heart is not one that is exclusively New Testament. Genesis tells us "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness" (Gen 15:6). David was called a man of God's own heart and, as history would have it, became the greatest king Israel had. There is an interesting illustration of this idea in 1 Samuel 15. In this story we have Saul, the anointed king of the Israelites and Samuel, the priest and judge over the nation, responsible for the spiritual health of the people. God, through Samuel, gave the orders to Saul to completely destroy his enemies, the Amalekites, and, "...destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them. Put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys" (v. 3). Saul destroyed the Amalekites, but did what he thought the religiously right thing to do would be. He plundered and kept the best sheep, cattle and livestock for the purpose of sacrificing them to God. But he missed the command, "Destroy everything." When Samuel heard this his response speaks to this topic clearly:

"Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than to sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams" (1 Sam 15:22-23)

God wants obedient hearts. The sacrifice here is a practice that was created out of the disparity caused by disobedience! What God would have preferred is that Saul would have listened, as Mal and I tell our 4-year-old niece, "the first time."

The tie-in to our study in James is that we will begin to see much language dealing with behavior. James' message, however, is that we show the world our heart with the outpouring of markedly different behavior. The behavior must come from the heart and then be reflected outwardly. That's my challenge for you. Have a blessed week!

You gotta fight--dah dah--for your right--dah dah--to paaaaaaaarty!

Any ideas? Leave a comment if you have an idea for our next event together!

Louie Giglio - Laminin

Great video if you guys have never seen this. Take 8 minutes and watch it. You won't regret it.

Parallels between NT and OT

Here is the scripture used in today's post!
Today's post will be short, but I thought it to be very relevant to what we discussed this week. Sunday we discussed how the whole first chapter of James paints the picture that all sin is the same. At the heart of all sin is the desire to lord over our own lives and make choices for ourselves. That is the desire implied in James 1:14. As I was reading for my Old Testament class this morning I came across a passage in the text book that points to a very similar concept way back in Genesis 2 & 3.

"Eating fruit may appear innocent enough! But the action itself displayed something immoral below the surface: rebellion against God's command (Gen 2:17 - "...except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat this fruit you will surely die."). Temptation always entails a challenge to God's Word (Gen 3:1, 4, 5), which he speaks for our eternal good. God alone understood the full danger of disobedience. He always knows what is best for us." (Arnold & Beyer, Encountering the Old Testament, p. 83)

As we go through our weeks, we ought to pray for God to reveal the ultimate Sin in our lives and deal with it, rather than all the specific actions that grow out of it. That is surely a big part of the wisdom and spiritual maturity that God desires for us!

EDGE Outreach Shoe Drive - October 2!

I've been talking a lot in our classes on Sunday about a shoe drive taking place on October 2. EDGE Outreach, has partnered with Shoeman Water Projects to collect shoes and turn the money from said shies into water purification for the developing world. The SWP website can say it better than I can, so here's an explanation from that site. EDGE is mentioned in the last paragraph.

Shoeman Water Projects is a ministry of Eagle Wings Ministries, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profitcharity, working to alleviate as much human suffering as possible and in the process, maximize fun with a splashing good time.  Shoeman Water Projects picks up donated used and new shoes year round from businesses, churches, schools, and shoe drives. Once collected, the shoes are given a second life when the Shoeman exports the donated shoes to retailers in the developing world. The resale of shoes provides jobs and affordable footware. Funds generated from the export of  shoes provides well drilling rigs, water purification systems, and hand pump repair mirco businesses bringing clean, fresh water to those who thirst.

Having partnered with Water for Kenya, the Shoeman has drilled 140 Kenya wells serving about 130,000 people. Edge Outreach of Louisville, Kentucky is also a charity partner with Shoeman Water Projects extending the water aid for those who thrust with purification systems and pump repair.

And a video from EDGE's site.



HERE'S WHERE OUR GROUP COMES IN:
EDGE is having a multi-location shoe drive on October 2. We have been asked to run one of the collection locations . This is a kid-friendly service opportunity and should be a lot of fun for all! In order to prepare for this, EDGE needs us to come to the warehouse and sort some shoes (they have piles upon piles accumulating every day) so that we may know how they classify them and sort them correctly on 10-2.

In talking with DeeDee Hurt (the "Shoe Lady") I've come to realize that it is not necessary to volunteer every week for a month the way I'd originally thought. Instead, anyone that wants to help needs only to come to the warehouse for about two hours at some point before the event, just to get the hang of things. Here are three dates that I will be at the warehouse with whomever would like to come help out. Come once, come all three times, but choose whichever one works best for you:

• Monday, September 20, 6-8pm
• Saturday, September 25, 10am-12pm
• Tuesday, September 28, 6-8pm

Please mark off Saturday, October 2nd for this unique opportunity to serve!

Joy & Wisdom vs. Happiness & Knowledge

Here are the scriptures referenced in today's post.

In the first part of James' letter to Israel, he talks about wisdom and joy. We sometimes make the mistake of using these words synonymously with knowledge and happiness, respectively. There is an important distinction between these sets of words.

James starts of by saying that we should consider trials of many kinds pure joy. That can be easier said than done, but the usage of Joy here is so important. Joy is the overarching contentment that we find in our lives and our eternal situations as we entrust God with the protection of our souls. Trials of many kinds, if we view them the right way, develop our perseverance and our ability to rely on God in any circumstance. The more we put into this "spiritual savings account" the easier it becomes to face anything because you've got the resources (perseverance of faith) to overcome. Happiness is an emotion. it comes and goes with each event and each day. We may not always be happy that we are going through tough times, but we need to be joyful that those tough times will develop our faith.

Some of this can be hard to implement. We know what the Bible says, but when faced with trials we are to be joyful? How? The answer is in verse 5 of this passage and in James' use of the word wisdom. Knowledge is great but if it is not used it becomes worthless trivia. To know what the Bible says about a topic is totally different than to do what the bible says about the same topic. While it is good to know that trials bring perseverance, they only develop it if you are persevering. The ability to view your trials through this lens takes wisdom that only comes from asking God.

The cliffs-notes version of this post is that spiritually mature Christians do not allow their moment-to-moment emotions trump their over-arching faith in the supremacy of God.

And the SAT version of this post is
Happiness : temporary : : Joy : permanent
Knowledge : trivial : : Wisdom : experiential

Have a joyful week!
Nick

James 1:9-12

These four verses are for Sunday 8/29.

 ⁹The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. ¹⁰But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. ¹¹For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.

 ¹²Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

Click Here for the full chapter

Giving - At the Heart of the matter

Today's post is on the end of Acts 11, verses 27-30. This passage teaches a very basic but important principle - that God is after hearts that are willingly obedient. (As always, HERE are the scriptures used in today's blog post)

God created us with free will for a reason. Make no mistake, if all He was after was obedience he could have and still could achieve that in us. The problem is that in such a model we become nothing but puppets with whom it is impossible for God to have a relationship. In the early part of the book we saw disciples selling and sharing ALL possessions, giving to each as he had need (2:45). This differs from what we know of socialism in one very important way, and that is that it was voluntary. The early disciples wanted to do this to make sure that everyone was cared for. In chapter 5 we see God strike down two who failed to give everything they had, not because they held some of their earnings back but because they lied about how much they gave so others would think more of them than they ought.

 Here again we see willing giving. In 11:29 it says, "The disciples [converts in Antioch], each according to his ability, decided to provide help to the brothers living in Judea." This is a shift from what we saw in the early part of this book (which was a necessity for the early church because of the circumstances) and more toward the type of giving Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 8-9.

This principle of cheerful giving is one that many of us are familiar with hearing, especially if we have grown up in the church, but it can be very difficult to implement. How do I give more than the numbers say I can and be happy about it? The answer is a balance. It comes down to a balance between willingness to give and willingness to be obedient. Jesus preached many times about money and the bible almost has too many references to finances to count. We are called to pray for God to give us an obedient heart, and part of that may mean giving more. When we put ourselves in a position where we need for nothing we can get in a rut that makes us take God for granted, thinking we've got things covered. When we give more we begin to feel that separation from our money and over time will start to view our incomes differently. The willingness spoken of here is rarely a willingness to give monetarily, but rather to be obedient to what God has commanded, knowing that by giving more you are breaking down walls of idolatry and growing your relationship with Him.

I do feel it important to clear up one thing, though. Reading 2 Corinthians 9 alone may lead us to dangerous thinking that falls under the "Prosperity Gospel," whereby the more you give the more God will give you back monetarily. This is simply not biblical. What this is talking about is spiritual blessings that you will sow from living a righteous life of humble obedience to God's word.

New Study: The book of James

This week is a transitional week for our group. We are moving away from the book of Acts, hopefully with a better understanding of what our church should look like. Our next study will be in the book of James and we will stay with this short epistle through the weekend before Thanksgiving (an epistle is a writing, usually formal and usually in letter form, that is focused toward a specific person or group of people as an audience).

The Bible says that Christ will reveal Himself to us. His will is not something that we can necessarily find on our own through searching hard enough and reading enough academic/theological essays. His will must be revealed to us. The following scriptures demonstrate this (links are to the given chapter in its entirety):

Numbers 12:6 - He said, "Listen to my words: 'When a prophet of the Lord is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams.

1 Samuel 3:7 - Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.

Matthew 11:25-27 - At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. ²⁶Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. ²⁷"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Since God tells us that He must reveal Himself to us in order for us to understand, we should approach Bible study with this in mind. We should meditate on the Word and not just fly through it. We should give God an opportunity to speak and ourselves the opportunity to listen. 

So here's my challenge for this week: Read James 1:1-8 as often as you get a chance. Carry it with you in some way. Read it every morning or every night, but at the very least read it once daily. See how God will show the meaning of this passage to you in a very real and personal way over the next week. 

Work Night at Adventure

We will be helping out at Adventure to get some of the building ready for new fall programs! Show up at Adventure at 6pm on August 10 to help out! We will be laying carpet tiles, painting and priming, so wear clothes that you don't mind getting ruined. If you have paint trays and rollers, please bring them, too, so that we can make sure we have enough! Call or text Nick at 262-7872 or email at nick.burczyk@gmail.com if you plan on being there!

Pampered Chef "Death By Chocolate" Party

The Weavers are hosting a Pampered Chef "Death By Chocolate" party tonight (August 2) at Robbie's Parents' house at 7:00pm! Call Whitney with any questions!

Cornelius' Conversion

Today's post is based on the rest of Acts 10.

This story is significant because it marks the end of the church's transition to the ends of the world. God's grace was originally available only to His nation, Israel. It then spent the first ten chapters of Acts, a period of seven to ten years, transitioning to be a grace available to all the Earth. With the conversion of Cornelius and his "posse," non-Jewish Gentiles, we see that God's message has successfully been made known to cultures outside the Jewish faith and is ready to be taken "to all the ends of the Earth" (Acts 1:8). We see a couple of interesting things here:

1. Peter refuses to be recognized by anything more than a flawed human creation in need of salvation (v.26). While Cornelius probably only bowed because of Peter's heightened position in the church (as an Apostle, not just a disciple), Peter's response was to make the statement in v.27 that there is no person more "clean" than another in God's eyes. What a relief for those that are gathered there to hear that stance!
2. His clarification of Law in v.28 is simply to state how important this must have been. Surely they knew they asked him to defy his law.
3. God's spirit is the baptism of the Gentiles just as it was God's spirit at Pentecost that touched the Jews. There is an important lesson here. This baptism of the Spirit came first and as an outward sign of this, water-baptisms were performed. This ties in with the July 19th post about God's presence preceding all else. God's presence in our life and our willingness to accept Him is what He's after. But it is fully and completely impossible for us to accept the reality of what Christ has done for us in our hearts and in not show through our actions. When you accept that truth, God will fill you with a gratitude that will pour out into your actions. You will start to act differently because your heart will be changed by the awesome power of His Spirit. This is the baptism that is critical for salvation, not necessarily that of the water. 
4. God's salvation is extended to all "who fear Him and do what is right" (v.35). Author Warren Wiersbe says it this way: 

"The idea that 'one religion is as good as another' is comletely false. Those who tell us that we should worship 'the God of many names' and not 'change other people's religions; are going contrary to scripture. 'Salvation is of the Jews' (John 4:22), and there can be no salvation apart from faith in Jesus Christ, who was born a Jew. Cornelius had piety and morality, but he did not have salvation. Some might say 'Leave Cornelius alone! His religion is a part of his culture and it's a shame to change his culture!' God does not see it that way. Apart from hearing the message of the Gospel and trusting Christ, Cornelius had no hope."

 We've been called to live in wonderment of our God and Saviour, and as a result of that awe live differently so that in every way Christ's kingdom may advance. We are to let Him change us on the inside so that it can be shown through our outer actions.

Great Resource for Christian Living

I came across this website this morning and, after spending hours surfing articles, have decided that it's probably a resource I should share! I've also added it to the "Great Bible Study Tools" bar to the right.
http://www.crosswalk.com/

Double-0-Jesus: License to Heal

Here is the link to all of today's scripture references. Right click and open in a new tab to keep them all in one place!

This Sunday we talked about hearing the voice of God and deciphering God's Will. How do we ever know when something is the voice of God, with all the crazy ideas that flow through our heads over the course of any day given day? In Acts 10, which we looked at Sunday, we see that this revelation comes in three steps:

1. Setup
2. Repetition
3. Confirmation

God's will is still revealed in many of the same ways. Often times we'll feel led in a direction and see some paths "open up" for us or small oppoortunities fall in our laps. Other times God will just spend some time chipping away at our mindsets and preconceptions little by little. His revelation will most often come through reading His word, but often times when he has a plan for you, you will be convicted by His word multiple times. For example, You might not know what job he wants you in, but you may be repeatedly and vehemently convicted that God wants you to serve more, leading you to a better understanding of His will. Confirmation often comes after a leap of faith is made in the direction of obedience or as you begin to understand and look deeper. Many times these are the experiences that tell you that you are heading the right way. 

In the end of Acts chapter 9, we see an illustration of the power of God's name when used to perform His will. We can all say that things are done in the name of God. Words are cheap. God is after the intent of our hearts. Peter was very well-attuned to the will of God. At this point, he'd spent approximately seven years learning Jesus' teachings. He healed Aeneas by saying four simple words, "Jesus Christ heals you" (9:34). When God's will is at hand, His name carries unmatched power.

This is followed by Peter's raising of Dorcas/Tabitha in the following verses. We know that this is God's will because Peter was present all three times that Jesus raised people from the dead (Luke 7:11-14; Mark 5:22-43; John 11:1-44) and here will mimic Jesus' ways in this miracle (See Mark's account). He asked others to leave the room (see Mark 5) and then got down to pray. He said almost the same thing, only calling the woman by name, and took her by the hand, as did Jesus with the daughter of the Synagogue official. If we are called to live as Jesus lived then Peter was most definitely displaying a faith in God's will here.

Here's the big point, though: God's name means nothing when not preceded by the spirit. God's will is to do His will. In our prayers we may ask for things in Jesus' name and even want them in our heart. What God wants is a willing heart to do His work! By reading the word God reveals Himself to us, by being faithful to what he is showing us, our hearts will change. As they change we will see that our prayers change, too. What we used to pray for and not "see results of" we begin to see are sometimes on our agenda rather than God's. Through listening to His voice we will start to see a shift to praying more for His will and recognizing things that are our will and praying for them less. When we can surrender to doing His will in all circumstances rather than praying for the right scenario in which to do His will, He blesses that by granting power, peace and joy to His faithful and willing servants.

When you find yourself in a "prayer rut" in which you feel as if prayers are not being answered, I challenge you to examine the heart and motive behind your requests. Are you truly asking God for His will to be done and offering yourself as a vessel through which to carry it out? Are you seeking to hear His voice? His spirit always precedes His power, especially the power to heal our broken hearts and souls.

A Three-year Sabbatical: The Ultimate "Seminary" Education

 I'll be referring largely to two passages here, so I've pulled them up in a link. Click Here or any of the scripture references in the post for the passages to pull up all in one place!

In Monday's post, we discussed the brief background of S(P)aul and his story. Paul, as he is later known, was at one time the leading zealot of "Christian" persecution (I only use quotations because Christ's followers have not yet been called Christians). After his conversion he became the "Apostle to the Gentiles" (Gal 2:8) and the single largest contributor to the writings of the New Testament. The conversion might seem sudden but there was a lot of training that took place. By looking into Paul's other writings we can gain a more comprehensive view of his story.

Immediately after Saul is converted he begins to preach the word in Damascus, right where he was. His heroic escape (Acts9:25), however, comes later in the story after his second stay in the city. Galatians 1:11-24 is Paul's defense of his authority to preach, which we mentioned in Monday's post. Not only was he called by God, but he says in v.15-17 that when he was called, he "did not consult any man" or even "go see the apostles in Jerusalem" but instead went immediately to Arabia and then came back to Damascus. During his time in Arabia, we can assume that God revealed himself in many ways to Saul, based on Barnabas' testimony in Saul's defense (Acts9:27) and his own defense in Galatians 1:11-12.

In Acts 9:27, the word for "see" translates loosely. It could mean that he physically saw with his eyes, but also that he saw with his mind or even that he "became acquainted with by experience." We also know that one of the requirements for being an "apostle" is that you personally walked with and experienced Christ (Acts 1:21 separate link). The implications of this are very important. First of all, he would have been a normal disciple had he simply been taught by the Twelve but it took him three years (Galatians 1:18) to make their acquaintance. The second reason is that in reading Paul's letters in the NT you may be tempted to question certain things. He covers topics of Christian living in more detail than Christ himself did, and in many cases, says things that we have no record of Christ saying. If you believe Paul's experience to be true you will understand that anything he said outside of what issues Christ spoke specifically to are supplemental and not contradictory. They came from Christ's personal  revelation to Paul after his own death. He was preparing Paul to go out and preach to the Gentiles and teach them how to live and the audience would be much different that Christ's audience of religious Jews.

The second bit of proof is that Saul endured incredible amounts of punishment for his beliefs. Read the 2 Cor passage for Saul's account of his sufferings. This is not Larry King bringing your opponents on his show or picketing outside your home. Saul survived life-threatening, physical torture for his faith in Christ. Had this been a lie that he had fabricated, he would have lost EVERYTHING he had built up until the point of his conversion (remember, he was an ambitions man) and then been beaten within inches of his life for nothing and stuck to his guns? No person would do that. We can assume that there was something more than Saul himself behind his ministry. Additionally, the fact that he endured all that he did and lived speaks to the power of God to deliver His servants when they are faithfully attempting to fulfill His will. 

As you read through the New Testament and find challenging passages, try to find confidence in the fact that it was truly God-inspired and not just for that society at that time. Trust that it is God's voice being given to you. We are, after all, the gentiles in the "ends of the earth" who Paul was sent to minister to. See you Sunday!

Paul: the "Super Apostle"

This week we'll be studying the apostle Saul (later known as Paul), from Acts 9:20-31. I want to challenge you to do a couple of things this week: 1) read the passage and some of the supplemental passages that I'll send and 2) look for things that either stick out to you or can be applied to your day to day life this week. Here's the passage:

Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. ²⁰At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. ²¹All those who heard him were astonished and asked, "Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?" ²²Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.^[a]

 ²³After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him, ²⁴but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. ²⁵But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.

 ²⁶When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. ²⁷But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. ²⁸So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. ²⁹He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him. ³⁰When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

 ³¹Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.

A brief background on Saul is that he was a ferocious persecutor of Christ's message. He was a witness to the stoning of Stephen in Chapter 6 and when we see him converted he had the very rare authority of the Sanhedrin (Jewish governing council) to extradite and imprison any of Christ's followers that he found in Damascus. After his conversion, however, he is given the title 'Apostle,' begins to go by his Greek name (Paul) and goes on to write 2/3 of the new testament as we know it. Romans, Galatians, Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus, Philemon and Hebrews were all letters penned by Paul to either specific believers or churches as instructions on living a life for Christ. The most amazing thing about all of this is the extent of NT scripture penned by a man who was not really even present during Christ's ministry. 

The term "Apostle" comes from the greek "Apostolos" which means "messenger" or "one sent with orders." For Paul to call himself an Apostle (Look at the first verse of any of the above-mentioned letters) when he was clearly not sent by Christ during his time on Earth was quite the claim! If all scripture is God-breathed and inerrantly true, by what authority was this great apostle commissioned?

Later this week we will look at the source of Paul's knowledge and authority.