Tag Archives: Old Testament

God Deserves All The Glory

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The Glory Due His Name

There’s a wonderful passage in the Old Testament that relates to the glory that God deserves. Here’s what King David says: “Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples, give to the Lord glory and strength. Give to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!” (1 Chronicles 16:28-29). In my previous post, I talked about how God’s glory is a really big deal to God—and rightly so! David is also inspired by God’s Holy Spirit to declare God’s strength. Declare the Lord’s “…glory and strength…”

To His Glory

I find it interesting that David would point to God’s strength in the context of His glory! Why? Whenever we ask that question “why”—of a biblical text—it ought to serve as our cue to dig deeper! To study the verses surrounding it! So, if you look back at the preceding verses, David says that “…Yahweh is feared above all gods…” (little “g”) because “…all the gods of the peoples are idols…”; and, here’s the contrast—”…but, the LORD made the heavens…”; end v.27, “…strength & joy are in His place.” So, compared to false gods, Yahweh is all-powerful; or, omnipotent! It is to His Glory that, by His strength, He created the heavens! So, declare His strength! Someone once asked me that old philosopher’s question: “Can God create a rock so big that He can’t lift it?” I think the answer is “YES” He can create that rock! And, “YES” He can lift it! 

Declare God’s Glory In His Name

It’s to His glory that He is able to do anything and everything! Then, David tells us to declare God’s glory in His name! There are really two thoughts in that phrase: “…give to the Lord the glory due His name…” The first thought relates to His name. There’s a lot going on with a person’s name—if I say the name “Adolf Hitler,” that name evokes thoughts related to his character, doesn’t it? That name conjures up thoughts like dictator, anti-Semite, and murderer! The name of God, however, brings to mind thoughts of His love, mercy, grace, benevolence, etc. All that’s in His name; or, His character! Those traits describe who He is! He is just and righteous in everything He does! So, declare the glory related to His name!

Stealing God’s Glory

The second thought in that phrase, “…give to the Lord the glory due His name…” is this: He alone deserves all glory! The Apostle Paul wrote: “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever” (Romans 11:36). He’s saying that, in fact, God has all glory! He alone had all glory before creation, right? There was nothing else until He created it! So, any glory that the creation has was given to it by God! The “glory” of a sunset is God’s glory! He gave the sunset its “glory”! It’s because of God’s glory that He hates pride—”pride” is man’s attempt to steal God’s glory! Whenever we’re proud of our work, we’re stealing glory from God who gave us the gifts and talents to do the work we do! Pride is acting like you didn’t receive it from God! Any praise we receive must be redirected to God for His glory!
 

The Most Important Commandment

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Ask God Any Question

Several times in my lifetime, I’ve found myself in a conversation with someone who made a statement that they intended to ask God about something when they saw Him someday! How about you? If you could ask God any question, what would it be? Well, in Mark’s Gospel, the writer says that: “One of the scribes approached. When he heard them debating and saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked Him, ‘Which command is the most important of all?’ Of all the 613 commands found in the Torah (Jewish Old Testament), which was THE most important? Wow! That’s a big question! Which command is at the top of the list? Don’t wanna miss that one! 

The Most Important Command

“This is the most important,” Jesus answered: “Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:28-30). This is really a timely post as it seems the church, in general, is confused about “worship.” But Jesus really clears things up, doesn’t He? He’s really saying that we have to love God with ALL of our being—ALL of our “heart” & our “soul” & our “mind” & our “strength.” So, it’s impossible to love God until we know Him! But we live in a day when everyone claims to love God! That may be a generalization, but I’m absolutely stunned by the number of times that totally lost, unregenerate people—who have NO IDEA “Who” God is—still tell me they LOVE Him!

To Know Him Is To Love Him

I can believe them when they say they “love” pizza, for example, because they’ve tasted it! They’ve handled it! I can believe them when they say they “love” hunting because it’s something they’ve done! They take their dog and a friend! So, they’ve experienced it! But you cannot possibly love God until you KNOW God! Until you’ve met Him and know Him well enough to explain WHY you love Him! Study Jesus’ words! That’s precisely what He’s saying! Jesus says we must love God PERSONALLY! Notice, from His response to the scribe’s question, how Jesus uses six “personal” pronouns, and every one of them is “possessive”— “The Lord OUR God”; “Love the Lord YOUR God”… ”with all YOUR HEART”… ”with all YOUR SOUL”… “with all YOUR MIND”… “with all YOUR STRENGTH.”

Love God Personally

THE most important commandment in all of Scripture is to have a personal, possessive love for God, Jesus says. And you cannot love someone you don’t know! My wife and I have been married 42 years, but I confess to you that there were 20 years during which time I did not love her! Not one bit of love did I have for her, and the reason was that I didn’t know her! I hadn’t met her yet! Once I did, I grew to love her as I came to know her! That’s no different with God! We have to know Him personally before we can claim to love Him! We come to know His character, and we know Him through Jesus and the Word! And when we truly know Him, we can’t help but love Him.
 

Worship Is Giving Your All

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Worship Changes Us

When it’s genuine, worship CHANGES us! It seems to me that when Paul defines our “spiritual worship” as presenting “…your bodies as a living sacrifice…”, he interprets worship as a personal meeting with God that has such a redemptive and sanctifying impact on us that it CHANGES us (Romans 12:1-2). That’s what genuine worship does to us! Worship is not an exchange where we check it off of our spiritual “TO DO” list so God becomes obligated to give us something in return!

An Encounter With The Living God

Worship is nothing short of an encounter with the living, active, covenant-keeping God! It’s seeing how He humbled Himself and came to the planet that He created as a vulnerable baby, and gave His all on the cross for us so that He might gain our redemption! Worship is being so moved by His action that, in brokenness and humility, we seek nothing more in return; but, in the likeness of our Savior, we give our all back to Him—a living sacrifice! We’re undone! All of life becomes worship!  The Latin phrase “coram Deo” means “before the face of God,” and it’s used in the context of our worship because genuine worship is lived out everywhere and anywhere we find ourselves! Whether it’s our work, leisure, or family time, there is nothing “secular” that is outside “the face of God” or outside His authority or realm. All of life is sacred!

Don’t Compartmentalize Your Life

We cannot compartmentalize any sector of our life and claim it as ours or as something out of God’s reach. Paul tells the Church of Rome that spiritual worship is an intentional presentation of our bodies to God—“…present your bodies as a living sacrifice…” To what is Paul referring? The most obvious answer is the Old Testament sacrificial system, where a lamb was slaughtered in faith, believing that God would pass over the sin of the one sacrificing. But I think Paul intends for us to go deeper in our meditation on this passage and see the Lamb of God who became the ultimate sacrifice for our sin. Jesus was the final answer— “…once for all…” God said! “It is finished,” Jesus said. There would be no more dead sacrifices! 

The Mercies Of God

In these two verses, Paul says that it’s because of “…the mercies of God…” that we become “…holy and pleasing to God…” when we offer ourselves as a “living sacrifice” to Him! Worship has everything to do with our redemption. To “redeem” something means to restore it or to reclaim it so it can once again be used as it was intended. When Jesus made atonement for our sin on the cross, He “redeemed” us. It means He “reclaimed” us from the sin that had owned us since Adam’s fall, and He began a “restoration” process in us to make us what He originally meant for us to be. And He’ll complete that process on the day of our glorification when we see Him. Paul seems to infer that “worship” will become our “default setting” when we truly grasp all that Jesus gave for us, and we’ll want to do nothing less but give our all to Him!

Daniel: Treasured By God

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(Note: This continues a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

God Treasured Daniel

In the 10th chapter of the Old Testament book of Daniel, there’s an incredibly encouraging word, spoken by an angel, to Daniel:  “He said to me, ‘Daniel, you are a man treasured by God…’” (v.11).  God treasured Daniel; and, because God “…does not show favoritism…” we can be assured that we, also, are treasured by Him (Romans 2:11). He places great value on each one of us! As believers, we’ve been purchased by the precious blood of His Son, Jesus; and, we’ve been adopted into God’s family. We are actually said to be “…heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ…” to all the eternal riches of heaven (Romans 8:17). 

Delayed Answers To Prayer

He longs to communicate with us; just, as all parents enjoy talking with their children!  He takes time to listen to our prayers! But, this chapter, in Daniel,  sheds light on the fact that sometimes the answers to prayer are delayed by unseen spiritual forces! By way of personal application, don’t assume that God isn’t listening to your prayers! Remember, that the text says that God heard Daniel’s prayer from the 1st day he prayed it! Starting in v.13, the angel told Daniel that “…the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for 21 days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me after I had been left there with the kings of Persia…” Because Michael is also known to be an angel, in Scripture, it’s best understood that “spiritual warfare” was taking place here! The angel tells Daniel that Michael assisted him when a “…prince of the kingdom of Persia…” opposed him— this “prince” is best understood to be part of a demonic force opposing God’s work, at this time, in this place. 

Spiritual Warfare

Have you ever considered that the reason you’ve not yet received an answer, to a certain prayer, is because of spiritual warfare? It could be! God hasn’t ignored you! There’s a delay, which God has allowed, for the ultimate purposes of His Sovereign plan. Pastor Geoff Thomas put it like this: “Wherever there is a flock of Christ’s sheep there are wolves that want to destroy them. Whenever the Church advances, dark principalities are at work against it.” Daniel’s story may give us insight into delayed answers to our prayers.  It’s been said that God does, in fact, answer every prayer. He does so in 1 of 3 possible ways; He says “yes”, He says “no”, or He tells us to wait! In God’s eternal wisdom, He answers each prayer appropriately. 

It May Take Years

And when God does answer “no” it’s because He has counseled Himself to answer that way. He “… works all things according to the counsel of his will” Eph 1:11. We can never offer God wiser counsel than He gives Himself. Don’t quit praying for God to work! Don’t give up on revival just because God hasn’t answered your prayers thus far! God, in His eternal wisdom, may have very good reasons for allowing the spiritual warfare to take place all around us! This 10th chapter, of Daniel, gives us a rare peek behind the curtain dividing our realm from the spiritual realm. Daniel was given a rare insight into the battle & the warfare that’s normally invisible to us!  Don’t obsess over the spiritual aspect of this text. Rather, be aware of what happens in the realm, of the supernatural; but, only in as much as the Word of God reveals it to us! Everything else is speculation! Scripture gives us all we need to know to know about the spiritual realm.

Daniel: God Is In The Details

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(Note: This is the 19th in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

Open His Eyes & Let Him See

There’s a fascinating true story, in the Old Testament of the Bible, that illustrates how God is involved in all the details of our lives; even, when we don’t see Him! The story is about the Prophet Elisha; and, it’s at a time when the Arameans are waging war against Israel. Every time the King of Aram lays out a strategy for setting up a camp at a certain place, God tells the Prophet Elisha the details; and, he passes it on to the King of Israel who takes counter-measures to avoid their attack. As you can imagine, that kind of ticked off the King of Aram. He figured there had to be a mole in his army that was tipping off the King of Israel; so, he confronted his army & one of his intelligence officers said, “It’s not our people sharing secrets with Israel! It’s the Prophet Elisha; and, he’s even telling the King of Israel every word you say in your bedroom.” It’s determined that Elisha is in the city of Dothan; so, the Aramean King sends a massive army to surround the city & capture him. When Elisha & his servant, Gehazi see that the Arameans have surrounded the city, Gehazi says, “Master, what are we going to do?” So, Elisha told him not to be afraid because, “Those who are with us outnumber those who are with them,” Gehazi looked around with a “what are you talking about” kind of look! And, Elisha prayed, “Lord, please open his eyes and let him see!”

For His Glory & Our Good

So, the Lord opened his eyes; and, when he looked up he saw that the mountains were covered with heavenly horses & chariots of fire, ready to go to battle against the Arameans on Elisha’s behalf. For one brief moment, God peeled back that layer that divides our world, from the spiritual world, to reveal what was REALLY happening! Now, that story encourages me; and, I hope it encourages you, to know that God is IN the details of our lives! That He’s at work for His Glory & our good! Because, sometimes it doesn’t seem that way, does it? And, in our flesh, we question:  “God! Are you really here? Do you see what’s happening in my life right now? Do you even care?” This world can be a pretty dark place; especially, if you intend to live your life for God like the Prophet Daniel did— he was willing to do the right thing, in a spiritually hostile environment, and trust God with the results!

You Can Trust God With The Results

Doing the right thing does not ensure that everything will go right! But, you can trust God with the results! They may not be the results you hoped for; but, they will be what’s best for you— even if it doesn’t seem like it at the time! If you could just peel back that layer that divides our world, from the spiritual realm, you’d see that! Daniel managed not only to survive; but, to THRIVE in a spiritually hostile world! As our world becomes increasingly more hostile, to our faith in Jesus, we can identify with Daniel! But, like him, you can survive & thrive if you trust God with all the circumstances of your life! He has a perfect plan for the world He created. Sometimes it seems like God has lost control! Like Satan is gaining the victory in the battle between good and evil. But, in fact, there really is no battle! God is all-powerful. Satan is NOT! What God has declared He will do! And no one can stop Him! We’ll get into Daniel, chapter 6, next time; and, learn how to tame a pit full of lions!

Daniel: Overcoming Chronophobia

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(Note: This is the 7th in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

Fear Of The Future

Have you ever been afflicted with “chronophobia” at some time in your life? Perhaps, you say, you’d admit it if you knew what it was! “Chronophobia” is the “fear of the future.” It manifests itself in many ways; but, it’s always related, in some way, to time— it might be like an anxiety rush sweeping over you because it feels like time’s moving too fast; or, maybe it’s a sort of “emptiness” you feel at your 40th birthday as the kids start to leave home; or, a paralyzing dread as you wonder what you’ve done with your life; or, an apprehension over a future event. For me, that “fear of the future” used to kick in when I started getting close to a doctor or a dentist appointment— any activity involving a procedure in which needles or drills were used!

The Apprehensions Of Life

All of us live with a certain apprehension as we look down the road of life; and, wonder where it’s going to take us! Daniel’s story encourages anyone suffering from chronophobia. Because God is Sovereign, we don’t need to fear the future! Because He has absolute supreme power & authority over time, space & all of creation, we don’t need to live in fear.  In the Old Testament book of Daniel, we note that King Nebuchadnezzar was suffering, in part, from a bout of chronophobia. Daniel ch. 2, v.1 says he “…had dreams that troubled him, and sleep deserted him.”  And, we find out later that what troubled him were future events. When Daniel came into his presence— after God had given him the dream & the interpretation— he told him, “Your majesty, while you were in your bed, thoughts came to your mind about what will happen in the future” (v.29). 

Contrasting Faith With No Faith

Much of Daniel’s story sheds light on the contrast between someone who has faith in God & someone who does not! Through all the pain, suffering & embarrassment of being dispossessed & exiled from his native land, Daniel had grown in his dependence & trust in God. He lived in the absolute freedom that a belief in the Sovereignty of God brings. The king, however, lived under the constant fear of losing his power & kingdom in the future. That contrasting lifestyle & worldview is what God eventually uses, in the king’s life, to bring him to faith! In Daniel, the king observed a quiet confidence in God’s wisdom & plan. His life showed such disparity from those around him, that the king began to take notice.

One Thing The King Didn’t Have

Daniel’s life & faith will eventually become so compelling to the king because he’ll come to realize it’s the one thing he didn’t have! And, all his power & all his stuff could never satisfy his troubled heart. Let’s remember that as we have the occasion to interact with unbelievers! It doesn’t matter how many of this world’s blessings & goods they have; if they don’t have Jesus there’s dissatisfaction there! For Daniel, however, there was no fear of the future. In the last half of chapter 2, God comes through like He always does. The timing might not be as we’d like it to be, but His ways are higher than ours & He always delivers! Daniel truly believed that God was Sovereign; so, he didn’t need to fear the future! The king, however, suffered from chronophobia & became preoccupied with his own life! That is a poisonous combination! And it’s something God will eventually point out to the king! Something that God will use to deliver him from himself & his chronophobia!

Daniel & The God Of The Impossible

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(Note: This is the 4th in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

The “Miracle On Ice”

I’ll never forget where I was on Friday, February 22, 1980, when the United States Olympic Hockey team shocked the world by beating the powerful Soviet Union team 4-3 on their way to an Olympic Gold Medal! It’s the hockey match that will forever be remembered as the “Miracle On Ice” because no one gave the U.S. team a chance of beating the Soviets. The Old Testament prophet, Daniel, also faced an “impossible” circumstance in Babylon; and, after God delivered the miracle finish, Daniel was quick to deflect all the glory away from himself & redirect the praise to God. 

Facing The “Impossible”

This story— in Daniel, chapter 2— ought to serve as encouragement for you as you face all the “impossible” circumstances in your own life! Daniel fleshes out how a believer, a follower of God, can handle the stressful things in life & all the things we worry about! From time to time,  we all find ourselves in a situation we perceive to be “impossible.” The anxiety & the sense of panic can be suffocating. When chapter 2 opens— in Daniel’s book— we find Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar dealing with a case of insomnia over some dreams he had experienced (vs. 1-3).

Making Sense Of The Dream

So, he brings together 4 distinct groups of people to help him make sense of the dreams. These would be like his “wise men” & counselors. First, there were the “diviner-priests” who were scholars that claimed the ability to forecast the future. Then there were “mediums” who alleged to have the ability to communicate with the dead. The “sorcerers” practiced incantations or the casting of spells; and, the “Chaldeans” were students of astrology who studied the stars & other heavenly bodies to determine the future.  The narrative continues (in v.4-9) when the King gives them an “impossible” assignment. He demands that they give him not only the meaning of his dream; but, that they also tell him what he actually dreamed!

The Rest Of The Story

Now, we have the luxury of reading Daniel’s entire story in one setting; but, there are months & years involved! God is at work in the King’s heart. He’s using the King’s relationship with Daniel to challenge the King’s “worldview”; and, his faith in Babylon’s idolatrous religion! We’re starting to see some cracks in the King’s belief system! There’s a parallel application for us— don’t assume you know what’s going on in someone’s heart! God is always at work, wooing the sinner to come to repentance and salvation.

Caution: God At Work

Don’t write off a person simply because of the words they say; or, the way they’re currently living their life! Remember that as long as they have the breath of life the final chapter of their “story” hasn’t been written yet. The book of Daniel confirms that God is always at work; even, when it seems “impossible” that someone— like King Nebuchadnezzar— could ever come to faith! In vs. 10-13, the “wise men” & counselors are unable to tell the King what he dreamed! This is Sovereign God, behind the scenes, planting seeds of doubt in the King’s mind. God intends to draw a clear distinction between the false gods of Babylon; and, the true God of Daniel! When King Nebuchadnezzar responds with a “…tell me what I dreamed & the interpretation; or, I’ll have you all killed…” the stage was set for Nebuchadnezzar’s introduction to the God of Creation! And Daniel was ready & willing to introduce the king to Him!

Daniel: Designated Survivor

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Taking Some Vacation Time: Next Post May 31

(Note: This is the 1st in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

I Quickly Became A “Fan” Of Daniel

I love action movies! That’s where I browse when I’m looking for something to watch on Netflix— action movies, thrillers & drama!  I love reading that kind of book too— the Joel Rosenberg political & prophetic thrillers; and, almost anything Ted Dekker! I quickly became a “fan” of Daniel, the Old Testament Bible character, after I became a follower of Jesus in Junior High. Who can resist the stories of Daniel in the “lion’s den”; and, his three friends being thrown into the “fiery furnace”? I remember sitting by the record player— do you remember those?— and, listening over & over to a recording of the action highlights, of the book of Daniel, being dramatized! I loved it! I couldn’t imagine a more action-packed story!

A New Way Of Looking At Daniel

Then, when I went off to Bible college, I was introduced to a whole new way of looking at the book of Daniel— END TIMES Prophecy! I remember evangelists coming to chapel & using the book of Daniel to show us where we were on God’s prophetic calendar.   Through my years of study in God’s Word, since Bible college days, I’ve discovered, however, that there’s another storyline that weaves through Daniel’s book that was hardly broached by either my Sunday School teachers; or, my Bible college professors. It’s the “back story” to the lion’s den & the fiery furnace. It’s the narrative of Daniel’s faith in God; and, how he lived out his faith in one of the most wicked environments the world has ever known!

The Faith Of Daniel & His 3 Friends

It’s my purpose, over the next few weeks, to introduce you to THAT faith— a faith that was never promised deliverance from hungry lions; or, a fiery furnace! Daniel & friends had no expectations of being rescued— that’s the point of their faith! We tend to miss that point; and, focus on God’s deliverance from danger & persecution “if we just have enough faith.” That’s how we usually teach it, isn’t it? But, we completely miss the point of the text if we teach that Daniel’s faith hinged on God’s deliverance. NO! Daniel & his 3 friends remained faithful even when they fully expected to die. Let me offer you a bit of a “spoiler alert.” Just look ahead to Daniel, chapter 3. When Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar threatened Daniel’s friends with the fiery furnace if they refused to bow down to his idol, they expressed confidence that God was able to deliver them if it was part of His purpose; but even if He didn’t, they would not bow down to worship the king’s idol.

Daniel’s Story Remains Relevant Today

Like Daniel, we live in a world that pursues new levels of wickedness & ungodliness— a world that’s becoming more & more intolerant of Christians! Babylon far exceeded the wickedness of our own culture; and, yet, Daniel’s faith survived intact. In fact, we see that he thrived despite his environment— despite the threats against his faith! That’s something we have in common with Daniel. We live in a culture that increasingly opposes our faith in Jesus Christ. Remember, Jesus told His disciples that “…ALL who want to live godly lives WILL suffer persecution.” The question about persecution, for us, is not “if” but “when”! It IS coming! Be ready! Not everyone survives the lion’s den & the fiery furnace! Don’t think we’re insulated— in “Christian” America— from persecution! We’re NOT a Christian nation!

When Will God’s Glory Return?

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The Ark Of The Covenant

If all you know about the “Ark Of The Covenant” is what you learned from an Indiana Jones movie, then you need to be brought up to speed! One of the most depressing O.T. Bible stories revolves around Israel’s “Ark Of The Covenant”; and, it’s found in 1 Samuel 4. Israel finds herself at war with the Philistines & they’re defeated! This disturbed them greatly; and, in their debriefing, someone came up with a great idea— “Let’s bring the Ark of the Lord’s covenant into battle with us next time! The Ark will save us!”

The Shekinah Glory’s Presence

Now, the Ark was a rectangular box made of acacia wood; and, overlaid with gold.  The top of the Ark contained the mercy seat where the “Shekinah Glory”; or, the manifest presence of God, rested.  For its illustrative value, it’s worth noting at this point that when our children were growing up, we’d remind them that “the way of the transgressor is hard” whenever their sin got them into trouble. Well, it was because of Israel’s sin that God, in His Sovereignty, had allowed Israel to suffer defeat at the hands of the Philistines; and, when they responded by putting their faith in the Ark, rather than God, they would suffer another embarrassing defeat.

The Glory Is Departed

This time, the Ark was also taken by the Philistines; and, Israel left to mourn its loss:  “The Glory is departed! The Glory is departed!” The Ark; and, God’s “Shekinah Glory” had been taken! The Ark couldn’t deliver! God had never intended for the Ark to be used as a “weapon”; or to be propped up as something to be depended on like some kind of rabbit’s foot! Only God, in all His Glory, can deliver & save! It’s a reminder of how subtle the enemy, of our souls, can be—  “Worship the God of the Ark”; or, “Worship the Ark of God”? It’s just moving around two nouns; but, the results were devastating!

The Idols Of Human Strategy

I find the parallels, to the Church, to be haunting! Are we not guilty of worshipping the idols of human strategy & technique for doing church? Like Israel, have we not become focused on the “horizontal”—adopting human wisdom & logic—rather than the “vertical”—seeking the power & glory of God! The Church has become weak and anemic because we’ve “settled”—we’ve “settled” for the glory of what we can do instead of the glory of what an awesome, limitless God can do.  And, what He can do is above & beyond anything we could ask or think! It’s impossible for us to even imagine the power & wisdom of God! What He does is always perfect & right because He listens only to His own perfect counsel! He works all things according to the counsel of His own will (Ephesians 1:11).

The Rest Of The Story

As I read the rest of the story, my attention was arrested by what happened “after” the Ark was taken— what happened was a national “revival.” Israel repents & returns to the Lord; and, the Ark is recovered; and, the place of God’s glory comes home! And, that’s where I find hope—in GOD! There is hope for the Church in America— NOT at the polls: NOT by electing certain individuals to public office; NOT by passing laws in an attempt to legislate righteousness! Our hope must begin at the altars of our churches! Let judgment begin at the House of God! Nothing is happening in America that a “glory to God” revival couldn’t fix! Let us repent of our idolatrous fascination that politicians can save us!  And let us fall on our knees and ask God to bring revival to our churches! Our only hope is in the Lord! Can I get an “Amen”?

Parenting Adult Children

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-The Sinful Nature I Passed On

All the struggles & mistakes & rebellions of my adult children can be attributed, in large part, to the sinful nature I passed on to them! Bad parenting begets bad parenting! The answer is NOT to try harder to fix them! Your adult children will resent your “meddling” in their lives! The answer is NOT to read the newest “self-help” book on the subject, either! The Old Testament book of Genesis contains the sordid story of Jacob & Rachel and their dysfunctional family. Pick it up; and, read it all over again!  Especially read chapter 37.

-A Pattern Of Sin

What you will see is a pattern of sin learned from the previous generation. When Jacob’s sons deceived him with a robe covered in goat’s blood, they convinced him that their brother,  Joseph, had been killed. They learned to lie & deceive from their father, Jacob, and their grandmother, Rebekah, who hatched up a scheme to deceive her husband, Isaac, to bless Jacob instead of his older brother, Esau! Where did Isaac & Rebekah learn to deceive? From Isaac’s parents, Abraham & Sarah, who cooked up a story that Sarah was his sister (Genesis 20) over fear that a king would kill Abraham to obtain Sarah for his wife!

-God Alone Can Fix This

You’ll also find “favoritism”, “passive parenting”, “jealousy”,  and “hate”— all being passed on from one generation to the next! “The apple never falls far from the tree!” The answer to the dysfunction in our homes— and all of our homes ARE dysfunctional— is the Gospel! The “good news” of the Gospel says, “I cannot; but, God can!” I can’t save myself; but, God can save me! I cannot overcome my hurts, habits & hangups; but, God’s Spirit can help me overcome them! I cannot fix the dysfunction in my relationships with my children; nor, can I fix the dysfunction they’ve brought into their marriages & families! But, God can— that’s the hope we have in the Gospel! God alone can help us overcome the sinful dysfunction we all bring into our homes! Jesus took all our sins, our guilt, and our shame with Him to the cross & He paid for it all! His work atones for even our bad parenting if we’ll humble ourselves & confess to Him that we’re incapable of fixing it! Extend grace to your adult kids as God did to you!

-Don’t Become Their Judges

I’ve known of Christian parents who have “disowned” their children because they’re caught up in some sinful lifestyle! But, let’s think that through! Is that how God responds to us? I don’t think so! God is always extending a loving, merciful, gracious hand! He’s always there to forgive when we humble ourselves before Him and confess our sins! If we’re going to be faithful “image bearers” we need to represent God in our relationships with our adult children! It’s easy to become judgmental when it seems they don’t want to hear our opinions anymore. Maybe we need to listen more & talk less! If we don’t change the way we parent, as they become adults, relational tension will develop between us. If you desire to be a blessing to your adult children, begin by confessing your brokenness to them & God. Then, pray relentlessly for the Spirit to work on you & your adult children! Trust God to do the Spirit’s work that you cannot do. When you act like the Holy Spirit in their life, all they’ll hear is nagging! Give them over to God! They are His!