Dialogue with God--Day 120 Through the Bible

God allows us to choose how we respond to Him.

"For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen,

being understood by the things that are made, 

  even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse."  

(Romans 1:20)

                                        

Our Pastor made some comments Sunday before our worship service began that opened my eyes to something I had never considered.  He said that worshiping God is a matter of dialogue between us and Him. It is a matter of a back and forth relationship.  God blesses us--we thank Him and praise Him.  He gives us His Word--we choose to respond or to do nothing.  Our choices draw us into a relationship with God or prevents such a relationship from developing.  In today's scriptures we read about two different people with opposite outcomes in their lives.  Hannah trusted God for her dilemma and was blessed with an answer to her prayers while Eli accepted things the way they were and received judgment on his house.  Do I respond to God when He "pushes the envelope" or do I draw a line and cut myself off from Him?

Hannah sought the Lord because of her barrenness.  Her husband loved Hannah and showed her favor by giving her "double portions" when they went yearly to worship the Lord in Shiloh.  Her husband's other wife evidently showed signs of jealousy by provoking Hannah "severely, to make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her womb".  Every year when they traveled to Shiloh, Hannah endured this and "wept in anguish" and was unable to eat. She then made a vow to the Lord that if He would give her a son she would give him to the Lord.  The priest at first accused her of being drunk, but then he told her to go in peace, and the God of Israel grant her petition.

Samuel was born to Hannah and she kept her vow and when he was weaned she took him to serve in the temple.  She "lent him to the Lord" for as long as he would live. Hannah was a praying woman and rejoiced in the Lord saying, "I smile at my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation".  She went on to praise God and give Him glory, recognizing His strength and power. She did not put God aside when she received what she wanted.  God also blessed Hannah with other sons and daughters. She made Samuel a "little robe" each year and took it to the temple when she went there to worship.  Samuel became established as a prophet of the Lord and became Israel's greatest judge.  Samuel was willing to listen to God and follow His instructions and Samuel is listed in the "Hall of Faith" in Hebrews 11.

Eli was the priest in the temple who told Hannah to go in peace.  The outcome of his life was very different from that of Hannah's. Eli's sons were known for cheating the people and for their licentious lifestyles. They were "sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord" (I Samuel 2:12). They refused to listen to their father and he evidently took no corrective action with his sons. God sent a prophet to speak to Eli.  He told Eli he honored his sons more than he honored God and that his sons would both die on the same day.  God also revealed to Samuel that He would judge Eli's house.  Eli insisted Samuel tell him what God had said and Samuel obediently held nothing back.  Eli responded, "It is the Lord.  Let Him do what seems good to Him".  It seems Eli had just given up--maybe it was because he was old and blind.  You would think he would have sought God's mercy with repentance and tears.  However, he seemingly just accepted his fate and the fate of his sons.

How would we have responded?  It's easy to accept things and take no action.  Yet when we look at Hannah's life, we see her crying out to God year after year.  Hannah knew the Lord.  And, as Proverbs 15:8-9, says, "But the prayer of the upright is His delight.  The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but He loves him (or her) who follows righteousness".  Eli did not follow righteousness and his sons did not know the Lord.  Life holds many choices for us.  Choosing not to seek God is a choice.  May we follow Hannah's example and take action with persistent prayer, remaining faithful to God.  May we develop a "dialogue" with our Father.  He closed Hannah's womb--she prayed--He gave her a son--she "lent him to the Lord".  Eli failed in his relationship with God.  God reprimanded Eli--Eli took no action, he did not respond to God.  No one likes to be ignored.  I doubt that God does either.  Father, give me a heart that is responsive to You, even as Hannah responded and was blessed.

In His Vineyard / Under His Wing - Day 119 Through the Bible

Photos taken while on a spring drive through the mountains with a 7th-generation matriarch of  Mt. Celo Church.  Mountain laurel, rhododendron, galax - the inset is of a rocking chair and porch railing crafted from the beautiful limbs of the rhododendron and mountain laurel.  Galax is highly valuable for filler in floral bouquets.

In His Vineyard - Jesus's parable (Luke 20:1-26) and Ruth and Naomi back in the Promised Land (Ruth 1-4)  A caveat from Jesus: Beware of those claiming to be His who are not - even within His vineyard.  I quote Spurgeon on this often.  He delineated between the "professing" believer and the "possessing" believer.  Our churches (the vineyard) have become so carnal, that it is often difficult to distinguish them from the world.  Jesus calls these people "wolves in sheep's clothing" and "hypocrites."  Luke 20:20: "So they (the chief priests and scribes) watched Him and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor"...(20:23) "But He perceived their craftiness."  Ruth and Naomi were Providentially led back to God's vineyard - the Promised Land with His chosen people.  But even godly Boaz warned Ruth that she must stay in his field, with his women.  He warned the men to not touch her.  There was danger even there in His vineyard - the Promised Land.  Of course, this continued throughout Judaic biblical history and during the First Coming.  In the parable, servants (the prophets) were sent to gather the fruit of the vineyard for the owner (God).  They met with abuse ("were beaten and treated shamefully"), with oppression, theft, and fraud ("sent away empty-handed") and abandoned ("cast out".)  Then the owner sent His only beloved son.  The son was murdered and cast out so that the evil pretenders could steal the vineyard and the fruit of it for themselves.

My Lesson / Application: This is why we study, meditate and apply His Word; spend time alone with Him in prayer; sit under the Ministry of the Word - that we may discern, have His knowledge, His wisdom, and know and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit - not that of the world.

Under His Wing - (Ruth 2:12, 3:9) - Boaz pronounces a blessing on Ruth upon meeting her:  "The LORD repay your work and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge."  Ruth later reminds Boaz of this - seeing Boaz as God's agent in her life - the Hebrew go'el.  "I am Ruth, your maidservant.  Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative."  And in the parable, Jesus says there WILL be recompense for those who have been chosen to care for His vineyard and His people but who mistreat them:  (Luke 20:15-19) "Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them?  He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others."  And when they heard it they said, "Certainly not!"  Then He looked at them and said, "What then is this that is written:  'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone'?  "Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people - for the knew He had spoken this parable against them."

My Lesson / Application:  In the world, we may be treated cruelly, unjustly, forsaken, abused, oppressed, abandoned - so were the prophets, so was Jesus Christ - even among God's Chosen people to whom they had been sent.  Those who profess to be Christians may have ulterior motives that have nothing to do with God and His purposes.  If there is a hope among this age of increasing apostasy, it is that this winnowing - this revealing of the true sons and daughters is becoming clearer, the need for pretense is becoming unnecessary, the "cloak" is unnecessary, Christianity is little respected in this world. The greatest need for spiritual eyes and discernment is now within what remains of the church.  Our refuge is still in His true vineyard and under His everlasting wings.  Our reward for faithful service is still with Him.

Psalm 52:6-9 from Today's Reading:  

"The righteous also shall see and fear and shall laugh at him, saying, 'Here is the man who did not make God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness."  But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever; I will praise You forever, because You have done it; and in the presence of Your saints I will wait on Your name, for it is good."

Lessons from Ruth and Naomi - Day 118 Through the Bible

A local non-profit in our hometown of Burnsville, NC, that has been featured in the New York Times Wine and Food Section.   Women who find themselves in difficult circumstances are helped in getting back on track.  Their creations in this bakery have won numerous bake-off competitions.  To order and learn more, go to http://www.whowomen.com.

My Lessons and Applications from this Biblical Account

For those of us who have found ourselves in a hopeless Naomi life situation in this world: There is comfort and kindness...under His wings, with His people, clinging to His promises.  Just as He allowed the negative, God can turn our persevering faith in the midst of tragedy and extreme disappointment into an unbelievable miracle that will echo down through generations - through eternity.  He did it with the lives of Abraham, Joseph, Rahab, Christ, and He will do it with many others we will come to know in our year through the Bible.  It will not be a life without difficulties  - some disastrous.  But God...can use our lives of faithfulness for His glory and our good - temporally and eternally.

Ruth and Naomi - Negatives:

Naomi - widowed, both sons dead, no daughters, too old to produce another generation of children (in a time when those things were the sum of a woman's value), in a pagan land with pagan gods, in cultures where such women were outcasts, without hope.  Ruth - widowed, childless, married into a "foreign" family, outcast from both societies - hers and her mother-in-law's, without hope. 

Ruth and Naomi - Positives:

Faith in God; faith in God's promises, in His Sovereignty and Providence; love and service to others; obedience to God and willingness to take risks to follow in that obedience - even to death; returning to their spiritual inheritance - the Promised Land; removing themselves from the land of idolatry and pagan worship; putting themselves under the provisions of God's sovereignty and His providence - "being where they were supposed to be, doing what they were supposed to be doing." (Mike Black, "Ruth: The Providence of God"  

God's Sovereignty - Provision of the Promised Land and the blessings in it; provision of Kinsmen-Redeemers, the saving of a remnant of godly men and women; provision for the poor to work and glean fields after a harvest; a plan of redemption that He will see through to the end though all the powers of hell seek to come against it; a child, a son - the grandfather of a king and in the lineage of Christ, a home and family for those with neither - who went from nothing to great blessing as a result of persevering faith and who, in turn, blessed others.

God's Providence: A plentiful harvest and harvest time; a tribe of people within whom were God's elect; Boaz - a man of God, a man of material means, a man ready to take a wife who was a relative by marriage who was widowed, of child-bearing age, a man joyfully willing to fulfill God's role of "go'el"; employees who respected and were blessed by Boaz and who were treated kindly by him; bringing a daughter-in law into Naomi's life who became a greater blessing to her than 7 sons would have been to her; God multiplying her faith shared with her daughter-in-law by joining it with a man so godly he was seen as a type of Christ, making Naomi and Ruth, these 2 outcast, widowed, childless women, the grandmothers of Israel's greatest king and part of the lineage of the King - Jesus Christ.

Lessons and Applications:  God is still in the miracle business.  We have learned in our 4 months of daily Bible study together that this is rarely a momentary miracle.  It takes faith, obedience, perseverance to experience the amazing grace of God in its fullness.  It takes work - often in humble and even humiliating circumstances, risk in obeying His Word, in forsaking pagan idols and worldly philosophy, in returning to our spiritual promises.  It takes clinging to Christ, to His precepts, to His people - even when circumstances, when our culture, tell us there is no hope. 

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.  (Ephesians 3:20-21)

More Lessons on Ruth:  Click on the 4 sermons in the Ruth series by Pastor Bill Dages to the right of the blog under "Ministry of the Word."  

Joyfully Receiving Jesus--Day 117 Through the Bible

                                              Scarlet painted-cup or "paintbrush" are now blooming
                                                     in Yancey County in Western NC, and home to Mt. Celo Church.
                                             


The "lewdness and outrage in Israel" of what had occurred at the hand of the Benjamites brought Israel together "as one man before the Lord".  400,000 sword-carrying soldiers presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, along with leaders from all the tribes of Israel.  Every man was in agreement that none would return home until this vileness had been repayed.

The tribe of Benjamin refused to turn over the "perverted men" that the evil might be removed from Israel.  They refused to listen to their brothers and prepared for battle.  Israel inquired of God and Judah was to go up first to battle against the tribe of Benjamin.  Judah lost thousands of men for two days although God had told them on two separate occasions to go to battle. God allowed lives to be lost and did not give an immediate victory in spite of the fact they were avenging evil.  Jesus compared sin to leaven--it permeates and affects everything it touches.  Many Israelites died because of Benjamin's sin although they were not directly involved. Israel pursued the Benjamites relentlessly, struck them down with swords and burned their cities.  All of Israel was grieved for Benjamin their brother and came up with a plan to get around the curse that had been pronounced on anyone who provided wives to the tribe of Benjamin. 

The account ends with these familiar words: "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes". Jesus gives a parable in our reading in Luke concerning His return and His kingdom.  "But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me" (Luke 19:27).  The tribe of Benjamin was a microcosm of what is occurring in the world today.  God's laws are being ignored to the point that natural relationships are being perverted and there is little respect for human life.  Everyone is doing what is right in their own eyes.  God's Word has little authority even in the lives of most Christians.  We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

Nevertheless, as Proverbs 5:3, reminds us, "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good".  In Luke 19, we read that Zacchaeus received Jesus joyfully and repented of his oppression of others; he gave half of his goods to the poor and made restoration fourfold for anything he had taken by false accusation.  As we wait for Christ's return, are we receiving Jesus joyfully, turning from our sins and making restoration, and allowing Jesus to reign in our lives, as well as telling others about the Gospel?  Is He indeed the Lord of our lives or are we bent on doing what is right in our own eyes?  Are we eagerly waiting for the bridegroom as a bride waits to be joined to her beloved on their wedding day?  Are our own lamps filled with oil and burning brightly as we wait for Christ's return?

Consider it, Confer, Speak Up - Day 116 Through the Bible

Town square in our historic hometown of Burnsville, NC.  Several of us form Mt. Celo Church have gathered here with members of  different churches to pray for our city, the nation, the world.

Hard Readings from the Bible - My Lessons and Applications

Consider it, Confer, Speak Up! (Judges 19:30 on Judges 18-19)  '"So it was that all who saw it said, "No such deed has been done or seen from the day that the children of Israel came up from the land of Egypt until this day."  Consider it, Confer, Speak Up!"'  How had Israel become so depraved? How could a Levite (the priestly line) give up his concubine (!) to be abused all night by perverted men (Benjamites!) to save himself, then carve her up into 12 pieces and send a part of her out to each tribe of Israel?  Consider that this Levite refused to turn into any "foreign" cities on his journey but only into cities that were part of Israel.  The implication here is that he thought the foreign cities were less hospitable!  An extremely awful commentary on the world at that time.

Consider:  

1) Syncretism - the blending of religions - idol worship with worship of God.  This is what Israel was doing.  The son stole money from his mother.  Instead of a punishment, she blessed him, and dedicated the money to the LORD to buy a carved image and a molded image for the son.  Next a Levite (the priestly line of the Chosen people) leaves Bethlehem in Judah (!) and comes to this house - for money and material possessions - and agrees to become a priest to this idolatrous man and his house.  Are these things happening today?  Do we see people blending Christianity with Buddhism or New Age philosophy, a worship of materialism - a little from here, a little from there - whatever seems best to ME at the moment?  Do we have ministers in our pulpits who are there for monetary reasons only or because they have been called by the Lord?  Are they faithful to the Word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit or to tickling the ears of the hearers?

2) Everyone Doing What Is Right in His Own Eyes -  "There was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes." (Judges 17:6)  Moses had warned of this verbatim (Deut.12:8)  This warning will reverberate throughout the Biblical history of Judaism and of unbelievers.   Chaos and evil ensue when there is no shepherd, no godly leader.  Consider "the downward spiral of sin."  We saw this in Samson's life, we see it here.  The evil becomes more horrendous as the person is desensitized by each wrong deed.  Do we see this today?  The virgin daughter and the concubine are considered expendable - to save the men.  Do we see the world considering certain groups of people expendable - to save themselves, their own wealth, their positions?

3) Shades of Sodom and Gomorrah - This story is very similar to the one with Lot in Sodom (Gen. 19:1-8).  But God will use even this horror for His purposes in the following accounts we will read this weekend.  There will be a time of severe accountability.

Confer:
We will see this in the coming readings.  The people of Israel will confer, speak up, and take action.  Enough is enough.  What about in our lives, our nation, our world?  Are we conferring as believers...with knowledge and acting in obedience?  Through knowledge and study of Scripture, the Ministry of the Word, collective and personal prayer and discussion of how this spiritual knowledge and enlightenment applies to our lives, we are able - called - to impact the world for Christ.

Speak up:

The old man and the Levite priest did a form of speaking up, but not one that called on God's intervention or help or that glorified God.  They valued their lives over those for whom they held responsibility and over godliness.  In Luke 18: 35-43, the blind man speaks up, cries out persistently for Jesus's help, for the Son of God to have mercy on him.  Those around him told him to be quiet, but that caused him to speak up, to cry out even more fervently.  We are called to this - to fervent, persistent prayer...to cry out for God's mercy and intervention on our behalves, on those of our nation and world.  It was the man's faith - his calling on and belief in divine intervention - that Jesus said made the man well, that brought healing and sight to him.  Like the physically blind man, we are to cry out to Jesus in faith to give us spiritual eyes - discernment - to stop this downward spiral of sin in our lives and that of our nation. Unlike the rich, young ruler, we must be willing to obey after we speak up - to let go of other idols we hold and follow Christ only - in the new vision we have been given, glorifying Him as did the blind man given new sight.  "And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God."(Luke: 35:43). May this be the effect of our time spent in study and obedience to the Word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit.  May we study, consider, pray for our spiritual eyes to be opened, then go out, speak up, live godly lives that transform our lives, our families, our nation, the world for God.  Then may all give praise and glory to God.

Keeping Our Hearts--Day 115 Through the Bible

Although we may appear strong and dedicated on the outside, is there an area in our hearts that persistently causes us grief and results in sin?  Samson was dedicated to keeping the vow of a Nazarite, yet as we read his story we see weaknesses that continually plagued him. Before he suffered physical blindness, he was a victim of spiritual blindness. Women and vengeance took their toll on Samson's life.

While reading about Delilah's attempts to discover the source of  Samson's strength it is so obvious to us what she is doing.  However, Samson was blinded by his "love" for her and could not see the obvious.  We are reminded to draw the lines far away from our points of weakness.  Samson would not drink of the fruit of the vine, but allowed himself to fall in love with the enemy.  He was so comfortable lying in Delilah's lap that he eventually gave her the information she was seeking.  His love affair was all one-sided and Samson was so wrapped up in what he wanted, he could not recognize imminent danger. 

King David also fell prey to his desire for a woman and committed adultery and murder in order to fulfill his desires.  God forgave David and granted Samson's request, however, both men experienced miserable times in their lives that could have been avoided by obedience to God.  In contrast, Joseph set a tremendous example of obedience to God and fled when Potiphar's wife desired him.  Regardless of our weaknesses and sins God loves and forgives us when we turn to Him in repentance.  It is comforting to know that Samson is listed among the faithful in Hebrews 11, and that God considered David a man after His own heart.

We are reminded in Proverbs 4:23, to "Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life".
We are all different and may not be tempted by the same desires that tempted Samson and David.  However, we have our own strongholds and sins that bring us comfort and the appearance of fulfillment.  We hopefully ask God to help us recognize and deal with these weaknesses rather than taking pleasure in them and being oblivious to them--until it is too late. 

In Luke 18, the writer mentions that Jesus spoke a parable "to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others".  The Pharisee went on to list all the things he did that were religiously oriented.  He used the word "I" five times in his dissertation.  The tax collector humbly recognized his need for God.  May we not judge Samson, David, or anyone else, but rather recognize our own need for God and seek His input and guidance in our lives.

Lessons from Samson - Day 114 Through the Bible

Our historic theater in Burnsville, NC - $5 movies and free soft drink refills

My Time Alone With God in His Word - Lessons and Applications

Lessons from Samson's Early Life:  Judges 13 and 14 - Again - the story behind the story (as with much of the Bible)...Godly parents willing to listen and obey God...asking to be taught by God.  In this OT story was another appearance of the Pre-incarnate Christ according to most NT scholars.  Both times the Angel of the Lord appeared to Samson's mother first.  She was the one most ready to hear from God, the one who had most assuredly been praying about this very thing - her barrenness and the longing for a son.  As a woman in Biblical Judaism, her value was in childbearing.  Denied this, she was considered worthless, expendable (could be divorced and outcast), cursed by God, serving no purpose in her culture.  God was her only help.  Have you been there as I have?  Maybe not only in barrenness in childbearing but in any circumstance that leaves you feeling forsaken, despised, overlooked, unappreciated, worthless in the eyes of the world?  Most of the Biblical saints were in this emotional state at one time...Naomi, Ruth, Esther, Joseph, Jacob, Isaac, Job and many others.  This is where they heard from God, where God intervened in their lives.  It did not mean all troubles were over, that the ending would be one of complete bliss. It did mean a new understanding of God, of their usefulness to Him, of His care for them.  It is where we are most likely to hear from God too, to be taught by Him, to follow Him, to move to a higher spiritual plane of understanding of our lives in relationship to Him and His plans.

Statements that are Life Changing From This Story: (1) '"Then Manoah prayed to the LORD and said,  "O my Lord, please let the Man of God whom You sent come to us again and teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born."'  This is the key:  Opening my eyes, heart, mind, soul, spirit..my life in prayer to God...open to His coming to me...to teach me what I should do...then obeying Him...then knowing that the consequences are all His.  It is both instructive and comforting to me in knowing that these godly parents sought the LORD, followed his commandments in the upbringing of Samson, but the results were not what they expected - not what most of the parents who were visited by God regarding the birth of their children expected (Sara-Isaac, Rebekah-Jacob, Rachel-Joseph, Hannah-Samuel, Elizabeth-John the Baptist, Mary-Jesus.)  The children's lives were fraught with difficulties and occasionally ended with cruel deaths.  It reminds me that my only responsibility is to obey God.  The outcome of that obedience is in His Hands.  The sins and disobedience to God by other people will impact my life.  These may be my children, my husband, or terrorism, accidents caused by others.  My burden:  Did "I" obey God?  Did "I" honor Him?  (2) "Get her for me, for she pleases me well." This statement from Samson speaks volumes about where the world's mindset is now.  There is no consideration of what God has commanded and prohibited.  The only concern is:  "Does she, he, it make me happy?"  How much tragedy and horror in this world have come on the heels of acting on this narcissistic statement!  It seems to be the controlling standard in our world today...with tragic consequences for marriages, families, children, churches, businesses and nations.  Does it make "me happy"?

A Beautiful Segue to These Life Choices - God speaks:  Psalm 50:16-23 - Have you heard and watched people who deliberately disobeyed God's commands to the destruction of others (usually the godly), then turned and called on God and claimed His Word?  Christendom is filled with these people who "profess but do not possess" Christ. '"God says, "What right have you to declare My statues, or take My covenant in your mouth, seeing you hate instruction and cast My words behind you?  When you saw a thief, you consented with him, and have been a partaker with adulterers.  You give your mouth to evil, and your tongue frames deceit.  You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother's son.  These things you have done, and I kept silent; you thought that I was altogether like you; but I will rebuke you, and set them in order before your eyes.  Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver:  Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright, I will show the salvation of God."'

Jesus on His Second Coming and the Kingdom of God:  (Luke 17:2-37)  1) His Second Coming will be like with Noah and with Lot.  Things will be "business as usual" and then destruction will come "like flashes of lightening", "like a thief in the night"...when we least expect it.  2) Some will be taken; some will be left.  And on the kingdom of God...it is here now...within us!

A Thankful Heart At the Feet of Jesus---Day 113 Through the Bible

                                     Wild iris covers the forest floor in this remote area of Yancey County.
 
Such a sad story of Jephthah making a vow to God that cost his daughter's life.  God did not ask him to make this vow--he did it on his own and the Bible says he carried it out.  We are reminded how devastating it could be to have to follow through on something we have promised to God.  Recognizing our weakness in following through could help us avoid making promises we cannot keep.  Today's reading in Psalm admonishes us to "pay your vows to the Most High".  (Jesus reminds us in Matthew 5, to not swear at all.)

One out of ten lepers who were healed returned to give thanks and to glorify God for His healing. The "last days" are known as a time when people will be "unthankful" (2 Timothy 3:2).  A thankful attitude serves to change our entire approach to life.  It causes us to focus not on ourselves, but on God and the blessings He gives us. The healed leper truly appreciated the fact that Jesus healed him and his heart was filled with gratitude to the point that he fell down on his face at Jesus' feet, glorifying God.  What a beautiful picture of thankfulness. Not only was this man's body made well, but he drew near to God with a thankful heart. There is such a wonderful lesson here.  God draws near to us by blessing us.  May we become more aware of Him by acknowledging Him as the Giver of the blessings we receive and draw near to Him with a thankful heart.

Manipulation vs. Truth and Sincerity - Day 112 Through the Bible

Cherry tree blossoms near Mt. Celo Church

Meditating on God's Word / Applying it to My Life

Manipulation / Truth and Sincerity – Judges 9 and 10 – Abimelech, the son of the maidservant of  Gideon, usurps control of Shechem by devious, murderous manipulation.  Gideon had told the people that neither he nor his son would rule over the people – that the LORD would rule over them.  Abimelech goes to his mother’s people to pay and support him in his rule.  He hires “worthless and reckless men.”  He kills the other 70 sons of his father.  Yet, the youngest – Jotham – hides and stands against his half-brother, reminding the people of the risk of life that his father undertook to save them all.  Jotham calls down a curse on Shechem – if they have not acted in sincerity and truth.

My Lessons / Applications:  Not once does Abimeleck seek God’s advice, blessing or help.  He uses, instead,  the world’s methods of garnering control – a divide and conquer mentality, aligning himself with wicked men, destroying others for greed and self-promotion.  He did not seek God, but God... intervened in opposition to Abimelech by sending a spirit of ill will between Abimelech and the men of Shechem.    The methods:  secrecy….lying in wait…lying. The consequences:  Others arise and come against Abimelech using his same methods…they end up destroying each other.  All the men coming against Abimelch can’t destroy him, but a single woman does.  “Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father by killing his 70 brothers.  And all the evil of the men of Shechem God returned on their own heads and on them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubaal (Gideon).  God's intervention is not immediate.  Destruction, defeat, and death followed a momentary victory.

Manipulation / Truth and Sincerity – Luke 16 – This is another greatly debated passage.  Why is Jesus seeming to praise the unjust steward's manipulation, lies, dishonesty and deceit?  I have heard several teachings on this passage and still have not walked away with the confirmation of the Spirit within me of what I had heard.  Most say that Jesus is emphasizing that the wicked, pagan world is much more effective in getting the results needed, in being resourceful, that we should learn to be equally resourceful and determined in spiritual matters.

A Quandary: Honestly, I do not see this when using Scripture to interpret Scripture.  Being shrewd?  Discerning, yes.  I can see that our dealing with ungodly mammon (money) is less important than dealing with spiritual truths.  That handling money well (doing the lesser) qualifies us for handling the greater (spiritual truths)...but then this from Jesus...for what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination to God."  I still cannot understand this last comment from Jesus in light of the unjust steward parable. 

Again on "Death"/ Heaven and Hell / Miracles:  Luke 16: 19-29.  In the parable, there is communication and sight between those in heaven and hell, but a gulf that cannot be crossed.   Circumstances have been reversed.  The poor and downtrodden man is now elevated in the heavenly realm while the wealthy earthly oppressor now finds himself in hell. The latter seems to excuse himself on the basis of having arrived in hell from lack of illumination from God - not enough miracles to convince him.  If so, he would have believed.  "Send the poor man back to my relatives to warn them!"  The answer:  "If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead." Charles Stanley nails this in his commentary, "Jesus performed all kinds of miracles... They did not make anyone believe... He even raised another man from the dead... and His enemies still crucified Him."  

My Lessons / Applications:  There may be teachings I do not fully understand; there are things not revealed to us (Deut. 29:29), but what have I done with what God HAS revealed to me, what He has given me to understand and apply to a godly life that glorifies Him?  Why do we so readily accept what the world says about things of which the majority of us has little or no understanding, yet we are so unwilling to accept spiritual teachings of a Savior we know and love, who gave His life for us?  Is it the teaching that gives us pause or fear that it has been manipulated by men for their own purposes, as has been done with so much in our world?  Do we rely on the Holy Spirit to reconcile this for us, to give us understanding as we are ready?  J.I. Packer has some further comments on Scriptural passages that are unclear:  J.I Packer, The Interpretation of Scripture

The Bible is the greatest of all books; to study it the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals. - Charles C. Ryrie