One Year Bible - October 23, 2010

JEREMIAH 42:1 - 44:23                                                                                                     
THE REMNANT OF JUDAH: This is not "God's Remnant" - the ones who continue to cling to God for deliverance.  This is a phony, hypocritical, counterfeit remnant - the RESIDUE of Judah - a rebellious guerilla band.  They tried to manipulate Jeremiah to win God's favor.  They were afraid of the Babylonians, fearing reprisal for the slaying of Gedaliah.

"PRAY FOR US..." The people asked Jeremiah to pray to God to see whether or not they should go down into Egypt to hide from Nebuchadnezzar.  Jeremiah told them that if they went to Egypt, they would die by the sword, by famine, and by plague - NO SURVIVORS.  Egypt, a Bible type of the world-system, seems safe.  The flesh leads us to trust in the world-spirit because it looks sensible and powerful.  They had no intention of obeying the Lord if His Word was not in accordance with their wishes. They only looked religious. They were looking for a scriptural way to disobey God!   Their words sounded good, but their hearts were wrong.  They went to Egypt anyway, and took Jeremiah and Baruch with them.  The flesh manifested in outward religion but had inward rebellion.  They thought they were running from "sword, famine and plague" and instead they ran right TO it.  The problem isn't our circumstances.   It is our hearts.

BACK TO THE LAND OF BONDAGE: 900 years before, God delivered them from Egypt. Now they are back, despite God's warning.  God had Jeremiah bury some stones in mortar at the entrance of Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes as a testimony to the fact that Nebuchadnezzar would come down to Egypt and spread his royal canopy over these stones.

THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN:  Mother-Goddess worship - the forerunner of many religious practices even today. The people claimed that when they worshipped her and gave her offerings, nothing bad happened to them and they had plenty to eat and drink.  But since they stopped this practice, they have lacked provisions, many have suffered and died.  They say that their problem is that they have offended the Queen of Heaven!  They don't care that they have offended God, and they don't care what God says, they are going to do what they want.  SOMEBODY SHOULD REMIND THEM: They had lots of trouble in Judah. LOTS! The fact that their suffering has abated was not due to the Queen of Heaven, but to the grace of God withholding judgment.

RESPONSE: Talk about stupid!  They have dared God to do something.  It is far better to be the REMNANT, not the RESIDUE.   It's time to flush the toilet on this.  On the other hand, if this is talking about people I know and care about, who are just as stupid - - - let's continue to pray for them.  Maybe they'll change their minds.   I've heard them justify their rebellion all kinds of ways - mostly antibiblical.  But, instead of running FROM perceived danger, they are running right into it!

2 TIMOTHY 2:1-21                                                                                                                 
HOLDING UP UNDER THE PRESSURE TO "TRY SOMETHING ELSE":

(1) chapter 1: Guard the Truth.  V.13 says "hold fast the pattern of sound words".  The Bible reveals the actual nature of Reality.  So it is to be much more trusted than anything else.

(2) chapter 2: Be strong in the Lord. V.1 says "be strong in the grace of Jesus..."  God's grace is God's sufficiency, and He is sufficient in ALL things: in power, in authority, in strength, in compassion, in mercy, in physical needs, everything.  First of all, it should be noted that the word for "strong" here is "endunamoo" which is a compound word: "enduo" means "to be clothed upon" and "dunamis" refers to "power that emanates from God's nature in me."  It is the pressing reality and impact of God's life in me. It is the available Resources of God. Additional synonyms are might, ability, strength, sufficiency, force, wealth, dominion, valor.

But how do we stay strong? (2:3-4) Like a soldier of Jesus Christ, we "endure hardness", which means we stay committed, no matter what happens.  We don't allow circumstances to distract us and we do NOT consider Christianity a "side-trip" or a detour.  It is our life now. Our goal is to always please God in all we say and do.  When we "signed up" for God's army, we separated ourselves from all other pursuits and even from permissible things that might keep us from God's best.  (2:5) Like an athlete, we don't "cut corners" - or take shortcuts. "Striving lawfully" does not refer to the race itself, but to the rules of training.  We are disciplined.  We don't try to live godly, we train rigorously.  (2:6) Like a farmer, we stay "engaged" or fully involved and diligent.  (2:7-14) Endurance wins the crown. We "suffer", rather than deny the Lord.  After all, we consider ourselves dead to the world, and alive only to God. (2:15-26) Beware of pitfalls and traps that will hinder your testimony: arguments over words, dangerous desires of the flesh (walk away from some; RUN from others; don't try to suppress them!), and rebellious or defiant attitudes.

RESPONSE:  Staying spiritually strong is a commitment that must be rigorously pursued.  To be "strong in God's grace" - rather just "be strong..." is a good thing!  God's grace is "sufficient" and I am not!  I come to the end of my own strength all the time!  I just say, "Help me, Jesus" as I continue on to finish my day.  Otherwise I would sin by complaining, whining, making other people pick up my jobs, being ungrateful, making excuses, being disobedient to what God called me to.  I know that I must "endure hardness" - being a Christian is not just something I DO, it is who I am.  Even when I don't feel like it, I do the job right, because Jesus would see if I cut corners.  Shortcuts are the same thing as "breaking training"!  If I do that, I don't just "miss the mark", I miss the kingdom!   It's not just a "flub-up", it is sin and I need to repent, but sometimes it is too lake to go back and "fix it". 

PSALM 92:1 - 93:5                                                                                                     
Please refer back to the background information of Psalm 90-106: the "Numbers" Psalms - "Labouring" to enter in to God's Rest.

Psalm 92: Praise and thanks to God give us access to God's Rest and His Benefits. "Lovingkindness" and "faithfulness" (v.2) are to be found in His Presence. The "brutish" (senseless) man, the "fool", the "wicked" , the "workers of iniquity" will not experience the benefits of knowing God.   But the righteous, those "planted in the house of the Lord" will flourish, stay fruitful, right up until they die. No "wasting away" for us!

Psalm 93 assures us that God is completely and totally in charge. He is mightier and higher than anything that might come against us. And not one thing about God is temporary except His anger! Psa 93 is a good Psalm to read out loud in reassuring our hearts that it is SAFE to trust God.

PROVERBS 26:3-5                                                                                                     
DEALING WITH FOOLS: A fool is described throughout Scripture as being shamelessly self-deceived, self-sufficient, careless, and conceited.  He is on the path to destruction and death.  What brought him to this condition was the lack of the fear of God.  This empty and hollow person is a spiritual maniac. (1) It is inappropriate to give honor to a fool. (2) He can be compared to a horse or a donkey: stubborn and unreasonable, so don't bother arguing with him; he only understands force. (3) Don't be brought down to his level by taunting or sneering back at him. (4) Give him an answer that makes sense, so that he doesn't think he has rendered you speechless! In other words, DO NOT answer when your answer will make you look as foolish as he is. DO answer when a non-answer will look like he has convinced you of something foolish. Remember: Never defend yourself. Never demands your rights. Never complain.

One Year Bible - October 22, 2010

JEREMIAH 39:1 - 41:18                                                                                                     
OVERTHROW: The Fall of Jerusalem: (2 Kings 25 and 2 Chronicles 36) God's warnings became God's judgments. When the judgment of God comes, God distinguishes those who are His and they are delivered - not necessarily FROM suffering, but IN their suffering. The city and the Temple were burned to the ground, Zedekiah's sons were killed, the king's eyes were put out, and he was led in chains to Babylon.

GOD'S JUDGMENT: Partial obedience is DISobedience. Delayed obedience is DISobedience.  God cannot be manipulated or placated; He must be obeyed.  People can ignore or refuse to listen to God, and give themselves to counterfeits and substitutes in an effort to "forget" God, but eventually time will run out and God will have His say.  Delayed judgment does not mean that judgment is not coming.  It means that God is long-suffering and giving you an opportunity to repent.  Outward religious practices without my heart being in it is just flattery and manipulation.  It is unacceptable to God.  There is only one attitude that will avert judgment, and that is REPENTANCE.  With repentance comes restoration, even if the life has been decimated.

RESPONSE: What is it going to take?  After all these people had been thru, you would think they would want to repent and live!  This remnant survived the siege of the city, survived being led away as slaves, survived being killed by the Babylonians, and now they are being out-and-out rebellious!

2 TIMOTHY 1:1-18                                                                                                            
HOW TO KEEP FROM CAVING IN (IMPLODING) UNDER PRESSURE:  Pressure from the outside (external) tests our faith and our patience. How long can we "hold out"? What keeps us from reacting in anger, in self-pity, in fear, in anxiety? This letter to Timothy was to encourage Timothy to STAY THE COURSE.  Timothy was younger and less experienced than most of his church members.  Most of the people in his church had already disserted for one reason or another, and those that were left were threatening to take over because of doctrinal differences. Added to that was the internal pressure of wondering if he was actually doing what God called him to do.  If so many people believed another doctrine, maybe he was wrong and he should just step down!  What about the constant arguments and debates over what he believed?  What does the Gospel actually consist of?

KEY TRUTH (2Tim 1:1): The definition of the Gospel is: "the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus".  "Eternal life" does not refer just to length of life, but to quality of life.  It is the life entered NOW by faith, characterized by fullness of life unrestrained by human-ness, and a life connected to God as we live in our eternal life NOW.   It is the life Jesus demonstrated on earth, connected to the Father through prayer and His Word.  It is a quality of satisfaction, fulfillment, completeness and peace NOW.  We have access to God and have begun the process of learning to live the life that revolves around God.  The reality of this eternal life lies in not having to ”look out for ourselves" because of our confidence in God's goodness and greatness.  It is that "something" beyond the here-and-now.

FAITH VS. FEAR: (2Tim 1:2-7)  Faith is the power (energy) to believe God and is a fruit of the Spirit.  I grow in faith thru practice and experience.  The test of faith is delay, and that is why faith and patience work together.  In order to "live by faith", practically speaking, we MUST keep our connection with God.  The opposite of faith is not just "unbelief", but "fear".  "Faith" means "to believe", and UN-faith means "unbelief".  Actually fear and unbelief go together.  They reside in the same heart together.  They keep us from obeying God, and from inheriting His Kingdom rule.   If I am afraid, I can't just decide to believe - I have to take my heart captive and calm it's fears first.  HOW? I talk to it, of course, and tell it the Truth, as expressed in the Word of God.  I obey (1 Thess 5:16-18) and "rejoice ALL the time",  "pray without ceasing.", and "In every thing give thanks:"  I begin by praising and thanking GOD for His goodness and His greatness. 

Fear will paralyze you and keep you from obeying God.  Fear causes WEAKNESS and UNSOUND THINKING.  Fear is another form of self-preservation. Sometimes I have to decide whether I will fear God, or fear something else ..... usually some person.  Once you decide to believe and obey God no matter what, everything else becomes a non-issue.  (v.5) "Unfeigned faith that is in you"  is stating that faith is real.  Our power and energy to walk the walk is REAL.  Faith is LEARNED (Heb 5:14) and it INCREASES WITH USE (Luk 17:5; Rom 1:17; 2Cor 10:15, etc.)  We must instruct our anti-God hearts (Rom 8:7) to believe and trust God.  

PURPOSE OF SALVATION:  Faith is not just so we can be "saved" and go to heaven!  It is not just so we can live the "eternal life" here and now that God promises us.  God has an eternal purpose in mind for each one of us.  Christianity and the Gospel is not a detour!  It is the fulfillment of everything God intends.  V.9 says that GOD "has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was give to us in Christ Jesus before the world began."  So you see, our CALLING, ("upward call" - Phil 3:14; "holy calling" - Heb 3:1; irrevocable call - Rom 11:29) which 2 Thess 1:10-11 says is to manifest Jesus IN US in such a way that He is glorified and admired - is why God saved us - it is "His own purpose" - and He gives us the "grace" to see the fulfillment.  Grace is God's sufficiency given to us.  It is His power and authority and strength used in our behalf!   It is our "salvation by grace" (Eph 2:5;8).

HOLDING UP UNDER THE PRESSURE TO "TRY SOMETHING ELSE":
(1) chapter 1: Guard the Truth.  V.13 says "hold fast the pattern of sound words". The Truth is strong medicine - it is like a Lion. When I "keep to the pattern", I end up with the desired finished product. When I deviate from the pattern established by the Word of God, I end up miserable. I talk to myself (my own heart) as if every Word God spoke is true FOR ME. That is not "faking it"; it is receiving instruction. I am bringing myself captive to TRUTH. This instruction, whether it comes from my own lips, or someone else's is called "that good thing" (v.14) and will be applied and taught by the Holy Spirit as I think about it. The Bible reveals the actual nature of Reality.  So it is to be much more trusted than anything else.

RESPONSE:  Anything else we "try" as a substitute for God will fail.  It is a trip into UNreality. The walk of faith doesn't take "trying"; it takes "training".  Our "training manual" is the Word of God - the Bible. Training, as we learned in 1 Tim 4:7-8, takes self-denial and repetition.  The "life that is in Christ Jesus" is not for WIMPS!  It is for the adventurous, the courageous, the risk-takers.  The minute we start asking ourselves, "what about me?" or "what will happen to me?" we fail.  We begin falling from our calling.  "Life in Christ" is an UPWARD call, not a "look-at-me" call.  Christ is to be admired in me, not ME!  When people see how I live, it should glorify Christ - because I am so much like Him!  THAT TAKES RIGOROUS PURSUIT!

PSALM 90:1 - 91:16                                                                                                         

SIGNIFICANCE OF PSALM 90-106: Psalms 90 - 106 are Psalms of the Kingdom of God, and are named "Numbers" Psalms, the Psalms being divided up according to the Book of Moses. The actual Book of Numbers is divided into two generations: the generation that died in the wilderness because of fear and unbelief, and the generation who entered the Land, receiving the Promise.  Hebrews 3 and 4 tells us that entering the Land is a symbolic act of entering into "God's Rest", which is a life of faith (believing God). It's opposite is called "an evil heart of unbelief" (Heb 3:12).  To be "in the Land" is to be connected to God in God's Presence, resting in our trust in Him. This involves "labor" (Heb 4:11) - diligent effort.  But this is not trying harder to be good, but rather is using our efforts to rightly instruct our hearts to believe. We speak OUT LOUD, so WE can hear it, and it reassures our own heart that it is good and safe and right to trust God. That is "the Rest" that Hebrews and Psalms is speaking of.

The "rest of God" is that place of being "in faith" about our situation, and everything else about our lives.  This comes about by being God-centered and staying God-centered. Faith is not stationary (Rom 1:17), but every situation becomes an opportunity to believe God in another practical way.   When we understand our purpose is living to please God in all we do and say (Col 3:17, etc.), then we can't have the rug pulled out from under us without having Him hold us up, because we aren't depending on anything or anyone else as a source of life.

When we are convinced of how good it is to trust God, we become emotionally stable. When we are convinced of how right it is to trust God, we eliminate the stress of decision-making. When we are convinced of the safety of trusting God, our feelings actually catch up with us and we experience His joy and His peace.  HOW do we achieve this REST? We give thanks and praise to God for His goodness, greatness and glory, that's how (1 Thess 5:16-18).  Psalm 90-106, the "Numbers" portion of the Psalms are written to encourage us to enter into the "rest of faith".  This section of Psalms tells us how to "labour" (Heb 4:11) to enter into that place of faith, peace and victory. These are detailed instructions for our hearts as we PRESS into God's Rest that comes with faith in Him.

UNBELIEVING OR BELIEVING LIFE:   Whether you believe the Truth or not does not change the fact that Truth is Truth.  When we chose to NOT believe God and prove it with our defiance and rebellion, we reap the consequences.  Hebrews 3:12 calls it "an evil heart of unbelief". Psalm 90 is the best that can happen thru a life of habitual UNBELIEF, and was written by Moses to the dying generation of the Wilderness.   In contrast, Psalm 91 is written to encourage the new, believing generation that would enter the Land of Promise ("life in Christ Jesus"), the walk of faith and Rest.

PSALM 90 - TO THOSE IN HABITUAL UNBELIEF: Saved, but not growing or going anywhere. ("wilderness" Christians)   Regardless of my behavior, God's might and dependability have been the same through the ages.  When we live without regard for God, He does not disregard us, and He knows about our iniquities (rebellious behavior), and our "secret sins".  Our lives take on INSIGNIFICANCE - vanishing without a trace in about 70 years (wilderness of unbelief lifespan). We need God to teach us the wisdom of pursuing Him, AFTER we repent of our unbelief and mistrust..."that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.".

PSALM 91 - TO THOSE WHO HAVE CHOSEN TO "ABIDE IN THE SECRET PLACE": When we first make the decision to pursue God, to connect and to cling to Him as the center of our lives, we have to establish new habits. BUT, we look at others and see them dropping away from God, while still claiming to be Christian believers. We see how they suffer, how fearful or anxiety-driven they are, or how angry and frustrated they are, and we wonder if life will actually be any different for us! This Psalm was written by Moses for US!  The "secret place" and the "shadow of the Almighty" , the "refuge and fortress" are in God's Presence.  Books have been written about that - but let me say here: living in God's Presence takes persistence and practice.  This is an INTERACTIVE relationship between God AND me.  The veil is rent; we can live in His Presence NOW as we practice communicating with God 24/7.   All our "spiritual efforts" go into connecting with God, staying in God's Presence, abiding in Him, living from Him as our Life Source.  James 4:8 says that when we "draw near to God, God draws near to us".

"MY REFUGE & MY FORTRESS": To enter God's Presence as our "refuge and fortress" is to enter the "Land", or the "Rest of faith".  Rest is a state or condition of the heart whereby I trust Jesus regardless of what is going on around me.  Hebrews 4:11 says, "Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." Heb 3 and 4 says we "labor" to get into that rest.  It is "the rest of faith" that comes when our hearts submit to God's goodness and greatness and trust Him.   Jesus redeemed us, we don't have to sweat and try to qualify ourselves for God.  Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit and His Life and the Word, we don't have to try and fail at keeping the law to "come up with" being like Jesus (His image).   The opposite of labouring to enter God's Rest is "an evil heart of unbelief"; it is NOT "trying harder".   Our rest is obtained by coming to the Lord and trusting Him.   We do that OUT LOUD by instructing our hearts (which hate God and can't obey Him. Rom 8:7), that it is safe to trust Him. We meditate (OUT LOUD) on the goodness and greatness of God.  Our "labor" is what we do to get "in the rest of faith"; our labor is not to try to change ourselves or to try to obey God (although we obey Him as a natural outcome of clinging to Him).  Our efforts are to connect with Jesus in an "abiding" state, whereby we live from His energy, His strength, His Life - and not our own.  I MUST CONNECT WITH GOD - ABIDE IN HIM TO DO THIS.  My part in the struggle is to orient myself toward God by praising and thanking Him for His goodness and greatness.

IN RETURN.... God shields me from the pain of insults.  His over-riding Truth prevails over any lies that might be told. The thing about fear that holds us in bondage is the "fear of death" (Heb 2:14-15)  "Death" can be defined as "darkness and chaos" because it is a life separated from God.  Death is also "hell".  Jesus has defeated death; we will never die (John 11:26).  We can rest in the Truth.  When we obey God and are living in our assignment, when we are doing the will of God, when we are pleasing the Lord, we don't get distracted by what our enemies are doing. We don't notice slights, insults, bruises, snake-bites.   WE ARE CONTENT - - - satisfied by the life in Christ Jesus, Who lives in us.  If my life is anything but satisfying, God is not my First Love. When Jesus is my First Love, I am content in all things and I overcome hurts. (Psa 91:14-16)

RESPONSE: God takes it very seriously when we don't believe Him. Heb 11:6 says, "without faith it is impossible to please God..."   And so, a curse actually fell on the unbelieving generation in the Wilderness and they all died without ever achieving "God's Rest" (Heb 3:11). But I am of those who BELIEVE GOD.   I hope I never call God a liar!!!  That's what we are doing when we refuse to believe what He said!  My biggest obstacle is my own flesh. My flesh wants what it wants, whether it is more sleep, more candy, more play, more attention - but denying it by obeying God brings God pleasure. And nothing feels at good as giving God pleasure!  As I connect with God through praise and thanks, my work doesn't even feel like work.


PROVERBS 26:1-2          DEALING WITH FOOLS                                                                  
In the Bible, the fool is contrasted with the wise.  Whereas wisdom begins with God and the fear of God, the fool is at the bottom of the pile in that he has no fear of God.  "The fool says in his heart, There is no God." (Psa 14:1) He is content to live as if there is no God, and sometimes actually expresses his disdain for God in his heart.  Oh, he thinks there may be "A God", but not a Personal God to Whom we must give account.  So, a fool has no conscience either.   A fool is described throughout Scripture as being shamelessly self-deceived, self-sufficient, careless, and conceited. He is on the path to destruction and death.  This empty and hollow person is a spiritual maniac.  A fool is without any spiritual knowledge and without a conscience, and so the fool is filthy and corrupt.  It is inappropriate to give honor to someone like that, regardless of how much money or influence he has.  The sad thing is that "believers" - people who call themselves "Christians" can ACT THE FOOL sometimes when they behave like unbelievers.  When we don't submit to Truth as our Ultimate Reality, we are FOOLS!

A curse cannot come on you without cause. What are some causes, you ask?
Deut 28:15 -  Disobeying God. Living in a way that is not pleasing to God. This would include unforgiveness, bitterness, unrepented sin (Mat 18:34, et al).

Malachi 1:11-2:2 - By profaning God's Name - claiming to be a Christian, and living like an unbeliever. Giving God "left-overs" instead of your heart (1 Co 11:29-30, et al; Mal 3:7-11).

Deut 7:25-26 - By bringing cursed objects into your house, or by taking part in activities that involve demons.

Jeremiah 17:5; Galatians 3:10 - By turning your heart away from God to trust something else (a substitute for God). By depending on ourselves to "be good enough for God". Trying to save ourselves. Depending on our own righteousness instead of what God offers thru Christ.

One Year Bible - October 21, 2010

JEREMIAH 37:1 - 38:28                                                                                                         

PRISONER:  Instead of trusting God, Judah had made a secret alliance with Egypt against Assyria, even tho' Egypt had already been marked for destruction by God.  During the Babylonian (Assyrian) siege, when the Babylonians had temporarily withdrawn, Jeremiah tried to go home to Anatoth. He was caught trying to get out of the City by a Jewish sentry, who suspected him of being a traitor, in cahoots with the Babylonians.  Later (chap 38) wicked men lowered Jeremiah into a DUNGEON (a hole in the ground in the palace courtyard). As Judah and Zedekiah sank deeper and deeper into sin, Jeremiah sank in the miry pit without food or water or adequate clothing (38:6). A boulder was placed over the hole and he was left to die. (38:7-13): An old Black man (Ethiopian) pulled him out. King Zedekiah (a weak, puppet king) allowed Jeremiah to be under house arrest.  Jeremiah's final speech to the King was to beg him to surrender to Babylon, but the king refused.  However, he did protect Jeremiah in the prison court until the city fell.

RESPONSE: Going to prison for telling the truth - now there's a bad idea. It sort of does away with the teaching that when we obey God our lives will go smoothly.  However, when we obey God, our lives will not be boring.  Being saved is an adventure!  Darkness always gnashes on Light.  For some reason, they just can't leave us alone!  They are afraid of us.

1 TIMOTHY 6:1-21                                                                                                              

"FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF THE FAITH":  Godliness does not come naturally. It isn't even a "fruit of the Spirit".  Godliness must be pursued and rigorously trained into us (1 Tim 4:7-8).  And so 1 Timothy tells us how to train to be godly by fighting the fight of faith.  A life of godliness is one that lives to please God, in the fear of God, and in submission to all He says. (please see entries for Oct 16-21)

CHAPTER 6: The key to a life of godliness is CONTENTMENT. (6:6)  Both Phil 4:11 and Heb 13:5 tells us to be "content with such things as ye have" and furthermore "in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content".  The word "contentment" means to be fully satisfied (to have enough) in our inner man. It is a habit of mind.   Therefore, we are NOT MOVED by envy, greed, anxiety, or discontent, strife, suspicions.  We have Jesus, (Heb 13:5; 2Co 9:8) and He is enough (being the Source of Life).  We may enjoy life freely as we please the Lord (1 Tim 6:17).  We trust God, not ourselves, not money, or the things that money can buy.

RESPONSE:   I can remember attending a church where if you had money and dressed real uppity, it was assumed that you were real spiritual.  After all, God had "given" you that wealth. Only wealthy people were on the church Board, because if you had money, it was assumed you had knowledge and wisdom, too.   Eccl 9:16 says that a "poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard."  No one listens to a poor man.  You can be rich and still not be content.  Contentment is a settled HABIT in the heart that Life from God and in God is SUFFICIENT, no matter what.  Contentment is a choice. A habit of mind.

PSALM 89:38-52                                                                                                                   
Even if our present circumstances contradict what God has promised, God's Word and God's Covenant are still absolutely reliable. Therefore, I must reject anything/anyone that: (Psa 89:38-52)
(1) Weakens my confidence in God's sufficiency.
(2) Distorts my understanding of God's ways.
(3) Dulls my discernment or weighs me down.
(4) Is a reliance on a substitute or a counterfeit for God.
(5) Takes me captive to the world's systems.

The sun and the moon are witnesses to God's faithfulness.  V. 30-31 speak of God's law, God's judgments, God's statutes, God's commandments:  Their purpose is to teach us the will and ways of God.  To break them, or not keep them, is to walk contrary to God and to deny His authority.  The misery we feel is not because God is punishing us, but is because we are walking in opposition to the way things really are. 

PROVERBS 25:28                                                                                                           
SELF-DISCIPLINE:  When we DO NOT use self-control (denying our "lives" - our SELVES), we are vulnerable to our enemies: the world, the flesh and the devil. We become fair game for something else to control us.  Self-discipline is another term for the crucifixion of "the flesh with its affections and lusts".  (Gal 5:24)  When what we WANT dominates our lives and we blindly follow the impulse of our unbridled flesh, we are plundered and destroyed by our own selfishness.

One Year Bible - October 20, 2010

JEREMIAH 35:1 - 36:32                                                                                                     
THE RECHABITES: Wild, Bedouin-like nomads from the time of Moses, who lived in tents outside cities.  Their ascetic rule against wine, houses, sowing, and planting were a safeguard from corruption by surrounding tribes.  Though not Israelites, they abhorred Baal worship.  Their Nazarite vows permitted them entrance to the Temple.  Their faithfulness to their earthly ancestor (their father Jonadab, in a command given 300 years ago!) was a rebuke to Israel's unfaithfulness to their heavenly Father.  They stood before Jehovah in their faithfulness and their obedience.  They knew how to keep covenant.  Tradition had an iron grip on the Rechabites, stronger than Judah's revelation of God.   Judah paid no attention to their Father!

BOOK-BURNING: The event goes back before chapter 35, to King Jehoiakim.  Jeremiah had been prophesying 23 years and was now commanded by God to gather these prophecies into a book, since Jeremiah was forbidden to speak publicly by the Holy Spirit, and was barred from the palace by the king (36:5).  Trusty Baruch wrote it down for Jeremiah, then took it to the Temple and read it out loud.  The book was deeply influential with the princes (36:14-19), so they took it to be read to the King.  The King brazenly cut it up and burned it! (36:23-26) and sent word that Jeremiah's dead body would be thrown outside to be bloated by the elements. Unfortunately, that was the only copy of Jeremiah's prophesies so (v.28) God told Jeremiah to write it again.  God's Word is indestructible!  It is possible to mutilate and even destroy a sacred writing, but it is not possible to make God's Word of none effect. (Mark 7:13)  This scenario did not harm God's Word, but God's Word revealed the King's heart.  He and his cronies had lost their fear of God and are on their way to destruction.  They had lost touch with Reality.

RESPONSE: I saw an unsaved man tear up a Bible and throw it into a "burn barrel" once.  It scared me.  I expected God to strike him dead!  I have also heard of people who won't put anything on top of a Bible.  If it's in a stack with other stuff, the Bible is on the top.  That sounds like superstition to me.  The Book itself is paper and ink, but it represents the Word of God and should be respected - - - but not worshipped!  When I used to visit the prison in Nebraska (for fellowship meetings), the guards were supposed to search all our stuff.  Most of them would never touch our Bibles, but ask us to flip through them while they watched.  It is true: God's Word still reveals men's hearts.

1TIMOTHY 5:1-25                                                                                                                   
"FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF THE FAITH":  It is ALWAYS a fight to walk and live the life of faith. We are choosing to be more loyal to God, than to our circumstances, than to what other people believe, than what our own flesh wants.  We are to pursue godliness.  It take strenuous effort to attain godliness - - - not by trying harder, but by training (4:7-8).  And so 1 Timothy tells us how to train and contend for faith like God expects of us.  Don't just cave in to the pressure.

CHAPTER 5: Godliness in the Church:  It matters how we treat people, especially the saints. We treat older men and women in the Church as we do our father and mother. The younger men and women are our brothers and sisters.  And so, we must not use people for our own ego.

What is the Church's responsibility to vulnerable women?  First of all, if she is of marriageable age and single, we treat her like a younger sister, and protect her.  Song of Solomon 8:8-9 says that if she is real young, we build a wall around her!  If she is widowed, especially with small children, her other family members are obligated to take care of her.  IF the church needs to provide for a widow, she must be over 60 years old and have a good reputation.

What is my responsibility to my parents when they are old?  It is interesting that Paul says that caring for our parents is "showing godliness at home" (5:4) and it pleases God.  In fact, if we don't see that our parents are taken care of, we are "worse than an infidel" (5:6).  In Mark 7:10:13 Jesus emphasized that we cannot use our church-work and obligations as an excuse to neglect our aging parents!

What is the Church's obligation to "ruling elders"?  This is speaking of the paid pastors who "rule well and labor in the word and doctrine."  They must be paid. They must be respected.  If someone accuses them of anything, they had better have a witness, because the elder's word is held higher!   Then, because their ministry is public, so is their rebuke if they are caught in sin.  So, we pay them, honor them, protect them, rebuke them publicly when they sin, and carefully select them.  Because the "laying on of hands" indicates a separation and preparedness for public ministry (see Acts 13:3), it is a holy occasion and shouldn't be done without looking at the person's character. The minister who does the "laying on of hands" is also accepting responsibility and identification with the person he has signified as an elder.  If the person later shows himself to be unsuitable, he must be exposed rather than the Church being seen as participating in his sin by covering it up.

Does 1 Timothy 5:23 advocate or give permission for Christians to drink alcoholic beverages?  Of course not! Remember, we must interpret ALL Scripture in light of the rest of it.  Hab 2:5,15; Prov 20:1; 23:31; and many others tell us NOT to drink alcoholic beverages - NOTHING with "yeast" or fermentation.  In addition, kings (Prov 31:4-5), priests (Lev 10:9-11, Ezek 44:21), Nazarites (Num 6:3) were told to never drink wine.   HOWEVER, this verse in Timothy's letter is dropped in here in the context of keeping ourselves PURE, as he says that some people prove themselves to be impure after you know them better, and some we know to be unchaste right at the start.  This letter is letting us know that sometimes the water isn't safe to drink. Don't let your fear of impurity keep you from drinking wine if the water is contaminated.

RESPONSE:   In Bible days, they had "wine" and they also had "strong drink" (Isa 28:7).  I believe that the "wine" may have been mixed with water - using the wine to purify the water.  The "strong drink" would have been the UNmixed wine.  Note also that 1 Tim 5:23 says "a little wine" - probably added to the water to make it safe to drink.  Obviously Timothy hadn't been drinking even a little.  (Did he believe that drinking wine would make him IMpure?)

THE REAL ISSUE: The real issue (for us, not Timothy) is the appetites of the flesh and how far they should be indulged.  There is a thin dividing line between necessary use of something and fleshly indulgence in it.  It is easy to progress from one to the other, until we become TRAPPED in our habit. We should always be ready to deny ourselves, even something that may be perfectly legitimate and justifiable, (1 Cor 10:23) if it will stand in the way of our witness for Christ or could become a habit or an addiction. "Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way... It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak." (Romans 14:13, 21)  An appetite that is "under control" today but is still fed and indulged, can be uncontrollable tomorrow. Never forget that the harvest of indulging the flesh is very often reaped in our children and becomes the snare that keeps them out of heaven! (1 Co 8:9)

PSALM 89:14-37                                                                                                                  
BECAUSE GOD IS FAITHFUL....: God's faithfulness to the relationship He has with us has outward evidence.  We can KNOW that God is faithful, because "He has...." (18 times in this chapter) (v.9) He has rule over the raging seas (and raging people). (v.10) He has victory over the world system (Rahab=Egypt=world-spirit) and over all His enemies. (v.11-12) He has uncontestable ownership and rule over even the farthest corners of the earth. (v.13-14) God always does what is right and just, however, mixes mercy and truth in His judgments so we are not destroyed. (v.15-18) As evidence of God's faithfulness, His people are recipients of His Presence, His righteousness, His strength, His favor, His defense. (v.19-29) God gave us David as evidence of what His faithfulness can produce in a man totally given to God. (NOTE: David went from last-born in his family, to first-born with God - v.27)

HOWEVER, IF WE FORSAKE GOD.....: (v.30-32) Like a father, He will apply the rod and a "beating" as correction. (v.33-37) Even tho we forsake God, He will not forsake us. He will keep His Word and continue to have love and affection toward us ("lovingkindness").

PROVERBS 25:25-27                                                                                                           
"As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country." This is how the Gospel should affect us whenever we hear it.

"A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring." When we stop using our influence for righteousness thru fear or weariness or compromise, we have degenerated to a "troubled fountain and a corrupt spring."  We can no longer offer cleansing or refreshing.  We are not useful.

"It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory."  This is an unfortunate translation - what it is really saying is that searching, digging, examining, studying the difficult things of God is like eating honey - EXCEPT that you can never get too much and you will receive honor. "As a seeker to study what is difficult is honor."