Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

Yesterday I had a great conversation with some of the other pastors and leaders of our church about the Bible.  We were looking at different passages and thinking through different arguments for and against the Bible being authoritative, true, and relevant to our lives.  In our discussion I came across a passage in the book of Ezekiel.  I thought it would be good to read and think about today for our Bible Time.

Background:

Ezekiel is a prophet that was taken captive with other Israelites when the Babylonians attacked in 586 B.C.  God was judging Israel for many years of disobedience and idol worship.  There were some “false prophets” that were trying to reassure the people that God wasn't really angry with them.  They kept telling the people that God was going to rescue them and make everything okay again.  Well, unfortunately God had other plans.  Now God was even more angry because of the lies that these prophets were telling the people.  Let’s read what God has to say to people that claim they speak for God, but in reality are making it up themselves.

Ezekiel 13:1-9

The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, who are prophesying, and say to those who prophesy from their own hearts: ‘Hear the word of the Lord!’ ³ Thus says the Lord God, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! ⁴ Your prophets have been like jackals among ruins, O Israel. ⁵ You have not gone up into the breaches, or built up a wall for the house of Israel, that it might stand in battle in the day of the Lord. ⁶ They have seen false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘Declares the Lord,’ when the Lord has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word. ⁷ Have you not seen a false vision and uttered a lying divination, whenever you have said, ‘Declares the Lord,’ although I have not spoken?”

⁸ Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Because you have uttered falsehood and seen lying visions, therefore behold, I am against you, declares the Lord God. ⁹ My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and who give lying divinations. They shall not be in the council of my people, nor be enrolled in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord God.

Things to think about:

Have you ever had the thought, “how do I know this is God speaking?”  These prophets were speaking from their own hearts.  How often do we tell ourselves something and convince ourselves that it must be from God?  How would we know the difference?

What do you think verse 5 is talking about?  Read it a few more times…what are the false prophets guilty of?  If they had not done that but instead spoke truth from the Lord how would that have helped the people to “stand” in the battle in the day of the Lord?  Is it better to know the truth and be ready for trouble, or tell yourself lies but feel good while doing it?

People claim to speak for God all the time.  How do we know if they are truly speaking for the Lord?

Can you imagine what it would be like if God announced…”I am against you…”  Wow!  That is a frightening idea.  Thank you God that for all those who put the faith in you we can rely on your promise that says, “What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who can be against us?”  Romans 8:31

The Only Judge That Matters

Welcome to another Bible Time with Josh.  Have you ever wondered why we have so many different types of churches?  Why some Christians do things one way and other Christians do it another way?  Are all those differences valid?  Is there one right way of doing church?  Is there a way to live life that is better than other ways?  Well, yes and no.

Today I want to look at a passage from the book of Romans that tells us not to judge one another, but we need to be careful not to take this passage out of context and apply it to every circumstance. 

Context:

Paul is talking about believers.  The letter is written to believers and the opening line of the paragraph is addressed to people of faith.  So, we can only apply this passage to fellow Christians…(not all people all the time)

There are things in other texts of the Bible that we should stand up and defend.  We are warned multiply times of false teachers that come in and spread false doctrines leading people astray to a false gospel that results in destruction.  We should judge that kind of falsehood and stand up for the truth.

But, according to the following passage sometimes there are things that even Christians have different opinions about – and that is OK…let’s take a look.

Romans 14:1-12

Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. ² One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. ³ The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. ⁴ Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

⁵ One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. ⁶ Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. ⁷ For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. ⁸ If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. ⁹ For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

¹⁰ You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. ¹¹ It is written:

“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before me;
    every tongue will acknowledge God.’”

¹² So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

Things to think about:

What are some things you have seen people quarrel about that you thought were not worth the fight?  Have you ever been in one of these disputes?

How are we to know what is worth fighting about? 

How do we know if God accepts a person or not?  That line between personal preference and heresy can be pretty hard to discern.

Have you felt judged for some of the things you do, think, or believe?  Judged by other Christians?  Are they unbiblical?  If not then read that last line again, “…each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.”  If you are comfortable with the fact that you will stand before God and give an account of how you lived your life then…live on!  God is the only judge that matters.  He knows the truth, he knows your motives, he knows your heart, he knows all!  So, let us trust in Him to decide what was right for us – not the guy down the street. 

One final warning though…God will use other believers to rebuke us when we go astray or help us when we are wrong.  Notice what Paul said in the beginning…”as for the one who is weak…”  Some of our beliefs are held in weakness and hopefully over time they will grow in faith and knowledge…

The Wisdom and Knowledge of God

Welcome to another Bible Time.  Who are the smartest people you know?  Think about it for a moment. Are there people that just seem to understand things quickly and seem to know everything?  They would win on Jeopardy every time?  (If you are thinking of yourself we may have to do a different Bible Time about Pride…J)  I was reading this morning in the book of Isaiah and was reminded that if you lined up all the smartest people in the world – what could they possibly tell God that he didn't know already?  Let’s read the passage together and be reminded just how smart God really is.

Isaiah 40:12-26

 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand
    and marked off the heavens with a span,
enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure
    and weighed the mountains in scales
    and the hills in a balance?
¹³ Who has measured^[g] the Spirit of the Lord,
    or what man shows him his counsel?
¹⁴ Whom did he consult,
    and who made him understand?
Who taught him the path of justice,
    and taught him knowledge,
    and showed him the way of understanding?
¹⁵ Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
    and are accounted as the dust on the scales;
    behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust.
¹⁶ Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,
    nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering.
¹⁷ All the nations are as nothing before him,
    they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.

¹⁸ To whom then will you liken God,
    or what likeness compare with him?
¹⁹ An idol! A craftsman casts it,
    and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
    and casts for it silver chains.
²⁰ He who is too impoverished for an offering
    chooses wood^[h] that will not rot;
he seeks out a skillful craftsman
    to set up an idol that will not move.

²¹ Do you not know? Do you not hear?
    Has it not been told you from the beginning?
    Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
²² It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
    and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
    and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
²³ who brings princes to nothing,
    and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.

²⁴ Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
    scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows on them, and they wither,
    and the tempest carries them off like stubble.

²⁵ To whom then will you compare me,
    that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
²⁶ Lift up your eyes on high and see:
    who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
    calling them all by name,
by the greatness of his might,
    and because he is strong in power
    not one is missing.

Things to think about:

I love the way God talks to us in this passage.  He doesn't say “hey you guys are dumb” like an arrogant know-it-all, but instead asks us simple questions that should help us come to the conclusion that we are dumb!  Compared to God – what do we know?

Isn't it amazing that even though God knows all of the stars by name – He also knows your name?  He knows how much all the sand at the beach weighs – and He knows what you are going through right now.  He knows all the leaders and nations and armies and yet, He knows my family.  He knows the pain we go through.  He knows your doubts, your fears, and your faith.  He knows you more than you know yourself.

I guess I have one final question that goes un-asked in this passage…If God knows all of this – Do you trust Him?

My prayer is that we would all humble ourselves and remember that God is God and we are not so we can trust Him fully!

To see it or read it; that is the question

Dear everyone,

            Think of an experience that was life changing for you.  It could be a good experience or a bad experience, but it was a major event that changed your life.  Now think of a great book you read or a story you heard that was meaningful to you.  Which one of those; the personal experience, or the written/spoken word carry more weight in your mind?  Which one was more life changing?  Which one was more reliable?  Which one would you look to for proof that something really happened a certain way? 

            I ask these questions because today we are going to look at a passage from 2 Peter where it seems like Peter has it backwards.  Let’s look at the passage…

2 Peter 1:16-21

¹⁶ For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. ¹⁷ For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” ¹⁸ we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. ¹⁹ And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, ²⁰ knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. ²¹ For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Things to think about:

Peter is trying to convince his readers that the stories about Jesus are true.  These are not myths or man made fairy tails.  This is real stuff! 

Think back over Peter’s life and try and remember the experiences Peter had with Jesus.  (healing people, walking on water, feeding thousands, arrest, crucifixion, forgiveness, and maybe one that stands above them all – the transfiguration when Jesus reveals his true glory.  Read Matthew 17:1-13 for more details)

With all of those experiences to draw from Peter uses the transfiguration of Jesus as a proof for why this is real.  It is like he is saying, “I saw Him!  I saw Jesus as God!  I was there!  I am convinced because I saw it…and many of us would agree with Peter.  If we were there we would be shouting from the rooftops that Jesus Christ is Lord!

But, Peter says there is something that is MORE convincing than his experience with Jesus.  What is it?  Look at verse 15

It is almost as if Peter is saying, “Yes I saw Jesus and had this amazing experience, but what convinces me more that He is real is the book of Deuteronomy, the account of Moses and the Israelite's convinces me of Jesus Christ.  Reading the prophets and the Psalms show me that Christ is real.  Etc”  How can this be?

How many of us beg God for some supernatural sign or experience so we would know that He is real…When Peter says we have something better than that – we have the scriptures. 

Why are the scriptures better?  What does Peter say at the end of this paragraph?  Where do the scriptures come from?  The Holy Spirit!  God is speaking to us in His word.  That trumps any personal experience. 

Peter quoting Isaiah 40 in 1 Peter 1:24-25 says this,

“’All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass.  The grass withers, and the flower fall, but the word of the Lord remains forever.’  And this word is the good news that was preached to you.”

Have a great week!

Joy for Today Part 3

Over the past few weeks we have looked at the topic of joy.  Can we have joy today?  So far we have learned that joy comes from the Lord and that it is possible to have joy in the midst of tragedies and turmoil.  Today, I want to think about God’s command and God’s desire that we find joy. 

God’s Command:

Have you ever been told to feel better?  “Let’s turn that frown upside down…”  How has that worked for you?  It is as if people sometimes think you feel bad and depressed because you like it and you need to be reminded that there is a different emotion out there called joy and you should try it some time.  So, know that when I tell you that God commands you to find joy I recognize the limited help that may give you.  But, God’s command to be joyful is throughout the scriptures.  Let’s look at a few:

Psalm 32:10-11

Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
    but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
    and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Psalm 33:1

Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright.

Psalm 81:1

Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob!

Isaiah 12:6

Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”

Things to think about:

I think it is interesting that we are commanded to have joy, but we aren’t told to have fake joy, or a joy for no reason.  What reasons are we given in these texts and others for why we should have joy? 

Is the command to have joy a threat?  In other words is God saying, “have joy or else!”  Or, is the command to have joy a natural reaction to all the great things that God has done and we are told to enjoy them.  Much like a child is told to go play with their new Christmas toys or maybe a better illustration is the child that is told to give their parent a great big hug and rest in their arms. 

If we are commanded to have joy do you think that at times it may be difficult to find joy?  If it was always easy why would we be told to do it? 

God’s Desire:

Isaiah 51:3, 12-16

For the Lord comforts Zion;
    he comforts all her waste places
and makes her wilderness like Eden,
    her desert like the garden of the Lord;
joy and gladness will be found in her,
    thanksgiving and the voice of song.

“I, I am he who comforts you;
    who are you that you are afraid of man who dies,
    of the son of man who is made like grass,
¹³ and have forgotten the Lord, your Maker,
    who stretched out the heavens
    and laid the foundations of the earth,
and you fear continually all the day
    because of the wrath of the oppressor,
when he sets himself to destroy?
    And where is the wrath of the oppressor?
¹⁴ He who is bowed down shall speedily be released;
    he shall not die and go down to the pit,
    neither shall his bread be lacking.
¹⁵ I am the Lord your God,
    who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—
    the Lord of hosts is his name.
¹⁶ And I have put my words in your mouth
    and covered you in the shadow of my hand,
establishing the heavens
    and laying the foundations of the earth,
    and saying to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”

Matthew 25:21

His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.

Things to think about:

Notice in Isaiah God is working to bring joy to his people.  He is the one that comforts, he is the one that wants us to experience joy!

May we find joy in the Lord!