Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Careful

Ez 13:6b "They say, 'Declares the LORD,' when the LORD has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word." ESV


 

This is interesting stuff. There were a bunch of false prophets in Israel. I have to think that they knew that they were a group of deceivers. I don't think that they could sit there and watch what Ezekiel was doing and what God was doing and declare "peace" with all of the stuff going on around them. They apparently had visions and they declared that those visions were from God. They said: "Declares the LORD" but God was not with them. The weird thing is, even though they may have known that they were false and what they were teaching was false, they still "…expect(ed) Him to fulfill their word.".


 

The flip side, however, is that maybe they didn't know that they were false prophets. This is even more dangerous. Here was a group of people who were seeing visions that they thought came from God. They said that they came from God and they expected God to do what they said, but they were far from God. This is dangerous because they could act and speak with authority and tons of people could be deceived.


 

Why did this verse hit me today? I think because I think it is a warning to me to be careful when I say: "This is from God". When I say that I better be sure. When I say that I better know that God is directing. That God is leading. That God is the One who is behind the thoughts or ideas that I share. Taking up the authority of God is no small thing.


 

So how do I know? How can I be sure? How do I discern whether it is God's still small voice in me or if it is misdirection from another source? First, what I say better line up with what the Bible says. If it doesn't, it isn't from God at all. Just like yesterday's verse, what God speaks He will do. His word is His bond. If I say something that is inconsistent with something that He has already said, forget it.


 

But what about the grey areas where we think that God may be leading, but His word does not really address it? How can we know? I think we have to rely upon others as well. If God is leading me one way and it is truly Him, He will be leading others in the same direction. I think in this situation it is dangerous to be the sole voice of God. If God is able to speak into my life, He is certainly able to speak into other people's lives at the same time which gives confirmation. For example, if I think that God is leading my family to do something but my wife is not on board, I need to rethink it. We are one. He will lead us as one. After all, scripture teaches: "Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven." Matt 18:19 There is power in agreement. There is confirmation in numbers. But what about Ezekiel? He was a lone voice. That is true, but his word was God's word. In that situation, when God's word says it and I am by myself, that is all I need.


 

Taking up the authority of God by saying: "This is from God…thus says the Lord" is dangerous stuff. I need to be careful.


 

Monday, January 30, 2012

Credibility

Ez 12:25 "For I am the LORD; I will speak the word that I will speak, and it will be performed. It will no longer be delayed, but in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it, declares the Lord GOD." ESV


 

Credibility. As I think about that word, I think about my job. I think about my clients. I think about me. I know that it is a lot easier to win a case if my client is honest…if my client is believable. If I have someone who comes into a hearing and all the facts line up just the way that I think that they should, but my client hems and haws and contradicts what they say, I really have no chance. I had what I thought was a perfect case one time where I had video footage that proved a certain fact. It didn't matter. My client changed her story and it killed her case.


 

Then I think about me. I know that my reputation is key. If hearing officers and judges know that I am honest and that I am not going to try to pull something on them, I have a greater chance of success. If I have facts that are against me, I say it. If I have evidence that can kill me, I reveal it. This does two things. It establishes my credibility and it takes the weapon out of the hands of the opponent.


 

And this verse brings me to God. God is credible. God is honest. God is true. What He says goes. What He promises He will do. There is no wavering with God. No hemming and hawing on His part. No changed stories. He starts immediately with a fact: "I am the LORD". Why would He say that first? Because there is authority there. There is automatic credibility there. In fact, He really should not have to say anything else. He could leave it at that and we know that there is truth. But He doesn't leave it there. He expands on it and goes on to say: "I will speak the word that I will speak". In other words: What I say you can take to the bank. There is no stuttering. There is no hesitation. My word is my bond. And if you are wondering "and it will be performed". "I will do it…it will be accomplished." And just in case you didn't get it: "I will speak the word and perform it" and once again "declares…(who?) the LORD God".


 

There is no one truer. There is no one more credible. What God says will happen. So when He promises eternal life to those who believe…done. When He says He will answer prayer…done. When He says His word will not return empty…done. When He says what you sow you will reap…done. When He says your sin will find you out…done. All His statements are true. All the more reason to get in the word. All the more reason to find and declare His promises.


 

God is credible…you can count on it.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Heart Tenderizer

Ez 11:19,20 "And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God."


 

Total transformation. That is what God is in the business of doing. Totally transforming lives and making us new again.


 

Here was a country that was totally messed up. They had turned their backs on God. They had gone their own way. They did their own thing. The result was death and division. But God… God does not want death. God does not want division. God wants life and unity because God's primary character quality is love. "God is love." Sure, He is also just and righteous and holy and powerful, and He uses those attributes when needed, but what He really wants is to show us that He loves us. That He cares for us. He wants to extend mercy and grace to us. He wants us to see His goodness. So what did He do for Israel? What will He do for us? "I will give them one heart." I will put within them a new spirit. I will remove their heart of stone. I will give them a heart of flesh. I will be their God. This is an act of God. He does it. We don't conjure it up…He brings it about.


 

I see junk going on around me all the time. People who know better. People who have turned their backs on God and their family and their church. I have not gotten to the point of sighs and groans yet, but I get impatient. I want God to do things now, in my time, according to my calendar. God doesn't work that way. He does, He acts, He works according to His timetable. Maybe He is waiting for my sighs and groans. Maybe He wants to work on my heart of stone first and then He will work on others. Maybe I am the one who needs transformation.


 

The thing I can take hope in is that He will do it. He will work in me. He will work in others. He is working now. He is tenderizing hard hearts so that we are unified. He is tenderizing hard hearts so that we obey Him. He is tenderizing hard hearts so that we only have one focus…Him. We are His people…He is our God. Nothing else. No one else. He did it for Israel and He is in the business of doing it today.


 

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Conformity vs Eternity

Ez 11:12 "and you shall know that I am the LORD. For you have not walked in my statutes, nor obeyed my rules, but have acted according to the rules of the nations that are around you." ESV


 

I don't know what it is, but the pressure to be like other people is massive. We see what they do and we see what they have and for some reason we think it is how we should live. This is the key to advertising. All advertisers have to do is get you to think that you need something that you currently don't have and they have got you. When this comes to values and character and actions, many times we think that running after money or stuff or power or position is what this life is all about. It isn't. Knowing God and obeying Him is what this life is all about.


 

Israel was caught up in this. They did what other nations did. They saw that they worshipped other gods. They were enticed by the mystery or the glamour or the excitement that they thought other nations had and they turned their backs on God's instructions. The end result was death and division. They were more concerned about the here and now that they forgot about the future consequences. They were more interested in satisfying their immediate wants that they failed to consider the end result. They did not have a future mindset. They did not consider God or His eternal plan.


 

If I am not careful, I can do that too. Immediate gratification is nice. The future consequences no so much. In order to follow God and have an eternal focus I need to keep my mind riveted on Him and His word. I have to know Him and follow His instructions, His statutes, His direction. When I am enticed I need to ask myself the question: "How does this play out in eternity?". In fact, when I am enticed I need to ask myself the question: "What will be the future consequences?".


 

I think that it is cool that our church is going through a six week series on Heaven. It makes you think differently. It makes you consider the temporariness of this life. Not in a morbid way, but in an exciting way. I love what Ken Ungar said. He said: "I am trying to look beyond this life, not to escape this life but to ignite this life." If we have that mindset we will not run after what other nations run after. We will not be focused on what other people do or have. We will have one purpose that will change all that we do here on this earth…to Know God and do what He wants to bring Him glory. That is how I need to make decisions. That is how I need to live.


 

Friday, January 27, 2012

Sighs and Groans

Ez 9:4 "And the LORD said to him, 'Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.'" ESV


 

There was some really bad stuff going on in Israel. God wanted Ezekiel to see the things that the people were doing that profaned who He was so He took Ezekiel on a tour. He wanted him to get a sense of what was going on. The idolatry. The violence. The defilement. (Ch 8) Apparently, this sickened some of the people in the country. Some of the people sighed and groaned and cried over what was happening to Israel. They weren't blind to it. It impacted them. I am sure that they wanted to do something about it, but just did not know what to do. God told Exekiel to mark these people because judgment was coming and these people were going to be protected.


 

If I were in Israel, I wonder if I would have received a mark? I mean, I am not blind to all of the junk that is going on in the United States today. I see that God's name is mocked. I see that our culture is going down the sewer. I see the garbage that is being fed and eaten up by people in our society. I see a system of politics that is corrupt and powerhungry and frankly, bankrupt. The question is, do I sigh? Do I groan? How many tears have I shed because of what is happening around me?


 

Now I realize that the United States is not like Israel. We are not the chosen people of God…so it may be a little different. So I need to break this down to a group of God's chosen people…the church. What do I see there? Does my heart break for people in the church who seemingly ignore God? People who once walked with Him, but have now gone a different way? Where is the groaning? Where are the tears? Where is the prayer?


 

I know one thing, my heart needs to be tenderized because I am not where I should be. Am I concerned? Sure. But it has to go beyond concern. It has to impact me so that I am begging God to do something. It has to move my heart. Look at Paul's heart for other Jews. He had great sorrow. He had continual grief. Rom 9:2 His heart was so moved that he wished that he could take the Jew's punishment to set them free.


 

I wonder if God is just waiting for hearts like this in me, in all of us to get going where we are at? It doesn't take some slick presentation. It doesn't require a PR campaign. All it takes are people whose hearts love those around them and grieve for them. I need to be there.


 

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Silver and Gold

Ez 7:19 "They cast their silver into the streets, and their gold is like an unclean thing. Their silver and gold are not able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They cannot satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. For it was the stumbling block of their iniquity." ESV


 

If you listen to talk radio at all you know that silver and gold are hot topics. Not only do the hosts on these shows talk about it, but the ads either encourage you to buy silver and gold or sell silver and gold. Investors have said that to have a little silver and gold in your portfolio is not a bad idea. In fact, in the Republican Presidential run Newt Gingrich has indicated that if he is elected President he would convene a gold commission in order to study returning to the gold standard. (www.forbes.com/sites/charleskadlec/2012/01/23/gingrich-the-gold-standard-and-the-florida-primary/) Why all the interest? What is the deal with gold and silver? If we rely upon paper money, all we have to do is print more and we have more. The problem with that is the more money you print the less valuable it becomes because there is more of it. When that happens, inflation goes crazy. This is exactly what is happening in our financial system now and there really is no end in sight. We can anticipate that the more money President Obama decides to print, the more inflation we will see in the future. Gold and silver are more stable.


 

But then we have this verse. Israel was all about gold and silver. They thought it would secure their future as well. They were so captivated by it that "it was the stumbling block of their iniquity". In other words, their lust for money and wealth started their free fall into sin. Sounds like Paul's words: "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils." I Tim 6:10 Unfortunately, when we get so focused on money, gold or silver we forget other stuff, like honesty, and justice, and fairness, and equity, and time management. When that happens we experience what we have been experiencing the last few years in this country. In fact, when that happens the end result is the devaluation of gold and silver. Even gold and silver can't feed…it might as well be thrown into the streets. I think of the words in Larry Norman's song: I Wish We'd All Been Ready "A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold". Some day all of this stuff that we focus on in producing wealth is all going to be worthless.


 

The point? Gold and silver are nothing. When it comes to the day of the wrath of the Lord, forget it. It will not matter how much gold or how much silver anyone has. God doesn't care...and frankly no one else will care either. The only thing that will matter is where we stand with God. We can get all wrapped up in saving and investing but when all is said and done and we are facing eternity, what we accumulated on this earth is going to be the last thing on our minds.

So what do I do? Concentrate on eternity. No, I can't ignore the need to live on this earth and provide for my family and potentially others, but silver and gold cannot be my focus. My heart, my mind, my effort has to be centered on what is going to last...people and God's word. The money that God entrusts to me needs to be stewarded properly. I need to remember that it is simply a tool that God gives us to advance His kingdom and His glory. When I make my life what I make, then it will become a stumbling block worth nothing.


 

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Hard Lessons

Ez 6:7b " and you shall know that I am the LORD." 10a "And they shall know that I am the LORD." 13a "And they shall know that I am the LORD." 14b "Then they will know that I am the LORD." ESV


 

I don't like hard lessons, but sometimes this head is so hard that the only way that I will learn is when the hard stuff comes. I think that is what was happening in Israel. These people were so off course, so intent on doing what they wanted, that God had to bring some hard things their way in order for them to learn who He was.


 

Israel had turned their back on God. It really could not get much worse. They were so caught up in idolatry that they had built altars to their false gods on the mountains. God was watching all of this and it impacted Him emotionally. I know that we don't think of God as having emotions, but He does. Verse 9 says: "I have been hurt by their adulterous hearts which turned away from Me." NASB God was hurt. After all that He had done for them, after all of the miracles and victories and provision, these people turned away from Him and worshipped other things. God was hurt. God was broken. His heart was shattered. He knew that as a loving Father He had to do something. These people needed to know who He was, so the hard lessons came. Some starved, some died, some were scattered. Why? So "they will know that I am the LORD". The word for "know" also means "learn". These people had to learn who God was again and the lesson was going to be hard. The lesson was going to result in them knowing who their Father was again.


 

I think of some people right now who have turned away from God. God is watching and God is hurt. His heart aches and He will not stay silent. As they learn who He is once again they can anticipate some hard lessons.


 

I don't want that. Like I said, I don't like hard lessons. I would rather avoid them. The only way that can happen is if I constantly turn toward God. If I fix my eyes on Him. If I stay focused on eternity. Frankly, life is easier if I obey. Tough times will still come and lessons will still have to be learned, that is just how things are…but they will not be as hard to take and I will understand that I can trust a loving God who is working.


 

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Ignoring God

Ez 5:13 "Thus shall my anger spend itself, and I will vent my fury upon them and satisfy myself. And they shall know that I am the LORD--that I have spoken in my jealousy--when I spend my fury upon them." ESV


 

One thing that I usually take comfort in is that God does not change. No matter what I do, He stays the same. The reason I take comfort in that is that this reminder is used so often when we talk about God's love. You know, "What can separate us from the love of Christ?...." The answer: Nothing. No matter how dumb I am. No matter how much I blow it. No matter how much I screw up, God will love me just as much as when I am walking consistently with Him.


 

But then I hit verses like this one that deals with God's anger and fury and jealousy. If God does not change, then guess what? I have to realize that this part of Him does not change either. Kind of sobering. Is God a God of love? Absolutely. Is God a God of justice? Absolutely. And God knows how to balance these two qualities perfectly.


 

Israel was in a heap of hurt. They had done some pretty dumb things to show that they did not give a rip about God, His law or His love. They committed idolatry. They listened to false prophets. They went their own way and did their own thing. This was rebellion. This was an abomination to God. The result? A prophet, Ezekiel, was sent to them to demonstrate what was going to happen to them (both Judah and Israel). The things that Ezekiel had to do were amazing. Lay bound so he could not move on his left side for 390 days, and then lay bound on his right side for another 40 days to show what Israel and Judah were going to go through. He had to eat a certain kind of bread that was cooked over cow poop. Then he had to shave his head and divide his hair three ways to reveal what was going to happen to a third of Israel. The result was going to be pestilence, war and scattering.


 

Why? Because Israel and Judah ignored God. This resulted in His judgment. Why? So they would eventually know that He alone was the Lord. So they would eventually see who He was, a God of love and justice.


 

God does not like us to play with His reputation. He is the Lord. He is Jehovah. He is the Existing One. He always was, He always will be, He never changes and He is the One who is in control. Not me. When I think that I can do my own thing, go my own way, make my own decisions and ignore what God says, I will do nothing but screw up my life. God doesn't change. He still loves, but He is consistent and expects His children to obey Him. When we don't we can anticipate some nasty results.


 

But when I do…blessing. That is what God wants.

Monday, January 23, 2012

No Matter What

Ez 3:10,11 "Son of man, receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you, and hear with your ears. And go, get to the captives, to the children of your people, and speak to them and tell them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD,' whether they hear, or whether they refuse." ESV


 

So here it is. God told Ezekiel to stand on his feet and he would speak to him. When Ezekiel heard from God he was to do two things: Receive the words into his heart and tell his people the things that God told him. God didn't just want this to be a mental exercise for Ezekiel. He wanted this to be something that Ezekiel internalized. Something that changed him from the inside.


 

That is huge. I can sit here and read the Bible and write about all kinds of stuff, but if it doesn't impact me, if it does not change me, if I don't receive the words into my heart, then I am just going through motions. I may think that I am accomplishing something, I am putting my time in with God, but if there is no impact in my life, I should just read the newspaper and forget about it. This is what James talks about when he says that we need to be doers of the word and not just hearers. I have to internalize it. It has to make a change on the inside so that it impacts what I do on the outside. If God is willing to share His heart with me, then my heart needs to be changed.


 

The one thing that God asked Ezekiel to do when he received the words into his heart was to take what God had taught him and tell his people, no matter what. Speak it. Tell it. Share it. Give it. These people were captives. They needed to hear from God and Ezekiel was the son of man, the normal guy who was to tell them. The thing is, when we tell someone something we would like it to have some impact. And if what we are telling them is something that we believe came from the Lord, we really want them to hear it so it can change their lives as well. This was not going to happen with Ezekiel. He was going to tell his people what God said and they were going to ignore it. He was going to talk to brick walls. It was going to be futile…but he was to tell them anyway.


 

This is a challenge for me. Sometimes I look at people and think "What's the use? They are not going to listen." It doesn't matter. Tell them anyway. This happens with sharing the Gospel, and unfortunately, it also happens when I have an opportunity to share with other believers. Sometimes, many times it falls on deaf ears. God says: "So what? Do it anyway. Share the truth anyway. Give what I have given to you anyway."


 

So God today, this week, let me share what you teach me with others. Give me the words to say. Let me open my mouth. No matter what.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Normal Man

Ez 2:1b "Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you." ESV


 

Ezekiel's position was down low on his face. This was the position that he should have taken in the presence of a holy and powerful God. The cool thing is that God did not want him to stay there. Sure, God appreciated his heart. God knew that he was on his face because Ezekiel realized who he was and who God was, but if Ezekiel stayed on his face, God would not be able to use him. So God told him to do something…stand up. And God gave him a promise. "After you stand up I will speak with you." Wow. This holy, awesome, powerful, majestic God who sat on the throne in the expanse that was over the four living creatures and the wheels was going to communicate with this son of man…a normal man. Why? God wanted to use this normal man. God knew that if he stayed on his face that nothing would be done, so He told him to get up and then He would tell him what to do.


 

This is really how it is. When we come to God humbly, down low, acknowledging who we are…nothing, and admitting who He is…everything, then we are ready to be used. And the wild thing is, God wants to speak to us, God wants to use us…normal men and women. I don't get it really. God does not need me. He can do anything He wants, but in His wisdom and in His plan He wants to use a faulty vessel, a normal man. The first thing I have to do is humble myself. The next thing I have to do is stand up and be ready to be used. And the next thing that will happen? God will speak. God will communicate. The very God of all creation will share His mind with me. Will it be something audible? I think with Ezekiel it probably was, but that is not how God works today. He has given me His word and He speaks loud and clear through it. And He has given me His Spirit. I love this verse: "But when He the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth…" John 16:13 Jesus said: "Your word is truth." The Spirit of God wants to take that truth and guide me in it. I love the word for guide…it means to be my teacher. Teacher's communicate. God's desire is to communicate with me through His word through the Spirit of God. And this communication, this teaching is not just so I can increase what I know in my brain…it is so God can use this normal man.


 

So what is He teaching me? How is He communicating with me? How does He want to use me? Every time I get into the scriptures I need to ask that question because this awesome, powerful, mighty God of creation wants to talk to me and use this normal man. Crazy.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

On My Face

Ez 1:28b "Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking." ESV


 

For some reason I started studying the books of the Bible that began with "E". I had already done Exodus. Then I hit Ezra (great book), then Ephesians (amazing book) then Esther, then Ecclesiastes and now Ezekiel. So here it goes, a study in the book of Ezekiel.


 

Right away it starts out weird. Here is this prophet, Ezekiel, who sees unusual stuff. He sees a cloud with flashing fire coming out of it, and something in the middle of it that looked like metal. Then he saw four living creatures with four faces and four wings who looked like bright burning torches, and from them came lightening. The creatures darted back and forth just like lightening and next to each one was something that resembled a wheel with rims that looked like they were full of eyes. Wherever the creatures went and whatever the creatures did the wheels followed and did exactly the same thing. Above their heads was an expanse that was awesome in appearance. When they moved their wings, the sound was massive and sounded just like an army advancing. During all of this what did Ezekiel do? Nothing. He probably just watched with his mouth wide open.


 

But then he saw something else. In the awesome crystal expanse that was above the creatures heads Ezekiel saw something else. A throne. And sitting on the throne someone who looked like a human. But this was not any ordinary human sitting on a throne. This Being was surrounded by light. Everything was bright all around Him and it was a multicolored brightness that looked like a rainbow. "Such was at the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD." When Ezekiel saw this, what did he do? Stand there with his mouth open? No. Something changed. He saw all of this other stuff and just stood there, but when he saw the glory of the LORD "I fell on my face...". His reaction was totally different. He saw all this other amazing stuff and did nothing, but when he saw God...BOOM! Smack down! On his face. Prostrate. Why? He was looking at the glory of God. When this happened, there was only one way to go...down on his face.


 

Now I know that we don't have these experiences. I mean, I have not seen four weird living creatures full of fire, with their UFO's coming with them. I have not seen God sitting on His throne, but someday I will and where will I be? On my face. The thing is, this awesome, holy, powerful God is the One who lets me come into His presence now. I don't see Him, but I hear from Him...and where should I be? On my face. Not just on my face in my heart...but literally on my face. He is God and He lets me come into His presence. He extends His grace to me and teaches me. Crazy. Awesome. Prostrate. On my face.


 

Friday, January 20, 2012

Remember

Ecc 12:1 "Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, 'I have no pleasure in them'." ESV


 

Someone once said that "Youth is wasted on the young.". What does that mean exactly? I think when you are young you can have a tendency to be carefree, thoughtless, even sometimes reckless. When you are young you think that you are invincible…that nothing can take you down. As you get older, you learn, you grow, you gain insight, and that insight leads to right decision making. Maybe the better statement would be "Age is wasted on the old". It just seems kind of backward.


 

Wouldn't it be cool if you could have the insight and wisdom that you obtain in old age when you are young? Dumb decisions could be avoided. Stupid stunts could be averted. Future consequences would be eliminated. Yet, it seems that when we are young we like to "sow our wild oats" only to see later that those oats grow up to be weeds.


 

This is why Solomon implores the young to remember their Creator when they are young. As a younger individual it is huge when you keep God in the front of your brain. Why? Because even as a young adult you are living in the light of eternity. You know that you want to do one thing your entire life and that is to bring glory to God. When this is the focus of the youth, everything else in their lives falls into place. It is promised that when we seek His kingdom and His righteousness first (remember our Creator), everything else will come (as we get older).


 

This, however, does not eliminate the need to remember our Creator when we get older. It is kind of interesting, as you get older you start to consider your own mortality. You realize that your eyes are dimming, your body is not working quite like used to, your hearing fades, and more. (See verses 2-7.) As you consider your mortality you have a tendency to start thinking about eternity…you start to consider God. For some, it is too little too late. It doesn't have to be. Wake up now…whether you are young or old.


 

Always remember, bring to mind, keep in the front of my brain who God is…my powerful Creator…and who I am…the dependent created.


 

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Diversify Freely

Ecc 11:4 "He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap."


 

So yesterday it seemed like Solomon was saying: Be prepared, diversify, get ready. Two verses later it seems like he is saying: "Throw caution to the wind.". What's the deal?


 

Most of the people who lived in the time of Solomon lived off the land. It was an agrarian society where people had to plant what they were going to eat. There was no convenient Giant Eagle or Super Wal-Mart around the corner. Because of this, people would plant in the spring and reap in the fall. Sometimes this got tricky because what they planted may not always produce a crop.


 

I experienced this last summer. I have a small garden behind my house and the year before was amazing. The tomatoes, the peppers, the lettuce, the basil…we had a bumper crop. Not last year. The weather was very wet and I did not get what I wanted at the end of the year. Did I reap a little? Sure. But it was not what I expected or wanted. Now what would have happened if I had known ahead of time that it was going to be wet year? What would I have done? Not planted at all…or planted more?

I should have been more liberal in my planting. That way, even though each plant may not have produced what I wanted, I would have received more than the year before…even in a bad year.


 

That is what I believe, Solomon is trying to get across. Don't worry about the wind. Don't worry about the rain. Don't worry about the clouds. Don't worry about the future. Don't worry about potential disaster. Sow…and sow liberally. Don't just hoard what you have now. Let giving be part of the diversification plan. Jesus said it: "Give and it will be given unto you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you." Luke 6:38 This is the law of sowing and reaping. If we are always consumed with the wind and clouds and we hang on to our seed, we will never reap a harvest. Instead if we sow liberally, we will reap liberally. 2 Cor 9:6


 

It is all part of diversifying freely…it is all part of planning for the future.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Diversify

Ecc 11:2 "Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you know not what disaster may happen on earth." ESV


 

Solomon is considered the wisest man that ever lived. Proverbs is full of his insight. Yet, I never considered that Ecclesiastes is just as full of wisdom and good advice. I think that Ecclesiastes is thought to be about how vain life is…and it is. But tucked away in the middle of these thoughts from Solomon that no matter what he did, it was vanity, there are these pearls of wisdom that even in this vain life, we need to heed.


 

This is one of them. Solomon knew that things would not always be peaches and cream in this life. He knew that tough times could and probably would come. He knew that disaster happens and we have to be prepared for it. He didn't sit around and put his head in the sand and say: "Whatever will be will be.". He thought that proper planning was a wise thing to do. So this was his advice: "Give portion to seven, or even to eight." Spread it around. Diversify. Don't put all of your eggs in one basket. The word for "portion" actually means: "share, territory, possessions". It is the stuff we own. His advice was to spread it out into seven or eight different places. Why? Chances are, if disaster comes, it will not all be hit.


 

Now I think about what is happening in our world. The economy everywhere seems to be collapsing. President Obama wants authority to borrow another trillion dollars. (We are already 16 trillion in debt. Take a look at the debt clock, it will startle you: www.usdebtclock.org Frankly, this is unsustainable and ready to explode.) There is saber rattling over in the Middle East about Iran getting the bomb, and closing the Straits of Hormuz. Israel is talking about doing what they can to stop this. Saudi Arabia is saying that they will increase oil production if Iranian production stops. And Iran's response? Threats. Talk about disaster. This is a powder keg waiting to blow up and it will affect all of us. What do we do? Get ready. Prepare. Diversify.


 

And this does not just mean with our possessions. It means with our talents. It means with our skills. It means with our abilities. It means with what we are learning. It means what we are teaching. It means helping others get their houses in order. It means getting our own house in order. Not because we are running scared. Not because we have something to fear. But because it is wise. And it is wise because you really don't know how God will use you to help others when you are ready.


 

Solomon is preaching to me right now. Diversify.


 

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Hit it Hard

Ecc 9:10a "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might…".
ESV


 

Hard work is hard. Yet, hard work is rewarding. I think that this may be what Solomon is trying to get across in this verse.


 

"Whatever your hand finds to do…". It almost sounds like your hands are looking for things. The way he phrases this makes me think that we are constantly on a search to keep busy, to make, to create, to form. Our hands always find things to do. Whether it is what we are doing in our jobs, or what we are doing with our families, or what we are doing in our ministries, or possibly a project we are working on…Whatever. Solomon encourages us to make sure that whatever our hands find to do, that we do it only one way…with our might. Some translations say "with all our might"…with all our strength…with all our power. Don't be a slacker. I am not to take the responsibilities that I have been given and ease up. It is just the opposite. I am to take what I have been given and I am to work hard. I am to press on. I am to pursue it with all that I am. Paul put it this way: "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ." Col 3:23,24 The word "heartily" actually means "out of breath".


 

When I was in college, I had the privilege of being discipled through a group called the Navigators. A representative from the Navs would periodically come to campus and meet with us. I can remember to this day how this guy always said good-bye. He said: "Hit it hard." He didn't like the phrase: "Take it easy.". Why? Because it was not Biblical. What is Biblical, what is honoring to God, what Solomon lived and practiced and encouraged was that whatever our hands find to do, we should "hit it hard".


 

As I think about my day today I need to go to work with the commitment to hit it hard. As I think about the time that I spend with my family, I need to hit it hard. As I am given responsibility at church in various areas I need to hit it hard. This life is too short to watch it go by eating cheetos on the couch in front of the TV.


 

At the end of the day, my head should hit the pillow exhausted because my hands found things to do and I did them with all my might. Hit it hard.


 

Monday, January 16, 2012

My Award from God

Ecc9:9 "Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun." NASB


 

This verse is very personal to me. When Georgann and I were dating, I knew that I had grown to love her. Of course when that happens you ask yourself the question: "Is this the one? Is this the person I am supposed to marry?" That was the question that I was asking. Thank God I was spending time in His word and I was reading in the book of Ecclesiastes. I was in chapter nine and this verse popped out. Talk about confirmation! I truly believe that God was allowing me to see His heart for me. And now, 32 years later I am thankful for His word and His wisdom. My wife, the woman I love, is my reward in life. The word for reward actually means award from God. I have been awarded with a prize…and it is Georgann.


 

We just spent the weekend with our grand-daughter, Maddie. Now Maddie is an amazing little kid. Never complains. Never whines. Loves people. Enjoys our company. And energetic? I am not sure where she gets the energy. I spent the morning with her on Saturday, and by the time my wife got home, I was ready to take a nap. And my wife, my award from God? She was ready. She knows exactly what to do, how to entertain, what time everything needs to be done, and how to communicate with a 16 month old baby. She is amazing and her energy level seemed to equal Maddie's. As I come to think of it, she was like this with our girls…always one step ahead, always thinking, always planning, ready for any contingency. She was and is the best Mom that I know, and she is the best Grandmother (Gigi) that her grandkid(s) could ever have. She is a reward. And she is mine.


 

As far as me? She is the best. Not only was she one step ahead with our girls, she is constantly one step ahead of me. She is truly the Proverbs 31 woman in my life. I just sit here shaking my head amazed at the grace of God in my life. I sit here wondering why He would bless me the way that He has with my wife. Yet, He did. He has awarded me, and He will continue to award me because this verse says: "all the days of your fleeting life which has given you under the sun."


 

This is the way it is supposed to be. God wants to give each guy an award in his wife. He wants us to cherish her, and love her, and respect her, and honor her, and appreciate her. He wants us to know that she is our reward for our entire lives. Not just when we agree with one another, not just when things are going well, but at all times, in all circumstances…"until death do us part".


 

I have been richly rewarded in this life. Thank You God.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Discover

Ecc 8:17 "then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out." ESV


 

It is amazing some of the things scientists and astronomers continue to find in our universe and beyond. No matter what, they keep digging and searching and discovering. At what point does the scientific community say: "Enough. We have discovered all there is to discover." I don't think that time will ever come for two reasons. First, man has an insatiable desire to know more, to understand more, to grow more. Second, the truth is, we will never ever really know all there is to know. There will always be something new that reveals itself about our world. There will always be more space to explore.


 

Solomon knew this. The interesting thing is that Solomon said: "I saw all the work of God." Did he really? Or did he say this with the sense that he saw all of God's work in the sense that there was the human body, and the world, and the universe…he saw it, but he knew in seeing these general things, he also knew that he would and man would never ever find out all that God has done. No matter how much time, and energy, and money, and brain power we put into this endeavor of discovering, the reality is that we will never know it all…it is too vast.


 

Now I think it is interesting that there are some people who claim to know it all. These people are called atheists. For you see, if a person claims that there is no God, then that must means that the person who asserts this must believe that they know everything, and since they know everything, God does not exist in their all encompassing realm of knowledge. So even though an educated person may say they know everything including the belief that God does not exist, that person is really proving how illogical they really are.


 

God and His creation are so massive and so huge He and all that He has made are uncomprehedable. It is admirable that people continue to search and continue to find. That search and discovery process will never end.


 

I wonder how committed I am in my attempt to see who God is? Do I pursue this knowledge of God with the same fervor as those in the scientific community in their search for scientific knowledge? Now, as this verse says, I will never fully know who God is or what He is like, but that should not stop the search because His character and person are so vast that my search will be never ending, always discovering, constantly growing. Lord, give me the discoverer's passion to know more about You.


 

Friday, January 13, 2012

Reality Check

Ecc 7:20 "Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins."


 

The reality of this verse stinks. I would love to think that there is someone, somewhere out there who is righteous and who does good. Many believe that the nature of man is basically good, but this verse kind of does away with that thought. In fact, this verse is very similar to other verses in the Bible, like: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Rom 3:23; Or, "None is righteous, no not one. No one understands. No one seeks for God." Rom 3:10,11; And, "But we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousness are as filthy rags." Is. 64:6; And, "There is none who does good, not even one." Ps 14:3 Pretty sad. Pretty depressing. Pretty hopeless. We all screw up. We all sin. No one that has ever lived has escaped this truth…we are all sinners. In fact, if someone says that he has never sinned is sinning because he is lying. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." I John 1:8 We all lie. We all have stolen. We all deal with bitterness and improper anger. We all place things in the placed of God. We all have stupid thoughts. The list could go on.


 

So, the conclusion is, and this really should not come as any surprise, we all sin. We are all sinners. So what? Well, if we agree that we all sin, then there must a standard that has been broken. There must be something that defines what sin is. What is it? Falling short of "the glory of God." The judgment of God. The splendor of God. We fall short of the character of God. If my life and my character absolutely matches up to God's character and it never wavers, it never changes, it does not deviate at all, then I am perfect. Guess what? Not. That is what sin is. My life and my character fall short of God's judgment and His character. The result of this is not pretty. The result is: "For the wages of sin is death...". Rom 6:23 Oh sure, we all die, but this is beyond physical death. It is spiritual death. It is eternal death. It is absolute separation from all that is good...all that is God...forever. How do I know that? Because of the rest of the verse: "but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." The payment for sin is eternal death. The gift of God is eternal life. How? Only one way, only one truth, only one life...through Jesus Christ our Lord. "Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom 7:25

Jesus did it. The one perfect sinless God-man. The only One whose character totally matched the character of God because He is God. And as God, He gave it all up so I could be set free from sin and death and have eternal life. This is crazy! This is astounding! This is wild! And this is true, for any and all who will believe it.

I don't have a clue who reads this stuff. All I know is that if anyone is struggling with the fact that sin is a reality in their lives and they want to be set free, look no further. "Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow."


 

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Finished

Ecc 7:8 "The end of a thing is better than its beginning; The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit."


 

Finished. That is a good word. I know that when you work on a project, the beginning is tough. You have to gather all of your materials, you have to do all of your research, you have to do the planning and the thinking and the wondering if it will work. As you work through it and start to see that things are taking shape, you get excited. Then when it is finished, you have a real sense of accomplishment.


 

I experience this all the time. When I am at work writing a brief, I hate the beginning. I dislike even thinking about having to get it done, but when it is finished, I am relieved. In fact, I even re-read some of my stuff and enjoy it. Or when I am working in the yard planting and replanting. It takes work and planning but when it is done, we get to enjoy the fruit of our labor. Or when I am involved in practicing with the worship team at church the practice is many times rough, but the end result, by God's grace, usually leads people into a meaningful time of worship.


 

No wonder Solomon said that the end of a thing is better than its beginning. He was right. But then he said this: "The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit." Why did he put these two thoughts together? Is there a connection?


 

The end of a thing – patient in spirit; The beginning of a thing – proud in spirit. Maybe I am just reading too much into this, but doesn't coming to the end of something take patience and persistence and steadfastness? Patience pays off when it comes to finishing. "Therefore be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." I Cor 15:58 Let's face it, sometimes ministry can be tiring. Sometimes the work can be exhausting. But God wants us to persist, to be patient, to wait for the "end of a thing". Then we will see that His hand was at work. Then we will see that the many beginnings, the work, the effort, the patience paid off. Heaven is going to be an amazing place. The results of all of the stuff that we do here on earth will be revealed. I don't have a clue who this blog maybe touching, but I see that it goes to Russia, and Germany, and India, and Canada and all over the place. I only hope and pray that the end of a thing will be amazing when I get to heaven. The same is true for anything that I do. May I do it with eternity, "the end of a thing" in mind.


 

And pride and beginnings? Maybe that is where we think that we are all that. We think: "I can do this. I can handle this. No sweat." When in reality, we really can't handle anything. The only way that God allows us to accomplish anything of eternal value is by His grace with patience and humility.


 

Finished. Jesus said it: "It is finished." Someday we will all see the end result of His work for us and the end result of our work for Him. Let me stay focused on that day.


 

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Advice

Ecc 7:5 "It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools."


 

This sounds like Solomon. There is so much in Proverbs that deals with listening to reproof. The person who listens, hears, and applies what is being told to him is considered wise. The person who turns it away is considered a fool.


 

This verse is just a different take on this concept. I have others who give me advice. I have many who give input into my life. I have those who feed me what they think. Who am I listening to? Who am I heeding? Who am I following? The wise person or the fool? Oh, maybe what the fool says sounds good (songs). It is pretty and maybe what I want to hear, but is it what I need? I need people in my life who are going to be honest with me and tell me what I need to hear, not what I want to hear. I need people in my life who are wise, who are skilled, who are prudent. I need people in my life who will tell me the truth in love.


 

The temptation is always to avoid these people because what they have to say is not always pleasant. And that is what we want, isn't it? We just want what is pleasant. We want what is comfortable. We want what is going to make us feel good. We want affirmation. We want songs. The problem is the source of those songs. If they are coming from people who have proven with their lives that they really don't know what they are talking about, maybe we shouldn't rely upon them.


 

On the flip side, those who show that they know what they are talking about, who have lives that God has used and God is using, who practice what they preach, who live the truth, these are the people I need to surround my life with and listen to…even when it is unpleasant. Even when it hurts. And when that happens, I need to truly hear what they are saying. This doesn't mean saying: "Yes, I know." and then go about my same stupid ways. It means hearing, listening, heeding, obeying, applying, changing, repenting.


 

And then I have to ask myself this question: What kind of advice do I give? Am I wise? Do I speak the truth in love, or do I avoid it? Do I only sing songs of comfort or should I open my mouth and give solid counsel? I know I hate confrontation. It is another area that makes me uncomfortable, but I am not a true friend if I don't do it. God give me wisdom and give me words.


 


 

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Fear God

Ecc 5:7 "For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear." ESV


 

The NASB puts it this way: "For in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness. Rather, fear God."


 

Dreams and words. It is the human condition. We like to dream and we like to talk. Dream could mean literal dream that we have while we sleep, but it could also mean a prophetic dream, an idea, a goal. We all set goals. At least we should. But Solomon says that if you have a dream about something or you set goals, they may be good and there may be a lot of them, but they are not the end. In fact they are vain. They are empty.


 

Not only that, as Solomon continues to talk about words (Remember, "Let your words be few." V 2) he points out that when we talk a lot, there is also vanity. In fact, it is almost like what produces words…breath. Many words are like breath. Breath goes away quickly and you need to get another. Many dreams and many words are like that…there is always a need for more and what we have never satisfies.


 

So what are we supposed to do? Aren't we supposed to dream? Aren't we supposed to set goals? Aren't we supposed to talk and share and communicate? Yes, but I think Solomon is laying out something that is more important than dreams and words. In comparison the most important thing is to fear God.


 

Now I know that I just recently wrote about what it means to fear God in Ecc 3:14. I just think that we have lost the deeper meaning of this. Respect, awe and terror all apply. God is God. He is massive. He is powerful. He is mighty. He is just. He is righteous. He is holy. And me? I am small. I am weak. I am a sinner. I screw up. I make mistakes. I say dumb things. To compare God with men is like comparing light with dark. The two are complete opposites in our nature. Yet God made us in His image. No wonder He can't stand it when we violate that image. No wonder we have verses like: "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth." Rom 1:18 Or: "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." John 3:36 We tend to forget: "How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, 'Vengeance is mine; I will repay.' And again, 'The Lord will judge his people.' It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Heb 10:29-31 We don't want to think about stuff like this. We would rather say that to fear God is to respect Him. That is only half of it. To fear God is to fear God. And Solomon says that this is a must.


 

Should fear motivate me or should love motivate me? Yes. Both should motivate me. It isn't an either or. It is a both and.


 

Today as I walk through my day, let me keep in mind who I really am and who God really is. That should be enough.

Mouths

Ecc 5:2 "Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few."


 

The one thing that gets all of us in trouble is…our mouths. Just think of the pain that we would avoid if we didn't say certain things. Just think of the trouble we wouldn't get into if we just didn't open our pie traps.


 

The problem is that we are what this verse tells us not to be…rash with our words. Hasty. Impetuous. Quick. We just let things spill out and we have to deal with the consequences. I think James, the brother of Jesus, read Solomon's work: "But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger." James 1:19. Later in his letter he deals with the tongue and how it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. Nasty stuff.


 

But look at where it starts, more advice: "nor let your heart be hasty…". Rash and hasty, the same Hebrew word. Impulsive. When my words are rash it is because my inner man is impulsive. That is what I have to work on. The heart. The inner man. What is going on inside. Jesus said it Himself: "For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45 Does nasty stuff come out? Nasty stuff is in. Does anger and bitterness come out? Anger and bitterness are in. Does lying come out? A lack of truth is in. Does criticism come out? A critical spirit is in. Does taking God's name in vain come out? A lack of the fear of God is in. When I am changed on the inside, it will show on the outside in my words.


 

Then this, don't be rash with your words, don't be hasty in your heart to speak to God. Wait a minute! I thought He wanted us to talk to Him. I thought He delighted in prayer. He does…but He wants it to be real. He wants it to be genuine. He doesn't just want flippant prayer. If that is what I am going to give Him, shut up and be quiet. If I come to Him out of a hasty heart and a quick word, forget it. It would be better to just sit and listen.


 

The final advice: "Let your words be few"…with God and with people. I remember sitting in meetings with leaders at church. Some of us could not wait to open our mouths and tell everyone what we were thinking. Then there was Ed Reimel. He just sat, and listened, and considered. When he spoke you knew it was with a heart of wisdom. You knew it was real. You knew it was the truth. Mr. Reimel practiced what Solomon advised. So should I.


 

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Listen

Ecc 5:1 "Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil."


 

Back in Solomon's day, the place where people met with God was the temple. David wanted to build the temple, but God did not permit him to do this because of how he had lived his life, so David made preparation for his son to do it and Solomon built the house of God. Solomon had a warning for people who went there...guard your steps. Watch your feet. Why? Because when you are walking into the temple, you are walking into the very presence of the Holy One...so be careful. As you are walking you are coming close. You are drawing near. And why are you coming into God's presence? To impress Him with your offerings? To get God's favor because of how much you can sacrifice? This is foolish. God does not care about sacrifice. Rather God cares about a broken and contrite heart. "For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." Ps 51:16,17. God was not looking for the sacrifice of fools which came from a proud, evil heart. Rather God wanted brokenness. He wanted humility. He wanted people who were willing to shut up and listen, to hear, to obey.


 

Things haven't changed. No, we don't go to the temple any longer because we are the temple of God. And frankly, the church is not the house of God. We are all the house of God. (I Pet 2"5). So what does this mean to me now? Should I guard my steps when I enter church? Sure because where God's people gather, He is there. And how should I draw near? To impress people with who I am? No, I need to come close to listen, to hear, to obey. When God's word is preached, I need to pay attention.


 

But I think it goes beyond this. It goes into what I am doing right now. I am in God's presence right now. I am His temple. He lives in me. I am His house. I need to shut up and listen to what He has to say when I spend time with Him. I need to guard my steps every day. This thing that I do, spending time with Him in prayer and in His word is not something that I should do flippantly. It is not something that I should do just for sake of doing it. I need to guard my steps as I do it. I am in the very presence of the Holy One. I need to draw near to do one thing, shut up and listen, to hear, to obey.


 

Come humbly. Come with a broken and contrite heart. Come to listen.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Two

Ecc 4:9.10 "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!"


 

It is interesting. I told someone the other day that I began a study in Ecclesiastes at the beginning of the year and he said: "So you want to be depressed?". Sure, Solomon talks about how all that we do in this world seems to be in vain, but there is a treasure trove of rich truth and practical advice in this book.


 

Take these verses. So practical. So real. So good. Two are better than one. Why? They get more done. They support one another. They help one another. They strengthen each other. They build each other up. They lift up one another. To be frank: We need each other.


 

Living life alone is hard. So many people try to do it. They say: "Oh, I don't need any help. I don't need your advice. I can do this myself. I can live life on my own terms. No one is going to tell me what to do." Dumb, dumb, dumb. When I work alone I have to do more work. When I work alone the results are not as effective. When I work alone I am relying on my own abilities and not getting the help and knowledge and skill that another may have that I need. When I live alone and when I fall (and I will) I have to handle it myself. I don't receive encouragement. I don't receive support. I don't receive understanding. I don't receive correction. I don't have any accountability.


 

I am thankful that I have many who surround me. I am not alone. I showed my wife this verse this morning and I said to her: "We are the two." I need her. She does exactly what this verse says. She works with me. We get more done together than when we work alone. Just try picking up the leaves in the fall by yourself. It is a pain. It takes longer. It isn't as fun. Now I know sometimes we can get on each other, but the reality is that she makes me better. She makes me sharper. She keeps me thinking. And she is always there to pick me up. My girls are like this too. I know that they are there for me if I need them. And I am there for them too.


 

I am also thankful for the guys who I minister with who I call "friend". I know that these guys have my back. If I screw up, they will tell me. If I do well, they encourage me. If I fall, they are there to lift me. We get more done together than if we try to be an island. This is why it is so important that we listen to one another and consider one another's opinion and teach each other. What others have to give is so rich. God does not want us to live our faith alone. He wants us to do it together. He wants us to live life together.


 

So Hon…thank you. Girls…thank you. Guys…thank you. I am grateful that I can do life together with you. I am richly blessed.


 

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Eternal Work

Ecc 3:14 "I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him." ESV


 

God has put eternity into man's heart and whatever God does lasts for eternity. (Same word.) So shouldn't I be in the business of watching and looking and discovering what God is doing? If God is up to something, then it is important. If God is up to something, then it is going to last. If God is up to something it is complete. We can't add to it, and we can't take away from it, because God has done it.


 

This says something about God's character. It tells me that He is eternal and He does eternal things. When God is moving and working it is forever. He doesn't play around. His work is significant work. His labor is significant labor. And to think that God is doing things on this earth, in the hearts of people is crazy. To think that this eternal God is doing eternal things among us a wild concept. But He is.


 

A while ago my wife and I went through a study called: "Experiencing God". In that study Henry Blackaby emphasizes the truth that God is always at work. He states this based upon the words of Jesus where He said: "My Father is working until now, and I am working." John 5:17 God doesn't sleep. He hasn't set things in motion and let them go. He is active. He is moving. He is at work in this world. Blackaby states that if God is working and if Jesus is working then we need to figure out where He is at work and join Him in that work. Solomon adds to that: If God is at work, and we join Him in that work then what we do also lasts for eternity. Wild stuff. It just brings me back to a quote my Mom used to say that I have not heard or thought of in years, until this last Sunday when it popped in my brain while I was praying: "Only one life will soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last." I don't have a clue who said that, but it is true. God is at work. His work is eternal work. I can join Him in that eternal work and see what I do last forever too.


 

Why? So people will fear Him. So people will revere Him. So people will stand in awe of Him. And frankly, so people will be terrified of Him. Unfortunately, I don't see a lot of that in our society. I don't see a fear, a respect, an awe, a terror for God. Why is that? If God is at work and His work is eternal work, why has a fear of God seemed to gradually creep from our culture? Could it be because those who claim to be Christ followers have abandoned doing His work?


 

Another goal for this year…watch and see where God is at work and get busy with Him.


 

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

The Quest

Ecc 3:11b "…he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end." ESV


 

We are all on a search. It is kind of a quest. A desire to find what life is all about. Why am I here? What is my purpose? Is this all there is or is there more? Most of the time we kind of squelch this inquiry. We don't want to think about deep things like this so we go on our day to day routine and think that our job or our family or our pleasure is all that we need to focus on. But deep down, we know that there is more. Deep down, in our heart of hearts, in our inner man, we have these nagging questions. If we are honest with ourselves, we have to admit that what we usually live for is temporary. There has to be more. There is…it is eternity. God has placed these questions in us. He has put this desire for more in our inner man so that if we are truly seeking, if we are really asking, He will let us find the answer. "You will seek Me and find Me, if you seek Me with all your heart." Jer 29:13


 

I think of a woman in our office who seems to be on a search. She has a lot of questions. She seems to be living life by floating. She knows that there is more but she has no idea where to find it. Fortunately, God has placed people around her who are helping her on this quest. There are many obstacles to overcome. There are a lot of preconceived ideas that need to be addressed, but it is our hope and prayer that she will honestly search and discover the God of eternity.


 

The thing is, once we have been brought into this amazing relationship with God, that is not the end. It is just the beginning. We are still on a quest. We are still on a mission. We have discovered the purpose in life, to glorify this God of eternity, but there is so much more to know. There is so much more to discover and we will never end this search until we see the eternal God. We will never find out all that God has done from the beginning of time to the end of time. God is so massive, so huge, so all encompassing that we will never end this search in this life.


 

The quest must go on. The quest to know this eternal God fully. To discover who He is, what He like, what He is up to, and where He is working. How do we do it? Get to know Jesus because He said: "If you had known me, you would have known My Father also." John 14:7


 

This is our quest, this is my quest for 2012.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

It’s Time

Ecc 3:1 "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:"


 

Here we are, January 3, 2012. The beginning of the third day of 2012 and it is a comfort to me to know that God is in control. This verse is commonly translated: "For everything there is a season…". The actual translation is: "There is an appointed time for everything…". An appointed time. "And a time for every matter under heaven."


 

Everything…everything…every matter…not one thing escapes the notice of God. In fact, not only does one thing not escape His notice, He appoints it all. Birth, death, planting, reaping, killing, healing, breaking, building, weeping, laughing, mourning, dancing, throwing away, gathering, embracing, avoiding that, seeking, losing, saving, spending, tearing, sowing, keeping silent, speaking, loving, hating, fighting, and peace making. There is an appointed time for everything. At just the right time something will happen. At just the right time someone will say something. At just the right time a decision will be made. At just the right time something will be provided.


 

As I walk through 2012 I want to see the hand of God at work in everything. I want to be aware of where He is moving and doing and working and speaking and teaching and leading. I want to see Him in my family. I want to see Him in my church. I want to see Him in my job. I want to see Him in this country. I want to see Him in this year's election. I want to see Him at work in our world. I think that as I watch things happen around me, I can say with confidence: "It's time." It is time for that thing, that decision, that event…because God is in it all and He has everything planned out according to His time and His purpose.


 

Monday, January 2, 2012

Enjoy

Ecc 2:25 "For apart from Him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?"


 

Solomon lists all of the things that he worked for his entire life. Pleasure, laughter, wine, houses, gardens, vineyards, parks, pools, slaves, animals, money, singers, women, greatness, wisdom. This guy had it all. He did not resist anything that may have brought pleasure to his life. His conclusion? It was all vanity. No matter how hard he worked he realized that he was not going to take it with him...he was leaving it to someone else who did not work hard for it and who may not take care of it. This is kind of a sad commentary on life.


 

But then he closes with this. Even though the material things that we work for here on this earth are not going to last, God still allows us to find enjoyment in this life. In verse 24 he says: "There is nothing better for a person than he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God." In other words, work hard and find that your work is good. Enjoy your job. Find that your job has purpose and meaning and gives fulfillment.


 

This really is a gift from God. I would hate to work in a dead end job. I would find it difficult if I did not consider that my work was more than a job, it is a ministry. It allows me to help people who really have significant needs. It is amazing the satisfaction that I get when I win a case and see relief on the face of my client. It is fulfilling for someone to give me a hug...someone I barely know, because they are so thankful for the small part I may have played in their life. And there is nothing like having the opportunity to share real hope with people who are hopeless. God has given me all of that. Did I work hard to get it? Yes. But it is a gift from God. It all came from Him.


 

My wife would say the same thing. To see children advance in their education, to teach a child how to read, to see the joy on their faces when they get it...and then to feel the appreciation from their parents...unreal. Georgann has a gift and it has been give to her by God. She works hard at it and God uses her.


 

And then the capstone...the basic reality...apart from Him who can eat? The answer: No one. The most basic of basics in life, the ability to eat comes from God. The provision of food comes from God. The physical ability to chew and taste and swallow and digest comes from God. Any enjoyment that we have in this life is a gift of God. Me sitting here with my feet up typing on my iPad is a gift from God. Him pouring thoughts into my life is His gift to me. Spending time with my wife and family and friends is His gift. Health is a gift from God. The ability to see and hear and speak is His gift. The ability to walk and run is His gift. The ability to create is His gift. Laughter and silliness and humor is His gift. All that I have is His gift. James must have read Solomon's writings because he also said "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above..."


 

This year I need to thank God that I can work hard and that I can enjoy my work and the fruit from my labor, because it is all from Him. Will it last? No. But God wants to give it anyway so enjoy. What grace!

Sunday, January 1, 2012

So…What’s New?

Ecc. 1:9 "What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun." ESV

Well, here we are…a new year. Fresh beginnings. 2011 is past, 2012 is coming and things can be different. Things can be better. After all, that is why we make New Year's resolutions isn't it? We think we can get smarter, or thinner, or wealthier, or more productive, or ________________ (fill in the blank). I think that. I know that there are some things that I want to change. There are some things that I would like to accomplish this year.

So, what is with Solomon? Wasn't he wise and productive and wealthy and healthy? Didn't he accomplish positive things? What is with his attitude here in the book of Ecclesiastes that "vanity of vanity all is vanity" (v2) and "there is nothing new under the sun"? Isn't this pessimistic or fatalistic? Or is it realistic?

It is obvious that Solomon was writing this in his later years. He had seen and heard and experienced anything and everything that a person could want or desire. All of the wealth, all of the recognition, all of the glory, all of the power, all of the greatness, all of the knowledge and he arrived at this conclusion…it is all "grasping for the wind". (v17) Tough stuff. Here is the wisest guy that ever lived coming at the end of his life to this conclusion.

So back to New Year's resolutions. Does this mean we shouldn't make them? Since there is nothing new under the sun, should we just float by and let things happen? I don't think that is what Solomon was getting at. I think that Solomon realized that this life does not consist in all of the stuff you can get, or all of the knowledge you can obtain. Our society seems to concentrate so much on the next best thing. The newest and shiniest. How can I top what I did last year? And Solomon is saying: "Stop." I think that he is encouraging us to get our priorities straight. I think he wants people to get their minds off of what can be accomplished on this earth and instead take an eternal perspective, because we really can't experience or accomplish anything new on this earth…but we can find our purpose and fulfillment in what is to come. This life and the junk it provides may give short term enjoyment, but it will never really satisfy.

So as I think about the New Year, I need to keep an eternal focus. A kingdom focus. A heavenly focus. Back to the basics: "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and everything else will come." Matt 6:33 (My translation.)