The Psalms: Psalm 5 part 3

Last time we talked about our fear of God coupled with His love.

Interestingly there is another coupling here. Verses 8-10 have the theme about talking about our enemies. If you read all three of these verses except the last line of verse 10, then it changes everything. it's vindictive and angry. It is wanting bad things to happen to bad people.

...but that last line is key. It is because they have rebelled against God that the writer talks about all of these things.

It's not self-pride and a desire to see his enemies destroyed just because they've done wrong to the author. No, it is their offense to God that he sees. In fact, the Bible talks to us about this. 1 John 1:9 is really saying that we have to confess our sin and see it the same way god sees it. Well, if God hates it, then we hate it. Then we can begin to understand these verses in Psalm 5 a little better. I'm also grateful that God has a better plan. He still hates sin, but He has provided us a way to go before Him without that sin being all that He can see!

Amen!!!!


The last two verses of the chapter are cool too because they give us protection and shield imagery. A man like David, who had many enemies and often needed protection that was beyond his means, could boast in the fact that God was the best protection that His children could have.

Amen again!! :o)


That wraps up chapter 5. The next installment will look at chapter 6!!!

To God be the glory!!

The Psalms: Psalm 5 part 2

Last time, we look at the first 6 verses of chapter 5. Now let's look at the next section.

I find it very interesting that verse 7 looks at God's love (which is how we approach Him) and our reverence toward God (which our fear of him should cause). These two concepts (God's steadfast love and the fear of God that drives us to our knees) seem to be two concepts that are rarely talked about together.

Think about it. We either talk about the great love of God or we talk about our fear of God that should cause the kind of reverence that makes us get on our knees when we talk to Him.

So, which is it? Do we have a God who loves us so much that we can go before Him. Or do we have a God who is so mighty and awe inspiring that we should be bowing because of our fear of Him?

YES!!! That's the good news. He is such a great God that He both loves us, and should command our respect because of how great and loving He is. It is not two separate ideas, but rather a single concept and looking at two facets of who God is!!


To God be the glory!

Ephesians 6:10

I have been working to memorize Ephesians 6:10 in German this week. Trust me when I say that memorizing a verse in another language really forces you to look at it phrase by phrase. I also wanted to look at the surrounding context and that is what brings us here today.

Ephesians 6 is a really good chapter. It starts by talking to children about their relationships wit their parents and fathers with their children.

It then proceeds to talk to masters and slaves about how they are to work together. Now; cultural context. This is not African salve trading. Not the way we think of it anyway. Most slaves in ancient times were either those who had lost a war or those who were indebted & could not get out on their own. It was not the same. We should always be careful to judge history when we are not in the same time or context!!

What follows verse 10 is the section on the armor of God and then his closing farewell to the book.

It seems to me that the sections on parent-child relationships and slave-master relationships are separate from the armor section and that verse 10 fits neatly into that section.

Ephesians 6:10 says, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might." Now, I have a couple thoughts with this.

First, the emphasis should be on, "in the Lord." Because strength is irrelevant if we don't know its limits. When we depend on ourselves the limits are very small. When we depend on God there are no limits...but that dependency MUST remain. The moment we switch from "in the Lord" to "in myself" we are already defeated.

Also, the people who then read the armor of God as, "I can defeat the wicked darts of the Devil with my faith" have completely missed the context. It may be the shield of faith, but we are strong in the Lord and in nothing else and in no other way.

To God be all glory!!!

The Psalms: Psalm 5 part 1

At the beginning of Psalm 5 we see a trend starting to develop. The author again asks God to hear his cries and his prayers. Do we do this enough that if we wrote down our prayers we (or our kids in years to come) would see us begging God to hear us?

...now I know what you might be thinking: "Why do I have to beg God? He has promised to hear us as long as sin is not between me and God, right?" True. And, if you've never experienced those lonely moments when the only person you could turn to was God, then you don't know. I have often felt alone and out of God's reach. Sure, I know better. I know there is no where for me to go where God is not present. I know that now that I am in Christ's hands and in God's hands I can never leave them. But I'm also human and I have emotions that sometimes win the battle of the will. I forget that God is there or I "feel" like He is there even though I know He is.

So, I find myself praying (or crying out) and asking God to hear me. In my most lucid moments I then have the joy of remembering that He has already heard me and answered me with a "yes." :o) What a great encouragement too!

Verses 4-6 are going to help us understand the character of God a little better too. I think we have a tendency to forget this. I mean, as a parent I often work in degrees. So, my daughter disobeyed me. Did she do that on purpose, with a knowing and hateful mental-smile, or did she just forget? Well, forgetting isn't an excuse when I've told her something 12 times...in the last 12 minutes. So there is still a consequence for her action(s) but not the same consequence as if she had been paying full attention and still done whatever she did.

God both does and doesn't work that way. Let me try to articulate this. God knows that we are dust. He made us, He sustains us, so He knows us better than we know ourselves. Yet, the Bible is also clear that sin is sin before God. Which means that the sins we commit are not, before God, in any sense of degree. God hates sin. In fact, in these three verses we see a lack of delight, destruction, hate, and abhorrence. These are some tough words and it s all reflecting on ways God feels towards: evil doers, wickedness, liars, etc. God takes our sin and our choices very seriously!

Do we?



To God be the glory!

The book of Psalms: Psalm 4 - part 2

Psalm 4: I love how this Psalm flows.

Verse 1 is a cry to God. Asking God to hear the writer when he calls and prays to God.

THEN, verses 2-3 are directed to men and not to God. What great is that at the end of verse 3 the writer says, "the Lord hears when I call to him."

Isn't that great. First he prays and asks God to hear him when he cries and yet he can confidently tell those around him that God does here him when he calls! What a great confidence for us to emulate.

Then, of course, is verse 4 which I talked about last time.

Verse 5 implores us to "make right sacrifices" (The Hebrew here could be "righteous" sacrifices. ...See Romans 12:1-2 for the "right" or "just" sacrifice that we owe to God.) and to trust in God.

Verses 6 & 7 are a really interesting picture/lesson. David describes people who ask God to bless them...and yet who will clearly never be satisfied with God's blessings. We know this from verse 7 where he says that God has given him more joy than they have even when they have more food and drink than they need. May we be the ones with joy and not those who are constantly asking God to bless us and yet never satisfied with those blessings.

Lastly, verse 8 is wonderful. David is so clear again. He can peacefully lay down and sleep because it is God who allows him to lie down and sleep. Think about the context. This is a warrior who is used to fixing problems. When an enemy threatened Israel, David wanted to help fix the problem. Yet, even he knows that it is God who allows us to rest in peace.

Man. There is SO much here....and this is only the 4th chapter! Are you excited too!! :o)

To God be the glory.

The book of Psalms: Psalm 4 - part 1

This will be a quick one. I am not covering the whole chapter....because verse 4 is just that amazing.

Psalm 4:4 "Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. SELAH"

Now, I was always taught that the idea behind "SELAH" was to stop and reflect on what had been said. Looking at blueletterbible.com it looks like it may actually just signify a break (like in thought) and it's technically a musical term....which means I may not understand it anyway. :o)

So, whether it means to reflect on it or not, we are going to.

When you are angry, don't sin. That makes sense to me. Yet, that is exactly what our tendency is. When I get angry at Maya K I have a tendency to yell, be unloving and unkind, or simply be inconsiderate of her feelings. That is all sin and wrong...especially as the parent...but I'm as human as she is.

So, what is the answer? This was what was so great. The answer was, reflect on things ("ponder in your hearts" - don't ignore what is going on. Reflect on what is ACTUALLY making you angry, how you can respond, etc.), do it on your bed (That's right...self-induced time-out!), and shut up. I know that's no something parents of small children should say, but it's here. BE SILENT.

I don't know about you, but when I'm angry, physical violence usually isn't my issue. It's my tongue. My tongue gets me in SOOOOOOO much trouble when I'm angry. So, what is the recipe? Genuinely reflect on what is going on, take a self-induced time out, and be quiet!

To God be the glory!

The book of Psalms: Psalm 3

Psalm 3 is only 8 verses and I am completely overwhelmed by its content. I mean seriously, have you read this Psalm lately???

Context adds to it. My Bible says that this is "A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son." Read it again. FLEEING from his own son. As if David hadn't had to do enough fleeing in his lifetime.

David starts the Psalm by crying to God. The first two verses just talk about the many number of people who are rising against David and who are saying that God won't save him.

Then we get to verses 3 and 4 and David, in the face of opposition and frustration simply says that God a shield to him and that God - even on His holy hill - heard David's cries to Him. How amazing. In the face of hardships that most of us will never experience, David was able to say, "God still hears me and still protects me."

Then he goes on to remind himself and the reader that David sleeps and gets up simply because God sustains him! ...and because of this truth, David doesn't have to fear anyone!

Verses 7 & 8 wind up with David praying to God and asking Him again for deliverance and then just stating that salvation is God's.

I don't know if you need that kind of encouragement today or not...but I sure did. To know that salvation is God's and has nothing to do with the circumstance we need saved from, the people or places that are a part of that circumstance, or even ourselves. It doesn't matter. Salvation is God's. God is a shield to us and because of God, we can go to bed and, if He chooses, get up again tomorrow!

Amen!!! Let it be so.

To God be the glory!

The book of Psalms: Psalm 2

Psalm 2 is not nearly as well known as Psalm 1. We just don't quote it as often or, even, read it as often. The book of Psalms lends itself toward hit-and-miss reading. So, if you want a theme, you go to that chapter. We are less inclined to just read it and all and because of that we get some obscure Psalms.

Psalm 2 is a really cool Psalm. The online ESV that I use has the title, "The Reign of the Lord's Anointed."

There are a lot of things here that I'm just not going to hit on. As normal, go read the chapter and read a commentary or two if you'd like. What is encouraging to me though is the general story of the chapter. The kings of the Earth plot against God, God is in heaven laughing and saying to His Anointed One "say the word and it's all yours," and then the author just warns the kings of the Earth to watch what they do against God. :o)

How amazing to remember that our God is not threatened by anti-God movements. Our God is not caught off guard by the Supreme Courts ......ruling last week. Our God knows what is in the hearts of men. We always think of things from a timeline perspective (past, present, future) but since God created time and is outside of it, He has known about today and tomorrow since before He created time....or at the very least from the moment He created time. Either way, there are no surprises to God. Imagine those who seek to undermine God if they truly understood that they have the greatest tactical disadvantage every presented in a war. The one they struggle against has always known exactly what they will do, why they will do it, and when they will do it.

What a feeling of peace and assurance we can take from the knowledge that God doesn't take them seriously...because He doesn't need to. Amen!!

To God be the glory!

The book of Psalms: Psalm 1 - part 2

In our first look at Psalm 1 we saw what a blessed person does not do. Now we will look at what they do, what they are, and what the wicked are.

Psalm 1:2 tells us that these blessed people (who avoid the things in verse 1) do two things. They delight in the law of the Lord and then meditate on that law; day and night. This reference to "the law" is a reference to the Mosaic law. You are looking at books like Leviticus and Deuteronomy. I don't know about you, but those are some tough books to read through. Now, that is what the Psalmist is talking about. I would argue that we have a full and complete Bible now. So, practically apply this to all of Scripture. Do we delight in God's Word and do we meditate on it day and night. Do you find yourself doing menial tasks and reflecting on a passage of Scripture you read the night before or that morning or does the Bible only come to mind when it is in front of you?

Next we see some of what this blessed person is like. He is never without his needs provided for...like a tree planted by a river. I also like, "Whatever he does will prosper." This doesn't mean he won't have opposition or that he will become perfect. But if you've ever known someone who truly loved God's Word, then you have known someone who many people wanted to help whenever needed. People, believers and non-believers alike, wanted to see this person succeed in their efforts. Especially since a person who truly reads, meditates on, and understands the Bible, is a person who wants the best for everyone they come across! They don't can't the first stone because they know they are not without sin and yet they remember that Christ also said to "go and sin no more."

Lastly, we see that the wicked are like the chaff that the wind drives away. While the wicked people that we may see in our day are very unpleasant to behold, how many of them have come and gone, like the wind blowing chaff, and then they are no more? I'm an amateur historian and I see plenty of examples of wicked people in history...and yet they are gone.

Tomorrow (hopefully) we will take a look at Psalm 2. Again, I encourage you to go read Psalm 1 today because I didn't (and won't) cover every single verse.

To God be the glory.

The book of Psalms: Psalm 1

I figure, if I don't consistently blog without a series...then I need a new series. So, let's look at the Psalms. Martin Luther referred to the Psalms as "The Bible within the Bible." It's true. How few biblical truths can't be found in the book of Psalms?? Not many. The Psalms are full of encouragement, discouragement, repentance, questioning God, etc., etc.

Admittedly, since the Psalms are so varied in both size and content, this will have to be flexible, but I'll do the best I can to at least touch on each one.

Psalm 1: the second-most memorized chapter in the book of Psalms. the first being Psalm 23.

I remember memorizing Psalm 1 as a child. I remember remembering it when I then re-read it as an adult. I couldn't quote all of it for you today, but I remember much of it.

Two things stick out to me in Psalm 1. Verse 1 and verses 2-4.

Verse 1 has an interesting progression. This was pointed out to me as a teenager and this has stuck with me and I find it to be often (if not always) true. The progression is: walk, stand, and sit. Think of something that is a problem for you. Whether this describes every instance of it or just the overall progression of it becoming a problem for you. First, we walk past it. Maybe we do a double-glance while we keep walking. The next thing we know we have stopped and we are standing. Uh oh. Now we don't have the same intention of continuing on, but at least we haven't decided to stay for too long, right? Wrong. Because then we are sitting down. Let's call it a snack in the house. Since mine usually involves the freezer (ice cream, chocolate chips, frozen cookies, etc.) we'll go there. First I walk by and in passing, I remember they are there. The next thing I know, I'm standing there reminding myself I wasn't going to have any more. So, I haven't opened the freezer yet, but I'm standing which is an outward sign of the inward struggle that is ALREADY going on....even if nothing bad has happened. Then, I'm sitting at the table with the food gone or in front of me as I indulge. While the food may be harmless, when we apply this to sin issues, you can see the problem. We are already pre-disposed to the temptation (because Satan is no fool) and we have to have an answer that keeps us "walking."

OK. Analogy aside. A blessed man (gender neutral) is someone who does not walk (do life) within the framework of wicked counsel, who does not put themselves among sinners as a lifestyle, and who does not spend their time with fools who mock and make fun of others in a hurtful way.

This is not ruling out ministry opportunities among those who do not know Jesus. We have a responsibility to share life with them. however, their lifestyles are not to become ours. Because, if that happens, not only are no longer shining as a light, but we are ourselves in need of help rather than being the help we intended to be.


Tomorrow, we'll look at the next few verses and then we'll jump on to the next chapter. I love the book of Psalms, but I've never read it all so I'm looking forward to this journey with any of you that join me. I would encourage you to take the time to read the chapter that we talk about on the day that I post. Just to give yourself the full context (I'm not going to comment on every single verse).

To God be the glory!

Peace and war - among Christians

I continue to study church history for the overviews that I have at church monthly. One thing that has struck me recently is that those under the general banner of "Christian" seem to be a historically violent lot...especially towards each other.

We see this in the first few centuries after Christ. We see several teachings labeled "heresy" and systematically shut down. Most of the time the Christians tried to erase the memory of that heresy if they could. Now, I'm not saying they were wrong, so don't hear that. I'm also not saying they were right...so don't hear that either!

During the Middle Ages we Western European Christians fighting Eastern (Byzantine) Christians as well as Muslims and Muslims fighting Christians of all sorts.

During the Reformation as well. We see Catholics killing Protestants, Protestants killing Catholics, and Catholics and Protestants killing Anabaptists.

These are just a couple quick examples to help us remember. So, what is it about "religion" or "faith" that drives people to violence?

I would argue that it is a belief in truth. Is it always truth?? Well, it can't be. See, if it is always truth, then the Protestants and Catholics couldn't fight each other. Only the group with THE truth would be fighting for it. No, it is the belief that one has truth, whether they do or not, that can drive the religious to violence.

Ironically, I don't see this in Scripture at all. I see Galatians 1:8-9 where Paul basically says that if someone teaches a Gospel (that is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ) contrary to what had already been taught by the apostles, they were cursed (GK anathema). Then in I Corinthians 5 we see "purge the evil person..." Now, without context that might encourage this violence that we saw...but it actually says, "purge the evil person from among you." This passage is within the context of sexual immorality but the idea is to take evil people who are in the church and get them out of the church. Not that you destroy the evil person.

I don't have any answers. I will not make the mistake of judging history when I am not living in the moment or within its context. There are too many factors to just say "that was wrong and should not have happened." The defense of one's faith is an important issue.

So, what has happened today?? The opposite. We are so afraid of being accused of being "in your face" with our faith that we often shrink back from even talking about it. For years I never talked about my faith at work because it is taboo to talk about religion at all.

....but if we DO have THE truth...then we have a responsibility to the world to let them know what that truth is. they are responsible for what they do with it, but Romans 10:14-17 reminds us that people cannot call on God without hearing about Him and they cannot hear about Him if no one preaches truth to them (Nate's translation). Again, this passage is not removing the responsibility of those responding. It is simply establishing the responsibility of those talking.

To God be the glory!