Two paths, but only one leads to happiness

Last time, we looked at the beginning of Psalm 1, and we found strong advice on where not to go for our happiness:

 Psalm 1:1
How happy is the one who does not
walk in the advice of the wicked or
stand in the pathway with sinners or
sit in the company of mockers!

The second verse tells us where to go to find our happiness:

Psalm 1:2
Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction,
and he meditates on it day and night.

Hebrew psalms and proverbs were commonly written in parallel form, comparing and contrasting two aspects of life – in this case, the psalmist is contrasting a life lived with God’s input and a life lived without it.

We have to be careful here.  There is a trap that snares a lot of modern Christians when they read the Bible, and especially when they read Old Testament passages – although easy to do, there is no evidence here that we should read this text as a contrast of “saved” vs “unsaved”. 

Instead, remember the context of the psalm – the text was written as a poem/song for Israel, very likely before the Babylonian exile.  That puts the date as roughly 1000 BC.  At that time in history, the nation of Israel was in good world-political standing, they were prosperous, and they were not under the rule of any other nation.  The Mosaic Law was in full force (referred to in the psalm as the Lord’s instruction, and animal sacrifices were part of daily living).  As such, this psalm is about a way of life, not how to change one’s eternal destiny.

Therefore, based on the context, the topic of Psalm 1 is not “those who have everlasting life vs those who do not have everlasting life”…instead, it is “those who are blessed/happy vs those who are not blessed/happy”.

With this psalm, the Israelites are given a choice.  Being presented with two paths is not a new concept for them, either.  Compare Psalm 1:1-2 with what Moses told the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land:

Deuteronomy 11:26-28
Look, today I set before you a blessing and a curse: there will be a blessing, if you obey the commands of the Lord your God I am giving you today, and a curse, if you do not obey the commands of the Lord your God and you turn aside from the path I command you today by following other gods you have not known.

It’s not always easy to see where certain paths lead.  Like Proverbs 14:12 says “there is a way that seems right to a person…”.  Some bad paths may not look bad, at least at first.  This is why God gives us so many warnings in Scripture, and putting this poem/song at the beginning of the book of Psalms is a great way to start the entire book.  Starting with this kind of warning is a “first things first” approach to teaching the nation of Israel about their relationship with God.  Beginning with the End in mind will help them discern the choices and paths before them.

Looking at Psalm 1:1-2, we see that happiness comes from avoiding the habits of the wicked and replacing that constant input with the Lord’s continuous instruction.

The two paths presented look like this:

walking in advice of the wicked
standing in the pathway with sinners
sitting in the company of mockers
vs
delighting in the LORD’s instruction and meditating on it day and night

But verse 2 is counter-intuitive, isn’t it?  It’s not often that we connect delight and the Lord’s instruction.  Those aren’t concepts that we usually put together.

But think back to whatever timeframe you consider the “best times” in your life so far…were you following the advice of the wicked, or choosing a life characterized by sin, or actively participating with those who mock God’s ways?  My suspicion is that your “best times” were not characterized by these kinds of activities.  I would even go a step further and suggest that your “best times” were when you were following God’s advice and path for your life.

I can personally attest to this.  Both of the following statements are true for me and my family:
·       The happiest times in my life have been when I am intentionally studying and enjoying God’s Word.  The constant input of God’s influence kept me from wandering to other, more dangerous paths.
·       The happiest times in my marriage have been when both my wife and I are intentionally studying and enjoying God’s Word…and doing so with other godly people of all ages, as a mentor, peers, or younger believers.

Just like the Israelites, we have a choice of two paths: God’s design in His Word or the advice of those who reject God’s way.  One path leads to happiness and life of blessing, the other to unhappiness – while living under God’s curse and displeasure.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Is "happy" ok?

Have you ever noticed how divisive the word “happy” has become in Christian circles?

 It seems strange to even type that sentence, but I’ve heard preaching that said:
·       God wants you to be happy
·       Happiness is fleeting and based on circumstances, instead we should focus on being joyful
·       “Happy Christians” aren’t serious about their faith, they’re just focused on “playing nice”
·       Pursuing happiness in this life is shallow theology
·       We shouldn’t find happiness in our stuff
·       We should be happy and grateful for the stuff God gives us
·       Happiness is a symptom, not the goal

Overall, I’d say the majority of Christian teaching I’ve been exposed to has generally said that happiness – as a pursuit or priority – is a bad thing for a believer.  To sum up what I heard taught:

Happiness is considered too shallow for those who are spiritual and godly; instead, we should focus on God’s more significant desires.  And if by doing those more significant things for God, you become happy or even stoically joyful, then that’s alright…but don’t expect God to be directly interested in making sure you feel “happy”.

And then, I open my CSB translation study Bible and read the first verse of the first psalm:

Psalm 1:1
How happy is the one who does not
walk in the advice of the wicked or
stand in the pathway with sinners or
sit in the company of mockers!

Hrm…how about that? 

Sure looks like God considers happiness as a good thing…and it appears to be a positive result when we make wise choices about the relationships we keep.

But let’s dig a little deeper, shall we?  When I look up the Hebrew word for happy (ashre), I find that the Greek equivalent (makarios) is found in Jesus’ beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount.  You know, the teaching where Jesus repeatedly said “Blessed are those who…”?  Well, you could legitimately go to Matthew 5:3-11, substitute in the word “happy”, and read “Happy are those who…”.

In Hebrew, happy (ashre) is defined as heightened state of joy, implying very favorable circumstances and enjoyment.  When used, the word also suggests a state of prosperity or happiness from a superior bestowed on another.  It also seems to contain a congratulatory element.

With this Hebrew-usage definition, we understand that God gives happiness as a reward for making wise choices.  He gives His favor to those who have done well.  If we take this definition, and place it in the context of Psalm 1:1, we are told where our happiness and God’s favor is definitely not found:

Psalm 1:1
How happy is the one who does not
walk in the advice of the wicked or
stand in the pathway with sinners or
sit in the company of mockers!

Three levels of person-to-person interaction are presented – each one details a level of relationship we can have with anyone.  As the psalm continues, the relationships become more intense.  We move from a being casually influenced by ungodly people to being someone who shares life with those who show contempt and scorn for God and His ways.

The three activities listed – counsel, way, and company – point out that the righteous are to avoid thinking like, behaving like, and dealing with the wicked.  If you are not characterized by evil influence, then you are happy – because you are in right relationship with God and He rewards those who pursue His ways.

This isn’t the only time God gave the Israelites this kind of warning, either.  Here’s just one example:

Proverbs 4:14-15
Keep off the path of the wicked; don’t proceed on the way of evil ones.
Avoid it; don’t travel on it.
Turn away from it, and pass it by.

Of course, the psalmist was not telling the Israelites to form a holy huddle and exclude all non-Israelites from their lives (even Paul recognized the impossibility of Christians doing so in 1 Corinthians 5:9-10).  The warning here is to not be influenced by those by who are not following God’s path.

Perhaps we can sum up Psalm 1:1 like this:

Don’t rely on the ungodly for what only God can provide.  Happiness is not found in a wicked person’s advice, lifestyle, or company.

As we continue through the psalm, we’ll see what we need to do in order to find and maintain this God-bestowed happiness.  But for starters, let’s make sure we are avoiding the things that we know will not bring us God’s favor.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Round 2: When disease hits too close to home

Sometimes, God has us learn lessons a second time. Often it’s because of our own hard-headedness or stupidity, but other times we need to learn a new application of the truths God is purposely inserting into our lives. They can be hard lessons to re-learn when we thought we got what we needed when He taught us before. But apparently…it’s time for my family to revisit how God walks with us when we get “that call”. As you’ll see below, I struggled mightily when my brother was diagnosed with MS. However, this time it’s closer…and harder…because it’s my wife.

On November 12th, just two weeks ago, my wife had a polyp removed from her uterus. On Monday, November 23rd, we got the call that it is cancer. By Wednesday, we met with the oncologist and his recommendation is a complete hysterectomy. We won’t know the stage - how far the cancer has progressed - until she is in surgery. By God’s grace, there was an opening in the surgeon’s schedule for December 1st. The doctor said that 85-90% of endometrial cancer patients do not need radiation or chemo, which is great news…but we’ll take this one step at a time.

The day after we got the call, my thoughts drifted back to this previous series of posts. I went back and read them all, finding some comfort in being reminded of the lessons that God already taught me. So my plan - at this point - is to have you walk back through these lessons with me. I’ll provide updates on Amy as I can in each weekly post.

There are many people in many places praying for my wife, for me, and for our two adult sons. We would be grateful if you choose to join the others in petitioning our Great God on our behalf…but if you do…while we love the idea of praying for comfort and minimal pain, there are other things to pray about that God may consider to be of greater importance at this time: that we grow in dependence on Him, that we grow closer together, that we learn to accept offers of assistance, that we navigate our experience with cancer in a way that points non-Christians to the God who walks along side us, that we trust the very God who could have prevented this cancer from happening is going to use this season for an ultimately bigger and more eternal impact…and these “greater importance items” on God’s agenda may not include comfort or minimal pain.

I don’t know what the future holds, but I don’t have to. God is big enough to handle the future while helping us cope with the present. We have much to be thankful for. Thank you for walking with me.

When disease hits too close to home
originally posted on June 28, 2018

I’ve been dealing with some annoying health stuff for the last 9 months or so.  Nothing life-threatening, but I’m working with Doctors, changing my diet, taking meds and supplements, evaluating potential causes, blah, blah, blah…you know the drill.  Even though it’s not something that will kill me, it is frustrating that my body isn’t working as well as it used to.  I’m not that old, really.  But when you pile this recent development on top of my near-sightedness, my semi-frequent migraines, and a slightly unstable right shoulder…I get the feeling that it’s not going to get any easier as the years continue to pile up.

When I look around at my family, it seems I’m not the only one.  There’s high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, bi-polar struggles, and a long list of other maladies.  I’m sure you and your family could come up with a similar type of list. 

As we deal with these health issues now, it’s really easy to get frustrated.  I mean, God created everything…and could easily stop any of the health problems that we encounter.  So, why doesn’t He?

We can usually come to some sort of peace about this troubling question by reminding ourselves that we live in a fallen world, that Jesus will make everything right when He returns, and that we have perfectly good resurrection bodies to look forward to.  However, there are some situations when these answers fall short or feel hollow.  The one that really gets to me is my brother.  He has MS.  Wait…before going further, let me re-frame that for you:

My younger brother, who is in his mid-30s, has three kids under the age of 10, faithfully loves his wife, leads in a church that he helped plant, is active in his community, one of the hardest workers I know, a student of the Bible, works in end-of-life hospice care taking care of people who need help, loves Jesus and knows that he is loved by Jesus…he has Multiple Sclerosis.

MS is a failure of the immune system to function properly.  Instead of protecting his body, his immune system attacks him.  He has made adjustments to his life, but the MS has already taken ground – and it doesn’t give ground back.  He could be fine today and be in a wheelchair tomorrow, or he may be fine for many years…but all MS patients end up in the same place.  His body, in the end, will destroy itself.

I can quickly move from frustration to anger over this.  Serious, indignant, vision-blurred-by-tears anger.  God could show up and fix this, RIGHT?  So…what is He waiting for?  Why delay healing my brother?  Why wait for the resurrection?


Did you know…when Jesus was on Earth, He was asked these same questions?

The questions weren’t part of a parable or found in one of His teachings.  Jesus was asked, straight-up.  Real life was happening.  They loved Jesus and He loved them – but they were looking right at Jesus for answers as they dealt with the most unfair moment of their lives.

I need to know how Jesus answered their questions, and there are a few more things I am wondering:

What did Jesus say?
Did He show any emotion?
Did He seem to even care?

We’ll look for answers to these questions as we launch into this next study.  For now, I am clinging to something Paul wrote many years later:

2 Corinthians 4:16
Therefore we do not give up.  Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day.

Our current bodies are falling apart, and it is hard to deal with.  The diseases we encounter in this fallen world are vicious, malicious, and ruthless.  It’s especially difficult to helplessly watch the people we love succumb to them.  But no matter how heavy these moments are, God helps us keep the proper perspective:

2 Corinthians 4:17
For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.

Today’s crushing avalanche will be nothing more than a light mist in comparison to the eternal glory to be revealed in us. 

Even if we cannot see it right now, because our eyes are blurred by tears.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

How to see the good

There’s a lot of negative vying for our attention.  Election ads have been in our face for months.  Constant worries about the rapid swings in the stock market, the jobless claims reports, and individual company earnings.  Closer to home, we’ve all seen small businesses in our communities decide to close permanently – perhaps you’re one of them that had to make that painful choice.  And then there’s a pandemic to deal with.  2020 just seems to bring one hit after another.  No one has been left unaffected.  Families are struggling, churches are struggling, communities are struggling…leaders, governments, and nations – struggle, struggle, and struggle.

I’d say it feels a little overwhelming at times, but that wouldn’t be an honest statement.  Truthfully, it feels INCREDIBLY overwhelming A LOT of the time.  There’s so much negative and so much muck to wade through…where’s God while we’re in the midst of all this?

My church recently reopened for in-person services (with COVID protocols in place), and I was able to teach in the large group meeting for the elementary-age kids.  I’ve been doing it for years, and it was so good to be back with them again.  And it was in their lesson that I found the answer to our problem question of Where’s God in all this mess?

The verse their lesson focused on was one that most of us Christians would be familiar with.  Prepare yourself to not be shocked by which verse I’m about to quote.  It’s not taken from some obscure Old Testament passage.  There’s no deep-dive into the Greek words needed to figure out what Paul was saying.  God made this one easy for us…so easy, a child can apply it:

Philippians 4:8
Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is lovely, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable – if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy – dwell on these things.

Yep, that’s it.  Class dismissed.

Well, not quite.

I couldn’t just leave them with a simple thought of you know, you should just think about the good stuff even when bad stuff is happening…so after I talked about this verse, I gave them a very simple way to apply it:

I pointed out how every month, our elementary kids program focuses on a memory verse.  I explained to them that if they want to apply what Paul is saying in Philippians 4:8, then they need to learn their memory verse.  I told them how when I was their age, because of my mom, I memorized verses too.  And many of the verses I learned when I was their size are still burned into my brain.

If I need a verse that reminds me of how much God loves me, I have that (John 3:16-17).  If I need to be reminded that God’s path is best, then I know that, too (Proverbs 3:5-6).  When the Holy Spirit needs to kick me in the rear and remind me that I’m supposed to intentionally love others, He brings to mind 1 John 4:7-8.

However, memorizing Scripture isn’t just a kid’s activity.  I’ve continued it well into my adult life.  I’ve added verses like Genesis 1:1, Proverbs 22:29, and 2 Corinthians 5:10.  I’ve also learned to quote several verses together so I can grab hold of a complete God-thought on a subject – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 and I’m currently working a chunk of verses found in Philippians 1:20-30.  Right now, I’ve made through verse 27 and will add 28 soon.  I’ve also memorized Titus.  Not just a verse or passage, but all of it. 

Before you put me on a pedestal of any level, hear me out.  Titus isn’t very long, just 46 verses.  At the time I was working on it, I was driving over an hour, one-way, to work each day.  My radio was lousy.  Satellite radio and streaming music wasn’t a thing back then.  So spending time during each drive memorizing Scripture broke up the monotony of driving the same roads for 3+ years.  It took many months to get the entire book down, but it was time well spent.  Over the years, God has honored that investment in more ways that I can recount in this post.

Again, I do not admit these things to build myself up or to look good in your eyes.  Instead, I want you to realize that Scripture memorization is both possible and beneficial…just like I was conveying to the elementary-age kids (for the record, I didn’t tell them about Titus, just the first 3 verses I listed above).

Having Scripture at the front of our brain and the tip of our tongue will help us keep perspective in a world that constantly feels like everything is upside-down and spinning sideways.  Having Scripture handy helps us dwell on the good things that God has all around us.  And lastly, having Scripture memorized fulfills what Paul wrote to another group of believers:

Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Memorizing Scripture will renew your mind and transform your thinking…only then, with clear thoughts, can we discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Yeah, it’s easier to memorize when you’re younger, but that’s no excuse not to start now.  Better yet, help a child memorize a verse and you’ll end up learning it, too.  Maybe you’ll be the one that inspires them to have God’s Word burned into their brain for the rest of their life.

Keep Pressing,
Ken  

Flashback Favorite - When we fall

Sometimes, we need a reminder that once you’re in God’s family, He’s not going to kick you out…

When we fall
originally posted on August 10, 2017

In 2004, I moved my family to a new state, 1500 miles away from what we knew as home.  The job I was going to was one that I had done before, so I was completely confident that I could hit the ground running.  I was excited to use my skillset in a new environment and among new people.  Of course, before they turned me loose, I had a training program to complete.  What I thought was going to be no big deal ended up having a few bumps in the road.

Maybe it was the time off between jobs, maybe it was nervousness…but I found myself making little mistakes that either made it more difficult to complete the task at hand or it meant that the testing was invalid and had to be repeated.  Internally, I was getting really frustrated with myself.  Externally, I would make weak attempts at joking as I would blame the mistakes on me trying to “knock the rust off”.  But the mistakes kept happening at a pace that made me uncomfortable, and I knew people were watching.

I began to wonder if there was some “unofficial limit” as to how many mistakes I could make before they would just give up on me.  I was being brought in to not only perform testing and provide expertise, but I was also going to be leading my own team.  “How can a supposed leader make this many mistakes?” I worried.  We were new in town, without any family nearby.  What would happen to us if I continued to muck things up and my worst fear was realized?

After one particularly frustrating mistake, looked at my trainer and asked how many more of these was I allowed before they kicked me out.  She just laughed as she walked away and said, “Don’t worry, Ken.  We’re not going to throw you overboard.  We’ve invested too much money in you to do that.” 

Now to her, I’m sure it was just a minor comment.  Too me, it felt like the weight of the world had been lifted.  And then I realized…she was right.  This company had paid for our move and given us three months of short-term housing – they had invested a lot in me and expected to get a return.  They were willing to put up with a few do-overs, especially in training, as I learned the ropes and re-focused my skills.  Because of their patience, I was able to succeed in a variety of roles for the company, even ones that I couldn’t have foreseen at that initial time.

We have the same worries in our relationship with God, don’t we?  Even after we trust Jesus with our eternal destiny, we’re still going to struggle with sin.  That’s just part of life as a redeemed human being.  But we often wonder…What if I screw up too many times?  What if I really blow it in a big way, with one of those “big” sins?  Will God just toss me aside, because that’s what I would deserve.

I love that God is a realist.

We like to sugar-coat our flaws and exaggerate our strengths, but He sees us exactly as we are.  He’s not surprised when we sin.  He knows we’re not going to live out this new life with Him perfectly.  He loves us and trains us like a perfect parent – with patience, support, and guidance.

In the middle of Psalm 37, David recognizes this truth. 

Psalm 37:23-24
A man’s steps are established by the Lord,
and He takes pleasure in his way.
Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed,
because the Lord holds his hand.

An accurate translation of the third line could also read, When he falls, he will not be cast aside.  God knows the path He wants us to walk with Him.  He truly delights in making the journey with us.  And when we fall, He is there to catch us.

Truthfully, He’s invested too much in us to just walk away.  Jesus, the most valuable person in the universe, paid for us to move into God’s family.  The Lord is holding our hand as we walk through this life, learning the ropes and developing our skills.  We are being prepared for life in Eternity Future.  God’s not going to give up on us here.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

We will get ours

Last time, we found that God has set a time and place to dispense justice among those who do not believe in Jesus for eternal life.  But what about us Christians?  Are we free to do whatever we want because we know we’re going to Heaven?  Are there any consequences for Christians who wrong others or do terrible things?

To find our answers, we’re actually going to step into the middle of a section in Scripture where the Apostle Paul is reprimanding the church in the city of Corinth.  These Corinthian believers were dividing themselves based upon which teacher they preferred to listen to – the lines were primarily drawn around the teachings of Paul, Peter, and Apollos.  As you can imagine, these divisions were causing significant stress among the congregation.  However, it is during Paul’s rebuke that we also find him talking about what happens to Christ-followers who waste their time or do harm to others.  As you read this, remember we’re dropping into the middle of Paul’s rebuke – but we’re looking for consequences that believers can experience:

1 Corinthians 3:5-11
What then is Apollos?  What is Paul?  They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given.  I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.  So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.  Now he who plants and he who waters are united in purpose, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.  For we are God’s coworkers.  You are God’s field, God’s building.

According to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder, and another builds on it.  But each one is to be careful how he builds on it.  For no one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid down.  That foundation is Jesus Christ.

Obviously, Paul is talking to the believers in Corinth.  Those who believe in Jesus for eternal life are the only group that has a foundation of Jesus Christ.  With this understanding, take a look at what Paul says next:

1 Corinthians 3:12-15
If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one’s work will become obvious.  For the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. 

If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward.  If anyone’s work is burned up, he will experience loss, but he himself will be saved – but only as through fire.

Paul’s warning to the believers in Corinth is quite clear – now that your foundation is in Jesus Christ, be careful what you build and what you build with.  After we believe in Jesus for eternal life, we’re not done…it’s just the beginning.  While we will not come under judgment for our eternal destiny (like those at the Great White Throne judgment), everything we do in this life will be evaluated by Jesus.  Both the good – which receives a reward – and the bad – which will cause us to experience loss. 

In another letter to these same believers, Paul had this to say:

2 Corinthians 5:9-10
Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing to Him.  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

Again, Paul stresses that both our good actions and our selfish, evil actions will be brought into account by the One who knows it all and can perfectly evaluate every situation.

There is a phrase that Paul uses that may seem odd to us, but ‘the judgment seat of Christ’ was a description the Corinthian believers would have understood immediately.  In his book, Final Destiny: The Future Reign of the Servant Kings, Joseph Dillow describes it this way:

Travelers to the archaeological excavations of the city of Corinth have seen the famous judgment seat in the town square…The judgment seat (Greek: bema) in Corinth was a large, richly decorated rostrum, centrally located in the marketplace.  It was the place where rewards were given out for victory at the Isthmian athletic games.  These rewards consisted of garlands, trophies, crowns, and special social benefits, such as exemption from income tax.  But punishments were also administered here as well.

One day, all Christians will have to give an account of their lives – how we spent our time, how we spent our talents, and how we spent our treasure.  Were we selfish or generous?  Did we commit crimes or acts of love?  Our actions, our faithfulness, our words, and our inmost thoughts will be on full display…and Jesus will justly evaluate us, His servants. 

Our eternal destiny is settled – Jesus has promised eternal life to those who believe in Him.  However, based upon our foundation in Jesus Christ, how we live now will directly impact our opportunities to serve and participate with Jesus in Eternity Future.

Knowing this, how will you approach today?

Keep Pressing,
Ken

They will get theirs

We have always craved justice.  However, in recent years, there has been an increasing emphasis on correcting injustices within society – for wrongs committed today as well as those committed in the recent past.  This desire to right the wrongs is noble; however, there have been many ignoble attempts to carry out retribution or exact payment for injustices.  And then we often end up fighting about the ignoble means of handing out noble justice.  Who is supposed to be responsible for administering this justice and how far the punishment is taken have both been hot topics recently.  Accusations of corruption within the judicial branch of government appears in our news feeds frequently.  Stories and rumors of bad behavior are immediately blown up and judged via social media.  Being an election year always seems to put these issues to the forefront of our attention.

But what is a Christian to do with all this?  How can we proclaim a perfect God to a world that is far less than perfect?  We feel the same tensions that non-Christians do – Why do evil people seem to get away with stuff?  I’m glad when the bad guys finally get caught, but what about all those who do the same things and the authorities aren’t even aware of them?  How do we handle inconsistencies for how justice is administered?  What do we do when it appears that justice has not been served and someone “gets away with it” or receives a much lighter punishment than we would have expected?

These are not new questions.  These are concerns that people have always had, as they realized that their governments full of sinful people are trying to corral the actions of sinful people…this is not a formula to bring about perfect justice.  But that seems to be the best we have.  Even Israel’s King David and God’s prophets recognized this tension, and they asked God why injustice happens:

Psalm 94:3-7
Lord, how long will the wicked – how long will the wicked celebrate?
They pour out arrogant words; all the evildoers boast.
Lord, they crush your people; they oppress your heritage.
They kill the widow and the resident alien and murder the fatherless.
They say, “The Lord doesn’t see it.  The God of Jacob doesn’t pay attention.”

Jeremiah 12:1
You will be righteous, Lord, even if I bring a case against you.  Yet, I wish to contend with you:
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why do all the treacherous live at ease?

Habakkuk 1:2-4
How long, Lord, must I call for help and You do not listen
or cry out to you about violence and you do not save?
Why do you force me to look at injustice?
Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?
Oppression and violence are right in front of me.
Strife is ongoing and conflict escalates.

This is why the law is ineffective and justice never emerges.
For the wicked restrict the righteous; therefore, justice comes out perverted.

Paul also dealt with our unfulfilled desire for justice in this manner:

Romans 12:19
Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, “Vengeance belongs to Me, I will repay”, says the Lord.

Paul’s quote goes back to Deuteronomy 32:35, reminding his readers that despite all they are struggling with, God promised long ago to make things right.

Although Paul goes on in his letter (Romans 13), to say that one of the ways God displays His wrath now through the appointed governments to do the work of justice and punishing those who do wrong…we’re still left with a judicial system that doesn’t always get it right.  Our judicial system does not always get all the evidence; it is not is able to understand all aspects of a situation.  Additionally, and sadly, our judicial system can be corrupted so that in some cases, those responsible are never held accountable. 

That is a lot of tension for us to stand in.  And while God’s statement “I will repay” is comforting, it can still feel a bit hollow.  Just like the Old Testament writers, we want to ask God…When?  When will wrongdoing be properly and fully repaid?

It’s likely not as swift as we would want it to be, but God has set a time and place for justice to be finally and fully served.  The apostle John records this moment as the last actions God takes before creating a new heaven and a new earth:

Revelation 20:11-15
Then I saw a great white throne and One seated on it.  Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them.  I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.  Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books.  Then the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them; each one was judged according to their works.  Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.  This is the second death, the lake of fire.  And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Let’s make a significant observation here: there are two sets of books that non-believers will be evaluated by.  The first set is plural – the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books – and this the full and just evaluation of their deeds in this life.  The second is singular – anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.  As the text says, it is whether or not their name is in book of life which sends them to the lake of fire, not their bad deeds and neither do their good deeds rescue them from this outcome.

The purpose of being judged according to their works is to determine the level of torment and anguish each person will suffer in the lake of fire.  A garden-variety pagan, who rejected Jesus’ offer of eternal life, will have a very different experience from someone on the level of Hitler, Stalin, or Mao Zedong.  That is true, full, and final justice.  Everything that someone appears to “get away with” now will come to light, and God will properly handle it.

Although this gives us some more comfort just knowing there is a “when”…I know this still leaves us with some unsettled questions.  Take them to God.  He is big enough to handle your questions.  Ask, just like Jeremiah did: You will be righteous, Lord, even if I bring a case against you.  Yet, I wish to contend with you…

This is how justice will be served for those who do not trust in Jesus for eternal life.  They will get theirs.  But, then, what happens to Christians who do terrible things?  Do they get away with it, just because they became a part of God’s family?  We’ll look at those questions next time.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

The Presidential debate - a Christian's response

After watching the train wreck that was supposed to be a Presidential debate, most of America was asking, “What was that?”  Neither candidate was presidential.  Neither man was cordial or kind.  There was no civility or discussion of issues.  Instead, we were presented with two men badgering and interrupting each other for the own short-sighted gains and stroking of egos.  It was a whirlwind of antics typically reserved for young children who have not practiced their communication skills.  And when the allotted time was finally up, the people of America were united in wondering what has become of our government and political process.

As I sat thinking afterwards, trying to process what we all had witnessed, an old Hebrew phrase came to mind: “Israel, to your tents!”.  But to help you understand why, we’re going to have to look back into ancient Israel to understand the context:

Solomon had died and the kingdom of Israel, all 12 tribes, was to pass to his son, Rehoboam.  Although Solomon had been a wise, rich, and successful king…he had also been harsh and driving to get the most out of the people when building up Jerusalem and the temple.  After the people came to Rehoboam to ask for relief under his kingship, he consulted with his advisors.  The elders who had served his father advised him to ease up on the people, to win their favor and gratitude.  The young men who grew up with Rehoboam told him to not look weak, and declare that he would be even tougher on the people than his father had been.  When you read Rehoboam’s answer to the nation’s request, you’ll understand the people’s response:

1 Kings 12:13-14, 16-17
Then the king answered the people harshly.  He rejected the advice the elders had given him and spoke to them according to the young men’s advice: “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with barbed whips.”

When all Israel saw that the king had not listened to them, the people answered him:
              What portion do we have in David?
              We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.
              Israel, return to your tents;
              David, now look after your own house!

So Israel went to their tents, but Rehoboam reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah.

When the Israelites realized that their government was no longer for them, their cry of rebellion stated that they were better off spending their energies focusing on their own families and communities.  From then on, the nation was split in two: the northern kingdom, with the 10 tribes collectively called “Israel”, and the southern kingdom, with the tribes of Judah and Benjamin collectively referred to as “Judah”.

You may be tempted to imagine that the northern kingdom quickly set up a wonderful government structure that took care of the people and prospered the nation of Israel…but you would be quite wrong to think that.  Instead, in their anger and uprising, they followed a man named Jeroboam.  His selfish ambition and political scheming led Israel into spiritual darkness and idolatry.  That path led to their eventual conquer and exile.

So what does this have to do with the 2020 Presidential election in the USA?  I think the Israelites’ actions can be both an example and a warning to us. 

When presented with dysfunctional political leadership, the people had the right idea…they should make sure their families and communities were taken care of.  However, they quickly put all their hope in the wrong place – another person who was desiring to lead the nation.  Instead, the people should have turned to God for their next steps and protection.

I’m not going to tell you who to vote for.  That’s between you and God.  But after you cast your vote, and regardless of who sits in the Oval Office for the next four years…you need to intentionally take care of your family and your community.  Not just your “Christian community”, but work within your neighborhood, surrounding areas, and the broader population around you.

Two other parts of Scripture come to mind:

Psalm 118:8-9
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humanity.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in nobles.

Philippians 2:14-16
Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, by holding firm to the word of life.

The person elected as President does not prevent you from loving your neighbor as Jesus has loved you.  If there is going to be good in this country, if issues of race, equality, economic prosperity, and security are going to dealt with and improved in our nation, it will have to come from all of us – being the hands and feet of Jesus.  Our hope is not based on either of the politicians we saw on the debate stage.  The life change we desire to see in ourselves and our nation will not come about by a change in political policy...but only from a change to our heart.  

Keep Pressing,
Ken

You are my proof

I heard the statement recently “The only thing God is building right now on this earth is His church.”  After pondering over this idea for a while, I believe the person saying it was right.  The speaker was driving home an important point: the only things continuing on from this life to the next will be the people who have believed in Jesus for eternal life.  Everything else will be made new (Revelation 21:5).  This doesn’t mean that everything else – careers, homes, sports, buildings, hobbies, etc. – are considered “evil” or “worthless”, because these events are what God uses to develop and grow us.

So this means that the only eternally lasting work we can do is to build up Jesus’ church.  We can accomplish this work through one of two ways: 1) helping unbelievers understand and accept Jesus’ free offer of eternal life, or 2) encourage and develop those who already believe.

There are many ways to accomplish either of those pursuits; however, we also have to recognize that our time on earth is limited…which means we want to make the most of our time, especially when it comes to investing in other believers. 

At times in his letters, Paul expressed concern that he had not invested properly, that those he had shared both the gospel and his life with were not good “proofs” that his time was well spent.  Other times he commended his former pupils on their development after he had invested in them.  Here are just a few examples:

To the believers in Philippi, Paul wrote to encourage their progress in their relationship with God and how well they imitated Jesus to those around them.  He described how their growth was a benefit to them individually and to the further spreading of the gospel…but also to Paul, himself:

Philippians 2:14-16
Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, by holding firm to the word of life.  Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run or labor for nothing.

When Paul was correcting the believers in the region of Galatia for becoming confused by false teachers, he didn’t question their salvation, but he was concerned about their fruitfulness:

Galatians 4:11, 5:7
I am fearful for you, that perhaps my labor for you has been wasted…You were running well.  Who prevented you from being persuaded regarding the truth?

When checking up on the believers in Thessalonica, Paul spoke proudly of their progress in faith and love.  He joyfully told them:

1 Thessalonians 2:19-20
For who is our hope or joy or crown of boasting in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?  Is it not you?  Indeed you are our glory and joy!

When I look at two of Jesus’ most famous parables, The parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) and The parable of the minas (Luke 19:11-27), I find that Jesus is looking for a good return on His investment of gifts and abilities in each of us.  When we Christians do give an account to Jesus, what else can we give as evidence other than the lives we have ministered to, invested in, and enriched?  After all, Paul was writing to Christians when he said:

2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or bad.

Just like in The parable of the talents and The parable of the minas, the master will return and He will evaluate what we have done in His absence.  The judgment seat of Christ is only for believers; unbelievers will be judged at a different time.  As such, the judgement seat of Christ is not a place to determine our eternal destiny, instead it will be the time when Jesus determines our eternal rewards and opportunities to serve in His kingdom in the life to come.

I am proof that Joe Rheney did not run in vain.  I am not the only proof of his efforts, but I will be evidence – and I want to be good proof for a man who loved and invested so much in me.  I will also be proof for any Godly investment made by others at various times in my life – my parents, grandparents, teachers, friends.  Similarly, you are my proof that I did not waste my time blogging my Bible study.  It is my hope and prayer that you find good encouragement, a clear explanation of Scripture, and Godly challenges here.  What return on investment (ROI) is there for God if all I have learned and experienced with Him is kept solely for me?  Put simply: If I am not sharing who God has made me into and what God has taught me, then I am not fulfilling Jesus’ Great Commission. 

I know, this is a lot to take in all at once.  And not many churches emphasize this topic.  If this is new to you, or if you are suddenly feeling overwhelmed, here are a few application points to consider:

·       Paul invested in different people for different seasons of life.  Similarly, there will be different seasons when we invest, on God’s behalf, in others.  It’s also likely that we will not always invest in the same way or in the same physical location.
·       If you have children living at home – they are your primary ministry.  Not to say that you can’t or shouldn’t be investing in others, but your children must take priority over all others for this season.
·       The servants in both The parable of the talents and The parable of the minas were responsible for and received rewards based upon how much ROI they had from the master’s initial investment in them.  They were not judged in comparison with each other.  As such, we should not beat ourselves up if we are not “Paul the Apostle” or “Billy Graham”.  Instead, we should focus on being faithful with whatever skills, abilities, finances, and time God has given to us.

Truthfully, this topic can be summed up in just two questions:

Who are you proof for?
and
Who will be your proof that you did not waste God’s investment in you?

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Flashback Favorite - Clarity in a cloud

Clarity in a cloud
originally posted on September 20, 2018

Ever feel like you just gotta get out of the house?  You have no idea where you will go or what you will do, but if you stay indoors much longer, you’re probably going to lose your mind…can you relate?

Well, that happened to me and the Mrs. on Monday evening this week.  We just needed o-u-t, OUT.

Not wanting to waste money or gas, we ended up at a park next to a reservoir, not too far from home.  She sat down in a pavilion to sketch, but I felt like strolling.  I wandered down to a large wooden platform at the water’s edge.  I found that I could sit on the platform and my dangling feet would hover just above the water.  The sun’s rays were warm, the slight breeze was cool, and sound of city traffic was barely above the level of a quiet hum.  That’s when I saw it.

Above the pavilion my wife was sitting under, I saw a large puffy cloud that loosely resembled a bowler hat.  While the breeze at my level was light, you could tell the air at the cloud’s level was moving quickly.  So I watched.

Admittedly, I do not give much thought to clouds – unless they’re going to drop some rain.  And if I happen to think about clouds, I tend to imagine them making their trek across our sky as an unchanging blob, just a fluffy block of moisture.

But as I sat and watched, that’s not what I saw.

What I saw was a mass that was constantly changing shape as it moved.  It wasn’t uniform.  It wasn’t symmetrical.  The cloud, as a whole, was moving in a direction, but it was vigorously forming and reforming as it proceeded across the sky.  In order to really see and understand how it shifted from one movement to the next, I had to focus on one small part of the cloud at a time.  When my eyes moved to a new section – I could only tell that it was different, but I had no understanding of how the cloud made its new edge.  All the while, my previous focus-point continued to roll into new areas of the atmosphere.

What really stood out was the cloud’s depth.  As the cloud would billow and expand, stretching and reshaping, it was obvious there was a lot going on beneath the cloud’s surface that I was not able to see, understand, or predict until the movement happened.

Then it dawned on me…creation was giving me a lesson about our Creator.

God is on the move.
We are privy to the overall direction where God is moving history.
While history is happening, God doesn’t move in ways we expect.
When I try to take in the grandeur of God, I cannot see the beauty in His intricate details.
When I focus on an intricate detail, I am blown away by what He reveals.
While I am focused in, God is still moving in other ways that are outside my vision.
I am unable to keep up with all of God’s details.
There is a depth to God that we are not privy to.
We cannot fully see, understand, or predict how and when God will move, proceed, or pull back.

While even the best of analogies will breakdown (for example – God moves as He pleases, not because He is forced to, like the wind and sun move the clouds), creation can tell us much about our Creator.  Both David and Paul wrote about this:

Psalm 19:1-2
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the expanse proclaims the work of His hands.
Day after day they pour out speech;
night after night they communicate knowledge.

Romans 1:20
For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse.

In order to have this teachable moment with creation, I had to sit down, be still, and think. After all these realizations had flooded my mind, I was convinced that I had sat there too long and my wife was likely waiting on me to come find her. I looked at my phone to see how long I had been there:

Not even 15 minutes.

In less than 15 minutes of looking up at the sky, God used His creation to remind me of His greatness, His beauty, and His depth. Day after day and night after night, the lesson was there, ready for me to learn – but I wasn’t looking or listening. For certain, I am without excuse.

Will you take 15 minutes today to look at creation…and see His eternal power and divine nature?

The heavens declare the glory of God, so let’s take just a few moments…and look up.

Keep Pressing,
Ken