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Wednesday in the Word

Would You Rather Have a Wealth of Pleasure or a Wealth of Joy?

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Proverbs 21:17
17 Whoever loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.

This proverb is direct, but a little baffling at first. The word “rich,” in our culture, is often associated with the ability to access pleasure and wealth when we want it; in ancient Israel, wine and olive oil were some of the most luxurious products available, usually only provided for feasts and expensive ointments. Why would the writer of Proverbs tell us that these kinds of wealth will make us poor?

The key here is to remember that physical wealth and spiritual wealth are two very different things. Physical wealth, the wealth we can see and touch, brings us passing happiness and pleasure, as well as the ability to access more of that state of being. Spiritual wealth, on the other hand, is not made up of things we can own, see, or touch, but is instead a wealth of inner peace, calm, and wisdom of the Holy Spirit.

We often strive so hard for the markers of physical wealth: a big house, fancy car, nice clothes, cushy job, latest technology, lots of friends, etc. Sometimes, we can let this pursuit of physical wealth start to rule our lives. We can even start associating physical wealth with self-respect, power, and our own personal “goodness.”

This proverb’s warning is that all physical wealth is transitory, and will not sustain us. When we rely too much on physical wealth, we deprive ourselves of spiritual wealth. The old adage “Money can’t buy happiness” is appropriate here, but should actually read “Money can’t buy you joy”–at least, not the long-lasting, utterly unshakable joy that comes from God. That is a wealth beyond any price tag, and makes you literally a more contented person.

If this proverb (and my explanation/application of it) seems a little too good to be true, then believe the words of a lifelong complainer/whiner: I never believed I could have that kind of joy, not until I rededicated myself to God. If you want that same kind of solid, dependable peace that physical wealth can never provide, it may just be time for you to close your eyes, bow your head, and ask God for help with whatever is bothering you. You may just be pleasantly surprised by the result.

Wednesday in the Word

The Face of Jesus

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Image source; painted by Akiane Kramarik.

According to Colton Burpo, whose amazing experiences formed the basis of the book Heaven is for Real, the above picture is the most accurate earthly representation of Jesus Christ.

The warmth and compassion depicted in this picture brings tears to my eyes every time I view it. This is Who Sunday morning worship is all about, folks. Indeed, He is what every moment of prayer and worship is about. Sometimes we just lose the sense of just Who loved us enough to suffer and die for each one of us to be saved. This picture brings that sharply back into focus.

HeavenIsForReal.net

Wednesday in the Word

Living Holy for God’s Glory, Not Redemption

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2 Corinthians 5:9-10
9 So whether we are at home in the body or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

In the larger context of chapter 5, which discusses our souls being “clothed” with the “earthly tent” of our physical bodies, Paul’s instruction about living “at home in the body or away” takes on a significant spiritual meaning. Indeed, everything we do with our bodies while we have them is done in God’s sight, and we will need to account for why we have done these things.

“But wait,” you might ask. “When one accepts Christ, isn’t his/her sin cleansed away? Why do I have to ‘account’ for sin when Jesus’ sacrifice is supposed to cover it?”

This very same question was uppermost in my mind, too, until I studied more about holy living while on earth (which is what this passage concerns). Before Jesus, the only way to get to Heaven was to follow Mosaic Law, laid down in the first five books of the Old Testament (also known as the Pentateuch). Through following the Law, you would become righteous enough in God’s sight to be accepted into Heaven.

Problem? Nobody could follow the Law all the time–thus, nobody could really be righteous enough to go to Heaven. Thus, why God bridged the impossible gap between Him and humanity with His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus’ sinless life, blameless death on the cross, and glorious resurrection stood in for us; when we accept that His sacrifice was meant for us, our sins become covered by the grace of that wondrous act.

Accepting that grace, however, is not carte blanche for us to sin all we want. Once we become Christian, we do not have to live holy for our own redemption, but we DO have a responsibility to live holy as a good representative of Christianity. That is what Paul is discussing in this part of 2 Corinthians: living holy so that we represent God well while we’re here on Earth. We may no longer follow Mosaic Law for the purpose of being worthy to go to Heaven, but we need to make sure our words and deeds point the way back to God.

Think about it this way: if all Christians behaved like the secular world, why would anybody want to learn about the faith? If there is no visible difference between the people of the Christian church and the people of other beliefs (or of no beliefs), no one will be interested enough to find out about God. It’s our responsibility as Christians to live a Christlike life, to glorify God and to show others the way as well.

Wednesday in the Word

Everything God Does is For Our Good

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Jeremiah 29:11
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

This oft-quoted verse is couched within a letter that Jeremiah sent to the remaining elders of the Israelite exiles, telling them what he had heard from God. The exiles by this time were disheartened and felt abandoned by God, and needed to hear from Him again, needed to feel His presence, even if they were still a little spiritually rebellious.

God had indeed used the Babylonian exile period as a way to teach the Israelites, but it was not for an evil purpose–it was to help them remember that they needed to depend on him. They had been far too proud and far too headstrong before, and the period of exile taught them humility. Thus, this letter from Jeremiah carries a message of reconciliation from God, including this verse. God wants to reassure the Israelites that He has great plans for them, which are for their best interests.

In fact, God has always worked for their best interests, even if the Israelites have not always understood it. Like children rebelling against a parent, the Israelites have been wayward and nearly untenable, worshipping any “god” but God, doing anything but what God has asked them to do. So, much like a parent who disciplines to teach their children respectful behavior, God has disciplined the Israelites with this time of exile, to teach them that His blessing is something they should rejoice in, not spurn. This discipline does not come from a place of hate and anger, but a place of love and nurturing–no matter how much it hurts at the time.

It’s much the same way with us. God does not do evil things in our lives or cause evil things to happen, but He uses trials and problems to help us develop strength and faith. This ultimately helps us grow into the people He created us to be. Nothing God does is for harming us; even the harshest trials we face can end up showing us how strong God’s love is for us. During my horrible failure of a teaching career, for instance, I felt very distant from God, so overwhelmed…but He never let me die, never let me really hurt myself or anyone else. In fact, I found myself reaching for God in those darkest of days, and I found Him there, with a plan ready to lift me from pain. God wants to do the same for all of us, whenever we decide we’re ready to listen.

Wednesday in the Word

Don’t Get in the Way of God

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Ezra 7:23
23 Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should his wrath fall on the realm of the king and of his sons?

This verse is a small part of the Persian king Artaxerxes’ letter to Ezra; it let Ezra know that the king was okay with the Israelites going to visit Jerusalem and worshipping God.

Artaxerxes probably had some Jewish help drafting this, but the king himself was moved to do this for a “teacher of the law of the God of Heaven,” as Ezra was. The Jews had been stifled in exile for far too long, and Artaxerxes knew they had been chafing to go home. So he decrees that their return to Jerusalem is fine by him; he stands aside, allowing the Israelites to return home to worship.

There’s a little lesson here: just as Artaxerxes does not get in the way of the Jews’ worship of God, we should never let anything get in the way of God in our own lives. That means social beliefs, politics, work stress, family drama, what other people think–anything that takes our minds off “whatever the God of heaven has prescribed.” This doesn’t mean we don’t talk about anything else in life, but just that we don’t cloud our personal worship time with thoughts about these earthly things.

Think about how changed our lives would be if we had this uncluttered, undivided attitude about worship all the time. How often would we be praying? How close would we feel in our relationship to God? As someone who has a hard time getting her brain to hush about anything, I can say that I need a worship time that is full of God and only God. In fact, I think we can all use “quiet time with God,” these days.

Wednesday in the Word

The Heart of Christianity: Simple Belief

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Hebrews 11:6
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Here, in this one verse, lies a huge stumbling block for most people who have difficulty with Christianity (or, indeed, with any faith practice). The writer of Hebrews is emphasizing the role of faith in our lives all throughout chapter 11; he cites example after ancient example of times when people believed in God and saw miracles performed. But here in verse 6, he reminds us that if we don’t believe He exists, the process of faith breaks down completely.

There are many in the world today who insist that God is not real, because they do not see His blessings and they do not see evidence of Him. These days, we want to prove everything completely by science and disregard faith, and yet by faith, amazing, unexplainable, otherwise impossible things have been done, as the writer of Hebrews says, because God willed it so.

I have always enjoyed the study of science, myself, but I have also enjoyed how every branch of science seems to be painting a huge mural of God’s works, brushstroke by tiny brushstroke. The wonder of DNA itself, a single code that describes all creatures’ genetic makeup, has always put me in mind of a single Creator. The scientists who look deeply into space trying to “see” remnants of the Big Bang always manage to find an all-over tint of microwave radiation, encircling the known universe like an embrace–perhaps, a divine embrace.

I see God’s works described by scientific research and studies, but then again, I am already a believer. If people don’t believe in God and keep insisting He’s not there, then, in my mind, it is no wonder they aren’t seeing His works in their lives. Our minds can be blinded by pride or even ignorance–even if we witness God’s works, we might not understand them for what they are because of that.

But, if we can allow ourselves to be as open-minded as possible and begin to seek God in everyday life, it’s amazing where He shows up. I’ve seen Him at work on the highway, when I was sure I was going to be witness to (or victim of) an accident; I’ve seen Him heal where doctors had absolutely given up hope of recovery. It simply takes the belief that God is great (that He exists) and that He is good (He rewards those who seek Him humbly)…and then, perhaps, we may be witness to miracles in our own time.

Wednesday in the Word

God Sees Our Suffering and Avenges It

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Jeremiah 51:60-62
60 Jeremiah had written on a scroll about all the disasters that would come upon Babylon–all that had been recorded concerning Babylon. 61 He said to Seraiah, “When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud. 62 Then say, ‘LORD, you have said you will destroy this place, so that neither people nor animals will live in it; it will be desolate forever.’

Dire words, for a dire prophecy; in Jeremiah 50:2-51:58, Jeremiah had foretold all the terrible things that would happen to Babylon because of its treachery towards and conquest of Israel, and here, he has that all written on a scroll, to read to the people of Babylon. According to Jeremiah’s writings, God would avenge His people’s suffering and strike down the nation that had dared to think so highly of its own powers. Even the land itself would be uninhabitable, according to this short passage quoted here.

God seems wrathful, even fearsome in the referenced passage, but it is a protective wrath; even as human parents defend their children, so God defends His children, the children of Israel. It is not an out-of-control rage that God is in; He knows precisely what must be done to right the balance of power and pull all the people back into line. He is just, righteous, and yes, a little frightening in that righteousness, but this is a punishment for Babylon that is fitting (and has been a long time coming). Babylon had worshipped other gods, had attacked and enslaved Israel, and generally lived in all sorts of sin; God would make an example of the city and its people.

What we forget, these days, is that God’s still in the business of making miracles and righting wrongs, even if it seems to take so long and so much suffering happens in the meantime. God sees our suffering, whatever form it takes, and if we are faithful to Him, we will see that suffering avenged with the same kind of just and fitting punishment. It may not always happen on the grand, epic scale of Babylon falling, but it will happen. (And if we’re personally involved in the business of attacking and hurting others, and thinking too highly of ourselves, this passage and the referenced prophecy should make us worried!)

Wednesday in the Word

If You’re Saved, Act Like It!

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1 John 2:4-6

4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

John doesn’t beat around the bush: he’s describing a type of Christian believer who claims to be saved, but does not act in obedience to God’s commands.

Though this book of the Bible was written 2,000 years ago, this passage is still unfortunately relevant to Christians today. We all know of so-called “Christians” who act as if they’ve never cracked the Bible open in their lives. These are the kind of people who seem to revel in their own personal sins, but pass judgment on others’ sins as if they alone have God’s express permission to act in His capacity. While forgetting their own sins (or shoving them under the rug), they throw their holiness around and use it as a weapon against other people. Monday through Saturday, these people act fully like the world; Sunday mornings, however, they’re bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in church services–and they’re likely not to let you forget it!

…Now, I’ll admit something to you. While I may not throw holiness around like a mace, I do have my own personal sins that keep me from being perfect. We all do, as a matter of fact. Each of us has his or her own stumbling block of sin; Jesus’ sacrifice for us leaves us free of the burden of paying for that sin, but we still have to try to remove it so that we can be more Christlike.

In studying this three verses, it’s not the Christian who sins that is at fault. The Christian who has forgotten that he/she can still sin is at fault, instead. If you’re trying to live for Christ, but you occasionally stumble in that walk, that’s okay–you’re still doing your best to be obedient, and God sees that. But if you’re putting on an act of salvation, pretending to be all holy and righteous, while still committing (and conveniently forgetting) all kinds of sins against yourself and your fellow human beings, that’s not okay. Verse 6 is straightforward: “If you’re gonna talk the Jesus talk, then walk the Jesus walk.”

1 John is an eye-opener, much like the book of James, and it reminds us of the “best practices” of Christianity. If we choose to follow God, it’s not just a Sunday-morning or Wednesday-night commitment–it’s a 24/7/365 commitment. Pretending that sinning, without any tries at obedience, is okay because we’ve been “saved?” That’s just lying to ourselves, and lying to God. We have to at least try to follow God’s commands, even if we slip up occasionally; it’s the trying that keeps us faithful and keeps us aware of the grace we’ve been given.

Wednesday in the Word

Jesus is With Us through EVERYTHING

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Isaiah 53:4

4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.

This part of Isaiah, prophetically describing the coming “servant” who would save so many (Jesus), describes how the servant would be despised and hated by many who could (and would) be saved by his sacrifice. We know that about 400 years passed before this prophecy came into truth and was recorded in the New Testament, but it seems as though Isaiah was really there to see Jesus–seeing the outright hatred on the faces of the Sanhedrin as they condemned Him, hearing the hoarse cries of the crowd as Pontius Pilate asked the Jews what they wanted him to do with Jesus.

For most of us, even established Christians, Jesus is more often a vague presence in our lives, worthy of worship, but little else. We don’t think about Jesus walking with us, even though we talk a lot about it. He’s kind of like that friend we keep meaning to contact but never quite get around to it; you know you should, but the longer you keep forgetting, the harder it gets to contact, until finally you’re too ashamed to acknowledge it.

But in fact, Jesus should be (and is) a close presence in our lives. After all, He bore our pain, sorrow, and other afflictions, and took care of our sin; He knows everything about us because He is God in flesh. Yet we do not treat Him as a close friend, but hold Him constantly at arm’s length. (I’m guilty of doing this, especially as a younger believer.) If we can shift our thinking to understand Him more as the closest friend and advisor we could ever have, it would be much closer to the character of Jesus.

For instance, driving in dangerous traffic? Jesus is riding shotgun with us. At the gym, laboring to lose pounds? Jesus is lifting weights with us. Trying to deal with ignorant people at work? Jesus knows exactly what you’re feeling when you walk away from the argument. Whatever we’re going through, Jesus has been there–we Christians have a Friend and Counselor that will never leave us. No wonder He’s also known as the Comforter!

Wednesday in the Word

You Can’t Be a “Non-Believer With Benefits”

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Luke 4:23-27
23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.'”

24 “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed–only Naaman the Syrian.”

Here, Jesus is visiting Nazareth, his “hometown,” where He was raised by Mary and Joseph and is well remembered by neighbors and acquaintances. Many of the townspeople had likely heard of Jesus’ miracles and preaching in the surrounding area, but until now He had never done anything back home.

Jesus, being God in flesh, knows what’s primarily on the Nazarenes’ minds, even as they praise Him for His earlier quotations of Isaiah’s prophecies in the synagogue. He knows they want Him to do a bunch of miracles for them, too, even though most of them don’t believe He’s really the Messiah. (That’s right–they don’t believe the kid who was raised among them is really the Messiah. They actually refer to him as “Joseph’s son” the whole time, and their adoration is more born of condescending affection than awe.)

So, Jesus addresses the issue directly. “All right, you want me to do miracles for you, but you don’t really believe in Me; I’m still just Joseph’s kid to you,” the gist of His reply goes. He tells them that Israel didn’t believe in God’s power in the Old Testament either, so God didn’t bless them–He went to other nations and other peoples instead. By doing this, God proved He was still powerful enough to bless, but He was reminding the Israelites that they had to meet Him halfway by trusting and not repudiating Him.

The Nazarenes were making the same mistake. They stood there and practically told Jesus they didn’t think He was nobody special by calling Him simply “Joseph’s son,” but wanted Him to do miracles anyway. They had already rejected him as Messiah, but wanted the benefits of salvation (blessings).

Modern-Day Nazarenes: Yes, They Still Exist!

There are many people today who want a “non-believer with benefits” relationship to Jesus. They don’t REALLY trust in Him, don’t believe in His power to save, but they want all the blessings that they see other Christians getting. But just like a “friends with benefits” relationship eventually falls apart because there is no real love, a “non-believer with benefits” relationship will weaken and die over time because there is no real faith to support it.

Jesus makes it clear: you can’t be a non-believer with benefits–you have to either believe or not. But many people today want God only on their terms. This doesn’t work, and people who relate to Jesus this way end up without the blessings they expect, leading to an eventual doubt of whether He even exists.

If we want God’s blessings to rain down on us, we have to first accept that we are saved by the grace of Jesus–Jesus, God’s Son, not just Jesus from Nazareth. If we don’t truly believe in that grace (and its power to rescue us from our sin), we can’t expect any blessings. It seems too simple to mess up, and yet a lot of us, even established Christians, completely miss this point.