Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Boasting - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Corinthians 10:17,

"Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord."

Due to the correspondence from Corinth, Paul felt it necessary to defend his ministry. As he did so, he pointed out that there could be much to boast about. However, he refused to compare himself with others. He said, "We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise." Verse 12.

There are a lot of folks who find their meaning in life by comparing themselves against others. There certainly is nothing wrong with competition in sports, or taking encouragement within ourselves to improve by observing others who do well. However, boasting in ourselves, particularly by comparing how we are better than so-and-so, just isn't good at all. We read in Proverbs 27:2, "Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips." The boaster is the only one who is impressed with himself.

When it comes to boasting, Paul quoted Jeremiah 9:24. There the Lord says "Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight." Jeremiah 9:23-24.

It is always appropriate to boast about the Lord!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Thursday, May 26, 2022

Guidance On Giving - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Corinthians 9:7,

"Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

Here is what I find to be the best counsel on financial giving within the church. While this was directed by Paul to the Corinthian believers for a specific purpose (to provide aid for poverty stricken Jewish believers in Jerusalem), the principle is one that, to me, has lasting guidance.

While many church organizations look to the tithe in the Mosaic law for the funding for the temple, the priests that worked there and its activities, this seems to me to be a much better source of guidance for the believer when it comes to giving.

It is based on a couple of realities that should reside in all believers. The first is our desire to please the Lord. "God loves a cheerful giver." We express our worship and adoration for our loving heavenly Father through giving back to him a portion of what he has blessed us with. Secondly, due to the indwelling Holy Spirit, our love for others finds its expression in our contributing toward various ministries within the church that require funding. Whether it is materials for evangelism, feeding the poor, providing assistance to pregnancy crisis centers (and the fight to save the lives of the yet-to-be-born), the maintenance of a facility for worship where needed, etc.

Each of us should give what we have decided in our own hearts to give, and then reflect on what that gift expresses to God and others.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Before the Eyes of the Lord and the Eyes of Man - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Corinthians 8:21,

"For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man."

Paul collected money from various Gentile fellowships in the field of his ministry to aid poverty stricken fellow believers in Jerusalem. As he carried this out he took steps to insure his activities in this matter were above reproach. One way he did this was have representatives from some of the churches accompany the gift to Jerusalem. They could verify to their home churches the money was handled appropriately.

The heart of mankind is given to suspicion of others, at times seeing only the worst in the motives of others. Unfortunately, this is alive and well in fellowships in our day. One only has to attend the "business meeting" of the church where the allocation of church funds is decided. Certainly not always, and, hopefully, rare, at times it can become heated with the murmuring of a few afterward.

Paul knew of these things in his day, and as his ministry, energized and guided by the Holy Spirit, engaged in this effort, he took steps to do what was right, not only before God, but also before the "eyes of man". He didn't want to create suspicions that might become an opportunity for the forces of evil to cause divisions and hostility within the church.

This was a strategy Paul used in his ministry and ought to be a guiding principle for us today. Here are a couple of other passages where Paul shares his concerns over the helpfulness of not offending or creating suspicion needlessly in the hearts and minds of others:

"So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man." Acts 24:16.

"Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval." Romans 14:16.

Following Paul's example might have avoided some missteps we have seen in some fellowships.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Tuesday, May 24, 2022

Impacting Others - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Corinthians 7:13b,

"In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you."

Here is a readily obvious truth: we all have an impact on others around us. In this passage we see that the Corinthian church "refreshed" Titus, providing him great comfort during his visit there, who in turn brought great comfort to Paul when he reported in.

Paul had chastised the believers in Corinth in his letter to them because they had allowed sin among their ranks without dealing with it - apparently just accepting it. After scolding them about it the Corinthian believers had to make their choice. The choice they made was to respond to Paul in a very affirmative way, which brought relief, comfort, delight and happiness to Paul's team: "we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you."

Aside from the most important issue of living our lives in a manner worthy of the Lord, and pleasing him, the choices we make really do have an impact on those around us. None of us are an island unto ourselves.

A question I have for myself today is (in addition to pleasing the Lord), how do I want to impact the lives of those around me?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Monday, May 23, 2022

Don't be Offensive! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Corinthians 6:3-10,

"We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything."

Here is an incredible statement by Paul to the Corinthian believers. He cites the many ways in which he has conducted his ministry in sincerity, in honesty, and at great personal cost. He points to the nature of how he has pursued his ministry, with the many personal hardships and challenges he had faced, as well as careful adherence to those things that would enhance the prospects of his efforts in bringing the message of reconciliation with God to people in an effective way.

It really is quite a statement. I notice that he begins it with the words, "We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited." I take this to mean that Paul was cautious to present Jesus Christ to the unsaved in such a way that resulted in his hearers needing to wrestle with the claims of the gospel and not about how Paul presented it or the way in which he comported himself. Clearly, Paul wanted his efforts to bring people to decision making about Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone.

I find great direction here for the church. Sometimes we present ourselves in a way that causes people to wonder about us, not Jesus Christ. If we present ourselves in such a way that detracts from the key points of the gospel as we share with others, it does us little good. "Turn or burn!" shouts the fire and brimstone preacher. Is it true? Yes. However, l can guarantee that kind of approach will have others considering this wild man, not Jesus Christ. If we show up in a cultural context where we violate people's norms in the way we present the gospel, we are not going to get very far. We'll get people feeling offended, not because they were shown to be sinners, but because they found the approach offensive. Hopefully you get my drift.

Paul was careful about these things and we should be as well. The gospel itself should be offensive, let's just make sure it is not the way we comport ourselves that causes the offense, only the claims of Jesus Christ and the message of the gospel alone.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Friday, May 20, 2022

Attempting To Persuade Others - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Corinthians 5:11a,

"Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others."

In this chapter where Paul speaks of the ministry of reconciliation between God and sinners, he calls himself and others (all believers) as "Christ's ambassadors", verse 20. He points to the compelling love of Christ, "For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died." Verse 14.

The love Jesus Christ has for each of us should be a compelling and motivating energy in us to reach as many as we can for Jesus Christ. Because of this Paul speaks of his efforts at persuading others, "Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others." Verse 11. "We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God." Verse 20b.

There is a popular theology within the church today that impinges on that compelling and motivating energy that should drive us to reach others persuasively for the Lord. It is known by the acronym TULIP. The "I" in TULIP stands for a doctrine known as "irresistible grace". In this system of theology God picks who gets saved and who doesn't. The vehicle God uses, according to this teaching, is his irresistible grace. Those that God chooses are involuntarily drawn to him, they have no say in the matter, make no choice in the matter and are simply irresistibly drawn to him. (Kind of like a "roofie", a date rape drug, only in a positive sense).

Where might the need be to persuade others, to implore others as Paul did in this theology? My concern is that the motivation to persuade others might be slowing down in the adherents of this theology. The followers of it point out that since Jesus commanded us to evangelize (e.g. Matthew 28:18-20), our love for him should be all the motivation we need. I can't argue with that.

However, Paul, as our role model when it comes to evangelism, felt the need to persuade, to implore others to be reconciled to God while being energized by the compelling love of our Savior. I do not subscribe to the theology myself, but I would encourage anyone who does, not to become lax in sharing the gospel persuasively with others, which I find to be a legitimate concern.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Thursday, May 19, 2022

"It's Their Own Damn Fault" - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Corinthians 4:3,

"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."

There exists a darkness in this world that blinds the minds of unbelievers. This helps us understand the reluctance for many to listen to the gospel of Jesus Christ when we attempt to share it with them. As we share the gospel we often find that many think we are insulting, offensive, crazy lunatics (I have to laugh at the ways Hollywood so often characterizes Christians), lame or whatever.

The only possible way to penetrate that darkness is to share the gospel message as effectively as we can. As we do, we may find the person who we are sharing it with will respond. Unfortunately few will. In his sermon on the mount Jesus said, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14.

In the previous verse, 2 Corinthians 4:2, Paul says, "And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing."  As Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 2:10, "They perish because they refuse to love the truth and so be saved."

I used to think that as long as a person was alive, he or she always had an opportunity to respond to the gospel. I have had to modify that thinking a bit. I now have to recognize that in addition to that blindness we read of in 2 Corinthians 4:3, God can and does harden the hearts of some who reject him. The walking dead. In writing about future events, Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12, "For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness."

During the days of Jesus' life on earth we are told that there were those who would not believe in him even though he had performed many signs right in front of them. To explain it, John quotes Isaiah 6:10, "He [the Lord] has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them." They would not believe in him so God hardened their hearts so they could not possibly believe in him. They were condemned to eternal death while still living in this life.

In Romans 9:18 Paul says, "Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden." Since John tells us, "Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God", John 1:12, we know that God has mercy on those who respond to the gospel, who embrace Jesus Christ in faith. But for those who reject him, he just may harden their hearts at some point while still in this life.

So, both the god of this age, and also God Almighty make that blindness and darkness impossible for unbelievers to see the supernatural things we see. They cannot possibly understand the gospel message, the things of heaven or God's truth. They are blinded to it. However, it is their own fault, as Jesus taught Nicodemus, "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed." John 3:19-20.

Possibly this is where the phrase comes from: "It's their own damn fault." It is the sinner who is culpable for the blindness he is sealed and exists in. And while our hearts may break over the plight of the lost, it is a cold hard truth, but truth nonetheless.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Wednesday, May 18, 2022

Transformation! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Corinthians 3:18,

"And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

In a previous letter Paul told these believers, "Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?" 1 Corinthians 3:1-3.

This fellowship suffered a scathing rebuke by Paul. He called them worldly, not growing in their relationship with Jesus Christ. However, that is not the whole story. He also said in that earlier letter, "I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:4-9.

Following Paul's rebuke, which included other issues, the church in Corinth responded in a way that brought Paul joy, "In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well. And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling. I am glad I can have complete confidence in you." 2 Corinthians 7:13-16.

At the end of 2 Corinthians he tells them, " We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is that you may be fully restored. This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down. Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you." 2 Corinthians 13:9-11. Clearly there was still work to do in this fellowship to bring the members to where they needed to be spiritually.

Nonetheless, in the midst of this issue, Paul points to the transformation taking place in these people because they had embraced Jesus Christ. As worldly as they might have been, they were being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. Here is what God has predestined for all who turn to Jesus Christ: that they be transformed into his likeness, "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." Romans 8:29-30.

How wonderful is that?!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Tuesday, May 17, 2022

The Very Words of God - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Corinthians 2:17,

"Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God."

There are those who peddle the word of God for profit today. We should not be naive and fail to see that many who represent themselves as ministers of the gospel are leading others into the corruption they are caught up in. Paul casts them in Romans 16:18 in this way, "such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people."

Paul, on the other hand, claimed to have been sent from God and spoke with sincerity. In 1 Thessalonians 2:13 he told the fellowship there, "when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe." Paul spoke and wrote the very words of God!

Along with the other writers of Scripture, the communication God desired to have with mankind was spoken through them. Peter points out, "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." 2 Peter 1:20-21. I realize I refer to this passage frequently, but I find it something we should all be aware and convinced of.

Right in our hands! The very words of our Creator!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Monday, May 16, 2022

Look At What We Own! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Corinthians 1:21-22,

"Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."

What does Paul mean when he says God makes us "stand firm" in Christ? Permanence certainly is the thought that comes to my mind. Our salvation, as believers, is durable and stable. We can have our times when we disappoint God, ourselves and others but being indwelt with the Holy Spirit insures we don't wander so far afield that we no longer belong to his kingdom. Our salvation is ceaseless, endless, eternal, everlasting, perpetual, undying and unending!

In verse 18 Paul refers to God's faithfulness. In 1 Corinthians 1:9 Paul says, "God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." This he says following an amazing promise to us in the previous verse, "He [God] will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Our God is faithful! He has given us the Holy Spirit as a deposit to guarantee "what is to come." Our place in heaven, as a member of his family, is assured! Just as Jude's doxology promises, "To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen." Jude 24-25.

This assurance we own right now, today! Our Creator guarantees it! We own it because he owns us!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Friday, May 13, 2022

A Gift To The Impoverished Jews In Jerusalem - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Corinthians 16:1-2,

"Now about the collection for the Lord's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made."

Paul had decided to provide needed relief for impoverished Jewish believers in Judea. He made arrangements from various churches in his field of ministry among the Gentiles to gather this gift and make sure it got safely to them. In Romans 15:25-28 we read, "Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the Lord's people there. For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord's people in Jerusalem. They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this contribution, I will go to Spain and visit you [the church in Rome] on the way."

We read more of this gift from the Gentiles to the Jews in 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 and 9:6-15. In Paul's instructions on how to prepare the portion from Corinth he told them to set aside some money weekly according to how the week had prospered them. Very practical as it avoided some kind of massive fund-drive once it was needed to be taken to Jerusalem. Paul's "first day of the week" comment is a hint that church fellowships adopted Sunday as a day of worship early on in commemoration of Jesus' resurrection.

I note that this was not a tithe but some amount the believer felt was appropriate and relative to his earnings. A tithe was required of the Israelites to support the temple worship, its facilities and priests who ministered there. There were in fact three tithes the Israelites were required in the law to pay. Two different ones each year and another one every three years. In other words, the Jews were required to pay into the temple treasury 23.3% each year. We don't read of a tithe required of the church in Scripture.

What we do read, however, is that the Lord loves a cheerful giver, "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Corinthians 9:6-7.

By the way, this is not the kind of thing seen on TV where some "evangelist" who quotes his Bible, tells his viewers to turn in their faith-promise pledge to him so they can get rich themselves. It is a scam that only enriches the "evangelist". They are all wolves in sheep's clothing, fleecing the flock. Of them Jesus says, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" Mathew 7:21-23.

If we, as believers, find ourselves reluctant to share with others what God has blessed us with, we need to take a self-check. Since the Holy Spirit inspires love within us, it should result in a giving heart, a heart that worships the Lord, not only with our attendance in worship services but also with our finances, our time, our talents, etc.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Thursday, May 12, 2022

No Need For Pity - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Corinthians 15:19,

"If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied."

I find much to be thankful about for knowing Jesus Christ in this life. So much of this life becomes grander, more beautiful, more fulfilling. However, if Christians are deluded, Paul says here we are to be the most pitied of all people. It would be as if believers have invested their entire lives and souls to a lie, to nothing.

Being ignorant of God and not knowing Jesus Christ leaves no hope at all in this life. All we work for, all our efforts, all our favorite things and places, all the ones we love will be lost forever the day we die, if we are deluded. And, we are all going to die one day. No one will stay here for long. But this is not the case! Paul says, "we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead"... "he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures", verses 15 and 4. Since Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, we will be raised from the dead as well.

"But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him." Verses 20-23. How wonderful is that?!

Knowing God and his Son Jesus Christ, experiencing the Holy Spirit within brings a new reality to our earthly existence here. We know this life is not all there is. This life is just a beginning! We have so much to look forward to! Our own resurrection from the dead into a body that is imperishable, raised in glory, raised in power, a new spiritual body!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

Women Silent In Church? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35,

"Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church."

Here is where Paul is accused of being a misogynist. This passage says women are to remain silent in the churches, to be in submission, if they want to know something they should ask their husbands at home, and that it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. That sounds pretty wild by today's standards, doesn't it?!

There is no textual evidence yet that these verses are a scribal gloss that made its way into the existing manuscripts of 1 Corinthians we have available today (such as the long ending of Mark 16 or John 8:1-11). However, many think that is the origin of these verses, given the difficulties these verses represent, and the difficulties have nothing to do with the women's lib movement.

Here are just a few reasons why:

Contrary to Paul forbidding women to speak in the church, we read his guidelines as to how the women are to speak in church earlier in this letter, "But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved. For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head." 1 Corinthians 11:5. Also, verse 13, "Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?" In verse 16 Paul says these guidelines are what is practiced in "the churches of God".

The passage says that women are not allowed to speak, but be in submission in the churches "as the law says." We don't find anything in the Old Testament Scriptures that say such a thing. When Paul speaks of the law, he is not speaking of Jewish tradition. Some appeal to Genesis 3:16 but that verse doesn't say what is being said here in this passage.

Some try to limit what it is that women are prohibited from in this passage, but the verses are delivered in language that is absolute. According to this passage, women are to remain silent, they are forbidden to express themselves in any form of public speaking in the church.

The notion that it is "shameful" or "disgraceful" for a woman to speak in the church speaks of what is found to be inconsistent with accepted standards of modesty. It is disgraceful for her to speak at all, not simply to speak in a certain way. How do we understand that for all cultures for all time?

Gordon D. Fee, in the New International Commentary on the New Testament, 1 Corinthians says, "Thus, in keeping with the textual questions, the exegesis of the text itself leads to the conclusion that it is not authentic."

A bit of a hornet's nest here. I realize there are other positions on the passage and I offer this as mine. Some may think I'm weak on my fidelity with the Scriptures based on my comments here, but I assure you that is not the case. I am entirely convinced that the Scriptures, comprised of the Old and New Testaments are fully and verbally inspired by God. That the Bible is infallible in the original autographs and are the final authority for all faith and practice, that God intended them and he intends we know them. The work of textual criticism has made possible a great understanding of what those original autographs looked like, but it is a field that has not entirely exhausted itself as variant readings do turn up from time to time.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

The Gift of Love - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Corinthians 13:13,

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

In chapter 12 Paul spoke of various "gifts" the members of Christ's body are given to serve one another. In concert, these gifts enable the work of the church to move forward in God's redemptive plans for mankind. Here in this chapter, Paul speaks of a most important gift given not to some, but to all the members of Christ's body, the church: the gift of love.

Paul begins this section, following his thoughts on various gifts in the previous chapter, by showing us "the most excellent way." Verse 1. That "way" is the way of love. He sums this up with the above thought, "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." All believers have access to all three of these gifts from God.

In another book Paul speaks of the gifts (called "fruit") given by the Holy Spirit in our lives. We read, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23. Notice the first he lists there: love.

Peter tells us to use the gifts given us to serve one another, "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10. This, of course, includes the gift of love we are to express in our lives. Paul provides some definition to this in Colossians 3:12-14, "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

We want to make sure we do not deny the gifts God has given us. He has given them to us to express his grace through each of us in one another's lives.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Monday, May 9, 2022

The Influence In Our Lives - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Corinthians 12:2-3,

"You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, 'Jesus be cursed,' and no one can say, 'Jesus is Lord,' except by the Holy Spirit."

It is commonly acknowledged that the twelth chapter of 1 Corinthians is the chapter on gifts of the Holy Spirit. This really is a wonderful chapter to read as Paul explains how the "body of Christ", that is the "church", is made up of many members who have been enabled by the Holy Spirit to serve one another in differing capacities, different ways. He points to differing parts of a human body, the foot, the ear, etc. to illustrate how all the parts need the contribution each provide to make the body function as a whole. The body of Christ functions with the various gifts the Spirit has provided various ones.

Not to be overlooked, however, is the above passage. Unbelievers have one influence while believers have another. Once we had a certain orientation in life, now, as believers, we have another. We march to a different drum beat. It is the Holy Spirit who changes our outlook that is the one that proivdes us with capabilities to serve one another, as well as the Lord himself, as the body of Christ is being built.

It hardly needs to be pointed to, that we as believers see things differently than non believers. We have a different outlook, a different viewpoint on so many things in life. This results in friction and tension at times when we rub shoulders with non believers. They don't understand us and we can't fathom why they can't understand us.

We all have influences in our lives. We are influenced by the Holy Spirit, they are influenced by something else.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Thursday, May 5, 2022

Gender Issues - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Corinthians 11:13-16,

"Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God."

We live in a country today where a supreme court justice cannot tell us what a woman is. Obviously, she knows. Everybody knows. However, the spiritual forces of evil are busy at work attempting to bring serious upheaval to mankind, with its ultimate goal of disrupting God's work in building his kingdom (have you heard that telling a child he is a sinner is considered child abuse and endangerment?). Trust me on this. All the social upheaval we see today is orchestrated, not so Democrats can rule the roost or the other way around, but designed to disrupt, ultimately, the work of the gospel.

As we read Paul's letters, it is clear one of his highest concerns was that there not be any impediment from within the church to the spreading of the gospel and the building of God's kingdom. In my mind, this passage of 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 cannot be understood apart from that concern of God's emissary, Paul.

In this section Paul speaks of gender-based concerns. The mere consideration of having gender-based concerns today makes this passage a red-hot volatile one. That is how twisted the world has become (by design of the spiritual forces of evil).

In this passage Paul tells the fellowship in Corinth the same things he taught everywhere. He told them:
- Christ is the head of every man
- Man is the head of the woman
- The head of Christ is God
- If a man prays or prophesies with his head covered, it dishonors his head (Christ), he should not cover his head because he is the image and glory of God.
- If a woman prays or prophesies with her head uncovered, it dishonors her head (man), it would be a disgrace. She is the glory of man.
- The woman came from man, not the other way around, and she was created for man, not the other way around.
- The woman ought to have authority over her head (alternate reading: "a sign of authority on her head") because of the angels(???).
- In the Lord men and women are not independent of each other, woman came from man (Adam and Eve) but men are born of women.

From there Paul makes an appeal to common sense ("Judge for yourselves...") about these concerns. He points to "the very nature of things" in considering them. He also says that if anyone wants to argue about it, there is no other practice he can offer them, none in any other churches.

A couple of thoughts I have on this passage:
- It is cowardly for a believer to shy away from this passage (and other passages that deal with gender-based issues), because we might feel intimidated by the perverse cultural milieu we find ourselves in today. This is God's word that he intends for us to know.
- For believers to squabble and quarrel over a passage like this fulfills the desires and agenda of the spiritual forces of evil by hindering the work of building God's kingdom.
- This passage and others like it should be read, discussed and taught within the fellowship. The Holy Spirit had Paul write it because there is a message within it he wants us to know. We should find and implement the expression of that very message in the world we live in today.
- There may be some surprises to learn about this passage. Don't make assumptions. Knowing the cultural context that may have informed Paul's perspective as he revealed God's word is important. For instance, there are some commentators who see Paul using the term "head" (when referring to relationship) not of authority, but of source (like "the source of a river..."). Others, not.
 
I'd love to hear how you understand Paul's teaching on headgear.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Tuesday, May 3, 2022

The Intentionality of Scripture - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Corinthians 10:1-6,

"For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did."

Paul tells his readers he does not want them to be ignorant of the examples in Israel's history with God. These examples were, and are, captured within the pages of Scripture. Paul says these events form a cautionary tale that his readers were to learn from.

It is within that mindset that it occurs to me that the Scriptures are intentional in two different ways. Since God determined what the Scriptures would say ("Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." 2 Peter 1:20-21) what we find in its pages is supposed to be there. Conversely, what is not found in its pages is not supposed to be there. The material we find in our Bibles is intentionally there.

The other way the Scriptures are intentional is found in Paul's direction to us: do not be ignorant of them. God developed his inspired library, all 66 books, with the intention we know what is found there. Paul tells Timothy, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

The Holy Scriptures, comprised of the Old and New Testaments are fully and verbally inspired by God. The Bible is infallible in the original autographs and are the final authority for all faith and practice. And to that, we can add that they are intentional!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Monday, May 2, 2022

The Primacy Of Paul's Perspective - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Corinthians 9:22b,

"I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some."

Paul, as an apostle of the Lord, sets us a role model. In 1 Corinthians 11:1 he says, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." He says this just following, in the previous verse, (1 Corinthians 10:33), "For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved." Paul tells his readers to follow him as the Lord's example to us.

Here he speaks of his perspective of the preeminence of living his life in a way that will bring salvation to as many as he can impact. All things have been subordinated in his life to this cause.

As we step back from all of the things we busy ourselves with, and look at why we exist, why we find ourselves in this age, we must recognize that this life has a singular purpose: God is building his kingdom. All aspects of this life serve that end. This is the ultimate meaning of this life (an existence that can appear meaningless at times.)

When we, as believers, come to grips with this state of things, many questions in our lives find their answer. Meaning and purpose for our lives is to be found in Paul's example to us.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.