Category: General

The most important of all God’s commandments (Mk 12:29-30), to love God with all our heart, soul and might (De 6:5), is immediately followed by and interconnected with a related command: “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart.” (De 6:6)

God is essentially telling us what receiving Him looks like, how we love Him: by receiving and loving His words, hiding the actual words of His precious commands in our hearts. (Ps 119:11)

His Word is our spiritual food (Je 15:16); meditating on scripture is how we nourish ourselves. (Ps 1:2-3) To do this as we ought, we must make the effort to learn the words of God; we call it memorization.

God’s words are eternal (1Pe 1:25), jewels of spiritual life (Jn 6:63), alive and powerful (He 4:12), able to quicken us (Ps 119:50); our response to them is our response to Him. (Jn 12:48) He calls Himself The Word. (Jn 1:1)

We’re not only to obey Him, we’re to keep His commands (Jn 14:21), to cherish them, hold on to them, protect them, safeguard them, store them, keep them close by, delight in them. (Ro 7:22) Spiritual life’s not just about action, following the rules, it’s about our hearts, what we’re treasuring and delighting in. (Mt 6:21)

God continues with: “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” (De 6:7) The words of God’s commands are to be constantly percolating in our minds and hearts, flowing out of us to those around us. This is to be our passion, our addiction, all day long. (Ps 119:97)

This is how we take the sword, the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, and let it dwell in us (Col 3:16), abide in us. (Jn_15:7) It’s the evidence and essence of a transformed heart. (He 8:10)

If God’s Word is abiding in us we can’t miss Messiah. (Jn 5:38) To succeed here is to succeed everywhere (Jos 1:8); it appears to be the key to our true, spiritual prosperity. (Ps 1:2-3)

articles   ♦   blog

In offering truth to others we must do so in meekness (2Ti 2:24-25), with open hand, knowing we only have what God has given (1Co 4:7), and that we remain incomplete in our own understanding. (1Co 8:2)

Striving with those who don’t yet see what we do, trying to beat our light into them, is to usurp the Spirit’s role as teacher. (1Jn 2:27) Only God gives understanding; we can’t apprehend spiritual truth without His aid. (1Co 2:14)

Incorporating new truth into our lives involves a type of spiritual surgery which requires a delicate hand, not a forceful one. Pushing truth at others almost always does more harm than good. We must offer truth without demanding others receive it; remembering that we all have areas in our life where we can’t yet bear truth (Jn 16:12); we aren’t ready for it yet and only God knows us well enough to tell.

We must humbly let others be accountable to God, offering that which is holy to those who appear to be seeking it, and looking to see how their incomplete understanding might further sharpen our own. (Pr 27:17)

articles   ♦   blog

When Yehovah gives the Decalogue on Mount Sinai, descending from Heaven to speak with Man in Person, the children of Israel immediately retreat and ask Moses to speak on God’s behalf; they don’t want to interact directly with God Himself. Their reason? God might accidentally kill them. (Ex 20:18-19)

Aren’t they accusing the Creator of being reckless, of not knowing what He’s doing, of not caring? Isn’t this our depravity on full display? God is choosing Israel as His special treasure (Ex 19:5) and has just delivered them from slavery in spectacular fashion (Ex 19:4) … and now He isn’t able to speak to people without killing them? Really?

God could as easily smash the earth between His thumb and forefinger (Is 40:15); if God wanted to take them out, stepping back from the mount and asking Moses to step in isn’t going to help. What are they thinking?

This isn’t just a problem with Israel, we’re all like this at heart. Man’s instinctive reaction to holiness is aversion (Ro 8:7); instead of seeking God we run and hide. (Ro 3:11) Our iniquity is relentless, irrational, inexcusable; bleeding forth and seeping out at every turn, defying, hiding, accusing, attacking and blaming divinity without shame or concern. Men not only defy Omnipotence, knowing they deserve death, they take pleasure in others joining in. (Ro 1:32)

It’s a mystery, certainly, how and why the human heart is so evil. (2Th 2:7) Resisting, dishonoring, or defying an infinitely powerful, omnipresent, holy Being is simply insane; it can never be rational. It does, however, serve a purpose: to reveal God’s justice, wrath and power. (Ro 9:22) He only allows what will eventually glorify Himself. (Ps 76:10)

God is restraining Man’s wickedness for now (2Th 2:7), so we don’t yet know its full extent. (Jer 17:9) One day we’ll see it unchained; men will defy God, blaspheming Him to His face rather than turning from their wickedness. (Re 16:11) We’ll see them prefer eternal Hell itself to loving God and ending His suffering.

Truth is we’re all utterly depraved when left to ourselves (Ps 53:2-3); we’ve nothing to boast in; apart from God’s restraining grace we’d all be defying Him. (1Co 1:29-31) Let’s not be surprised at sin, but hold the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. (1Ti 3:9) In humility, let’s fear the living God, esteeming others better than ourselves, giving thanks for all things (Ep 5:20) and remembering that God works all things after the counsel of His own will (Ep 1:11), for our good and for His glory. (Ro 8:28)

articles   ♦   blog

The foundation of the church is a Person: Jesus Christ (1Co 3:11); building on any other ground produces other things: religious organizations and social clubs, but not the church.

To ensure Christ is the foundation we must think carefully about why we’re meeting; the reasons we assemble comprise this foundation; our motives spawn all our activity and will be God’s focus in judgment. (1Co 3:13) If we don’t engage for the right reason we might defile Christ’s church, and that’s a dangerous thing to do. (1Co 3:17)

So, are we coming to hear uplifting sermons? Or to worship God and enjoy His presence? Or to invite others to hear the gospel? These are all good things, but they aren’t the foundation of the church. We can do these things for Christ, and we can enjoy and seek Him in them, but this isn’t the same as having Jesus Christ Himself as the foundation, the very reason we are coming together. There’s something even more important at the core of the church. (He 10:24-25)

To be a church, believers must be meeting for Jesus Christ, about Jesus Christ: He must be the reason we’re coming together, to bring the indwelling Christ to each other (Col 1:27), to share Him with each other so we can help each other in our walk with Him. (1Co 14:26) We must be coming to see and hear Him in each other (Php 1:21), and to help each other draw closer to Him (Php 2:4), focusing on getting to know Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. (1Co 2:2)

To edify one another like this we must be walking in the light with Him, in fellowship with Him, rejoicing in Him, enjoying and obeying Him as a manner of life.

In such community there can be no place in our lives for willful sin (1Jn 3:6), and we should be in close enough community that hiding our sin isn’t an option.

In Christ’s church we cannot delegate this responsibility to  edify one another to a few leaders, and sit by passively, expecting them to teach us and bring Christ to us; we each carry this responsibility. (1Th 5:11)

Jesus Christ was the foundation of the very first church, when The Twelve were following Jesus, listening to Him, watching him, beholding Him, studying Him, imitating Him. (1Jn 1:1-3) Jesus Christ was all they had in common; they were pursuing Him; He was their reason for being together. For the church of Jesus Christ, no other reason is acceptable.

Why we come to church affects the leadership style, the order of service, the programs, the budget and all the activity. If in our coming Jesus Christ isn’t building believers into a living network through us, creating a temple He indwells (1Co 3:16), then we’re building on the sand. When the storms come, and they will, nothing will be left. (Mt 7:26-27)

articles   ♦   blog

When we think someone’s wrong it’s tempting to engage others in deciding they deserve to be punished. It’s a claim to know the heart and motive, the background and circumstances of another’s choices.

But God says we’re not to speak evil of each other, for this is speaking evil of the Law and judging the Law (Ja 4:11); it’s putting ourselves above the Law, usurping the place of the Lawgiver. (Ja 4:12)

It’s one thing to identify an act as sinful, contrary to God’s Law (1Jn 3:4), but declaring someone to be evil, that they’re willfully alienating themselves from God and at enmity with Him, is another matter. This is actually deciding the Law itself is contrary to God, since it tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves (Le 19:18), which we aren’t as we engage in condemnation.

If we shouldn’t speak so about others, we shouldn’t be thinking this way either. Rather, in humility, we should be giving them the benefit of the doubt, esteeming others better than ourselves. (Php 2:3)

Only God can judge the heart; we must leave this work to Him. (Ps 119:84) He doesn’t need our help. God  is just, and perfectly so; He’ll do just fine, all by Himself.

articles   ♦   blog

When God says Christ is the end of the Law, (Ro 10:4) He doesn’t mean the Law is obsolete. (Ro 3:31) The Greek is telos, meaning purpose, or the point aimed at as a limit. He means the goal of the Law, its objective, is Christ; Torah is our gateway to freedom (Ps 119:133) and divine fellowship. (Jn 14:21)

In other words, the goal of Torah is love out of a pure heart, a good conscience, and genuine faith. (1Ti 1:5) Keeping God’s law to achieve any other end, for any other purpose, is pointless (1Ti 1:6-7); it’s only good for us if we use it as God intended. (1Ti 1:8)

• So, keeping Torah is NOT about:
  1. Salvation: I’m justified fully and only by the blood of Christ; nothing else. (1Pe 1:18-19)
  2. Earning acceptance: I know I can’t be accepted by God any more than I already am. (Ep 1:6)
  3. Being self-righteous: Studying Torah exposes my sinful nature (Ro 8:7) and reinforces my utter dependence on God for graceto obey Him. (Ro 7:18)

• Keeping Torah IS about:
  1. The New Covenant: When God saved me He began writing Torah into my mind and heart. (He 8:10)  As He does this, I can’t help but delight in His Law (Ro 7:22), and obey as much of it as I can. (Ps 119:32)
  2. Love and fellowship: As I come to love Torah more and meditate on it, I begin to obey it more and to love God more (Jn 14:21), to love others more (2Jn 1:6), and to walk in the light in deeper, sweeter fellowship with God. (1Jn 1:6-7)
  3. Freedom: As I obey Torah I discover why God calls it “the law of freedom” (Ja 1:25): the Spirit uses Torah to identify sin (1Jn 3:4) and deliver me from its bondage. (Ps 119:45)

So, while keeping God’s law doesn’t justify me, it does provide evidence that I’m justified, and that I love him.

articles   ♦   blog

Authority is “the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.” In certain contexts, God gives people the right to act as His representatives, to define moral duty for others. It’s His way of ordering society. Being under authority is spiritually powerful. (Mt 8:9-10)

God gives rulers authority to create and enforce laws to promote our common welfare (1Pe 2:13-14); He gives husbands authority to decide what’s best for their wives and families (Ep 5:22-24), and mothers authority to stand with their husbands in governing their children. (Col 3:20)

Each role derives its authority from God (Jn 19:11) and represents Him, so resisting authority is rebellion against God (Ro 13:1-2), unless the authority is directly contradicting God’s law, in which case we submit to God as the ultimate authority. (Ac 5:29)

Religious leaders may claim a type of spiritual authority, presuming the right to control and manipulate others, but God doesn’t delegate this kind of power to individuals or organizations; He requires all of us to be spiritually accountable only to Himself. (1Co 11:3) Brothers in godly community comprise the only valid spiritual authority on Earth today, and may at times convey the will of God (Ac 9:30), yet they have no right to enforce their will. (Mt 23:8) Their ability to influence, especially as older men, comes as we recognize their godly example and holy character (1Pe 5:1-3), which encourages the younger to heed their counsel. (He 13:17)

God tells us to give thanks for and also to pray for all those in authority. (1Ti_2:1-2) Even if we don’t like what they’re doing, we must submit to them and remember they’re His servants (Ro 13:5-6), not speaking evil of them. (Ac 23:5) Being under authority is intrinsic to being aligned with God.

articles   ♦   blog

Shame is guilt coupled with a sense of legitimate contempt and rejection; it’s feeling despised and rejected (Is 53:3) due to inexcusable moral failure. Shame claims to be separating us from respect, love and acceptance, making us feel exposed, vulnerable and defenseless. It’s extremely powerful, crushing soul and spirit; many prefer death to enduring their shame. Perhaps it’s why hateful rampages often end in suicide.

Those who accused and mocked Yeshua on the cross understood this force, trying to heap shame upon His agony (Ps 22:7-8), but He endured by despising the shame. (He 12:2) He looked beyond the lies and found safety in the eternal faithfulness and justice of His Father.

When we’re walking in the light we enjoy fellowship with God (1Jn 1:7), knowing we’re accepted in the beloved (Ep 1:6) and rejoicing in Him, so there’s no need to feel ashamed when we’re judged by men (Ps 119:80); by faith we can receive accusation as a growth opportunity.

But for those who aren’t walking with God, shame and everlasting contempt is their destiny (Da 12:2), an eternal, constant reality, a second death from which there will be no end, no escape.

articles   ♦   blog

When we can’t see clearly and feel bewildered and uncertain, we can pray like the Twelve: “The apostles said unto the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.'” (Lk 17:5) What a great first step in growing our faith: ask God for more! But how will we know He’s answering? What are we asking for?

Faith is knowing what God will do, based on His nature and promises. (He 11:6)

So after asking for faith, seek to know God better. (Mt 7:7) Watch Him, study Him like the apostles did. (1Jn 1:1-2) Every day they followed Him, thought about what He was doing, trying to understand, and they invite us to do the same. (1Jn 1:3)

Study God until we’re seeing His mercy everywhere (Ps 119:64) and it’s filling us with hope (Ps 147:11), until His judgments comfort us. (Ps 119:52) Ask Him to make us understand the way of His precepts so we can talk of His wondrous works (Ps 119:27) and delight ourselves in His commands. (Ps 119:47)

As we walk in the light we have fellowship with God (1Jn 1:6-7); as we behold His beauty (Ps 27:4) He transforms into His likeness (2Co 3:18), revealing Himself from faith to faith. (Ro 1:17) At first, we look through a glass darkly, but in time it will be face to face (1Co 13:12); the more we behold Him, the clearer He becomes, until we’re like Him, seeing Him as He is. (1Jn 3:2)

articles   ♦   blog

How do we build up ourselves in our faith (Jud 1:20), cleansing our lives of sin and increasing in holiness? By taking heed to our ways according to God’s Word. (Ps 119:9)

This means being present in our own lives, aware of what we’re thinking and feeling, paying attention to what we’re doing and why we’re dong it, and then comparing this with God’s Law and continually adjusting our behavior to align more and more with God’s standard. (Ps 119:59)

In order to do this effectively we need to be intimately familiar with God’s ways: we should be hiding God’s Word in our heart (Ps 119:11) and meditating on His laws all the time. (Ps 119:97)

But Christians are commonly taught that we grow by praying, studying the Bible and getting involved in church. While these things are necessary for spiritual growth, they aren’t sufficient: it’s possible to do them without moving closer to God and coming to the knowledge of the truth. (2Ti 3:7) Maybe it’s time we tried God’s way!

 articles   ♦   blog