Settling Disputes Within the Church
Today’s Passages – 1 Corinthians 6 – 9 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 1 – 5; Proverbs 1)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Joshua 1:8
Read the “1201 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this passage – “Stumblingblocks,” “Property of Jesus,” and “Settling Disputes Within the Church.“
“Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?” (1 Corinthians 6:7)
One of the many problems that Apostle Paul was dealing with in his correspondence with the Church in Corinth was the problem of disputes between the brethren. Apparently, conflicts from within the church body were being brought before the secular courts for resolution. Paul uses some pretty strong language rebuking them for resorting to such measures in order to settle their disagreements, and he even uses a little sarcasm in order to drive his point home. However, we can glean some important principles from this problem at Corinth that will help us in our dealings with fellow believers today.
1. Never sue another believer. Personally, I have never sued anybody, Christian or not; but, I will not go beyond what the text is clearly teaching here. In Corinth, Paul was dealing with individuals from within the same church. Believers need to be very careful when dealing with each other, carefully considering all possible end results of their transactions. When we enter into an agreement with somebody, we seldom think about anything ever going wrong, but often that is not the case. We need to be able to resolve our disputes among ourselves.
2. Be willing to let it go. You may not be able to do this in every case, but if it is at all possible, be willing to forgive (and forget) the damage that was caused you by the offending brother. After all, isn’t that what Jesus did, and is still doing, for us.
3. Follow the procedure outlined in Matthew 18:15 – 17
“Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.” (Matthew 18:15-17)
According to Jesus’ instruction in Matthew, the offended brother should first go to the offending party and try to work out the disagreement between them. If that doesn’t work, then he is to bring in another person or possibly two to help bring about resolution. If this fails, then the dispute is to be brought before the church for a final decision. The church was the last “court of appeals” for any case.
4. Be a peacemaker yourself. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “blessed are the peacemakers”. Every church needs to have a few Sprit-filled, impartial people who could sit down with two disagreeing parties and help them come to a mutual agreement.
As long as there are Christians who possess “a flesh” there are at times going to be disagreements within our churches. God prepares us to deal with these disputes in a Christlike way without airing them out before the unsaved world. I think that point two above is the most important instruction out of the four. There are going to be many times in life where we should be willing to give in and just let God deal with the situation. If it is a financial dispute, understand that all money belongs to God and He is well able to replace whatever amount you lost.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
If the Lord Will
Today’s Passages – Romans 14 – 16 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 141 – 145; Proverbs 29)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Deuteronomy 32:4
Read the “1129 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from this passage – “Responsibility“, “Giving Back“, “It Is Written”, and “Just One More Thing“
“Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company. But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints. For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.” (Romans 15:24-26)
“Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.” (James 4:14-16)
Things rarely go according to our plans. It was no different for the Apostle Paul. He had plans to travel to Spain that he thought were going to come to pass, but his plans were changed by God.
The Letter to the Romans was written from Corinth at the end of the third missionary journey. In Romans 15:24 – 26, Paul states that he had plans to stop in Rome on his way to Spain, but first he had to go back to Jerusalem to deliver an offering that he had collected from the saints in Macedonia (Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea) and Achaia (Corinth, Cenchrea, and Athens). According to the Book of Acts, Paul does go to Jerusalem, but he will be falsely accused and arrested there, and taken into Roman custody. He will end up going to Rome but not as he originally desires. After two years being confined to the palace prison in Caesarea, he is transferred to Rome in order to appeal his case to Caesar. He remains there for a couple of more years awaiting his trial and is eventually released. However, there is no Biblical record of him every going to Spain. There are some traditional accounts of him traveling there (and possibly even into Britain) before his death, but this cannot be proven.
This is not the first time Paul’s plans were changed by God, either. In his second missionary journey, it was his intention to go through Galatia and then northeast into Bythinia, but the Spirit of God wanted him to go west into Greece:
“Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.” (Acts 16:6-10)
God has the right to veto or change any plan that we may have. It is good to have dreams about the future, and it is right to pray and plan the road ahead, but don’t be surprised if God radically alters your vision. God’s will is so much better than our will anyway. His wisdom is infinite and he sees what we cannot possibly see. Who knows? Our plans may have led to disaster. We need to trust that God knows what is best. “If the Lord wills” or “the Lord willing” needs to be more than just a trite phrase we spit out on occasion; it needs to be a mindset of cheerful submission to the perfect will of God.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
The Fulness of the Gentiles
Today’s Passages – Romans 11 – 13; (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read –Psalms 136 – 140; Proverbs 28)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 51
Read the “1128 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from this passage – “Be Ye Transformed“; “What’s The Difference“
“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” – (Romans 11:25)
My preacher back in Texas used to share an illustration regarding Romans 11:25 that I thought was very profound. He said that he was on the lookout for the last Gentile that would be saved before God takes the Church up to Heaven. Dr. Gray is a tenacious soul winner and he believes that this verse teaches that there will come a day when the “fulness” of the Gentiles will be complete. He wants to be the one who shares the gospel with that last Gentile.
When Jesus came to this earth, He offered Himself to the Nation of Israel as their Messiah. Though many of the Jewish people received Him (and still do today), the nation rejected Him:
“He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” – (John 1:11)
Because Israel rejected their Messiah, God has temporarily refocused His attention on the Gentiles. The good news of salvation – the Gospel – has been flowing freely to the Gentile nations of the world for 2000 years; but it seems to be coming to a close. I believe we are very close to the time when God will pull out of this earth all those that have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, via what we call the rapture. Christ is coming soon to take His Bride – the Church – back home to Heaven. Then God will once again turn His attention back on the nation of Israel; and someday Israel, as a nation, “will look upon [Him] whom they have pierced,” and will realize that they were wrong about Him.
“And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:” – (Romans 11:26)
However, until that time comes, we who are part of the Bride of Christ – the Church – are to “occupy,” or stay busy till He comes. We are to do our best to get the message of Christ to every person on the planet. Someday that last Gentile will be saved and Jesus will take us home. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Posted in Thoughts from Romans by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
No Turning Back
Today’s Passage – Luke 8 – 9 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 141 – 145; Proverbs 29
Read the “1029 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. 59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. 61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. 62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:57-62)
Matthew’s gospel contains a parallel passage and considers two out of the three people that are dealt with in Luke:
“And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.” (Matthew 8:19-22)
In the verses above, Jesus addresses three individuals who all desire to be His disciple. However, they also all have stipulations that will hinder their ability to focus on the work. Jesus wants His servants to be singularly focused on the work that He has for them.
- There are Consideration Regarding Possessions (vs. 57 – 58)
- There are Considerations Regarding People (vs. 59 – 60)
- There are Considerations Regarding Priorities (vs. 61 – 62)
Jesus expects those who follow Him in discipleship to be fully committed and to stay committed until He brings them home to Heaven (See also Luke 14:25 – 33).
In the Old Testament, Elisha also considered the consequences and the price of service, and he made a decision that would keep him from going back to his old life:
“So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee? And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.” (1 Kings 19:19-21)
Illustrate – from “How to Achieve Great Things by Burning Your Boats and Cutting-Off Your Retreat Routes,” by Mark Melton
The Story of Alexander the Great
On October 1, 331 BC, with an army of 35,000 men, Alexander the Great defeated Darius the king of Persia in one of the most decisive battles in history! Alexander’s army was greatly outnumbered by the Persian enemy. Historians agree that Darius’ army was made up of between 200,000 to 1,000,000 men. Yet in a series of dramatic and superior tactics, Alexander managed to defeat the Persians and route them.
Alexander was a military genius, and arguably the best military general that ever lived. However, something dramatic and decisive happened before this battle, which many historians believe may be responsible for this great victory.
Upon arriving the shores of Persia, Alexander and his army discovered that they were visibly outnumbered. Clearly at a disadvantage, his men lost heart and pleaded with their young leader (Alexander) to delay the attack. He was urged to go back and get more men and reinforcements. Alexander responded by ordering the men to burn their boats. As their only means of retreat went up in flames, legend has it that Alexander turned to his men and said, “We go home in Persian ships, or we die.”
This act of burning their boats sent a clear message among his army that to survive, they must win this war. They placed themselves in a “no retreat, no surrender situation.” Buoyed by this realization, Alexander’s and his men charged with a singular resolve, to win at all costs. It was with this same resolve that, at the battle of Issus, Alexander’s men forced Darius to flee, leaving the field and victory to Alexander and his army.
The Story of Hernán Cortés
In the 1519, a Spanish conquistador, Hernán Cortés, set out with 600 Spaniards to conquer Mexico, which was rich in priceless treasures of gold, silver and precious Aztec jewels among others.
This daredevil, daring undertaking was made further insurmountable by the fact that for more than 600 years, superior conquerors with greater military hardware and human resources who attempted to colonize the same region had failed woefully.
Aware of this, Hernán Cortés decided to do it differently. After landing with his military force of 600 men, Cortés prepared his troops by long oratory and careful speeches. However, before embarking inland to face his enemies, he commanded his armies to burn all their boats! By this singular act, he and his men destroyed their only exit strategy! By these decisive three words – BURN THE BOATS – there was only one resolve within his camp: victory! For defeat meant a certain death. Owing to this singular act, Cortés became the first man to conquer Mexico in 600 years!
This is the attitude necessary for success! For a person to succeed at great things, that one must cut off all escape routes and any means of retreat. Often, many great projects are abandoned at the verge of success by retreating just prior to a breakthrough. Adversity is a tempting premise for retreat. However, having no means of retreat, but forging on despite great difficulties is the surest way to great accomplishments. (Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7830310)
We sing the song, “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus,” but I often wonder if we really understand and mean what we are singing.
The following is an excerpt from a hymn history paper written by Jesse Johnson:
In the 1880’s a Welsh missionary who had endured severe persecution finally saw his first converts in a particularly brutal village in the Indian province of Assam. A husband and wife, with their two children, professed faith in Christ and were baptized. Their village leaders decided to make an example out of the husband. Arresting the family, they demanded that the father renounce Christ, or see his wife and children murdered. When he refused, his two children were executed by archers. Given another chance to recant, the man again refused, and his wife was similarly stuck down. Still refusing to recant, the man followed his family into glory.
Witnesses later told the story to the Welsh missionary. The reports said that when asked to recant or see his children murdered, the man said: “I have decided to follow Jesus, and there is no turning back.”
After seeing his children killed, he reportedly said, “The world can be behind me, but the cross is still before me.” And after seeing his wife pierced by the arrows, he said, “Though no one is here to go with me, still I will follow Jesus.”
According to this missionary, when he returned to the village, a revival had broken out, and those that had murdered the first converts and since come to faith themselves. The Welsh man passed along these reports to the famous Indian evangelist Sadhu Singh. Singh had risen to prominence in India because he was training foreign missionaries, and a theme in his teaching had been the necessity of avoiding the cultural trappings of Western Christianity. He insisted that the missionaries now pouring into India focus on the essentials of the gospel while allowing the now vibrant Indian Christian community to develop their own Christian customs.
The accounts of the family that had been martyred in Assam were so astonishing and widely circulated that most Indian believers were familiar with it. So Singh took the martyr’s last words, and put them to traditional Indian music in order to make one of the first uniquely Indian hymns. The song immediately became popular in Indian churches, and it remains a mainstay of worship music there to this day.
Eventually some of the American missionaries returned from India and they brought that song with them. Finally, it ended up with Canadian song writer George Beverley Shea, and he made it a staple at the Billy Graham crusades.
Posted in Devotions, Thoughts from Luke by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Bold As a Lion
Today’s Passage – Mark 1 – 3 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 81 – 85; Proverbs 17)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Scripture Song-Isaiah 51-11
Read the “1017 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from this morning’s Bible reading passage – “What Does It Mean To Blaspheme the Holy Ghost?;“ and “Who’s In the Driver’s Seat?“
“(21) And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught. (22) And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.” (Mark 1:21-22)
“The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.” (Proverbs 28:1)
In our Scripture passage this morning we see Jesus teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. Verse 22 tells us that He spoke “as one that had authority,” and then the passage adds that his teaching was unlike the scribes. The word for authority in this particular verse is ἐξουσίαν (from ἐξουσία – exousia), which meant in this case that Jesus had the right or jurisdiction to preach and teach the word of God. The same word is used in Matthew 28:18, where it is translated into the English word, “power:”
“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” (Matthew 28:18)
The interesting thing here is that the scribes were the one who were actually granted authority and recognized by men within the synagogue. Jesus had no formal training. The scribes would have been educated under recognized teachers, and no doubt had their degrees and other credentials. Jesus had none of those things, but He had the full power (δύναμις – dynamis, meaning might or strength – like dynamite), and authority of God because He was (and is) God. The people within the synagogue could easily perceive the difference between the man-made authority of the scribes, and the God-given authority and power of Jesus.
Charles Clark Jr. is a man with no formal education who was called by God to start a church from scratch in Berlin, NJ. He began forty years ago with just his family and a small group of other people in a rented Methodist Church building. Today, Solid Rock Baptist Church numbers well over a thousand and meets in a large and beautiful facility. There have been thousands of people saved through the years, and countless lives impacted through the Bible teaching of Pastor Clark and the other men and women who were raised up and trained through his ministry. Yet, in the eyes of the world, Pastor Clark has no authority. He has no college degree or credentials that the world considers important. But one thing Pastor Clark has is God. He has diligently studied the Bible and followed the leading of the Holy Spirit and God has used him in amazing ways.
I am not minimizing the importance of education. I believe that every preacher or Bible teacher should get as much formal training as he possibly can, but the only authority that really matters as far as eternity is concerned is the authority given by God.
Christian, you have been commissioned with Jesus’ authority to take the gospel to the lost world around you. He has empowered you and authorized you to take the Word of God and preach and teach it to a world that is totally ignorant of the Truth. You have power and you have authority. Don’t be intimidated and silenced by those out there who may have more formal education than you. You have God within you and the Bible in your hand. Be bold as a lion and teach with God’s authority.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Destroyed for Lack of Knowledge
Today’s Passage – Hosea 1 – 7 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – James 1 – 5; Psalms 91 – 95; Proverbs 19)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Isaiah 51:11
Read the “0919 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land… My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” (Hosea 4:1 & 6)
I remember recently looking at a textbook from back at the turn of the last century. I think it was called a “primer” and it was used for teaching in public schools all over America. It is full of references to God and direct quotes from the Bible. It didn’t matter what the subject was, the writers of the curriculum made sure that while the students learned academics they also learned about God. When I was a child, we used to observe a “moment of silence,” which was our opportunity to pray at the beginning of the school day. When my dad and mom were young, the teachers in the classroom actually prayed to God aloud and also recited the Ten Commandments, etc. in the public school. America was filled with the knowledge of God in years past. They say that the average lost man, 100 years ago, knew more Bible than a Bible college student does today. I don’t think that is far from being true. We have become a secular society with all of the humanistic principles and philosophies that go along with it. We no longer look to God for solutions; we look to the government or whoever the prominent secular authority is.
In Hosea’s day it was much the same way. The land of Israel was founded on Biblical principles, yet the people became increasingly enamored with the counsel and culture of the ungodly. God said that the people were destroyed because of this lack of knowledge. The question in my mind, though, is where to place the blame. Was it God’s fault? No. Was it the people’s fault? That is a good question. I mean, the people obviously had lost their appetite for spiritual things; they did not want to “hear it” anymore. It’s hard to deliver truth to people who do not want to listen anymore. However, I would place the blame at the feet of God’s ministers. They seemed to have gotten tired of going against the popular trends of their day, and chose to acquiesce to it rather than preach against it. So, truth stop being delivered and the spiritual condition of the people got worse.
This sure reminds me of the current religious climate in America. Preachers want to please the people. Who does not want to be liked? The problem is that in pleasing the people preachers often compromise the truth. Most churches in America today are only delivering a small fraction of the truth that they once delivered. For example: how many churches have shut down their Sunday School programs, Sunday evening services, and mid-week prayer meetings? How many messages have been cut back to a palatable 20 minutes, and how many of those 20 minute messages have more than a reference or two to Scripture. God commands His preachers to preach the Word “in season (when it’s popular) and out of season.” It really does not matter if the culture wants it or not, we are supposed to flood our communities with the truth of God’s Word. Our nation is starving for the Word of God and unfortunately, so are many of our church members. We need to get back to preaching and teaching the truth in our schools and in our churches and in our homes. We need also to get back to flooding our communities with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ so that the people will not be “destroyed for lack of knowledge.”
Posted in Thoughts from Hosea by Phil Erickson with 5 comments.
Conviction
Today’s Passage – Ezekiel 20 – 21 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Galatians 4 – 6; Psalms 21 – 25; Proverbs 5)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 48:1 & 2
Read the “0905 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.” – (Ezekiel 20:43)
“O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” – (Romans 7:24)
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. [8] And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:” – (John 16:7-8)
Just a quick thought from the Scripture this morning. Here in chapter 20 & 21, God is delivering a stern rebuke upon the people of Israel for their rebellion against Him. However, there is one place in these two chapters where I see hope for the children of Israel, and it comes here in v 43. This is the place where the people finally recognize their sin against God, and actually feel what would be to us the convicting power of the Holy Spirit of God. I cannot say that I enjoy the feeling of being pronounced guilty from within my own spirit; but I am very glad that God loves me enough to let me know when I am guilty. Incidentally, one of the best assurances that you are a child of God is the presence of the Holy Spirit of God within you.
Notice an important truth about this loathing that people of Israel would feel about themselves. It comes after God gathers them back into the land of Israel, and after He begins to bless them again. He says in verse 44 that the people would realize that God did not deal with them according to their wickedness; He blessed them inspite of the fact that they had turned against Him. They deserved judgment, yet God dealt with them in mercy and grace. The New Testament tells us that it is the love of Christ that constrains us. That verse is referring to His love for us, not our love for Him. When we realize the unmerited and unconditional love that God has for us, it causes us to realize how undeserving of that love we really are, and it brings about the conviction, the self-loathing that Ezekiel speaks about in this passage.
Paul felt the same way about himself in the Book of Romans. He called himself a wretched man. He recognized the sin that was within him. The Holy Spirit of God pointed it out to him, and he didn’t attempt to cover it, hide it, or defend it. He came clean with God. We need to do the same thing. When our Heavenly Father points out to us the things in our lives that displease Him, the best thing that we can do is agree with Him, confess them, and then forsake them. The whole process starts, however, with conviction.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 6 comments.
Thy Sister Sodom
Today’s Passage – Ezekiel 14 – 16 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – 2 Corinthians 9 – 13; Psalms 11 – 15; Proverbs 3)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34:6
Read the “0903 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.” (Ezekiel 16:49)
I find it very interesting what God said regarding “the sin of thy sister Sodom”. When we think of the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, we usually would put homosexuality at the top of the list. However, God says that the sin of Sodom was a combination of pride, gluttony, and laziness. These sins obviously led to the immorality that became rampant in Sodom. Homosexuality was the outcome, or the fruit, of the root sins mentioned in verse 49.
When I consider this verse I can’t help but think that Sodom bears a striking resemblance to America today. The vile lewdness that permeates our society is clearly evidence of the fact that we have long ago abandoned the moral principles found in the Word of God. But what caused this condition? I believe that we can see the same root sins in our culture today: pride, gluttony, and laziness. We are a pleasure seeking, self-centered society that is constantly trying to create more ways to satisfy the lusts of her flesh.
We know what the problem is, but what is the solution? Well, of course it begins with a genuine relationship with God through the new birth available through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. But then we must add to our faith the opposites of the sins of Sodom. By that I mean if Sodom was prideful we must be humble. Humility means that we recognize who we are in relation to an omnipotent God. It also means that we elevate others above ourselves through serving them. Instead of being self-centered, we must become God centered, and God would have us to put others before ourselves.
Gluttony was also one of the problems of Sodom. We must be willing to sacrifice. We don’t have to have everything that this world has to offer. Too many Christians are satisfying every appetite of their flesh. It is OK to do without every now and again. We don’t have to eat at the Golden Corral every night. Maybe we should give a little more of the excess that we have been spending on ourselves, and use it for the glory of God.
Finally, we see that Sodom was lazy. They had too much time on their hands. You have heard the expression “idle hands are the devil’s workshop”. I think that’s accurate. Too many Christians are sitting around, watching things on the T.V. or the Internet that they should not be watching. We need to be busy. I find that my life works better when I have a lot on my plate. There is certainly a time for scheduled rest and recreation, but there is no place for laziness. We have many people in our church who are currently out of work. My recommendation to them is that they first spend a lot of time looking for work, but then look for ways to stay busy, being productive. There are a million things that need to be done. They can work on their homes, do things down at the church, find a way to help somebody else, anything; but stay busy.
Let’s not get caught up in all of the self-centered, pleasure seeking that is replete in our culture today. Let’s stay busy serving and sacrificing for the Lord.
Posted in Thoughts from Ezekiel by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
God Was Broken?
Today’s Passage – Ezekiel 5 – 9 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – 2 Corinthians 1 – 4; Psalms 1 – 5; Proverbs 1)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 25
Read the “0901 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from today’s reading – What Do You Do in the Dark?
“And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.” (Ezekiel 6:9)
The prophet Ezekiel was also a priest (Ezekiel 1:3), and was part of the group that was taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar in 597 BC, which was the second of three deportations from Judah into Babylon. The first deportation took place in 605 BC where Daniel, Hannaniah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach), and Azariah (Abednego) were taken. The final deportation took place in 586 BC when the Temple and the entire City of Jerusalem was destroyed. Chapters one through twenty-four of Ezekiel were written prior to the final destruction of Jerusalem, but Ezekiel was already in captivity and was settled at a place called Tel-abib near the Brook Chebar (Ezekiel 3:15). Chebar was likely an irrigation canal that came out of the Euphrates River (and flowed back into the Euphrates) and provided water for an area near the City of Babylon. Throughout our reading today, Ezekiel is prophesying about the coming destruction of Jerusalem. Though, Ezekiel and Daniel were already taken captive, the final act of Nubuchadnezzar against Jerusalem was still in Ezekiel’s future.
My thought for today comes from Ezekiel 6:9. God states through Ezekiel that He was broken because of the idolatry of His people. What does that mean? Well, I do not think it means that God was limited in any way, otherwise He would have been less than God. What it means is that God was hurt, His heart was broken because of the sin of His people. The idolatry and immorality that was rampant and unrepented of in Judah, even after many warnings for decade after decade. The people just did not care what their sin was doing to God. But, what about us? Do we care about how are sin affects God.
I recently did a study on what caused Jesus to weep. There are at least three places in the gospels that reference Jesus being moved to tears:
- The Sheep Without a Shepherd
“36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:36-38)
- The Suffering of the Saints
“33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, 34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!” (John 11:33-36)
- The Sin Upon His Shoulders
“And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray. And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.” – (Mark 14:32-36)
“And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” – (Luke 22:44)
I do not believe Jesus was not crying because of the physical pain that He would endure on the Cross, but He was moved to tears because of the sins of the world that were about to be put upon Him. He knew what was coming. His Father would have to turn His eyes away from Him because of that sin because He is “of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity” (Habakkuk 1:3). Jesus would cry out from the Cross: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Psalm 22:1; Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34).
My sin did that. Yours as well. God is still broken by our sin. Let’s keep that in mind and let’s also consider how much He loves us and what He was willing to do to atone for that sin. The love that Christ has for us ought to constrain us to want to stop sinning.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
Who Is Laughing Now?
Today’s Passage – Lamentations 4 – 5 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – 1 Corinthians 9 – 12; Psalms 141 – 145; Proverbs 30)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Joshua 1:8
Read the “0830 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this passage – “Hitting Rock Bottom“
“Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked. The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.” (Lamentations 4:21)
I do not know for sure if I am interpreting these verses correctly; but it seems to me, without having studied the passage, that the Edomites were rejoicing because of all the judgment that was being afflicted on God’s people. They were ecstatic that their enemy, Judah, was being taken in such a cruel way into captivity into Babylon. However, God says that their rejoicing would be short lived because their day of judgment was coming as well. And remember, God promised His people that He would not make “a full end” of them. I do not think the same promise applies to the Edomites.
God is not pleased when people rejoice when their enemies are falling (Proverbs 24:17). We expect this kind of behavior from the lost world, but are we guilty of the same thing? Have you ever rejoiced (maybe even just a little) when you received word that someone who has hurt you in the past has had some kind of bad thing happen to them. I hate to admit it but I know that I have done it on occasion. Worse yet, I know that my flesh wants to do it every time. God despises that kind of attitude. To think that we who are sinners deserving of judgment, rejoice when another sinner, no more deserving than we, receives it. God must get weary with us and our wicked attitude. Next time you hear about somebody you don’t like (or doesn’t like you) going through a tough time, why not pray for them; why not thank God that you are not facing the same or equally painful situation. Maybe if you will sow a little mercy and compassion, you just might reap a little of the same back when you need it.
By the way, the Calvinists all like to quote the passage from Malachi that says that God loved Jacob (Israel), but hated Esau (Edom). They attempt to prove that God arbitrarily sends some people to Heaven and some people to Hell, without any opportunity for repentance. However, we must remember that when God referred to Esau in Malachi, he was speaking about Edom as a nation, and when he referred to Jacob, he was speaking about Israel. It is also important to consider that God did not say he hated Esau in the Book of Genesis, He said it at the end of the Old Testament, after the history of the Edomites had already been established. According to Malachi, God hated (or rejected) the Edomites. Why? Partially, it was because they rejoiced when the Babylonians were destroying the people of God.
Posted in Thoughts from Lamentations by Phil Erickson with 5 comments.