When we think about the book of Proverbs in the Bible, we can all too often pass it off as a book full of catchy little sayings and a litany of dos and don'ts. If we view this book so casually, we can miss so much spiritual wisdom that is drawn from a wealth of knowledge and experience.
Remember that the author, Solomon, received from God great wisdom and wealth when all he asked for was a discerning heart (1 Kings 3:5-14) as he was about to become Israel's king. He lays out the purpose of this book---for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding the words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and direction to the young--let the wise listen and add to their learning and let the discerning get guidance (Proverbs 1:2-5). Can any self-help book or pop culture psychologist offer all of that?
Solomon goes on to lay the foundation for this treasure of wisdom in verse 7: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. To fear the Lord is to honor and respect God, to obey his Word and to live in awe of his power. To put our full faith and trust in Him---the One who truly does know it all---is where we experience the beginning of knowledge.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
A Great Journey
While I continue to think about playing offense in our quest to be God's men and being great at the Great Commandment, I have no trouble imagining the writer of Psalm 119 as being one who was great at the Great Commandment. As we seek to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength--we see a vivid picture of what this looks like through the words of the psalmist.
Notice the actions that the psalmist takes: I will praise you (v.7), I seek you with all my heart (v.10), I have hidden your word in my heart (v.11), I rejoice in following your statutes (v.14), I meditate on your precepts (v.15), I delight in your decrees (v.16), I hold fast to your statutes (v.31), I run in the path of your commands (v.32), I will keep your decrees to the end (v.33). Absolutely nothing passive here!
Notice the desires he expresses: Teach me (v.12, 33), Open my eyes (v.18), Remove from me scorn and contempt (v.22), preserve my life (v.25), Let me understand (v.27, 34), strengthen me (v.28), Keep me from deceitful ways (v.29), Direct me in your path (v.35), Turn my heart (v.36), Turn my eyes (v.37), Fulfill your promise (v.38), Take away the disgrace I dread (v.39). And we are only a quarter of the way through Psalm 119!
Ogletown Baptist Church is now journeying through Psalm 119. Reading and meditating on the words of the psalmist has helped us in our desire to be great at the Great Commandment. Check out our facebook link: www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=477524250576
Notice the actions that the psalmist takes: I will praise you (v.7), I seek you with all my heart (v.10), I have hidden your word in my heart (v.11), I rejoice in following your statutes (v.14), I meditate on your precepts (v.15), I delight in your decrees (v.16), I hold fast to your statutes (v.31), I run in the path of your commands (v.32), I will keep your decrees to the end (v.33). Absolutely nothing passive here!
Notice the desires he expresses: Teach me (v.12, 33), Open my eyes (v.18), Remove from me scorn and contempt (v.22), preserve my life (v.25), Let me understand (v.27, 34), strengthen me (v.28), Keep me from deceitful ways (v.29), Direct me in your path (v.35), Turn my heart (v.36), Turn my eyes (v.37), Fulfill your promise (v.38), Take away the disgrace I dread (v.39). And we are only a quarter of the way through Psalm 119!
Ogletown Baptist Church is now journeying through Psalm 119. Reading and meditating on the words of the psalmist has helped us in our desire to be great at the Great Commandment. Check out our facebook link: www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=477524250576
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Being Great at the Great Commandment
I've been focusing all week on a terrific comment that Mark Batterson (Pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C.) made at last week's HBC Men's Conference: "If Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30)---then we need to be great at the Great Commandment."
The Great Commandment doesn't leave any wiggle room. It is impossible to follow this commandment if God isn't first priority in our lives. To love God in this way has to mean that everything we think, say and do must be a by-product of this outpouring of love that we have for Him. Our Heavenly Father certainly knew that in order to love like this, we needed to be freed from our sin and He took care of that on the cross. So if Jesus thought that this was so important as to call it the greatest commandment, then doesn't it make sense that we as God's men spend as much time and energy as possible to obey it?
When Jesus uttered these words, the religious leaders of his time (the Pharisees) had already compiled a comprehensive list of 613 spiritual dos and don'ts. Then with one simple and powerful commandment, He shattered them all. So instead of spending our time trying to live up to an inexhaustible set of rules, as God's men let us be great at the Great Commandment!
The Great Commandment doesn't leave any wiggle room. It is impossible to follow this commandment if God isn't first priority in our lives. To love God in this way has to mean that everything we think, say and do must be a by-product of this outpouring of love that we have for Him. Our Heavenly Father certainly knew that in order to love like this, we needed to be freed from our sin and He took care of that on the cross. So if Jesus thought that this was so important as to call it the greatest commandment, then doesn't it make sense that we as God's men spend as much time and energy as possible to obey it?
When Jesus uttered these words, the religious leaders of his time (the Pharisees) had already compiled a comprehensive list of 613 spiritual dos and don'ts. Then with one simple and powerful commandment, He shattered them all. So instead of spending our time trying to live up to an inexhaustible set of rules, as God's men let us be great at the Great Commandment!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Play Offense
Everyone who knows me knows I am a die-hard Florida Gators football fan. While the Gators are now one of the elite teams in college football; amazingly they didn't even win a conference title until their 85th season. A Florida alumnus and former Heisman Trophy winner named Steve Spurrier was hired in 1990 and changed the way the Gators played the game. His philosophy was simple---Play offense. Keep scoring until the final whistle. His style of play--sometimes called running up the score-- enabled Florida to win five conference titles and a national championship in his first seven years as head coach. His style often infuriated opponents, but as Spurrier used to say, "They may call us a lot of things, but they don't call us losers anymore."
As God's men, we need to play offense as well. We can do this by seeking His will through reading the Word, spending time in prayer and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead, guide and direct us. Then, we must be obedient to God's will and seek to glorify Him in all that we do. Our enemy loves to keep us playing defense--reminding us of our past failures, accusing us of wrongdoing, keeping us fearful of stepping out in faith, throwing distractions and diversions our way and making us question God's goodness.
Claiming the promise of Romans 8:28---And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose---we can boldly go out and play offense with complete confidence that if God is for us, who can be against us (v.31)?
As God's men, we need to play offense as well. We can do this by seeking His will through reading the Word, spending time in prayer and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead, guide and direct us. Then, we must be obedient to God's will and seek to glorify Him in all that we do. Our enemy loves to keep us playing defense--reminding us of our past failures, accusing us of wrongdoing, keeping us fearful of stepping out in faith, throwing distractions and diversions our way and making us question God's goodness.
Claiming the promise of Romans 8:28---And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose---we can boldly go out and play offense with complete confidence that if God is for us, who can be against us (v.31)?
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Let the Reader Beware
This weekend, I had the privilege of attending Hockessin Baptist Church's annual men's conference. Their keynote speaker was Mark Batterson, lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C., who shared insight from his recently published book: Primal, A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity.
In his book, Batterson shares this exceptionally powerful thought regarding Scripture from another Christian author, Eugene Peterson: "The words printed on the pages of my Bible give witness to the living and active revelation of the God of creation and salvation, the God of love who became the Word made flesh in Jesus, and I had better not forget it. If in my Bible reading I lose touch with this livingness, if I fail to listen to this living Jesus, submit to this sovereignty, and respond to this love, I become arrogant in my knowing and impersonal in my behavior. An enormous amount of damage is done in the name of Christian living by bad Bible reading. Caveat lector, let the reader beware."
May we as God's men take this charge to heart. In those times when our zeal for God's Word seems to be lacking, let us remind ourselves that the Bible is God's complete and thorough revelation of himself to his creation and has absolute relevance to every person who has ever lived in this world.
In his book, Batterson shares this exceptionally powerful thought regarding Scripture from another Christian author, Eugene Peterson: "The words printed on the pages of my Bible give witness to the living and active revelation of the God of creation and salvation, the God of love who became the Word made flesh in Jesus, and I had better not forget it. If in my Bible reading I lose touch with this livingness, if I fail to listen to this living Jesus, submit to this sovereignty, and respond to this love, I become arrogant in my knowing and impersonal in my behavior. An enormous amount of damage is done in the name of Christian living by bad Bible reading. Caveat lector, let the reader beware."
May we as God's men take this charge to heart. In those times when our zeal for God's Word seems to be lacking, let us remind ourselves that the Bible is God's complete and thorough revelation of himself to his creation and has absolute relevance to every person who has ever lived in this world.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
No Other Way
The greatest blessing of being a follower of the person of Jesus Christ is the absolute and complete confidence we have in our eternal destiny. Our Savior made this abundantly clear when speaking to Nicodemus: "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again" (John 3:3).
Nicodemus was a Pharisee; a religious leader in his time, highly educated and full of Biblical knowledge. While the Pharisees hated Jesus because he challenged their views and could see the hypocrisy of their actions, Nicodemus was searching for answers. Through his learning, he knew that God's Kingdom would be restored on earth and he recognized that Jesus was a teacher sent from God (John 3:2). Jesus revealed to him that the Kingdom would come to the whole world (John 3:16) and that Nicodemus--in spite of his impressive religious credentials--wouldn't be a part of it unless he was born again (v.5).
The greatest news that we can share with the world is that God's Kingdom has nothing to do with national or ethnic background, but has everything to do with personal repentance and spiritual rebirth. Belief in the Lord Jesus Christ and his sacrificial death of the cross to pay for our sins and putting our faith and trust in Him as our personal Savior is the only admission requirement to God's Kingdom. There is no other way.
Nicodemus was a Pharisee; a religious leader in his time, highly educated and full of Biblical knowledge. While the Pharisees hated Jesus because he challenged their views and could see the hypocrisy of their actions, Nicodemus was searching for answers. Through his learning, he knew that God's Kingdom would be restored on earth and he recognized that Jesus was a teacher sent from God (John 3:2). Jesus revealed to him that the Kingdom would come to the whole world (John 3:16) and that Nicodemus--in spite of his impressive religious credentials--wouldn't be a part of it unless he was born again (v.5).
The greatest news that we can share with the world is that God's Kingdom has nothing to do with national or ethnic background, but has everything to do with personal repentance and spiritual rebirth. Belief in the Lord Jesus Christ and his sacrificial death of the cross to pay for our sins and putting our faith and trust in Him as our personal Savior is the only admission requirement to God's Kingdom. There is no other way.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Creator and Sustainer of All
There's nothing like being stuck in the house by two-plus feet of snow to give you time to stop and think about the one true God, the Creator of all things. Just as sure as He is bringing this mind-boggling amount of snow our way, He will surely bring the sun and warm weather to us in season. Although it may take a blizzard or a natural disaster to make us stop and ponder the omnipotence and majesty of God, the reality is that the signs are around us each and every day.
Isaiah 40:26 says: Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. This verse alone should stop us in our tracks and praise Him for his sustaining power. The stars are by far the largest of all created things, yet their very presence, order and place are all controlled by the One who created them---each and every day.
If God didn't sustain all things, the world (including each and every one of us) would collapse into oblivion. Praise God that he didn't just create everything and let nature and circumstance take control, but rather He chose to be intimately involved every moment with his creation.
Isaiah 40:26 says: Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. This verse alone should stop us in our tracks and praise Him for his sustaining power. The stars are by far the largest of all created things, yet their very presence, order and place are all controlled by the One who created them---each and every day.
If God didn't sustain all things, the world (including each and every one of us) would collapse into oblivion. Praise God that he didn't just create everything and let nature and circumstance take control, but rather He chose to be intimately involved every moment with his creation.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Exploratory Surgery
Surgery is something that we typically wouldn't look forward to. But surgery that looks to find a problem and eliminate it--otherwise known as exploratory surgery--it often beneficial and can even save our lives.
David closes Psalm 139 with these words: Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting (v. 23-24). What David was asking his Heavenly Father to do was perform exploratory surgery. He prayed that God would search him for sin and point it out, even to the level of testing his thoughts. Like a life-threatening disease, he wanted God to remove it and restore his spiritual health. Continuing on in God's "everlasting way" was far more desirable that wallowing in the sickness of sin.
David's complete confidence in the Lord was based on his acknowledging that God knew everything about him--his thoughts, his actions, his ways, his words (v.1-4)--and still loved him unconditionally. Just like David, God knows every single thing about us; down to the number of hairs on our heads (Matthew 10:30). Knowing that God is this intimately familiar with us should give us every confidence that He is with us and will sustain us through anything we face.
David closes Psalm 139 with these words: Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting (v. 23-24). What David was asking his Heavenly Father to do was perform exploratory surgery. He prayed that God would search him for sin and point it out, even to the level of testing his thoughts. Like a life-threatening disease, he wanted God to remove it and restore his spiritual health. Continuing on in God's "everlasting way" was far more desirable that wallowing in the sickness of sin.
David's complete confidence in the Lord was based on his acknowledging that God knew everything about him--his thoughts, his actions, his ways, his words (v.1-4)--and still loved him unconditionally. Just like David, God knows every single thing about us; down to the number of hairs on our heads (Matthew 10:30). Knowing that God is this intimately familiar with us should give us every confidence that He is with us and will sustain us through anything we face.
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