Belief Until...

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1

Taking a slight detour out of Ezekiel this week.

I was struggling with what to write from Ezekiel.  I was doing my normal poking about online when I came across a friend's Facebook post.

Apparently there are Christians that believe that if scientists find conclusive proof of life on other planets, then that somehow disproves God's existence. Ummm...why is it impossible to believe that God created us and aliens?

Well, this led to a lengthy discussion between them and their friends about God creating the universe and the possibility of aliens.  Here's my take on it:

I don't care.

There's something really important in the post though, that people didn't key in on.  It's the unwritten, "but" or "until" that isn't there that's the biggest flaw in the beliefs of the Christians the post is about.

I'll believe in God until he is disproven.

Wait a minute.  Read that again.  Read it over and over again until you realize what it's saying.  If you're saying that you'll believe until something else happens, did you ever really believe in the first place?  

There is nothing that can happen that would alter my belief.  No huge discovery from science or another religion or politics or anything can change that.  I believe.  Period.  End of sentence.

God created the heavens and the earth.  Nothing will change my belief in that.

He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  Nothing will change my belief in that either.

Thurs Devo: Opposition Continues

Not only did Miriam and Aaron oppose Moses, as we saw the last few weeks, but later a fellow Levite led a large opposition.

Numbers 16:1-3 Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—became insolent ² and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council. ³ They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?”

Had Moses chosen to be their leader? Had he set himself up above them? No. In fact, when God chose Moses for this task, Moses refused (Exodus 4:13 But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”). God didn’t take no for an answer, but He did give Aaron as Moses’ assistant (see Exodus 4:14-16). So, Moses and Aaron had neither chosen nor earned this huge responsibility.  

Besides, was the whole community really holy? Not at all. Throughout Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers they sinned over and over again. God was with them, but it wasn’t because of their own holiness or the holiness of Moses and Aaron. It was because God made a covenant with their forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and He would keep His promise. 

From Numbers 16:8-14 it appears Korah and his followers were discontent with their own privileged position and wanted to take over Moses and Aaron’s positions to get what they wanted.

You and I may not have led a rebellion against authority, but I’m guessing we have all criticized or complained against authority. The next time you and I want to complain about someone else in authority, let’s ask ourselves why we want to complain? Is it because we want their position and think we could do a better job? Or are we upset because we aren’t getting what we want when we want it? Or, is it a legitimate concern over injustice?  

In the future, we’ll see some interesting ways Moses and God respond to this opposition! Stay tuned…

Alice

Humble and Gentle

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.  James 4:7-10

(This is Pt 5 of 8 – Turning the Tide – Representing God to a World that Misrepresents Him)

In the United States, we talk about certain unalienable rights.  Of which, there are none more fundamental than life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  I like how it says ‘pursuit of happiness’ because that does not guarantee that one should be happy.  Now most people would say that I am a fairly happy guy.  However as I wrote this devotion, I found myself asking if I am too happy.  Perhaps, all I have and been given is not really deserved.  It was given by the grace of God.  In spite of the things I have done wrong and how I did not get it right before God, He has yet chosen to give me so much in this life.  Because of such, I am both saddened and humbled.  Maybe that is the difference between happiness and humility.  Happiness is the feeling you have when something good is going on.  Humility is the feeling of goodness you have when God is with you even when bad things are going on in your life.  In a world that in many cases feels entitled to have ‘Happiness,’ what can we do to find humility even when things like suffering, depression, and even isolation come.

As Christians, we find humility through God’s love and grace.  I love today’s verses because it not only draws on what humility looks like but also notes a clear line of the battle for our soul; it’s God and the world. The verses speak of sorrow, grief,  sadness, and gloom.  The world is full of not only good but also sorrow, grief, and other problematic things.  Furthermore, we know that there are numerous trials and tests where there is no happiness or joy to be found.  In spite of all that, we have been given so much.  We may have worked or earned much of it, but if we look to the standard of Jesus Christ, we do not deserve any of it.  In our understanding of this (humility), God gains the glory, and elevates us above all of our past transgressions and failures!  Thus, all that we have becomes all we were given by God.

We find joy in our lives through Jesus Christ for even when we deserve death for our sins, He interceded for us to give us eternal life.  We should feel incredibly humbled for this most gracious gift.  So in our sadness and remorse, we find the love God has for us.  In Matthew 11:29, Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”  Where can you humble yourselves before God?  How you can more appreciative of the gifts that God has given you?  My prayer is that we learn from Jesus’ teachings, and be both humble and gentle at heart for all He has given us. Amen.

Tues Devo: Um...

Romans 8:26 “In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groaning’s too deep for words.” (NASB)

Hello,

Been there? You think to yourself “I have tried everything in the book” – you feel stuck and just can’t get it. You get so frustrated that you don’t even know how to string words together properly. Suddenly you start thinking about two things: Have been trying things from the wrong book? Maybe “I” am trying too much – and not putting it in God’s hands.

But how do you start? You start with the verse above. You don’t have to have the words figured out – go to Him with a truly open heart, talk – but listen – and then respond. He is strong enough. He is resourceful enough. He is smart enough. Trust Him, let Him.

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

The Sweetness

3 Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.  Ezekiel 3

This is not the only instance in the bible of scroll-eating.  If you look in the previous chapter, the words are described as bitter.  God is telling Ezekiel of Jerusalem's impending destruction.  This isn't really joyful news, nor is it sweet to hear of.

Yet, the scroll tasted sweet, just as the scrolls do in the other instances.  (I apparently need to take up scroll-eating to satisfy my sweet tooth)  Why are these scrolls so sweet and tasty?  They contain the word of God, and no matter what the message is, the word of God is the sweetest thing for us to hear.

I often hear people criticize the bible because of its destructive stories.  How can people people follow a God that punishes and hurts their followers so frequently and severely?  Look at Exodus, which I just finished going through.  That's not an entirely happy story!  The Israelites rebelled against God and were punished by walking in the desert for forty years, until an entire generation had died!

Yet, the word of God is described as sweet.  Not some of it, but all of it.  Everything that comes directly from God is good to hear.  We may not like to hear it at the time, but given some time, we can also see the sweetness in his words.  I can think of plenty instances in my life where I couldn't make sense of the way things were going and I would ask God, "Why?  This doesn't make sense!"  

If you came back to me days, months, and sometimes years after, then I could see the part of the larger purpose that played.  I could see that God was with me during all those tumultuous times.  I could hear the soft voice, the sweetness, telling me to trust him and he would get me trough, because he had a purpose for me.

Sweet!

Thurs Devo: Intercessory Compassion

If someone did something against you, your loved one or your property and then got punished for it, would you try to intercede and ask that the punishment be removed?

Last year my sister and I were driving in the first snow storm of the year when another car rear-ended us. He didn’t have proof of insurance or a valid driver’s license and had his friend sit in the driver’s seat by the time the police arrived. At the time, I certainly wanted him to suffer the consequences for breaking the law and causing us trouble.

We usually want mercy for ourselves and justice for everyone else. Not Moses. He regularly pleaded for mercy on behalf of the Israelites. And, when his very own siblings turned on him and were confronted and punished by God, he immediately pleaded for mercy!

Numbers 12:13-16      ¹³ So Moses cried out to the Lord, “Please, God, heal her!”

¹⁴ The Lord replied to Moses, “If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back.” ¹⁵ So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back.

¹⁶ After that, the people left Hazeroth and encamped in the Desert of Paran.

Besides Jesus, I think Moses was the most compassionate person in the entire Bible. God responded to Moses’ pleas for compassion and mercy. Here, God healed Miriam of her leprousy and lessened her punishment to a mere 7 day time-out. (God knows everything, so maybe He knew Miriam needed some time to think about what she had done. There’s no record that she repented immediately like Aaron did, as we saw last week.)

How can you and I be more compassionate? I’m not talking about making life easy for people, being a door mat, setting low expectations, or compromising God’s standards. I’m talking about lovingly valuing the life of others in such a way that we humbly point them to the One who can give them eternal compassion and mercy. We can start by praying for our own heart of compassion. Then, like Moses, we can intercede for those around us and ask for God’s mercy towards them and for them to see God's compassion.  

Alice

It's Not About You

Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.  Matthew 6:10 (NKJV)

There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  John 15:13

“Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”  Mark 14:36

(This is Pt 4 of 8 – Turning the Tide – Representing God to a World that Misrepresents Him)

It is hard to believe that I have written devotions for over a decade now.  The one thing that I have realized is it never mattered whether I felt like it was a good devotion or not because writing them is never about me.  Sure, they are inspired by things I have seen and my own life experiences.  However, my writing is not to advance my cause.  It’s to show what God has taught me and its relevance to society today, and more importantly, that God uses me through my words to inspire others toward serving Him better.  One of the greatest accusations against us as Christians is that while we talk about a God we serve, we do not give of ourselves to either Him or others.  We focus on frankly other Christians or worse, ourselves.  In a world that is driven by self (you deserve this, ‘selfies,’ It’s all about me), how can we show a better life focused on serving God above all other things?

As Christians we should be selfless examples by removing ourselves from the equation and placing God before us.  Whether it is about the greater love of laying down your life for your friend or the Lord’s Prayer focusing on God’s Kingdom, Jesus is a shining example of selflessness.  However, nothing exemplifies more and drives how selfless Jesus was than Him dying on the cross for our sins.  Prior to it, He went to God as listed in today’s last verse (also in Matthew 26:39 and Luke 22:42), and note that He chose not to ask for His wishes or wants prior to His crucifixion.  Instead, He focused on God’s first.  My pastor this past Sunday noted a quote from Howard Hendricks saying, “Lord, here I am.  I want to be Your suit of clothes today.  I want you to take me and use me.  Lord, just walk around in me today.”  We should always start any action with a simple question, “Is this what God would want?”  When speaking, we should ask God to use us so that our words become His words.  These represent what selflessness sounds like.

God wants to use us in extraordinary ways.  Football coach Glenn ‘Bo’ Schembechler in one of his most famous speeches outlined how fulfilling a life focused on something greater than yourself (i.e. the team) is.  He said, “No man is more important than the team.  No coach is more important than the team.  The team.  The team.  The team!”  As Christians, we too are at our best when we first realize that nothing we say and no action we do is about us.  How can you remove your motives and replace them with God’s?  How can you best prepare yourself to be used by God?  My prayer is that we embraces selflessness remembering in the words of Rick Warren, “It’s not about you.”  Amen.

Tues Devo: Make the time

Luke 5:15-16 “But the news about Him was spreading eve farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sickness. But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray. (NASB)

Hello,

This week I am only speaking to the people who feel they are busy…the rest of you can come back to it when you also feel you are busy!

We often do a great job being very busy. Occasionally we even get busy with things that are noble causes – and hey, can anything trump a noble cause? We all have heard it – and most of us have said it – that one thing we were doing, it sounds so good the person saying it feels bulletproof from any attack. But when it comes to spending time with the Father, there are no excuses. You have to make the time. Jesus was healing people from sickness- saving their lives – but He too knew of the importance of communing with the Father.

We are not too busy – we just make the wrong priorities as we go through the day. I challenge all of us to make better choices!

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

How to Study the Bible (Part 8)

Hello Friends!

Welcome Back! Today we will conclude this 8-part series titled “How to Study the Bible” for our Christian walk with our Lord Jesus Christ…

How to Study the Bible (Part 8)

Teaching the Bible

In leading a life devoted to Jesus Christ and His Word, I have discovered that the best way to retain something is to freely give it away!

That's because the only way we can effectively explain a subject is if we thoroughly understand it ourselves. Although we will never fully “understand” this side of glory, as Bible teachers, we must “master” our subject...

For example, find someone with a true desire to learn from the Word of God who knows less than you do – and pass on to them what you are learning in a systematic way! By “feeding” someone else, you will “feed” your own heart and mind! In fact, the motivation for studying Scripture largely comes from one's own responsibility in this area. In other words, if I didn't have someone to teach, I might not produce the necessary “good fruit” for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ!

The reverse is also true...

For example, find someone with a greater understanding of the Word of God who knows more than you do – and learn from them in a systematic way! By learning from someone else who has truly studied God’s Word, has experienced more of the trails and blessings of life and is living in obedience to the Word of God, you'll feed your own heart, mind and spirit with God’s Truth. And the Bible promises that you will experience God’s blessings in your life according to His perfect will.

As obedient children of God, we must “walk” in “good works” for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them – Ephesians 2:10

Now that we've learned some practical steps to the study of God’s Word…

Reading

Interpreting

Meditating

Teaching

…Put them into practice for His glory and honor and for the benefit of other Christians!

A FINAL ENCOURAGEMENT: My charge to you is to make each one of these important points of Bible study discipline a lifelong Christian habit – In Jesus’ Name!

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with
all long suffering and doctrine – 2 Timothy 4:2

In closing:

However, should we ever begin thinking we know it all… We must remember what the Lord has said:

The secret things belong to the Lord our God – Deuteronomy 29:29

We can only begin to scratch the surface of the infinite mind of God! But that is indeed a worthy pursuit because He has given us His Word so we might know Him. Our purpose in reading the Word of God, interpreting the Word of God, meditating upon the Word of God and teaching the Word of God is not to have “knowledge” for its own sake. Because as the Apostle Paul rightly said:

Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies – 1 Corinthians 8:1

The Prophet Isaiah also reminds us concerning the mind of God:

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts – Isaiah 55:8-9

Here the beloved prophet is saying is that God has an incomprehensible mind. No man however astute, intellectual or spiritual can fully plumb the depths of the infinite mind of God – He indeed works in ways which are mysterious to man! Even when God does reveal Himself – His “depth,” “riches,” “wisdom” and “knowledge” – all we know is how “unsearchable” the “mind of the Lord” really is… Which often leaves us with more questions than we had before He revealed anything to us in the first place!

So, in purposeful pursuit of a godly life, here are a few final thoughts from the timeless Old Testament Scriptures concerning the Word of God and the Holy Spirit:

Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has taught Him? – Isaiah 40:13

For who has stood in the counsel of the Lord, and has perceived and heard His word? Who has marked His word and heard it? – Jeremiah 23:18

Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him? Everything under heaven is Mine – Job 41:11

The wonder in our minds should be the inconceivable and “unsearchable” eternal “glory” revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ! Our passion and purpose as Christians is to “know“ God through His Word. And to “know“ God is to learn “humility“ through a life of “obedience“ to Him – Praise the Lord!

Thank you for reading! It is my hope that you enjoyed our time together through this series and have been encouraged in your walk with the Lord!

As you study the Scriptures and grow in the “grace” and “knowledge” of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I pray that you will have a better understanding of God's precious precepts found in His perfect Word – lived out in faith and obedience to Him!

May the Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless you with His perfect “love” “mercy” and “peace!”

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

Blessings!

Shane <><

Intro to Ezekiel

1 He said to me, “Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.” 2 As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.  Ezekiel 2

On to a new book from me!  I'm starting Ezekiel which is another long book (48 chapters) and at my pace at mostly one chapter per week, it's going to be nearly a year before finishing.  So just what are we getting into here?

Let's start out and say that this book is strange!  It's a lot of imagery in Ezekiel's prophetic visions.  Read the description of Ezekiel's first vision in the very first chapter if you don't believe the strange-ness.  However, no matter how strange, this all came from God!  God spoke to Ezekiel, and Ezekiel is relaying that information.

God is not happy with Jerusalem.  They're constantly referred to as a rebellious people.  This book is the prophecy of the fall of Jerusalem - in quite spectacular fashion.  It then leads into the destruction of other nations.  But, it finishes with God promising to restore the people again.  Hooray for happy endings!

Look at it this way, the book mirrors the entire Bible.  The fall of man, the destruction of other nations, and then the promise of restoration.  Jesus died for our sins, and through him, we are restored and our sins are wiped away.  We have promises of his ultimate return one day, and just as God fulfilled the promises that the people in Ezekiel would be restored, God will fulfill his promises to us.