For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I added a “Ministry Links” tab to my blog. On it I am going to link to the websites of various Christian Ministries which I support to one degree or another. Currently, it has a link to the congregation I attend and of which I am a member and a link to a ministry which does wonderful work in Honduras and elsewhere: MAMA Project

    Those who always eat and/or drink to excess are going to end up in poverty. As will those who pursue any pleasure to excess. Do not spend your time with those who do not live in moderation, or you will join them in their poverty.

    I will not beat my chest and boast. I will quietly wait for God to act, because He is the source of any successes I may have. God is my rock and my fortress. I will put my trust in Him. What a contrast between what the psalmist says and the way people so often behave today. Let us learn to follow the psalmist’s example and not that of the spoiled brats who brag over every little victory and taunt their opponents.

    We are all equal, no one is better than another. If we have been baptized into Christ, we are all one. This passage is such a basic principle of the Christian faith. Jews are not better than Gentiles, nor vice versa. Men are not better than women, nor vice versa. Slave and free, before God there is no difference. If we belong to Christ, we are heirs to God’s promises to Abraham.
    We cannot earn favor with God by following rules and regulations. It is not by somberly following rituals or observing the correct Holy Days that we will gain favour with God. God desires that we joyfully and gratefully do His will. Let us be cautious about zealots who are quick to separate themselves from the established Church and seek to convince others likewise. There is nothing wrong with being zealous, as long as we are zealously doing good and not just when those we wish to impress are watching. Let us zealously seek to do good for others, even when no one will notice, perhaps especially when no one will notice.

    As I read this passage, I was reminded of those who think they can cut a deal with evil. They think that they can remain safe by telling people what they want to hear, even when they have no intention of acting accordingly. However, God has established a firm and solid base against which right and wrong can be measured. It is only by measuring our words and our actions against that foundation that we can find safety. You can claim to be a Christian all you like, but unless your actions conform to your claim it will do you no good. The number of people who loudly proclaim that society should adhere to Christian moral standards while not maintaining them themselves always amazes me. Those who proclaim such high standards while making no effort to uphold them will face more severe judgement than those who openly revel in immorality.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I added a “Ministry Links” tab to my blog. On it I am going to link to the websites of various Christian Ministries which I support to one degree or another. Currently, it has a link to the congregation I attend and of which I am a member and a link to a ministry which does wonderful work in Honduras and elsewhere: MAMA Project

    The proverb writer tells us not to envy sinners. He is not talking about envying someone who sins for their big house or fancy car. He is talking about envying people because of the sins they enjoy committing. I remember envying men who were womanizers. I was wrong to do so. Rather than envy sinners, let us fear and obey the Lord.

    God will listen to our cry, He will hear our prayer. When our heart is overwhelmed He will lead us to safety. We may not be able to see the path, but God will guide us to a fortress where our enemies cannot reach us. Let us sing His praises forever.

    If we want to be made right with God by following the law, we must never break any of the law. Any failure to live up to the law will doom us. No one is capable of living such a life. We cannot make up for our sins by doing good. It does not work that way. Doing good is what the law requires of us. We cannot hope to be made right with God by doing good. We can only be made right with God by placing our trust in Him and accepting the righteousness He offers us through Jesus’ death. I will do good because God has made me righteous, not in order to be made righteous.

    God does many wonderful things, things which He planned long ago. He will destroy cities, turning them into rubble. He will bring nations down into the dust. But He will be a refuge to the poor and needy. He will provide shelter for all who fear Him. For those who are righteous (see above) life never becomes too difficult. God will smooth out the path in front of them. The righteous desire to bring glory to God’s name. The wicked, on the other hand, practice their wickedness despite God’s kindness to them. They continue to do wrong, even as the signs point to trouble coming. They will be struck down because of their wickedness.
    Isaiah tells us that even those who seek God will suffer, but nothing will come of their suffering. Instead, those who die in the Lord will live, their bodies will rise again. The suffering we experience will be to call us to account and will be nothing like that of those who refuse to call on God. God will use our suffering to turn us from our sins. As we turn to serving God, He will gather us together. When we do not listen to His word spoken gently, God will then speak it with force. Let us turn from our sins and serve the Lord.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here. Yesterday I added a “Ministry Links” tab to my blog. On it I am going to link to the websites of various Christian Ministries which I support to one degree or another. Yesterday I mentioned the congregation I attend and of which I am a member. Today I would like to mention a ministry which does wonderful work in Honduras and elsewhere: MAMA Project

    Let us rejoice when others demonstrate wisdom, when they speak up in favor of doing what is right. Let us seek the approval only of those who do likewise.

    When we reject God He will reject us. He will allow our defenses to be overrun and our enemies to triumph over us. However, even as He does this, He has raised a banner for those who fear Him, a rallying point in the battle. In the midst of the battle going on around us will we stand by the banner of God, in the face of attack and ridicule will we let everyone know which side we fight for? Or will we seek to flee the battlefield unnoticed? I have read enough accounts of battle and war to know that those who fail to rally to their commander’s side are doomed. All may seem lost, but I will rally to God’s banner because I know that, in the end, He will be victorious.

    We cannot attain righteousness by following rules and laws. No matter how carefully crafted, the law cannot address the correct action for every situation. It is only by accepting God’s grace and allowing His Spirit to guide us that we can live a righteous life. We need to die to the law, so that we can live in Christ. We do not, and will not, receive the Holy Spirit because we do the right thing and follow the law (no matter what set of rules we make our law). It is only by dying to the law, by no longer trying to follow a set of static rules, that we can receive God’s Spirit. When we accept the Holy Spirit and allow Christ to live in us, and through us, only then will we do the right thing. Let us die to our selves and allow Christ to live in and through us.

    Even in the day of trouble, all too many people will still depend on the things which have already failed them. They will build up their defenses and bring out their weapons, but they will not turn to God and ask for His help. I look at the society around me, God is calling us to weep and mourn in remorse for our sins. Instead, our society feasts and parties, “Let’s eat and drink for tomorrow we die.” The scary part is that I have seen people echo that exact line without once realizing that it was stated in condemnation. God is calling on us to repent of our sins and turn to Him. Instead, even as things get worse, people are living as if there is no tomorrow. There is still time, if we turn to God today, He will turn aside the judgement that is coming, but time is running out.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here. From time to time I have encouraged people to read their Bible through on this blog. However, this morning (yesterday for those reading this) in our worship service, I realized that I have never made an outright appeal encouraging people to attend a local church (except occasionally when a particular passage leads there). So, I am going to so here today. Here is the link for the website of the congregation I attend. If you are in the area on a Sunday, please stop by and visit. If you live in the area and do not attend a congregation on a regular basis, I beg of you to start, whether at mine or another.

    Parents should discipline their children for the good of the children. Lovingly administered corporal punishment will not harm the child and some lessons require physical punishment to truly hit home. Failure to learn those lessons will lead to your child’s death.

    The psalmist does not call on God to kill his enemies, because such lessons are too quickly forgotten. He calls on God to use the pride and words his enemies speak to bring them down. His enemies come out at night and prowl the streets. They use words as weapons, lying and slandering others. They are convinced that no one will hear them who can hold them to account for their lies. But God knows what they are saying and will use it against them. By contrast the psalmist rises in the morning to sing praises to God. Let us be like the psalmist and rise in the morning to praise God with joy, rather than skulking about in the dark, thinking that no one can see our evil deeds.

    Even Paul found it necessary to test what he taught against the understanding of others. He went to Jerusalem and met with the leaders of the Church there. He explained the message he was preaching to the Gentiles in order to find out if they were in agreement. He had been told that he was wrong on the basic elements of the Gospel he preached, so he went to those held in high esteem by the Church. Note that he did not go to them because they were held in high esteem, but because he respected the work they had done for God.
    Despite the respect with which Paul held Peter, one of those he went to for confirmation of the message he preached, he was willing to confront Peter when he felt that Peter was doing wrong. This is an important lesson, accountability goes both ways. We need to hold accountable those we allow to hold us to account. This is something that Church leaders need to remember, they are accountable to those they lead. If a member of the congregation confronts an elder for doing something wrong, the elder must address the congregants concern. If the elder was doing wrong, they must repent and change their behavior. If the elder was not doing wrong, they must show the congregant why their action was right. What the elder cannot do is dismiss the concern because the person who raised it was not a fellow elder (although I will admit that there are some believers who frequently bring up specious concerns and perhaps their concerns can be taken more lightly…at some point congregational leaders should work with such a person to show them that doing so is more of a sin than the “sins” they are guarding against).

    As I read this passage I cannot help but think about current events and the recent past in Egypt. I am sure that anyone reading this remembers the recent fighting in Egypt and most are probably aware that the current government is dictatorial. However, what people may not know is that since the building of the Aswan Dam the Nile no longer floods the way it used to do. This may seem like a good thing, and for years was held up as such. However, as time has gone on, one of the results of this is that agricultural production in Egypt has fallen. The regular flooding by the Nile refreshed the fertility of the soil along the banks of the Nile.
    Is what we are seeing in Egypt today a fulfillment of this prophecy? I do not know. I do know that the government of Egypt is starting to see its interests served by siding with Israel against Hamas. Is this perhaps a precursor to the next part of this prophecy, where it suggests that much of Egypt will come to worship God? Isaiah prophesied that the people would cry out to Him for relief from oppression and that He would make Himself known to them. Further he prophesied that some of the cities of Egypt would begin to speak Hebrew. This prophecy has such hope for the people of the Middle East. That someday the people of Egypt, Israel, and Assyria (most of modern-day Syria and Iraq) will unite together to serve the Lord.