Jeremiah 26

 

Jeremiah was commanded to tell the people of God everything and not to omit anything. They weren't going to like it, and there is an example of another person who was killed for saying the same things. Yet Jeremiah was faithful. 

Why? Why would God put Jeremiah in danger? The answer is in verse three, where God says perhaps they will listen. We do know that some did, though most did not. God was willing to put his man in a place of danger to save those few. Why, because God isn't willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). Time after time, God is willing to send his prophets to save the few. Paul himself said he did what he did so that he might save some (1 Corinthians 9:18-24). Jesus came not to save the many, because according to his own words, only a few would find the way of salvation (Matthew 7:14). 

If God himself and the prophets in this place, why should we expect something else?

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1 Samuel 15

Let's consider the danger of partial obedience.

 In 1 Samuel chapter 15, starting at verse number 19, it says, this is Samuel talking. "Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?" But I did obey the Lord, said Saul. "I went on the mission as the Lord assigned. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took the sheep and the cattle from the plunder, the best of what was to be devoted to God in order to sacrifice to them the Lord your God at Gilgal." But Samuel replied, "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifice as much as he is in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like evil of adultery. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king."
When I look at this, I remember sometimes that people say, "I did it. I did the right thing." But what they really did was what they thought was important. They obeyed partly. Their obedience was not complete but partially complete. And a half-truth, as most everyone will know, is still a lie. And Samuel here makes it very clear that the choice of Saul to reject God's command was so bad that God was rejecting him as king. Period. No way out?
This was it. This was the final straw for Saul. Do I believe that Saul could have found repentance and made his life right with God? Yes! The problem was, Saul's trajectory wasn't going that way. Saul had made decisions again and again to serve what he thought was right, his version of obedience to God rather than God's version.
But why is obedience so much better? Why is rebellion so bad?
Obedience is better because it demonstrates your love for God. Jesus said, "if you love me, you will keep my commandments." John chapter 14:15. So clearly, if you want to be in a relationship with Jesus, you have to obey him. Obedience is the best thing you can give God.
Rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft. How could it be like witchcraft?
Rebellion is fighting against authority. Witchcraft is looking for a way to manipulate supernatural powers to do your will. It's looking to make yourself the authority, which is rebellion.
Arrogance is like adultery. Why? Arrogance says that I am more important, thus making myself higher than God. In other words, it's self-worship or self-love.
It's saying "I know better than God" or “I’m god,” and this is why God rejects these people from being part of his family.
This scripture is more than just about Saul making a mistake or doing what's wrong. This scripture shows us what we need to look out for in our own lives.
Partial obedience is, in reality, doing what we want to do anyway, and this attitude will get us cast away.
What do we need to do?
We need to obey God completely, and when we mess up, like David, we truly repent and try to do right.

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Romans 4

 

Paul starts off speaking of Abraham as the physical father of the Jews and of Paul himself. Jews considered that having Abraham as their father was the key to their spiritual hope. However, Paul is going to show that those who are living in faith also have Abraham as their father. Indirectly, Paul is saying that claiming Abraham as your father doesn't mean anything unless it is through faith. Our pedigree doesn't guarantee salvation then and now.

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Psalm 81

 

This is a very interesting psalm. It begins as if the psalmist is ready to praise God and celebrate His feast, but then it shifts. A new voice steps in. It is as if God were clearing His throat and interrupting the psalmist's praise with a warning. This has caused me to wonder if there are not times in our lives or in our churches where God would like to step in and say, "I'm waiting for you to repent." Praising God is good, but I think that, as with sacrifice, God would prefer obedience over praise (1 Samuel 15:22).  

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1 Samuel 13

 

Look a mistake!

If you read the first verse of 1 Samuel 13 in different translations, you do see differences. This is not a mistake in the Scriptures but in translations. One might argue that if God couldn't protect these numbers from being lost to history and translations, then we can't trust anything. This is a very cynical approach to the Bible. The truth that can be seen is that, first, Christians are willing to see and point out where there may have been issues, unlike other religions. Second, this is not critical to the purpose of God. Finally, just because there is disagreement among scholars doesn't discount that the facts can't be known. 

If we can only believe that something is true when there is perfect consensus, then we won't believe anything. The danger is when we pick our experts based on whether they agree with our agenda. In this disagreement, I can say, it doesn't matter. What mattered is that Saul didn't trust God and paid the price.  It is a reminder for us not to do the same. 

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Chasing Your Dream

 This is a post from February 2014, but it fits here today

Today I listened to a young man, Jacob Salem, from Olivet Nazarene University, preach. I enjoyed it. What caught my attention was not the running leap from the podium, but the scripture he used. 

Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits. He struck down Moab's two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. (1 CHRONICLES 11:22)

I do not know if he has read the book "Chase the Lion" by Mark Batterson (I haven't yet either), but whether he did or not, the question both ask is basically the same:

Do you trust God enough to chase your dream, even if it looks crazy?

WELL?

Are you?

The sermon prompted me to reflect on all that surrounded the publication of my first book, The Bee in the Blackberry Bush. 

When I began to chase this dream in July 2012, I set aside the facts:

• I was no expert in writing
• English was my worst subject growing up
• I had no talent in art (I can not draw a straight line with a ruler)
• I did not know any illustrators
• I had no money to pay an illustrator
• I had no money to pay an editor
• I did not have a good name for the story
• I did not have the money to pay a printer/vanity publisher
• I had no experience in book design 
• I did not know any translators (this comes into play later)
• I had no money to pay translators
• I had no platform

Despite what has happened. 

The Bee in the Blackberry Bush is published in print in 3 languages, 2 in Kindle format. The title was given to me by Garrett Lee, who also assisted in editing the book. Garrett's brother Don is an excellent illustrator, and both brothers donated their services(This was Don's first published work, WOW, he has a future, hire him). I learned how to self-publish for next to nothing. I learned how to design a book(this is harder than it looks). Two great people took up the challenge of translating the book into their own languages.

It was a lot, A LOT, of work, but it was worth it.

Update: At this time, I have self-published twelve more books (11 nonfiction, 1 fiction) and have also helped others get their work published. I know of at least 20 books that are in print because I helped encourage or actually format the books. I have 6 drafts of fiction books (Okay, Confession: I've been afraid to do the work to finish releasing them, but that is going to change).

How did all of this happen? I chased the lion (And I will again).

I can not promise this will happen for you, but if you do nothing, nothing is what you will have.

Published and Drafts

* I am not endorsing Mark Batterson and he is not endorsing this blog.

He has never heard of me, I'm sure.

Jeremiah 25

Jeremiah isn't written linearly. The narrative goes forward and then goes back, and here in chapter 25, it happens again. For me, however, I see why the change is taking place. God, in the previous chapter, spoke of the good people going to Jerusalem. Now, we are given the prophecy about how long those people will have to stay in exile. It is also a reminder that God tried to warn his people before this took place. Yes, God is saying, "I told you so," but in this case, God isn't doing it to brag but to give directions, and though it is a long way off, hope. 

Seventy years is as long as many people live. This means that most of those who were exiled will die away from the land God promised. To me, it is a reminder that in this world, in our exile as it were, we may die before seeing God's promises fulfilled. Yet Jesus tells us that in this world we would have trouble, but he has overcome the world (John 16:33). He will make all things right. Yes, in this world life may be hard, but a better day is coming; it just may not be in this lifetime. 

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