A Note to Self

As odd as it may seem, this particular blog is a note to myself.  I need to be reminded to read the Scripture everyday.  So, my very simple and straightforward note today is to read the Scripture, engage the Word of God, and seek after His guidance provided for us in His holy Word.  I have very little else to say, just an encouraging challenge that you (I mean the future me too) would set apart time today to look in the Bible and pray that God would reveal Himself by His Word.  That about covers it.  Amen!

Counterfeit God's and Secret Service Christians

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Phil 4:8).

When Secret Service agents are training to sniff out counterfeit currency, they spend years studying, examining, and memorizing the real thing.  This way the agents can tell when currency is fishy simply by its feel, its weight, or the little red and blue fibers in the paper.  They've spent so much time with the real money that they can discern whether a bill is fake in a matter of moments.

This seems like a good and productive methodology to apply to spiritual matters.  Perhaps we, as believers in the Lord Jesus, should not spend so much time examining the counterfeit, the false, and the incorrect; and we should spend more time memorizing the good, the right, and the godly.

I think of my years as a musician.  My journey to become a guitar player forced me to spend less time listening to my paltry playing or my friends' meager attempts, no!  In order for me to learn what great guitar playing was I had to listen, to examine, and study greatness so that I would know it like I know my own hands.

The above verse is but a snippet, a snapshot taken from the photo album of Holy Scripture, but I think it is a good list to think of in these terms.  We should study and study these godly traits.  This means a dedicated pursuit of that which is of God.  In a real way, we need to invest the necessary time so that we will know the things of God so well that we can discern that which is not of God with ease (to be sure, this is done in partnership with the Holy Spirit).  Above all, this is an active endeavor, not a passive or latent growth.  Let us then set our minds to do these things not only so we will know God more but also so that we will see the fakes more clearly!

Scripture: the Light for our Paths

It is a not an uncommon occurrence to need to search for something in the dark.  Think of hunting along the wall for the seemingly hidden light switch.  Or looking through the darkened garage when the light is out.  Or even foraging through the junk drawer for a candle and match during the most tempestuous of storms.  As anyone who has ever gone camping can attest, a light can be the most useful thing amidst darkness.

Life is full of darkness.  The bleak blackness and dark gloom of this world falls like a pall over life.  Fortunately, God has not left us without a bright and shining light to illuminate every step and to shimmer its godly glow to light out paths.  This heavenly light is the Word of God, the Scriptures which is to protect us from harm (Psa. 119:105; Pro. 6:20-24).

While the aforementioned verses are often memorized and quoted for their beauty, it is more important that we would live by the truth therein then to simply acknowledge it as true whilst neglecting the application.  If we are to apply the truth that God's Word is to light and guide our way, then there are some important things that must be pointed out.

First of all, if the Scriptures are to light the path of the Christian, then the Christian must be acquainted with them.  A flashlight is useless if the person does not know how to turn it on or if they fail to put the necessary batteries in it.  In other words, the Word will fail to be the light to our paths if we neglect learning how to wield it.

To be sure, this is all about Bible Study.  Unless we are in the Word, studying the Word and memorizing it, our paths will forever remain dark and shadowy.  But when we have sufficiently immersed ourselves in the Word and allowed it to permeate into the depths of our hearts, we will be sufficiently prepared and equipped for God's Word to light our life.

Additionally, letting the Word take its rightful place as the light to our paths is all about humility and submission.  For the Scripture to guide our every step, we must submit ourselves to its authority in our lives.  This is fundamental, foundational, and necessary.  Unless we turn over our very volition to that of the Word of God, we will continue to struggle in the darkness for lack of a sufficient light to our paths.  Let us then determine to depend on the Word and make it the very basis for our lives!

Doing the Will of Christ

The nature of the Christian life is one of devotion, of diligence, and of pursuit.  But above all else, the Christian life is a matter of practice.  Christians are called to be doers of the Word (James 1:22-23; 2:23-25).  If Christians would take to this task seriously, we would see far more fruit-bearing, Word-living, people-loving Christians.

Jesus says, quite directly, that it is not the hearers of the Word who will be blessed, but the doers (Matt. 7:24-27).  This should compel us to eschew simple indoctrination and to pursue living out the teachings of Christ.

Peter writes that Jesus has become our example (1 Pet. 2:21).  What is an example that isn't emulated.  In order for Jesus to actually be our example, we need to be doing what He taught.  This is an active ordeal.  Quite plainly, if we are not doing what Jesus has emulated, then we are not being obedient.  Thus, if we claim to be Christians we need to be doing the Word of Christ, actually fulfilling Christ's commandments within our lives.  

This is what planting the Word in our hearts is all about; this is what  growing fruit is all about; this is what abiding in Him is all about.  If, then, we who claim Christ are to grow in obedience we must be willing and committed to doing the Will of Christ.  Let us then commit to becoming doers of the Word who live out the teachings of the Word in word and deed!

Jeremiah: Necessary History

Christians have a tendency towards the New Testament.  This is a natural reaction to the fact that our faith is based on the life and work of Christ, which is chronicled in the Gospels and applied in the letters of Paul, Peter, John, James, Jude, etc.  However, as per Jesus' own words, He did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to complete them (Matt. 5:17).  And if we, as Christians, are to have a greater understanding of Christ, we need to be willing to mine through the books of Old Testament for their worth, both in practical matters as well as theological.  The book of Jeremiah is one such book worth studying.  It is not only valuable for its significant contribution to prophecy about Christ but also for the history of Israel and Jeremiah himself.

Called to be a prophet as a young boy (1:6), Jeremiah grew up in a time in which Israel was in a maelstrom of tumult and turmoil (around 590 BC).  More than a century earlier, the northern kingdom, which included 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel, was conquered and taken into exile by the Assyrians.  The southern kingdom, however, based in Jerusalem, was protected by God.  The people responded in haughtiness, believing that God's providential hand could never be removed because of their covenant, despite the prophesies made by Isaiah indicting them for their sin.

As a result of such arrogance, the "prophets" of Jeremiah's time looked superciliously at the words of Jeremiah, which were prophesies of judgment to come at the hands of the Babylonian empire, newly revitalized under the leadership of Nebuchadnezzar.  As a result of such disdain for his work, Jeremiah was ignored, mocked, beaten, and even thrown in prison.  Despite such harsh treatment, Jeremiah stayed perseverant to the call that God had given him and, in the end, his prophesies were proven when the Babylonians finally sacked Jerusalem, first in 597 and definitively in 587.

Jeremiah's contribution to the corpus of Scripture is twofold: first is in regards to judgement; second, in regards to redemption.  Jeremiah preached repentance to Judah in order to maintain the covenant that God had provided for them.  He prophesied judgement because of their increasing sin and lustful sin.  However, Judah turned in pride and self-delusion away from God and was punished justly for their conceited unbelief.  But that is not the whole story.  In Jeremiah 31:31-34, Jeremiah prophesies of a new covenant that God will inaugurate that surpasses the old covenant in its scope and its effect.  As Christians, we know this new covenant to be made in the blood of Christ and introduced at the Last Supper.

To be sure, this has been a brief introduction, a cursory synopsis, of some of the important points of note in regards to the book of Jeremiah.  The purpose has been to show the significance for Christians to study and to examine the books of the Old Testament because they speak of God, and of Christ Jesus.  We should be eager to learn more about them, then, because in doing so we will be growing in our knowledge of God.  Let us then dig into the Word so as to dig into God Himself!

Praise & Psalm 145

The Psalms are one of the ever-present soul-salves of Scripture.  Truly, in any state can one come to them for nourishment and edification, as well as exhortation and challenge.  It is the longest book of the Bible, at 150 chapters, and is a full-service anthology of prayers, songs, hymns, prophecies, laments, and liturgies, useful for nearly every possible occasion.

Among the many different types of psalms, the theme of praise rings clearly throughout.  In fact, many of the psalms either begin with or end with an expression of praise or the like.  And while it is difficult to point out single psalms to define a whole worship ideal of praise, chapter 145 offers a beautiful teaching on the nature of praise.  Disclaimer: the purpose of this discussion is to encourage an interpretive focus when dealing with the Psalter as well as to foster a love for the wealth within.  Psalm 145 will be interpreted verse-by-verse to accomplish this task and to point out the awesome profundity of the psalms.

For starters, believers praise the Lord for His name (145:2) and for His greatness (v. 3).  This is the starting point of praise, the lens by which praise is filtered through.  Once praise is asserted as an attitude of worshiping God for who He is, it is then to be taught and trained to each generation so that they will praise His glory, goodness, and righteousness (vv. 4-7).

The psalmist then praises the Lord for His grace, His mercy, His patience, and His love (vv. 8-9).  The psalmist decrees that all creation shall give thanks to God, a mandate of praise so that each generation will know of the glory of God and His everlasting Kingdom (vv. 10-13).  Again, the reason for such ardent and steadfast praise is because the Lord is faithful (v. 14), and He provides for all in need, even upon request (vv. 15-16, 19).

This psalm closes in continuity of the previous praises: God is righteous and kind (v. 17), He is near to all those who call on Him to provide and fulfill the desires of those who fear Him  (vv. 18-19), and He  preserves those who love Him but destroys the wicked for their wickedness (v. 20).  For the epilogue, the psalmist writes plainly, "My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless His holy name forever and ever (v. 21)."

To be sure, this has been a purposefully brief interpretation of this psalm.  However, consider that in twenty-one verses, this psalm has covered so much of God's character: kindness, faithfulness, steadfast love, justice, awesomeness, majesty, mercy, providence, provision, goodness, greatness, righteousness, preserver, gracious, gloriousness, and His power.  Additionally, this psalm speaks to the mandate for believers to proclaim God's glory and His name throughout creation, particularly to the next generations.

Twenty-one short verses and yet so much theological weight and wonderful worth.  As believers who desire to know who God is, a practice of getting into the psalms is a great way to encourage that relationship with the Holy Lord.  A daily habit of taking one psalm and taking it apart, as shown above,  can be supremely beneficial for engaging with God's Word and, thus, with God.  One psalm is a reasonable amount of land to mine for the precious theological gold to be found within.  Praise be to God that He would reveal Himself to mankind through His immutable and lasting Word!

History Study for Bible Study

In the 4th Century B.C. the world was a disconnected collection of disparate city-state nations, separated by geography, language, culture, and history.  In reality, apart from limited long-distance trading, the far eastern part of the world in India barely knew of their western counterparts situated around the Mediterranean and vice versa.  At this time of disjointed humanity, a certain Macedonian prince rose to power in Greece.

The young prince seized his father's impressive military force at the age of twenty and began his lifelong campaign to conquer the world from one end to the other and to hold it under a single Greek banner.  He had a deep conviction to unite all peoples under Greek culture and spent the whole of his life for this task.  The prince was a remarkable general and tactician.  At numerous skirmishes, the prince's forces were dramatically outnumbered yet, by his decisively genius tactics, his army was victorious.  Moreover, he always rode his horse at the front of the battle, ensuring each of his dedicated soldiers that the prince would never put them into any danger that he himself would not be willing to accept.

As a result of his consistent willingness to set an intrepid example coupled with his constantly expert military strategies, his troops followed him with a worshipful fervor, believing their prince to be a descendant of the gods and heroes of old.  The prince succeeded in conquering land from the Mediterranean beyond the Hindu Kush mountain range.  Although the prince died mysteriously at the young age of 32, he was successful at making the Greek culture and language the standard in the world.  A feat that was nothing short of revolutionary that set the world on its path for the next several hundred years.  Because of his utter success, history has canonized him as great, Alexander the Great.

Understanding the significance of Alexander in reference to the Bible is a rich field manifold with grain relevant to biblical understanding.  For the brevity of this conversation, reducing the mixture to two main points of importance is in order: the historical account following Alexander's death, and the cultural significance of Hellenization in the spread of the Gospel.  The goal here is by no means exhaustive, just to offer a small sample of the usefulness of historical study to understanding the Bible better.

The history after Alexander's death is necessary information for properly understanding of the last part of the book of Daniel (Ch. 9-12).  Following Alexander's mysterious death, the massive geographical area of his empire was divided into four satrap kingdoms by the general, Perdiccas: the Ptolemaic, the Seleucid, the Pergamum, and the Macedonian.  Unless we recognize these four kingdoms, particularly the Ptolemaic, understanding Daniel's apocalyptic visions that close the book is made nearly impossible.

Secondly, the impact of Hellenization cannot be overstated.  Simply understood, Hellenization is the spread and standardization of Greek culture and language because of the work of Alexander.  This made Greek the language of commerce and trade, particularly across the Mediterranean world.  As a result, the Gospel was able to be presented to many diverse cultures, from Spain to India.  In fact, libraries of books have been written about the Gospel's dependance upon Hellenization for its spread.

While this dialogue has been information-laden but too-brief, the point has been to show the need of historical investigation for the purpose of shedding light on the Bible.  Forming a solid historical basis is a necessary endeavor in interpretation, for if we do not understand the context of the Scripture we are examining, our interpretations will be equally uninformed and ungrounded in reality.

Luckily, we are not without help in this as there are a vast number of resources available to the modern interpreter to help us overcome the time and distance between ourselves and the Bible.  L.P Hartley's saying is still appropriate today, "The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there."  In essence, we should strive to come to the Bible as the anthology of ancient documents it is.  Let us then press on in discipline and diligence so as to better interpret the Word of God!