Mem -- Psalm 119:97-104 -- Advent Blog Day 13

"Mem" is the thirteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet and makes an "m" sound.  It is said to conceptually represent water, the ocean, or a wave.  It is not hard to see the roll and crest of a wave in the form of this letter.  The passage today reads:
         O how I love Your teaching!  It is my study all day long.
         Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies; they always stand by me.
         I have gained more insight than all my teachers, for Your decrees are my study.
         I have gained more understanding than my elders, for I observe Your precepts.
         I have avoided every evil way so that I may keep Your word.
         I have not departed from Your rules, for You have instructed me.
         How pleasing is Your word to my palate, sweeter than honey.
         I ponder Your precepts; therefore I hate every false way.
     The Hebrew text begins each line with a preposition that means "more than," "how much," or "from."  It is impossible to overstate the superlative nature of the Word of God.  Here the Psalmist turns a bit of a corner and talks about the effect of the Word of God on our lives with respect to our relationships with those around us.  Do you have an enemy?  Have you ever considered how the Scriptures might impact your relationship with him/her/it?  How about our relationship with our teachers or our "elders" (it doesn't refer to the church office of NT times)?  Again the Scriptures are able to impact our relationship with them as well and make us wise, understanding, and insightful beyond our years.  This thought is mentioned again and again throughout the Bible, especially in the book of Proverbs. 
     When one thinks about the ocean what words come to mind?  I would mention the following: vast, powerful, intransigent, completely out of my control, able to do with me what it will.  The Word of God is the same and more!  Think of all of the water motifs in the Scriptures (I would mention here that water is usually a metaphor for the Holy Spirit but also refers to the Scriptures themselves in their ability to make us clean, change us, etc).  Paul writes of the process of Jesus purifying the Church through the "washing with water through the Word" (Ephesians 5:26).  Jesus said that anyone who thirsts should come to Him and that everyone who comes to Him shall have rivers of living water in us springing up to eternal life (John 4 and also Isaiah 55).  The combination of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God has the ability to change us, redirect us, wash us, and smooth us even as stones in a river yield to the never ending stream of water and become smooth and free of sharp edges. 
     The reading of the Word of God should never be done in a vacuum.  By this, let us consider the example of a hologram.  A hologram will never be seen unless it is illuminated by the laser that created it.  In a similar manner, God's Word will not be clearly seen by our intellect as we are flesh and blood and it was written by human hands yes, but through the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  The Psalmist prayed, "Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things in your Law" (Psalm 119:18).  When we read we should ask for the Holy Spirit to increase our understanding and for Him to illuminate His Word so that we finite beings may take in and begin to grasp the infinite.  God will always answer this prayer as it is His will for us to take it in and by it be transformed.  Intake is coupled with meditation, further prayer to be open and willing to obey, and the Holy Spirit will instruct our hearts and gradually change us through this repeated process.  Even the hardest stone changes through the steady application of water and God's Word will have its effect in our lives if we apply ourselves to it and apply it to us.
Here is a song for today's thought!

Jewish Publication Society, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1985), Ps 119:96–104.

Lamed -- Psalm 119:89-96 -- Advent Blog Day 12

The twelfth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is the letter Lamed.  As may be suspected, it makes an "L" sound.  The Hebrew verb "lamad" means to teach; the letter lamed is said to look like a shepherd's staff or a goad for moving animals around.  In many ways the teaching we learn is like a goad or staff that keeps our life in line.  This thought is prevalent in the passage today:
         The LORD exists forever; Your word stands firm in heaven.
         Your faithfulness is for all generations; You have established the earth, and it stands.
         They stand this day to [carry out] Your rulings, for all are Your servants.
         Were not Your teaching my delight I would have perished in my affliction.
         I will never neglect Your precepts, for You have preserved my life through them.
         I am Yours; save me!  For I have turned to Your precepts.
         The wicked hope to destroy me, but I ponder Your decrees.
         I have seen that all things have their limit, but Your commandment is broad beyond measure.
     The Hebrew text begins every line except verse 92 with the preposition "to" or "by".  The thought of guidance or keeping something in bounds -- the idea of a goad/staff -- is clearly seen.  Verse 92 -- "were not" -- reads the same in Hebrew as it does in English but again the idea of that which keeps us in bounds is also seen again.  The point seems to be clearly seen that God's Word, His character, and the knowledge of these realities is what keeps us in bounds and headed down the right path.  Now before I am accused of being "Captain of the Obvious" let us think about how we actually live instead of what our heads acknowledge to be true. 
     The Bible speaks of those "whose god is their belly"  (gotta love the KJV here) and hasten after all sorts of ungodly pursuits (see Philippians 3:19).  In the same breath, however, the Apostle Paul states, "our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." (Phil 3:20)  Clearly, there are only two realities: either we allow ourselves to be corralled by God's Word and His position as God, or we follow our own desires to our own destruction.  It is beautifully stated from God's perspective elsewhere in the Psalms: "I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.  Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, otherwise they will not come near to you." (Psalm 32:8-9, NASB)  When Jesus told Paul, "It is hard to kick against the goads" He most likely had this thought in mind!
     It is written: "All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field . . . the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God endures forever." (Isaiah 40:6-8, NIV)  This thought is repeated almost verbatim in this passage in Psalm 119.  Why fill up our lives pursuing things that have no ultimate value and which never satisfy and only require greater and greater levels to find temporary satisfaction?  Why not drink deeply from the waters of life and be renewed for everlasting joy and glory as true Sons and Daughters of the Eternal God?  The Psalmist has it right: "were not Your teachings my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.  I will never neglect Your precepts, for You have preserved my life through them!"
     Let us then take in the pure milk of the Word that we may nourished by it and grow ever more mature, complete, and lacking nothing!
Here is a song to accompany this thought.

Jewish Publication Society, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1985), Ps 119:88–96.

Kaph -- Psalm 119:81-88 -- Advent Blog Day 11

The eleventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet is "Kaph".  It is pretty much pronounced like the English work "cough" with a distinct Bostonian accent.  It has two forms -- the form on the right is when it is the final letter of a word; the form on the left is for elsewhere (middle or beginning of a word).  We don't really have anything like this in English, but the Greek Sigma has similar morphology.  Remember that Hebrew was written without breaks until the eighth century A.D.; letters changing shape at the end of the word helped the language "self-parse" for the reader.  Five other letters still to come have this function.  Conceptually, the letter "Kaph" refers to an arm or a wing.  The text reads:
         I long for Your deliverance; I hope for Your word.
         My eyes pine away for Your promise; I say, “When will You comfort me?”
         Though I have become like a water-skin dried in smoke, I have not neglected Your laws.
         How long has Your servant to live? when will You bring my persecutors to judgment?
         The insolent have dug pits for me, flouting Your teaching.
         All Your commandments are enduring; I am persecuted without cause; help me!
         Though they almost wiped me off the earth, I did not abandon Your precepts.
         As befits Your steadfast love, preserve me, so that I may keep the decree You proclaimed.
     I don't know about you, but I take great comfort in the passages of Scripture such as this one where the writer is visibly agitated and in full wail for God.  Jeremiah 18 and 19, many of the Psalms, and plenty of other Scripture passages contain a similar cry out to God for immediate relief and rescue.  The tone is almost complaint--like the cry of a new baby that is partly to complain, partly to express anguish, and partly to the parent for immediate relief and reassurance.  The fact that the Biblical authors went through this so human condition and their words made it into the Scriptures without full rebuke from God gives me great hope when I feel the same way.  Lately, I have been much less reticent to express myself to God in this manner and wonder why I am so hesitant to cry out for relief.  The Psalmist clearly knows the promise of God with respect to his condition and simply cannot wait for God to accomplish it!  I wish I had this much faith and this kind of view of the God who made us and Whom we serve.
     Jesus, looking at Jerusalem, said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, just a hen gathers her brood together under her wings, and you would not have it!" (Luke 13:34, NASB)  The Psalmist clearly cannot wait for Yahweh, the covenant maker and keeper to extend His arm and for the Psalmist to scurry under it.  How many of us have seen a duck with a line of ducklings behind her.  The mother has her own agenda and is busy going here and there and the little ducklings do their best to keep up.  Why is it we are so content to head off in our own direction, looking for those things we think we need to have for ourselves or in which we will find greater delight than when we are with our source of protection, sustenance, and guidance!   How much time do we spend on our own poking about here and there before we see the hawk or cat and cry out HELLLLPPPP!  Elsewhere in Psalms it is written, "You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your right hand upholds me, and Your gentleness makes me great" (18:35) and "my soul clings to You, Your right hand upholds me" (63:8). 
     Once again, the writer cries for deliverance -- not so he can go back to whatever he was doing that got him in the predicament -- but for the purpose of obeying and ever growing in the pursuit of God's commandments.  Most of the time I find myself looking for succor so I can return to my folly once more; this is not what the Scriptures commend but rather a radical shift in our lives to solely follow and seek after Yaweh Himself.  Jesus said, "Abide in me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches.  Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:4-5, ESV)  Let us cease from hiding out from God and persisting in our own ways and instead cry out to Him so that we may return to Him and be His people and for Him to be our God.  Let us take pleasure in Him alone, for Him alone; may He preserve us so that we might live to keep His decrees.
Here is a great song to accompany these thoughts.
Jewish Publication Society, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1985), Ps 119:80–88.
 The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Jn 15:3–5.

Yod -- Psalm 119:73-80 -- Advent Blog Day 10

The tenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is the letter "Yod".  This letter is a consonant that operates as a vowel in that it takes the sound of the vowel assigned to it.  It does have a "Y" sound but the sound changes with its associated vowel.  In other words, it may make a "ya", "yo", "yi", "ye" sound etc.  It is a very weak letter and will often disappear depending on the morphology of the word.  Conceptually, it represents the hand of a human being.  Metaphorically, the hand represents strength, power, authority, or right of possession.  This passage reads:
         Your hands made me and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn Your commandments.
         Those who fear You will see me and rejoice, for I have put my hope in Your word.
         I know, O LORD, that Your rulings are just; rightly have You humbled me.
         May Your steadfast love comfort me in accordance with Your promise to Your servant.
         May Your mercy reach me, that I might live, for Your teaching is my delight.
         Let the insolent be dismayed, for they have wronged me without cause; I will study Your precepts.
         May those who fear You, those who know Your decrees, turn again to me.
         May I wholeheartedly follow Your laws so that I do not come to grief.
     The concept of the hand is carried right into this stanza from the get-go.  The Psalmist notes that the very hands of God Himself, "made me and fashioned me" and then the Psalmist goes on to make a petition for understanding and the ability to learn God's commandments.  This sentiment is echoed in Psalm 100:3 "Know that the LORD Himself is God; it is he who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture." (NASB)  Especially we Americans determine ourselves to be self-made individuals.  We all too often feign humility and state that we need things from outside our own selves and then act as if we are our own creators, sustainers, and self-propagators.  I know how I live and think and I fit into this category all too well.  And yet the Biblical view is that this is not so!  Everything about our lives comes from the hand of God Himself and our whole being is who it is due to His foreknowledge and predetermination.  I am 5'9'', approximately 180 lbs, live in Melbourne Florida, am married to Shannon Sexton, have a daughter named Emily, a passion for cars and for music, etc all due to His unique shaping.  He has the right to do these things because He is God and there is no other!  O LORD, give me understanding that I may learn Your commandments!  There can be no other right pathway in life.
     Have you ever thought of the refreshment, rejoicing, and recommittal that comes from spending time with other Believers?  I realize that often this may not be the case due to our self-imposed divisions and dis-unity; however, fellowship among like minded Believers is sweet indeed and you can see this thought right here in this passage in verse 74.  When was the last time you took the effort to encourage someone for following God's commandments?  When was the last time you felt a sense of recommittment yourself when you heard how God's Word has been applied in the life of one of your brothers and sisters in Christ?  If it has been a while I would urge you to seek out the solace and strengthening one has with the Body of Christ.  James 5, Proverbs, etc all speak of the value of mutually edifying one another in the Lord.
     Verses 76 through 80 begin in the Hebrew text with the word "Let" or "May".  These verses are all requests of God based on the reality of His Lordship and the reality of verse 73.  What is it that you desire of the Lord?  What is it that I desire of the Lord?  The Psalmist elsewhere states, "One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I sek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in His temple.  for He will hide me in His shelter i nthe day of trouble; He will conceal me under the cover of His tent; he will lift me high upon a rock." (Psalm 27:4-5, ESV)  I confess to you that I do not desire this very often at all.  I am mostly desirous of income, the ability to pay my debts, some new toy, time off, a nap, time to read a book, more time to sleep, etc, etc, etc.  Look what the Psalmist desires in this passage: comfort in accordance with the promise of God, mercy in order to live and keep God's commandments, freedom from reproach in order to focus on the study of God's precepts, friendship and fellowship for strengthening, and again a steadfast ability to follow God's laws in order to stave off grief.  We pray for many things; why not pray for something that God is compelled to answer on account of the promise of His very Word: for His teaching to become our delight and for the understanding we need to apply and follow it?  This alone will displace our love of the world and the things of the world and the sin which so easily entangles us!
     Let Your kingdom come Lord, let Your will be done Lord, on earth and in my life as it is done in the heavens and will be throughout eternity! 
Here is a song I hope you will find to be a blessing!

Jewish Publication Society, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1985), Ps 119:73–80.

Teth -- Psalm 119:65-72 -- Advent Blog Day 9

"Teth" or "Tet" is the ninth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  It makes a "T" sound with your tongue on the back of your teeth, kind of like a hard "Th".  In a similar fashion to some of the other Hebrew letters we have looked at, scholars have debated on the conceptual meaning of Teth but generally understand to realize Teth symbolizes a snake or a knot.  It is not hard to look at this letter and see a snake, although the earlier form of this letter really looked more like a chariot wheel.  The text states,
        
         You have treated Your servant well, according to Your word, O LORD.
         Teach me good sense and knowledge, for I have put my trust in Your commandments.
         Before I was humbled I went astray, but now I keep Your word.
         You are good and beneficent; teach me Your laws.
         Though the arrogant have accused me falsely, I observe Your precepts wholeheartedly.
         Their minds are thick like fat; as for me, Your teaching is my delight.
         It was good for me that I was humbled, so that I might learn Your laws.
         I prefer the teaching You proclaimed to thousands of gold and silver pieces.

     What an interesting octet of verses!  Five of the eight verses begin with the word "good" or "tov" in Hebrew.  Do we really understand that God always treats us well, in accordance with His Word?  Conceptually I understand this idea because I know the kind of person I am and know very well how I truly deserve to be treated by God.  Spiritual spankings do not even begin to describe what I deserve from God on a regular basis; and yet, right here it clearly states in the English and in the Hebrew that God treats us well--far better than we actually deserve--in strict accordance with His own Word!  In a likewise fashion, how many of us think we have good sense and knowledge and never even crack the pages of our Bible to look for true wisdom and knowledge?  Proverbs states, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Prov 1:7 ESV)  The same word is used in Proverbs and this Psalm for knowledge and are directly related.  God's Word and the proper respect and fear of Him is the only source of good sense and knowledge. 
     The Psalmist states twice that it was good for him to be humbled, or forcibly bowed low to the ground.  There may be some people who read or study something and it just "clicks" for them.  I find, however, that I generally need to be humbled in order for the lesson to really take root.  It may be my stubbornness or my rebellious heart but I regularly need to have my face "rubbed in it" and it appears the Psalmist may have been the same way.  We often shake our fist at God and puff ourselves up when the humbling comes, but right here it plainly states the positive effect of being humbled far outweighs the act itself for through it our hearts are turned back to following God's laws and learning them even better.  The Bible says, "For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned." (Romans 12:3 ESV)


     1 John 2:15-17 states, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.  And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."  Here is where the concept of the snake comes in.  The desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the "boastful pride of life"--here translated the pride in possessions--all constrict us and devour us like a snake if we do not hold them in check.  Like a snake lying in wait, the lies of the Adversary and the urges of our own flesh lay low until we threaten to throw them out or they see and opportunity too good to miss--and then they strike!  All of these ideas are portrayed in this stanza from the Psalms: "until You humbled me, I went astray" there is the pride of life, "I prefer your teaching to thousands of gold and silver pieces" there is the lust of the eyes, "teach me good sense and [genuine] knowledge", it is not too much a stretch to see the combat of the lust of the flesh here (especially in light of the discussion of wisdom in Proverbs 1-8).
     Eating too much, drinking too much, buying and spending too much on material goods and satisfactions, etc, etc, (and I might add burying yourself in "spiritual" pursuits to the exclusion of your family and in such a manner God is left out) all distract you and I and I myself will admit to fighting these urges all too often.  And I do not always win either.  Once again here we see that God's Word and His active handling of us and our submission to it is the only antidote to the snake's poison on our lives.  How many of us feel like we are tied in knots?  See above for untangling instructions!  Let us be filled with God's Holy Spirit and the meat of His Word and let them both have their desired effect in our lives!  Let us open the gates of our hearts, rid ourselves of the garbage of the world and our lusts and let in the King of Glory!  And let us pray for one another and confess our sins that we may be healed . . . far be it from me that I should sin by not praying for you!
I really encourage you to listen to this song--it will bless you!

The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), 1 Jn 2:15–17.

Heth -- Psalm 119:57-64 -- Advent Blog Day 8

"Heth" or "Het" is the eighth letter of the Hebrew alphabet and makes a "kh" (a hard "h") sound.  The Heth is said to resemble a fence or a stone for making fences and conceptually means "fence" or "boundary".  The text reads:

       The LORD is my portion; I have resolved to keep Your words.
       I have implored You with all my heart; have mercy on me, in accordance with Your promise.
       I have considered my ways, and have turned back to Your decrees.
       I have hurried and not delayed to keep Your commandments.
       Though the bonds of the wicked are coiled round me, I have not neglected Your teaching.
       I arise at midnight to praise You for Your just rules.
       I am a companion to all who fear You, to those who keep Your precepts.
       Your steadfast love, O LORD, fills the earth; teach me Your laws.

     I believe the first line of this stanza has the potential to change everything about the way we view life.  Ask yourself, "what do I believe I will get out of life?"  In my own life, I have discovered that what I believe I will get out of life drives what I do in life--even if it is only on the subconscious level.  You see, if I believe I will get pleasure out of life, I pursue pleasure; if I believe I will obtain knowledge and skill, I pursue information and practice those skills in which I take greatest enjoyment or see the best potential for being really good; if I am worried about making ends meet, I work harder (just for what it is worth, I was at work until 11PM one night this week and almost 10PM another).  If we are thinking about the concept of a "hedge or fence" or "stacking one stone upon another" what do our lives demonstrate we are doing?  What does our daily or weekly routine give as the answer to this question?  The writer of this Psalm, and indeed the writers of all of the Scriptures, unanimously opine that the LORD Himself is our portion, inheritance, and what we get in the end.  As He is the creator of everything--He made it for Himself, by Himself, and to the glory of Himself--each one of us whether or not we belive will receive the LORD as our portion.  Some of us for life eternal with Him, and some for "the second death" eternally apart from Him.  However, this fact should drive us to the pursuit of learning, studying, and keeping His Laws as the Psalmist states.
     Just look at the references in this stanza to how the Psalmist relates to the LORDS commands, laws, and teachings!  One gets the impression that the Psalmist is almost like a pet tied to the stake of the LORDS commands and no matter where he goes he is completely tied to them and his boundaries derive all of their integrity from them.  The Bible also says that one who's life is fixed up on God's commands is like a ship securely anchored against the strongest gale, while the one without the stability of God's commands is like a ship driven headlong into the waves and about to founder.  The old hymn states, "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name" and also, "On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand!"  The theme of this hymn is tied to our Scripture when we realize that Jesus Christ Himself is the very "Logos" or Word of God.  We can supplant the name "Jesus" for every word in this stanza referenced to the Scriptures and be totally in line with what this stanza is trying to get across.    
     You know, the reality of God and His Law is inescapable and completely governs our lives and indeed everything in this universe.  Why is it I can see this and yet my mind and body so kick against the goads of this truth?  The Apostle Paul had the same question when he said, "Wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this body of death?  Thanks be to Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:24-25a ESV)  I so long for the day in which I can wholeheartedly serve God in the way I know I should, and yet in this life seem so unable to do.
     And so in closing, may you come to realize the full implication on every aspect of your life that the LORD is your portion--in one way or another; may you come to fence in your life with the boundaries of God's Word and build your life one stone after another on the truths contained therein.  May you come to cherish the Scriptures as your sole source of life and engergy and never be out of sight of God's commands and precepts!  And perhaps most importantly, may you be fixed upon the rock that never fails--the Lord Jesus Christ Himself!

Here is a song to accompany this post!

Jewish Publication Society, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1985), Ps 119:57–64.

Zayin -- Psalm 119:49-56 -- Advent Blog Day 7

The seventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet is "Zayin".  It makes a "Z" sound like in "Zebra".  Scholars are somewhat divided on what this letter symbolizes as the word "Zayin" does not occur in the Hebrew Scriptures; however, best guesses are that it symbolizes a weapon of some sort due to its shape and the fact it is closely related to the Hebrew word for "hand" (conceptually, a weapon is an extension of one's hand).  Here is what this passage reads:
         Remember Your word to Your servant through which You have given me hope.
         This is my comfort in my affliction, that Your promise has preserved me.
         Though the arrogant have cruelly mocked me, I have not swerved from Your teaching.
         I remember Your rules of old, O LORD, and find comfort in them.
         I am seized with rage because of the wicked who forsake Your teaching.
         Your laws are a source of strength to me wherever I may dwell.
         I remember Your name at night, O LORD, and obey Your teaching.
         This has been my lot, for I have observed Your precepts.
     I would admit that I really struggled with this passage and that the "light bulb" did not come on for quite a while.  This morning, however, the Holy Spirit showed me a few things I hope will be a blessing to you.  Three lines of this stanza begin with the Hebrew word "Zachar".  It is a verb meaning "remember" and this is illustrated in the name of the Hebrew prophet Zechariah which means "Yahweh remembers."  There are few things as powerful in our lives as remembering what God has done for us and also remembering what He has spoken in His word.  Both of these thoughts are echoed in the above verses.  God's Character  + God's Word = Security and Assurance.  These things are powerful weapons to defeat whatever lies the enemy is sending our direction.  They are powerful weapons to use against our flesh when it rises up and tries to carry us off into whatever fleshly excess it is craving at the moment.
     I really struggled last night in terms of gratifying my own flesh.  I have been trying to push some things out of my life that have not benefited either myself or my family and neither really my spiritual growth and walk with God.  My flesh really cried out yesterday evening.  I spent a lot of time while I was working (I was at the shop until about 9:30 PM trying to finish a car) crying out to God for succor and relief.  I began to thank Him for what He has revealed to us in His Word and while I can't tell you the desires went completely away, I can report I was able to resist and stand firm as God has promised we may if we stand in Him and not in our own power (see Ephesians 6, 1 Corinthians 10, and most of the Psalms).  The Apostle Paul aptly states, "For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh bu have divine power to destroy strongholds.  We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
     It is very interesting also that three other lines of this stanza begin with the word "This".  This is interesting in this manner.  The Psalmist says, "[You] Remember" and then, "I remember, I remember."  He follows up this thought by saying that the act of his remembering what God's Word has said and God's remembering of him has given him comfort (vs 50), become songs for him (vs 54 -- "source of strength" can also be "become songs for me" and is translated that way in many versions), and again he states God's Word has become a source of strength for him (vs 56).  We may summarize: God's Word + Remembering = a powerful weapon indeed!
     Hebrews 4:12 states, "For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of the soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."  (ESV)  If the aforementioned things are True (and they are), why do we go about defeated so much of the time?  Why not take up the weapon we have been given and take some of the victory God has already given us through His Word and the validation of His Word through the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ!  Thanks be to God our Father and His Son the Lord Jesus Christ!

Jewish Publication Society, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1985), Ps 119:48–56.
The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), 2 Co 10:3–5.
Here is a song to accompany this post.

Vav -- Advent Blog Day 6 -- Psalm 119:41-48

The sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is the letter "Vav".  You may also find it pronounced as "Waw" depending on which Hebrew grammar you look at, but the most recent grammars pronounce this letter as having a "V" sound.  The letter Vav represents the Hebrew word "and" and is attached to words as a prefix to introduce a sentence, thought, etc.  Vav is also a word that is used once in the book of Exodus to denote a hook, peg, or pin of some kind for which to hang various things in the tabernacle (Exodus 26:32, 37).  So we may think of this letter as a hook specifically for hanging things in service to the Lord.  The text reads as follows:
        
         May Your steadfast love reach me, O LORD, Your deliverance, as You have promised.
         I shall have an answer for those who taunt me, for I have put my trust in Your word.
         Do not utterly take the truth away from my mouth, for I have put my hope in Your rules.
         I will always obey Your teaching, forever and ever.
         I will walk about at ease, for I have turned to Your precepts.
         I will speak of Your decrees, and not be ashamed in the presence of kings.
         I will delight in Your commandments, which I love.
         I reach out for Your commandments, which I love; I study Your laws.

     Each line of the Hebrew text begins with the use of Vav meaning "and": and let your love reach me, and I shall have an answer, and do not take the truth from my mouth, etc.  I think the necessary thing to do is to look at the preceding verse for this stanza and see what the fuss is all about, so-to-speak!  Verse 40 reads, "See, I have longed for Your precepts, by Your righteousness preserve me."  One way to think about this stanza might be to look at it in terms of asking a question: "What will longing after God's precepts and being preserved in God's righteousness do for me?".  In order to answer this question put the word "and" in front of each verse in this stanza and you will have your answer.  The startling truth is there is incalculable value in longing for God's Word and His righteousness.  Jesus Himself said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." (Matthew 5:6 ESV).  I would admit to purchasing a large amount of musical equipment and never finding what I was looking for; in actuality, I am still on the hunt if I was truly honest with you.  Now think about what it is in your own life that you are after and then realize: the Bible says that NOTHING will ever satisfy us except God's Word and Jesus Christ (see the conversation with the Samaritan woman in John 4)!  The astounding thing is, the only thing that can satisfy you REALLY WILL satisfy you in a big way!  This is a truth you can hang your life on!
     I really like verse 45: "I will walk about at ease, for I have turned to Your precepts!"  Wow!  There is another truth one can hang their life on.  It reminds me of Jesus saying, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His work" (John 4:34) and also "The Son can do nothing of His own accord, but only what He sees His Father doing.  For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise" (John 5:19).  How often do we truly walk about at ease?  90% of the time?  50% of the time?  2%?  The Bible says that we will be able to carry on our life journey with 100% ease (mentally and spiritually speaking) if we completely turn to God's Word and make it the sum total of who we are.  That is a pretty amazing statement indeed and something I desperately need!
     My last thought involves the final verse of this stanza: "I reach out for Your commandments, which I love; I study Your laws."  The Holy Spirit reminded me this morning when I read this verse that this verse is illustrating a physical position of worship.  But look at the direct object of our worship in this verse: it is the Word of God!  Another Wow!  I have never seen another statement like this in the Bible.  The Bible says that the ideal frame of mind is that in which we clamor for with outstretched arms trying desperately to catch a grasp of God's commandments--which we are to ideally love (nay, we are commanded to!).  I have seen footage of people trying to catch just a touch of a rock star, a car, a celebrity, a politician, and on and on.  How many of us are like that for God's Word?  See what Paul had to say in 2 Corinthians 5:13: "for if we are beside ourselves it is for God; if we are in our right mind it is for you." (ESV)  Let us pray for the Holy Spirit to develop within us a longing for the Word of God like this idealized picture!  Let us hang our lives on the Word of God to this extent and embrace the "ands" of hungering after God's Word and His righteousness.

Here is a song to accompany this entry. Enjoy!

Jewish Publication Society, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1985), Ps 119:40–48.

Advent Blog Day 5 -- He' -- Psalm 119:33-40

The fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is the letter He' (pronounced Hey!).  The meaning of this letter is somewhat debated, but the best guess I have seen is that it refers to one's breathing and breath as you must breath out when saying this letter.  As such, it can be inferred to represent the essence of something.  It is also the Hebrew definite article "the" and is used for emphasis.  Our section of Psalms reads as follows:

         Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your laws; I will observe them to the utmost.
         Give me understanding, that I may observe Your teaching and keep it wholeheartedly.
         Lead me in the path of Your commandments, for that is my concern.
         Turn my heart to Your decrees and not to love of gain.
         Avert my eyes from seeing falsehood; by Your ways preserve me.
         Fulfill Your promise to Your servant, which is for those who worship You.
         Remove the taunt that I dread, for Your rules are good.
         See, I have longed for Your precepts; by Your righteousness preserve me.

     It is interesting that the first line begins "Teach me, Yahweh"!  How many times have we addressed God in this fashion?  For my own part, I can not think of a time I addressed the Father in this fashion!  And why shouldn't we, for He is our Father and the source of all good things.  The Scriptures again and again urge us to speak to our heavenly Father and ask for the things we need.  What could we need that is more pertinent to our everday live than a longing for God's Word such as this Psalmist exhibits.
     This thought leads to the second thing I observe: how stridently the Psalmist desires to have the understanding of, and the keeping of God's Word.  Look at the language: "I will observe the way of your laws to the utmost"; "I will observe Your teaching and keep it wholeheartedly"; "the path of Your commandments is my concern"; "I have longed for Your precepts".  It almost seems as with every breath the whole being of the Psalmist--his very essence--utterly desires to know and keep God's commands.  Would that we had the same attitude and longing!
     I think the middle verses of this stanza are extremely important to a wholeness of being that pleases God and brings Him honor: a heart that turns away from the love of gain to God's decrees and eyes that do not behold falsehood.  Being self-employed, the love of gain and opportunities for falsehood cross my path almost minute by minute sometimes.  The Bible again and again tells us to not envy the wicked but to seek after and obey God not matter the cost in this life.  These verses are a reminder for me for the purpose of this journey to begin with--to weed out what is holding me back from wholeheartedly serving and desiring Christ and getting rid of that which is not beneficial to me.  Particularly this stanza reminds us what is of supreme value for us and what we should exhale from our lives in order to inhale the Word of God.

Here is a song to go with this devotion

Jewish Publication Society, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1985), Ps 119:33–40.

Advent Blog Day 4, Daleth -- Pslam 119:25-32

The fourth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is the letter "Daleth".  The Hebrew word "daleth" refers to "the thing you draw" and references a "door" which you draw to let someone in or after you when you go out.  It is also used figuratively of the lips as the door to one's mouth.  An example of this representation may be found in Psalm 141:3.  Remember to keep in mind that each line of the Hebrew text begins with a word begun by this letter:
         My soul clings to the dust; revive me in accordance with Your word.
         I have declared my way, and You have answered me; train me in Your laws.
         Make me understand the way of Your precepts, that I may study Your wondrous acts.
         I am racked with grief; sustain me in accordance with Your word.
         Remove all false ways from me; favor me with Your teaching.
         I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set Your rules before me.
         I cling to Your decrees; O LORD, do not put me to shame.
         I eagerly pursue Your commandments, for You broaden my understanding.
     It is interesting that only three different words begin the lines of the Hebrew text: the verbs "cling" and "racked with grief" (its actually a verb in the Hebrew literally meaning "to melt away" or "to pour forth as water") and the noun "way".  Each of the verbs reference a state of extreme sorrow.  The first clause of verse 25 could be rendered "my self-identity, my inner being with its thoughts and emotions is inextricably linked with the dust of the earth in utter defeat and humiliation."  Likewise, the first clause of verse 28 could read "my self-identity, my inner being with its thoughts and emotions is being poured out in complete sorrow, grief, and great loss like water running out of a colander."  Both verses reveal the Psalmist to be very very sorrowful.
     If you spend any time at all reading the Psalms or perusing the life stories of the major characters in the Bible you will find heaps and heaps of sorrow and grief.  Jesus Himself showed sorrow on many occasions and was even counted "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" by the prophet Isaiah.  The Apostle Paul frequently states his great sorrow and concern over the churches he has ministered to.  How often we too find ourselves in this same mental and spiritual state brought on by our humanity and its ongoing effects in and around our lives!  In each case, however, the cure is the power and reality of God's Word and the total necessity to get it into our hearts and minds!  We must "open the door" so-to-speak of our hearts and minds and get It into us.  The effects mentioned here are revival, sustaining, and the removal of shame.  This thought is climaxed in the book of Revelation when Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears My voice and opens the door I will come into him and eat with him and he with Me." (Revelation 3:20)
     In the other five verses of this stanza our "D" word is "derek" which means "path, journey, or way."  When we go out and close the door behind us this is what we follow.  The Psalmist is deeply concerned with supplanting his own "false ways" with God's teaching and in hotly pursuing the ways of God as revealed in His Word.  Jesus echoed this desired when He said, "enter by the narrow gate, because broad is the gate and spacious is the road that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it, because narrow is the gate, and constricted is the road that leads to life, and there are few who find it!" (Matthew 7:13-14)   The worldview informed by the Bible insists that the only way to conduct the course of one's life and the only way to live and behave everywhere we go and are is the way in complete conformity to the paths described, delineated, and decreed in the Scriptures!  As the Psalmist says, "I cling to, or am inextricably linked, with Your decrees!"  That is the path Jesus spoke of in the passage in Matthew.
     As we close I pray that we may seek the solace and succor of God's Word when we find our inner being clinging to the dust or being poured out like water.  May we so link the path of our lives with the path of God's Word that we can't see where one ends and one begins!  May we earnestly desire for any falsehood in our lives to be surgically removed by the Holy Spirit and the scrubbing action of the Word of God!  May our hearts soar as we study the myriad of God's wonderful acts, and may both our comings and goings be marked by the presence of the Living God in the form of His Spirit and His Word!

Here is a song to accompany this meditation

Jewish Publication Society, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1985), Ps 119:25–32.

W. Hall Harris, III, The Lexham English Bible (Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2010), Mt 7:13–14.

Gimmel -- Psalm 119:17-24 Advent Blog Day 3

The third letter of the Hebrew alphabet is the letter "Gimmel".  It is said that the neck of a camel resembles this letter and it so happens that the noun Gamal means "camel".  We all know that camels are definitely fitted for desert travel with their on-board water storage systems, high traction feet, and weird jointed knees.  In the Hebrew Scriptures, the camel was an animal of high value (for the aforementioned qualities minus the knee bit) used for riding and as a beast of burden but was forbidden for food (likely for its evil disposition -- no not really, see Leviticus 11:4).  It is also interesting to note that the verb Gamal means "recompense" denoting the idea of bringing to completion, rewarding (for good or bad), or dealing bountifully.  This last meaning is seen clearly in the text, to which we now turn:
        
         Deal kindly with Your servant, that I may live to keep Your word.
         Open my eyes, that I may perceive the wonders of Your teaching.
         I am only a sojourner in the land; do not hide Your commandments from me.
         My soul is consumed with longing for Your rules at all times.
         You blast the accursed insolent ones who stray from Your commandments.
         Take away from me taunt and abuse, because I observe Your decrees.
         Though princes meet and speak against me, Your servant studies Your laws.
         For Your decrees are my delight, my intimate companions.

     I am struck immediately by the first verse: "Deal kindly with Your servant, that I may live to keep Your word."  If someone were to ask anyone "Why should I let you live?" you can imagine the answers that might be given: everything from "true love" (remember the movie?) to "but I have to do/go/be . . . fill in the blank."  The writer of this Psalm, however, says that he must be allowed to live--and indeed begs God to deal bountifully with him--for the sole reason that he might keep on keeping God's Word!  Again, wow!  This shock is even more amazing when one considers that this outlook on life is not "strange" or only for the "really dedicated disciple" but is considered to be the normative outlook on life!  This means we are all a bunch of weirdos for not thinking this way.
     The second verse is one of my favorite verses in the Bible for it is a prayer for God to "open our eyes that we may perceive the wonders of Your teaching".  The fact is God's Word is wonderful and contains astounding wonders for the one who would open its pages and take it in.  If the God of Heaven, the Lord of Heaven's Armies, the Alpha and Omega wishes to make Himself known to us through the pages of the Bible it would be wise for the one approaching it to pray that our finite eyes be opened each day of our journey through life so that we may catch a glimpse of, observe, take note of, and be amazed at the infinite! 
     One can go for a long time without food, but only for a short while without water--especially in the presence of strenuous activity.  The Bible often refers to itself with "water" motifs.  It is the indispensable piece of equipment we must carry with us on our journey through life.  Much like the camel is the perfect means of desert transport (it doesn't need a road remember) God's Word is the living source of nourishment for that part of us that will never die as we fulfill our role as sojourners in a country that is not our final destination.  We may find, as the Psalmist apparently did, we suffer taunts, abuse, and even intrigue and betrayal from our insistence on relying only on God's Word and for the time we spend in encaptured by it, but God's laws and decrees are to be our "intimate companions."  Woe unto us for making eBay, Craigslist, and other such things our intimate companions and not the very word of the Living God!
     So may God's Word capture our hearts and take us prisoner.  May we live out our days enthralled with the wonders of God's Teachings and Decrees!  When we pack our bags and hit the road of life may we take along our only trustworthy traveling companion--not the camel--but God's Word!  May we not be satisfied by the surface and eagerly look for the wonders and delights found therein.  May we not forget that we are indeed "strangers in a strange land" and that this world is not our home.


     Here is a link to a song I think fits with this entry.

Jewish Publication Society, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1985), Ps 119:16–24.

Beth - Psalm 119:9-16

The second letter of the Hebrew alphabet is the letter Beth.  "Beth" is also Hebrew for "house": the building and the household in it.  Thus, the familiar place name Bethel means "House of God"-- Beth = house and El = God.  Bethlehem means "house of bread" and it is interesting that Jesus, born in Bethlehem, referred to Himself as the "Bread come down from Heaven".  Our second section of Psalms 119 reads:
        
         How can a young man keep his way pure?— by holding to Your word.
         I have turned to You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commandments.
         In my heart I treasure Your promise; therefore I do not sin against You.
         Blessed are You, O LORD; train me in Your laws.
         With my lips I rehearse all the rules You proclaimed.
         I rejoice over the way of Your decrees as over all riches.
         I study Your precepts; I regard Your ways;
         I take delight in Your laws; I will not neglect Your word.


     Every line of the Hebrew text begins with the preposition "B" or "in" except for verse 11 which begins as in English with the word "Baruch" or "blessed."  Thinking of the concept of the house, this is extremely interesting because this Psalm sets up the very Scriptures themselves as the dwelling place for the Psalmist and by extension the one reading the Psalm.  Biblically speaking, then, we are to make the dwelling place for our lives in the Word of God.  The Bible says that if we do this, we will not sin against God and the characteristics of our lifestyle (our way) will be pure, or free of impurity and sin. 
     It fascinates me that the Bible actually says it is possible to not sin!  Two verses here clearly state this proposition and this motif is found often in the writings of the Apostle Paul and the Apostle John.  1 John 2:1 says, "My little children, I am writing these things to you that you might not sin" but he continues, "but if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."  What a great God we serve who graciously provides a mechanism for not sinning--the treasuring of His Word in our heart and its effectual power in our lives--but in almost the same breath has made provision for when we fail!  No other god has done or can do such a thing as our God! 
     There is a recent Gatorade slogan that says, "Is It In You?".  These verses seem to be saying the same thing way before Gatorade ever came on the scene.  When is the last time you rehearsed all of God's Rules with your lips?  How diligently do you study His precepts and regard His ways?  How much of a treasure is God's Word to your heart?  Do you think of its value to you when you are tempted to sin?  Do you know enough of God's Word that it has any impact on your daily path?  Does it keep your way free from guile and impurity?  Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied" (Matt 5:6). 
     Let us pray that we too may be satisfied by living in God's Word.  Let's take some time to bless God for His marvelous Word and its ability to keep us from sin.  Let's pray that we may hunger and thirst after His Word and its effectual righteousness in our lives as much as the Psalmist.  Let us make Him and His Word "All to Us"!

Jewish Publication Society, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1985), Ps 119:8–16.

Link to a song for this devotion

Aleph -- Psalm 119:1-8

The first letter of the Hebrew alphabet is the Aleph.  Originally, this character was shaped rather like the head of an ox but it changed to its present shape after the exile to Babylon in 586 B.C.  Biblical Hebrew does not use numerals and each letter is assigned a numerical value.  The Aleph, then, represents the number 1 and represents an ox or symbolically, strength.  Let us bring these ideas with us to the text (keep in mind that each line in the Hebrew text begins with the letter Aleph):

          Happy are those whose way is blameless, who follow the teaching of the LORD.
          Happy are those who observe His decrees, who turn to Him wholeheartedly.
          They have done no wrong, but have followed His ways.
          You have commanded that Your precepts be kept diligently.
          Would that my ways were firm in keeping Your laws;
          then I would not be ashamed when I regard all Your commandments.
          I will praise You with a sincere heart as I learn Your just rules.
          I will keep Your laws; do not utterly forsake me.

     Verses 5 and 6 stand out to me right way: "Would that my ways were firm in keeping Your laws; then I would not be ashamed when I regard all Your commandments."  In this instance "were firm" is a verb and not an adjective.  The verb carries the meaning of "made to stand upright; fixed or steadfast."  Our lives will never be made fast until our lives are fixed upon the keeping of Yahweh's laws.  Psalm 40:9 says, "to do what pleases You, my God, is my desire; Your teaching is in my inmost parts."  The Biblical ideal is for God's Word to be so entrenched in our heart that EVERYTHING in our life is colored by it and is filtered through it.  The Bible says that if this is true we will not only be fixed and steadfast, but also we will not be ashamed when the truth of the Scriptures reveals what is really inside our hearts (see 2 Tim 2:15 and Heb 4:12)
     I am also caught by the verbs: God's Word is to be followed, observed, turned to, kept, regarded, and learned.  Each verb has a subtle nuance differentiating it from the next and all are fashioned so there is no loophole with regard to our relationship to God's teachings, decrees, ways, precepts, laws, commandments, and rules.  God's Word cannot have first place among a list of several or many things; it claims that is must be the only thing on the list and everything else in our lives emanates from it!
     Finally, verse 1 says, "Happy are those whose way is blameless".  The word for blameless also means whole, complete, upright, righteous, and describes relationships.  Most curiously, in over half of its uses in the Old Testament it also refers to an animal sacrificed as an offering to the Lord.  Remember, the pre-eminent offering was that of an unblemished bull--or ox!  Metaphorically, "way" refers to the entire path of our life.  One can almost read this verse to say: "Happy are those whose entire life journey or path is sacrificed to the LORD and are made whole, complete, and upright by following His teachings."  Wow!
     Let us spend some time confessing our lack of putting God's Word in the place it should occupy in our lives and reinvest ourselves in making the Bible the foundation and strength for our lives.  As often as I can, I'm going to include a song you can play to prepare your heart or to help you focus as you meditate on these Scriptures.  Turn to Him wholeheartedly and resolve to make His statues, laws, and decrees your all!


** Author's Note: I am going to use the JPS Tanakh as the source for the Old Testament Scripture in these blog entries.  The JPS Tanakh is a Jewish translation of the Masoretic Text into modern English.  Jewish Publication Society, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1985), Ps 119:1–8.

Link to a song for this devotion

Prolegomena - First Things for the Advent Series

The Apostle Paul wrote, "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything." (1 Corinthians 6:12) I believe we who call ourselves Christians often use these verses to get ourselves off the hook for all sorts of activities. However, I feel like we sometimes forget the included principles of "profitable" and the clause of "mastered by anything." If we insert the meaning of the Greek phrases this verse could be re-written, "All things are permissible for me, but not all things make me better off. All things are permissible for me, but I will not be ruled over by anything as if it were a king." Given the confines of the First Commandment (Exodus 20:3-6), anything at all in our lives that we think about or allow to have more influence over us than God or His Word has become for us a king and we have fallen short of the principle of 1 Corinthians 6:12.

This idea carries the principle behind this series of meditations for Advent. I have been struggling in an area of my life for several years and only last week made a separation. It has not been an activity considered "sin" in the classical sense and one in which I have even used Scripture to defend on many occasions. However, the Holy Spirit showed me that I was not "better off" but worse and that in many ways it had begun to rule over me as if it were a king. The Holy Spirit used this last facet to finally break open my eyes to my need to replace it with something of true worth.

Sociologists say it takes 21 days to break a habit. They also say that if you stop something or remove it from your life you have to replace it with something else in its place to have the best chance of success. Jesus seemed to hint at this fact through His remarks in Luke 11:24-26.

I believe nothing else in the whole world has greater value to this end than the Word of God. Psalms 138:2 says "You have exalted above all things Your Name and Your Word." Other translations render this thought that God has exalted His Word above even His name. This fact should startle us given the jealousy God repeatedly demonstrates throughout the entirety of the Scriptures.

Given the need for at least 21 days the Holy Spirit sent me to Psalm 119. It has 22 stanzas meditating on the supreme value and worth of God's Word. Each stanza is centered on one letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It is interesting to note that Hebrew letters have their own meaning and are not simply vocalic consonants (several do act as vowels). In this fashion Hebrew shares some facets of graphic languages like Chinese and some facets of simpler phonetically written languages like English. This component of Hebrew is probably impossible to carry over in translation but provides great "spice" if you will to the potential meaning if we take the time to meditate on the Scriptures as we are indeed commanded to.

Advent is a Church season in which the Church readies itself for the arrival of the King on Christmas Day. What better way to prepare ourselves for His arrival than to rid ourselves of the things we put in the King's stead and replace them with the one thing the King holds more dearly than anything else? Jesus Himself said, "Heaven and Earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away" (Luke 21:33) and also, "Sanctify them in the Truth--Your Word is Truth." (John 17:17)

In summary, my goals for the Advent series is twofold: 1) sweep the houses of our lives of the dirt and dust of our lives, and 2) put into our lives in its place something of supreme worth to make our hearts and minds a suitable dwelling place for the arrival of The King. I am on this quest myself and my prayer is that we may be mutually edified, "coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God [and] built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:3-5)

Approaching God in Prayer

Maybe you agree and maybe you will not; nevertheless, what D.A. Carson has to say will certainly make you think. This is an excerpt from the chapter "The Strange Triumph of a Slaughtered Lamb: Revelation 12" from the book Scandalous: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus (Wheaton: Crossway, 2010).

"Do you ever have a day that runs something like this? You get up in the morning; it is drizzly and hot, and the air conditioner is broken. You reac hfor a clean, fresh pair of socks, and you can't find two that match. You stub your toe on that nail sticking out of the wall that you knew you shold have fixed about three years ago. You cut yourself while you are shaving. You stumble down to breakfast, and that day your wife is going out for a special meeting with her friends and has not done anything. You go out to the car, put your key in the ignition, and it will not start. You knew that you should have had the battery checked, and it is deader than a dodo. You get to work late, and people are saying rude things about you. Then your boss says, "Have you finished that report yet? You're stahying late tonight if you haven't." The whole day unfolds in one endless set of mini-irritants.

You have the opportunity to speak to some non-Christian friends--a neighbor, someone over the back fence, someone at the gas station--and you are already in such a sour frame that when they ask some dumb question about religion, you answer with a kind of curtness and condescending wit that leaves them shriveled up in a pile of embarrassment. You feel guilty, but you have done it now. Eventually you return home, and your wife has cooked the disgusting stew that your children like and that you detest. You cannot be civil to her, and she cannot be civil to you. The kids that night are not behaving particularly well. Your wife wants you to do a job, and you want to watch football.

Finally it is time for bed at the end of this long day, and your prayer runs something like this: "Dear God, this has been a rotten day. I'm not very proud of myself, I'm frankly ashamed. But I really don't have anything to say. I'm sorry I have not done better. Forgive my sin. Bless everybody in the world. Your will be done. In Jesus' name, Amen."

But then a few days later you wake up to find the air refreshingly cool. The sun is shining, the windows are open, the fresh air is wafting through the screen, and you hear the birds singing. You smell something delightful: "Bacon! I can't believe it! I wonder what the celebration is?" You get up and reach for clean socks and feel full of energy. You're whistling as you wash in the bathroom and then have a wonderful quiet time with your spouse. You eat a hearty breakfast and then go out to your car, put the key in the ignition, and VROOM!--the car starts right up and takes off. You get to work early. Everybody commends your industriousness and intelligence in the way you discharge your duties. Your boss says, "Wonderful to see you today! Did I tell you that you are going to get a raise? You did such a great job on that contract."

Now you come across that same person at the gas station, and wonder of wonders the poor brute actually asks you another question. This time, however, you respond with wisdom, tact, gentleness, understanding, courtesy, insight, and kindness. Lo and behold, he promises to come to church with you this coming Sunday. Then you arrive home, and there is a joyous family dinner. The kids are bhaving and you have intimate conversation with your wife while the two of you clean the dishes.

Finally, at the end of that day you get down to pray, and your prayer goes something like this: "Eternal and matchless God, we bow in your glorious presence with brokenness and gratitude. We bless you that in your infinite grace you have poured favor on us. We are not worthy of the least of your mercies. . ." And now you go on and on in flowery theological language. You thank God for all the things in the day, and then you pray for missionaries and their children and for cousins twice removed. Then you start praying for everyone you can think of in your church, and then you meditate on all the names of Christ that you can think of in Scripture. An hour goes by, and you go to bed and fall instantly asleep. Indeed, you go to sleep--justified.

On which of these two occasions have you fallen into the dreadful trap of pragmatism? God help us: the sad reality is that both approaches to God are abominations. How dare you approach the mercy-seat of God on the basis of what kind of day you had, as if that were the basis for our entrance into the presence of the sovereign and holy God? No wonder we cannot beat the Devil. This is works theology. It has nothing to do with grace and the exclusive sufficiency of Christ. Nothing.

Do you not understand that we overcome the accuser on the ground of the blood of Christ? Nothing more, nothing less. That is how we win. It is the only way we win. This is the only ground of our acceptance before God. If you drift far from the cross you are done. You are defeated. We overcome the accuser of our brothers and sisters, we overcome our consciences, we overcome our bad tempers, we overcome our defeats, we overcome our lusts, we overcome our fears, we overcome our pettiness on the basis of the blood of the Lamb. We dare to approach a holy God praying in Jesus' name, appealing to the blood of the Lamb."

The Beautiful Exchange

The mechanism of my previous post is the exchange Christ made with on the cross. Good Friday is the real Independence Day for those who proclaim Jesus as Lord. Check out this video from the new Hillsong Album:

Yes You Can't

Perhaps the irony is not lost in the fact that the writer of a blog entitled "With Everything" would find "everything" competing for thinking and writing time. So I do apologize for not keeping up with the task set before me and being so divided. In this I would ask the prayer of those perusing this small nook of the internet for clarity of focus and dedication to the pursuit of Truth that the Holy Spirit has lain on my heart.

I have been meditating this week on a passage of Scripture found in the book of 2 Corinthians. This is what the Bible says, "But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?" (2 Corinthians 2:14-16, ESV). The Apostle Paul concludes his thought a few verses by stating, "Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life" (2 Corinthians 3:5-6, ESV).

Think about your past week in light of this Scriptural promise; no matter what your week was like, the Bible says that in the midst of it God in Christ was leading you in a triumphal procession and spreading the fragrant aroma of Christ to God to those around you! This is a stunning claim -- for me, this passage comes in the light of the unexpected and sudden diagnosis and subsequent death of a dear friend and man I deeply admired, John Miles. However, our own perception of reality does not negate the Truth of what the Bible says is our actual reality "In Christ."

The picture given here by the Apostle is that of a Roman triumphal procession given for the populace by a victorious general or emperor. The conquering official would lead a procession to the Senate consisting of the captured leader, captured men and women and children, animals, possessions, captured religious tokens, etc. This spectacle was designed to humiliate the defeated and to exalt the victorious. The surviving "Arch of Titus" in Rome depicts the victory procession of Hebrew captives and the objects from the temple including the great menorah and other temple treasures following the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem in 70 A.D. This is the idea stated to be a True fact by the Apostle Paul. The Bible says we are always led in triumph by God in Christ.

Furthermore the Bible says that "we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life . . ." Notice that the Bible does not give us a choice in the matter. If we take the name of Christ, this is what God will do with us. Much like one of those plug in air fresheners that is plugged into the wall and then diffuses a scent out of design, we have been plugged into Christ and diffuse a scent. We have no choice in the matter because this is the divine design for each and every human being fashioned in the image of Christ.

But how many of us have let our oil run out? I have an empty plug in air freshener that has been in the wall of my office for probably eight or ten months just cooking away empty. That is probably the picture of many of our lives and certainly my own many times. This is when you and I feel like a failure and are many times tempted to give up. Now here is why the Psalmist wrote, "the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb." (Psalm 19:9-10, NIV)

The Bible simultaneously states that we are an aroma regardless of choice--it is the doing of God Himself--and also that actually are not sufficient for this task. The Apostle Paul asks, "and who is sufficient for these things?" Right now I'm thinking of the movie/cartoon Madagascar and the less than brilliant lemur, Mort, jumping up and down and saying, "Me, me, I'm steak, I'm steak!" (If you have no idea what I'm talking about go and rent Madagascar. You'll thank me for it.)

Even the great Apostle was forced to admit--many more times than just here--that no person is sufficient in and of themselves but that our sufficiency comes directly from God Himself. That should make every one of us jump up and down and shout "Amen!" This Truth is sweeter than the sweetest thing imaginable and more precious than the finest gold.

Yes, you and I can't. We really can't. And this is OK. It is the way things are. And there is nothing you or I can do about it because in and of ourselves we are totally insufficient. Jesus Himself said, "Apart from Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5) But in the same breath the Bible says, "our sufficiency is from God who has made us competent . . ." And we are not competent to be great business people, great fathers and mothers, great sons and daughters, great musicians and lay people, great car mechanics or anything else. We have been made competent ministers of a new covenant. Maybe this is why we feel like failures much of the time --- because we are trying to be competent at things God has not made us competent to be. Am I looking to be minister of the new covenant first, or a competent car mechanic first? This thought can be taken into any realm of life.

I am getting long-winded here so I will close with this thought from D.A. Carson's book Scandalous: The Cross and the Resurrection of Jesus (Wheaton: Crossway, 2010). He writes,

"Christians today will understand that biblically authentic Christianity is never merely a matter of rules and regulations, of public liturgy and private morality. Biblical Christianity results in transformed men and women--men and women who, because of the power of the Spirit of God, enjoy regenerated natures. We want to please God, we want to be holy, we want to confess Jesus is Lord. In short, because of the grace secured by Christ's cross, we ourselves experience something of a transforming moral imperative: the sins we once loved we learn to fear and hate, the obedience and holiness we once despised we no hunger for. God help us, we are woefully inconsistent in all this, but we have already tasted enough of the powers of the age to come that we know what a transforming moral imperative feels like in our lives, and we long for its perfection at the final triumph of Christ."

Yes, you can't. And that is OK. But in Him, you can, and are! Praise be to God in and through Christ Jesus!

The Martyrdom of Ignatius

"Martyr" is a Greek word that means "witness". I find it interesting that our modern-day usage of the word "martyr" comes from the historical fact of Christians being put to death for refusing to recant Christ. After the death of the Apostles through the end of official persecution under the reign of Constantine and the Edict of Milan in A.D. 313 there were no "missionaries" and open-air "evangelistic crusades." Christianity was illegal and these types of activities could not take place. Participation in worship services was restricted to those who had been baptized and whose names were written on the rolls of the local churches. Baptism came three years after conversion and only after thorough education in the doctrines of the church and demonstrated faithfulness to Christ -- often through torture or other abuse. Besides the example of the daily lives of those faithful to Christ, the major event in the life of local church growth was the opportunity to watch the way the Christians faced death. Their demeanor in view of their imminent demise was the "witness" that drew converts to the church.
These days we lightly think of a "martyr" for this or a "martyr" for that. How often have you thought that this cultural idea is literally grounded in the blood of our Christian ancestors? In my class on the history of the Christian Church I have read about several of the notable witnesses of the Christian faith. The first such witness I will post about is Ignatius of Antioch, the Bearer of God. I have taken the text of these posts from Justo L. Gonzalez, The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Present Day (Peabody, MA: Prince Press, 2010).

"About A.D. 107, the elderly bishop of Antioch, Ignatius, was condemned to death by the imperial authorities. Since great festivities were being planned in Rom in celebration of a military victory, Ignatius was sent to the capital so that his death would help amuse the people.

Ignatius was probably born around A.D. 30 or 35 and was well over seventy when his life ended in martyrdom. In his letters, he repeatedly calls himself "the bearer of God" as if this were a title by which he was known--and this is an indication of the high respect in which he was held among Christians. In any case, by the beginning of the second century Ignatius had great presitige in the entire Christian community, because he was bishop (the second after the apostles) of one of hte most ancient churches, that of Antioch.

Nothing is known about the arrest and trial of Ignatius, nor of who it was that brought in an accusation against him. From his letters, it is clear that there were several factions in Antioch, and that the elderly bishop had tenaciously opposed those doctrines he found heretical. It is not clear whether he was accused before the authorities by a pagan, or by a dissident Christian who sought to undo him. In any case, for one reason or another Ignatius was arrested, tried, and condemned to die in Rome.

Somehow, Ignatius had heard that Christians in Rome were considering the possibility of freeing him from death. He did not look upon this with favor. He was ready to seal his witness with his blood, and any move on the part of the Christians in Rome to save him would be an obstacle to his goal. He therefore wrote to them:

"I fear your kindness, which may harm me. You may be able to achieve what you plan. But if you pay no heed to my request it will be very difficult for me to attain unto God."

As Ignatius goes on to say, his purpose is to be an imitator of the passion of his God, that is, Jesus Christ. As he faces the ultimate sacrifice, Ignatius believes that he begins to be a disciple; and therefore all that he wants from Christians in Rome is that they pray, not that he be freed, but that he may have the strength to face every trial,

"so that I may not only be called a Christian, but behave as such . . . My love is crucified . . . I no longer savor corruptible food. . . but wish to taste the bread of God, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ . . . and his blood I wish to drink, which is an immortal drink . . . When I suffer, I shall be free in Jesus Christ, and with Him shall rise again in freedom . . . I am God's wheat, to be ground by the teeth of beasts, so that I may be offered as pure bread of Christ."

And the reason Ignatius is willing to face death with such courage is that he will thereby become a witness:

"If you remain silent about me, I shall become a word of God. But if you allow yourselves to be swayed by the love in which you hold my flesh, I shall again be no more than a human voice."

Shortly thereafter, Bishop Polycarp of Smyrna wrote to the Christians in Philippi asking for news regarding Ignatius. the answer from the Philippians has been lost, although it seems certain that Ignatius died as he expected shortly after his arrival in Rome."

Here is the question: what are you willing to do to become a witness? What will it take for you to rise up and speak out? I am not intending to heap condescension on you who read for my own "witness" is silent compared to the likes of the early church fathers. Let us all be mindful that our own worship is not on Sunday morning or in our room in the privacy of our homes, but as the Apostle Paul wrote, "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship."

An Open Letter to the Church

Perhaps it is fitting on Mother's Day to post this letter regarding the recent events in our household. I hope that living out our lives in a transparent fashion will serve to help along our healing process and hopefully edify those with whom we travel through life. In the book of James it is written:

Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Dear friends and family at Bay West,

By now it will be readily apparent that Shannon and I are not present with you at church this Sunday. I asked Jim to permit me to write this letter to you to dispel any rumors and hopefully encourage you as well.

Let me first say that we do not harbor any ill feelings towards Bay West Church and remain committed to the vision for Palm Bay that the community of believers at Bay West seeks to fulfill. We do not wish our withdrawal to convey a sense of bitterness or antagonism towards anyone who has, is, or will serve at Bay West and would that our present circumstances did not lead us down the path we have taken.

With all my heart I believe it was God’s will for us to serve at Bay West and I cannot fully express how sweet our time among you has been to me. Yet our household has not been unanimous in our decision to serve at Bay West. We DO NOT discount the family ties we have built with Bay West; however, within the last twelve months we have endured the collapse of a family business, the departure of our closest friends, unemployment, the foreclosure of our house and imminent move, the death of a father, shortfalls in income, rifts in family relationships, a change in churches and ministries, and a dramatic change in our roles of service to our God. It would be decidedly inauthentic to tell you we have born these changes well.

Shannon has endured a struggle with God and those around her like she has never before faced. I, Paul, have struggled with the highest highs and lowest lows I have yet confronted. The Bible says, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.” (1 Corinthians 10:12) In both of our cases, we each thought and assumed we were on good standing before God and before man. In both cases, we have fallen before God and before man.

Shannon has struggled with her submission to God and the redefinition of her place of service in the church. In many ways her battle has been present before all. My battle has largely been hidden before your faces, but my family has borne the brunt of my failure. I have not obeyed the commandment towards husbands to, “love your wife as Christ loved the church and game Himself up for her.” (Ephesians 5:25) I have seen my family as an obstacle to be overcome, a stumbling block to be leveled, and as a problem to be dealt with and summarily “fixed.” It is not that I just have not properly loved, but in many ways I now realize I do not yet know how to authentically love at all. I can serve, I can administrate, I can drive, I can execute, but I do not love. I have become that person the Apostle Paul warned about in 1 Corinthians 13: a noisy gong, a clanging symbol, . . . nothing.

The book of Proverbs says, “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” (Proverbs 25:28) The “city” of our family life and our marriage is like that devastated and plundered city. We cannot live a lie before you any longer and need to take a step back for rebuilding, recovering, and learning again what it means to be husband and wife before the LORD.

We apologize to you and ask for your forgiveness for any way we have caused you to stumble or have given you ought against us. We desperately covet your prayers for our love towards each other, towards God, towards the Church, and for the revitalization of our marriage and our family. I will continue to pray for you and ask,

That God will give you complete knowledge of his will, that He will give you spiritual wisdom and understanding, that the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and that your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. We pray that all the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better, and that you will be strengthened with all His glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. We pray that you may be filled with joy, always thanking the Father, for He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to His people, who live in the light. For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His beloved Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave us our sins. To Him be the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Your Brother and Sister in Christ,

Paul & Shannon