A Good Start, But A Lousy Finish

 

 

Job 4:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said: 2 "If one attempts a word with you, will you become weary? But who can withhold himself from speaking? 3 Surely you have instructed many, And you have strengthened weak hands. 4 Your words have upheld him who was stumbling, And you have strengthened the feeble knees; 5 But now it comes upon you, and you are weary; It touches you, and you are troubled. 6 Is not your reverence your confidence? And the integrity of your ways your hope?

 

Enter Eliphaz. He’s one of Job’s friends and I really appreciate the way he begins his conversation. He has patiently listened to Job’s complaint and now he feels compelled to respond. After all, his friend sounds very despondent….almost suicidal….”who can withhold himself from speaking?” in such a situation.

 

He starts out with, “can I just say something here? Will you give ear to what I have to say?” Then he recounts the history of Job’s dealings with others, and it’s impressive! Job has instructed many  others with words of wisdom. (This is very likely the wisdom of following God and His ways.) His words have kept many from stumbling. (the Law) He has strengthened feeble knees, (the Gospel)

 

Like I said….a great start in this conversation as he reminds Job of all the good he has done, but then it begins to head south. There must be a better way to handle this. We might rephrase Eliphaz’s remarks like this.

 

“ You were so awesome in guiding others through their troubles, but when trouble comes upon you, you forget your own advice!” “Physician, heal thyself!” (Luke 4:23)

 

Then it gets worse! Eliphaz throws a biting accusation at his friend. “You were relying on your personal piety and integrity to escape any tribulation in your life.” How’s that working for you now?”

 

He continues: Job 4:7 "Remember now, who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the upright ever cut off?  8 Even as I have seen, Those who plow iniquity And sow trouble reap the same.  9 By the blast of God they perish, And by the breath of His anger they are consumed.”

In other words, “There must be some sin in your life Job, because God never allows such trials to the righteous.”

 

Bad theology to say the least, and terrible bedside manner to the hurting. It’s too bad Eliphaz didn’t have the Scriptures, he could’ve gone to Isa 43:1,2 and comforted his friend with those words, rather than cast doubt on Job’s faith in God!

 

“But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.”

 

What words would you rather hear in your calamity? “There must be some unconfessed sin in your life?” Or “God knows your situation and HE will walk you through this. He loves you and you matter to Him.”

This is a good lesson for us all. When ministering to a hurting brother or sister, break out your Bible and quote God’s words of comfort, rather than the oft misguided words of your flesh!

 

God’s Word has clout. The Holy Spirit is in it and it is living and powerful: Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

 

Words matter and the unredeemed will have to answer for their careless words on the Last Day! Mt 12:36 "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

Lessons On Life

 

“I wish I’d never been born!” I suppose most of us have felt like that at times in our lives when we were overwhelmed with discontent. One can hardly blame Job for his attitude. After all, he had lost all ten of his children, all of his wealth, and now he sits in excruciating pain due to the sores on his body and there is no relief in sight.

 

But in his very complaining about his lot, he affirms that life comes from God, AND that it begins at conception! In Job 3:2, we see that gender reveal parties are nothing new. Job 3:2 And Job spoke, and said: 3 "May the day perish on which I was born, And the night in which it was said, 'A male child is conceived.'

“It was said.” It was said by who? Who made the announcement that the gender of the child was already determined at conception? Did God make the announcement? The angels? We aren’t told and it really doesn’t matter. What matters is that Scripture affirms to us again that life begins at conception.

 

Oh, but there’s more to be learned from Job’s lament! Let’s pick it up in 3:11: Job 3:11 "Why did I not die at birth? Why did I not perish when I came from the womb? 12 Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breasts, that I should nurse?13 For now I would have lain still and been quiet, I would have been asleep; Then I would have been at rest 14 With kings and counselors of the earth, Who built ruins for themselves, 15 Or with princes who had gold, Who filled their houses with silver; 16 Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, Like infants who never saw light? 17 There the wicked cease from troubling, And there the weary are at rest. 18 There the prisoners rest together; They do not hear the voice of the oppressor. 19 The small and great are there, And the servant is free from his master.

 

If life begins at conception, what happens to the eternal souls of the miscarried? Job’s understanding is that if he would’ve been miscarried, he would now be at rest! (v13,17,18) He would’ve been free from the troubling of the wicked oppressor (the devil (v17,18)

He would’ve been with kings and servants and all others in between who have received the grace of God. Yes, he would’ve been with the beggar Lazarus, whom Jesus described as being in the bosom of Abraham receiving eternal comfort! Lu 16:25 "But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.

 

Of course, we no longer go to the bosom of Abraham upon our passing. Those saved by the grace of God are ushered to heaven by the angels and join Jesus and the thief on the cross and Lazarus in Paradise, again a place of eternal comfort and rest. Lu 16:22 "So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom

 

May this portion of Job remind us again that life is created by God and it begins at conception, and let us take comfort for any child lost through miscarriage, trusting God and His grace for the souls of these children. And let us strive to keep the faith like David who suffered the loss of an infant child and he said in 2Sa 12:23 "But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me."

Hold these words in your heart. Make them as dear to you as your unborn child!

Comfort One Another

 

 

Job 2:11 Now when Job's three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place-Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him. 12 And when they raised their eyes from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven. 13 So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.

 

Job’s friends didn’t get much right as they lectured Job through his crisis, but they sure started off on the right foot! Let’s look at the early actions when word reached them about their friend Job and the adversity that had come upon him!

 

They broke out their smart phones and texted each other and said, let’s drop what we’re doing and go to Job so we can mourn with him and perhaps comfort him. This call to comfort others in their affliction is a call to all followers of Christ. 2Co 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.

 

Responding to the call, the friends approach Job and are taken aback by his physical appearance. He looked even worse than they expected and immediately they wept, tore their clothing, sprinkled ashes on their heads as a sign of grief for their friend.

 

Perhaps you’ve experienced this as you visited a friend in the hospital. Let’s face it, people don’t look so good when they’re in intensive care in the hospital, but you don’t start out by saying, “You look awful!”

Job’s friends, rather than saying something stupid, just sat next to him and didn’t say a word! We could learn from that. Sometimes we get uncomfortable in the silence and in an effort to make conversation we open up our mouths and insert foot. Whereas, what the friend really needs is your presence alone.

 

Any words spoken should be the Word of God as you read passages of comfort to your friend, or say a prayer for them, or perhaps sing a hymn to them.

 

Of course in this day and age of Covid 19, hospital visits are not allowed. So how do you comfort your friend now?

 

Having spent a month in the Covid unit at an area hospital my friends came to me via my smartphone. They prayed with me and encouraged me through text messages and I can’t tell you what they all meant to me! Just knowing that people are lifting you up to the God of the universe and pleading on your behalf causes your spirit to soar and helps strengthen your resolve.

 

Thank  you for those prayers and words of encouragement. I’m home now, but still in a battle to breathe on my own without the aid of an oxygen tank and I covet your prayers for a full recovery. Thank you all for being like Job’s friends to me, coming alongside with comfort and encouragement through this battle. It’s so good to know, I am not alone!

He No Longer Has the Ear of God

 

 

Isn’t it strange that in the book of Job we find Satan being able to have an audience with God? We saw it in chapter one and we see it again in chapter two! Job 2:1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, "From where do you come?" So Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it."

And what was he doing when he had God’s ear? He was accusing Job. He is the accuser! It’s one of the things he does best! He walks around this earth, to and fro, observing the saints and he knows what we’ve been up to. He knows our weaknesses. He knows how to tempt and when we fall for it, he is quick to go into the accusing mode.

 

But here’s the thing. With the death and resurrection of Jesus, the accuser no longer has God’s ear. He no longer has access to the throne room. He has been cast down to earth! Know this and believe it beloved. He may accuse within your earshot, but God is no longer listening!

 

Re 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.

 And a little word of warning for you and I…….he’s cast down and mighty ticked about it, because he knows his clock is ticking. Re 12:11 "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. 12 "Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time."

So expect a lot of guilt trips and anything else that he can throw your way to try and get you to doubt the goodness of God and ditch your faith.

Don’t forget your keys to victory and use them!

#1 The blood of the Lamb which removes all your sin and any grounds for accusation!

#2 The word of our testimony, which is our confession of Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the Living God”

#3 Loving not our lives until death, which is cutting all strings and casting ourselves completely on the care of Jesus as our Lord, Savior, and King.

 

Do these things! It’s called “resisting the devil,” and he will flee from you. Jas 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

A Blitzkrieg of Loss

 

What comes to your mind when you hear the name Job? Pain? Suffering? Loss? I think loss would be a good word for the events of chapter one! Imagine being a guest in the home of Mr and Mrs Job on this fateful day!

 

Ding Dong!  “Come on in!”

 

“Job! The Sabeans have raided your fields and taken all your farm equipment and killed all your workers! I’m the only one who got away!”

 

Ding Dong! “Come on in!”

 

Job! A terrible fire hit the sheep barn! All your sheep and workers in the barn are dead. I alone got away!”

 

Ding Dong! “Come on in!”

 

“Job, The Chaldeans raided your parking garage, killed all your servants and took away your camels. I alone have escaped “

 

Ding Dong! “DON’T ANSWER IT JOB!

 

“Job! A tornado hit the house where all ten of your children were partying. They are all dead. I alone have escaped.”

 

One right after another, “while one was still speaking,” another shows up with bad news and when all is said and done, all that Job has left is his house, a bitter wife, and four servants who managed to escape and bring the bad news to Job!

 

How would you receive such news? What would your reaction be? Job stood up, tore his robe, then took the time to shave his head. These are things people did in his culture to demonstrate grief and sorrow.

 

Job spent time grieving, but in his grief, the Lord came to him and gave him special words of comfort that served Job well and consequently helps any and all people who suffer loss of any kind.  The mere act of falling to the ground and speaking these words was an act of worship!

 

Job 1:20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD." 22 In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

 

We brought nothing into this world and we will leave with nothing. Anything we have in this lifetime is a gift from God, and if He chooses to take anything away, well that’s His prerogative. We know God is good, and good is His ultimate goal for His children. All we can do in these moments is trust! Trust in His goodness believing what is written here in Job and in Ro 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

 

But let’s not be flippant about this either! Remember Job took the time to grieve and so must you and I in our losses. Then with time, let us learn to remember the good gifts of the Lord. Let us remember: “The Lord gave!” Treasure the memories He gave us before the loss, in so doing, we worship the Lord and bless His Name!

You Never Stop Praying For Your Children

 

Today, I cracked open the Book of Job. This is my 4^th time through it and I hope I do better this time. The unsettling part of this book for me is a lot of times, I find myself in agreement with Job’s friends, only to find out they are way off base! Lord help me get that straightened out this time through!

 

But, thankfully, there are more lessons for us than the errors of Job’s friends.

In chapter one we get a glimpse into the intercessory lifestyle of Job. He prayed fervently and regularly for his kids. Apparently his ten kids liked to party. Job 1:4 And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.  5 So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to  the number of them all. For Job said, "It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." Thus Job did regularly.

 

Note the substance of his prayers. He was praying for their salvation! He was praying that their faith remain intact. Life happens to us and to our kids, and along the way we sin, but we pray that through faith in Jesus our sons are forgiven and our faith remains to usher us into eternity with God.

 

This Job did regularly because there is no greater concern on a believing parents’ heart than the eternal good of their children.  3Jo 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Pray regularly for that seed of faith in your children! Even though they may be partying a little too much, keep asking God for His hedge of protection around them. Claim what Jesus said in Joh 10:28 "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

There are no guarantees for how long we will walk this earth. Sadly, all of Job’s children were taken from him suddenly in a windstorm WHILE THEY WERE PARTYING! (Job 1:18) Who knows if God didn’t honor his prayer. Who knows if his children did not harbor a wisp of faith as the tornado zeroed in on their house. It didn’t take much faith for the thief on the cross and remember what Jesus said about faith in Mt 12:20 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench,

 

In the matter of saving faith, the only unforgiveable sin is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. This is what Job prayed against for his children. He prayed that they would not curse God, which is another way of saying that they would not reject God’s saving grace, which is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.

God Is Not Listening

The Book of Esther is one of my favorite reads in all of Scripture. One of its unique features is there is no mention of God by name in the entire book, yet His fingerprints are all over it.

The book will give you keen insights into God’s perfect justice. No one will escape the justice of God! Vengeance is mine says the Lord,” in ” De 32:35,36,we read, “Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; (payback) Their foot shall slip in due time; For the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things to come hasten upon them.' 36 "For the LORD will judge His people And have compassion on His servants, When He sees that their power is gone, And there is no one remaining, bond or free.

Judgement Day (the day of calamity) is at hand, and it has been at hand since Jesus ascended into heaven. He could return at any time and will, when the Father gives Him the green light! The devil and his legions may think they are getting away with something, but God will take care of them in due time, and the “things to come will hasten upon them.” Meanwhile, God will have compassion on His humble servants. Those who have come to the end of themselves and meekly submitted themselves to Jesus as Lord and Savior! The meek shall inherit the earth! (Mt 5:5)

God’s perfect justice against His sinning servants (believers) was meted out when Jesus took the punishment for our sins on the cross! But those who refuse to bow their knee to Jesus, will pay the price on that dreadful final day!

I don’t want to give away too much of the plot of the Book of Esther, I want you to read it for yourself. But you will see a strong likeness between Haman and the devil. The gallows that Haman had constructed for Mordecai was used to seal his own fate, much like the cross constructed by the pawns of the devil for Jesus was used to seal the fate of the devil.

He was defeated at the cross and the empty tomb is proof! He was cast down and that great accuser no longer has the ear of God as he seeks to charge believers with sin! Re 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.

He may accuse you and plague you with guilt, but if you are in Christ GOD IS NOT LISTENING!

Yes, when the devil comes along to remind you of your past, tell him of his future. Tell him, “go away devil, for I have read the Book of Esther, and I have read Dt 32:35,36, and I have read the Book of Revelation!” The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob , the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ will see to it that you get yours!”

January 22: A Day Of Infamy

 

Pr 24:11 Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. 12 If you say, "Surely we did not know this," Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not  render to each man according to his deeds?

 

Today is my birthday. It is also a day of the greatest infamy in the United States of America. On my 26^th birthday in 1973, the Supreme Court of the United States handed down a decision that legalized the killing of unborn children in the womb. Since that day, over 62 million unborn children will never celebrate a birthday.

I’ve always found it ironic that the Lord has placed such a heavy burden on my heart for the unborn, and subsequently an equally heavy burden for those women and men who are now in torment over the guilt of their act.

 

January 22^{nd may be} my birth day, but for many (62 million) it was their death warrant day.

 

In the days ahead, we will hear much about “reproductive freedom”, and a woman’s “right to choose.” The new democratic congress and president will likely overturn many of the pro-life initiatives of the Trump presidency, but it’s what the majority of voters wanted. May God have mercy on the soul of America. Where is the “right to choose” for the female unborn baby?

 

I am amazed by those who claim to be guided by science, and yet continue to consider an unborn child nothing but a blob of tissue. I am even more amazed by those who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ and choose to ignore the biblical evidence that life begins at conception.

 

Here’s a crash course on when life begins according to the Scriptures:

#1 We are all conceived in sin! Ps 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.

 

#2 The wage of sin is death! Ro 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

#3. How can that wage be carried out if someone weren’t first alive?

 

That unborn child is just as much in need of God’s grace as you or I. Does he or she receive it? I like to think so in light of David’s statement upon the death of his infant child in 2Sa 12:23 "But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me."

 

“I shall go to him!” What hope filled words for those who have lost a child in the womb.

 

One more thing. The political majority in this country has been like the tide. It comes and goes but the ungodly right to kill an unborn child remains intact. Think about that, and what does that tell you about the real answer to this problem? It is a spiritual issue. Hearts need to change, and that change only comes when people receive Jesus Christ as their LORD and Savior.

It’s only when God’s Word quickens our hearts and we believe what He says about life! And David reminds us in Ps 139:14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.

 

For those who have participated in the act of aborting a child or supported it in any way, remember, there is no sin that Jesus did not pay for on the cross. And 1Jo 1:9 assu8res us: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Make It Different

 

Ex 20:8 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.  9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

 

Finishing up  the Book of Nehemiah today, and in the last chapter, Nehemiah brings up three areas of concern. Three areas in which the returning Jews had backslidden. We would do well to explore them because they have a tendency to slip back into acceptance among the churched even today. The first area of concern was the sin of Tobiah. Tobiah had sought to use the temple as his own personal storehouse. This is the age old issue of prosperity gospel.

 

The second area of concern was the neglect of the tithe.

 

The third area was the neglect of the observance of the Sabbath.

 

Ne 13:15 In those days I saw people in Judah treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions. 16 Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. 17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, "What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day? 18 "Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath."

 

Whatever happened to Sunday as a day of rest? A careful reading of this passage in Nehemiah and you can see that the problem with God’s people is they treated the Sabbath like any other day. They “profaned” it. (Made it common) It seems we have pretty much done the same thing. Other than attending church, our Sunday’s are typically the same as any other day. We have taken Jesus’ statement in Mr 2:27 and used it for license to do what we please.  “And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”

 

So then, do we throw out this command and make it the nine commandments? Or what other commands would you have us lay aside? If you are a business man or woman, would you consider closing your doors on Sundays? It seems to work for Hobby Lobby and Chick Fil A!

Or as a consumer, would you consider making your purchases on the other six days of the week in order to give a day off for the owners and their employees?

 

Now I know that blue laws just don’t work. Secular government has no business demanding that businesses be closed on Sundays. But for the followers of Jesus Christ, it seems that we should make a concerted effort to keep this day special….set aside…..holy!

 

Need a reason? Look again at Ex 20:11, “11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

 

The fact that our heavenly Father set the Sabbath aside ought to be enough. His very act of resting on that day blessed that day forever and made it holy. Can we not do the same?

 

This “setting aside” is not easy I know! We’ve never done it that way before right? We’ve always stopped for donuts after church or treated ourselves to a nice breakfast at our favorite diner, or took advantage of the 30% off sale at our favorite department store.

I certainly don’t want to sound like a Pharisee as it concerns the Sabbath. With all their rules the Sabbath became a dreaded day rather than a day to be welcomed. As we look for ways to honor this command of God, let’s just start with making the Sabbath Days in our lives something to look forward to and not something to be dreaded. I can’t think of a better way to start than attending a worship service. Ps 122:1 <<A Song of Ascents. Of David.>> I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go into the house of the LORD."

 

“Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy.” To rephrase this command, maybe we could simply restate it: Remember the Sabbath Day and make it different!

 

 

Tithing

 

Finishing up  the Book of Nehemiah today and tomorrow, and in the last chapter, Nehemiah brings up three areas of concern. Three areas in which the returning Jews had backslidden. We would do well to explore them because they have a tendency to slip back into acceptance among the churched even today. The first area of concern was the sin of Tobiah. Tobiah had sought to use the temple as his own personal storehouse. This is the age old issue of prosperity gospel.

 

The second area of concern was the neglect of the tithe. Ne 13:10 I also realized that the portions for the Levites had not been given them; for each of the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone back to his field.  11 So I contended with the rulers, and said, "Why is the house of God forsaken?" And I gathered them together and set them in their place. 12 Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the storehouse. 13 And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouse Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah; and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were considered faithful, and their task was to distribute to their brethren.

This neglect of the tithe is easy to fall into. I remember the time when bills were piling up and we were running out of money before we ran out of month. My wife and I decided to stop tithing for a while. We blinked! That was a mistake on our part.

 

We were basing our tithing on the principle laid out in Malachi which states: “Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you," Says the LORD of hosts. "But you said, 'In what way shall we return?' 8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. 11 "And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," Says the LORD of hosts; (Mal 3:7-11)

 

This passage is so rich with promises. Want God to make a return call in your life? (v7) Tithe!

 

Want to have the charge of robbery against God dropped? (v8) Tithe!

 

Want a blessing from heaven? (v10) Tithe!

 

Want the devourer to back off from your physical blessings? (v11) Tithe!

 

When we stopped tithing, it was rather odd, but appliances started wearing out, car repair bills increased. In short we were losing financial ground. So, after a couple of months, we reprioritized our spending and made tithing our number one priority again. We cheerfully gave ten percent of our income to the Lord and haven’t looked back.

 

In fact, we discovered that the tithe in Malachi is really what is known as the second tithe and we reprioritized again to the 20% giving level. Don’t let that scare you away from tithing. Just let the promises of cheerful giving be your guide, and tithing is a good place to start!

 

This kind of giving is not relegated to the Old Testament, listen to the challenge of giving and it’s associated promises found in 2Co 9:7-13, “ So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 9 As it is written: "He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever." 10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, 11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. 12 For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, 13 while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men,

Be generous! Cheerful giving is pleasing to God (v7)

 

Be generous! God will see to it that you have sufficient resources and abundance for every good work you give to. (v8)

 

Be generous! God will bless what you sow! Righteousness will increase as you bless others with what God has blessed you. (v10)

 

Be generous! It’s one of the reason’s God has blessed you with material goods. (v11)

 

Be generous! Your generosity to the needy results in thanksgiving to God! (v12)

 

Be generous! Your liberal giving and sharing is proof positive that God is working in your life for His glory! (v13)

 

Have you let your tithing and God-led generosity slip as they did in Nehemiah’s day? Take the time to reprioritize your spending and start every household budget with giving of your firstfruits to God. It’s all His anyway, and in so doing you give honor and glory to Him!

Ransackers of the Redeemed

 

Finishing up  the Book of Nehemiah today and in the last chapter, Nehemiah brings up three areas of concern. Three areas in which the returning Jews had backslidden. We would do well to explore them because they have a tendency to slip back into acceptance among the churched. Let’s look at the first one today.

 

The first is the sin of Tobiah. Most people have never heard this name before, but he was the man in charge after Nehemiah had returned to his job of cupbearer for King Darius.

 

During his absence, Tobiah had done a little remodeling job in the temple. He flipped the storerooms that had been used to hold the tithes of the people into his own personal self-storage units. He was using the temple for his own personal gain.

 

Ne 13:4 Now before this, Eliashib the priest, having authority over the storerooms of the house of our God, was allied with Tobiah.  5 And he had prepared for him a large room, where previously they had stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, the tithes of grain, the new wine and oil, which were commanded to be given to the Levites and singers and gatekeepers, and the offerings for the priests.

 

Money and goods that should have been going to the workers in the church was being siphoned off by Eliashab and Tobiah!

 

The Holy Spirit speaking through the Apostle Paul in his letter to Timothy warned of such abuses popping up in the church from men of corrupt minds: 1Ti 6:5, “men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.”

 

And in Php 3:18,19, “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame--who set their mind on earthly things.

 The gospel is not to be peddled. If it’s sold, it’s no longer the gospel. It is not to be used for personal gain. This portion of Nehemiah is a condemnation of the prosperity gospel. This false “ear-tickling” gospel has been around for a long time in the church and sadly many are taken in by it!

 

Look what happens in this account, when we see Nehemiah as a type of Christ. Nehemiah had left for a time and when he returned, he found Tobiah using the church as a means of personal gain.

 

Jesus has “left for a time” too, He ascended into heaven, but one day He will return with the Day of Reckoning, and when He returns what will He find in His church?  Will He find faith? Will He find faithful stewards? Or will the spirit of tight fisted materialism be the rule?

 

Note how Nehemiah handled the situation! He had his own little version of storage wars, tossing Tobiah and all his goods out of the church! Ne 13:7 and I came to Jerusalem and discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in preparing a room for him in the courts of the house of God.  8 And it grieved me bitterly; therefore I threw all the household goods of Tobiah out of the room.

 

This then, is the end of those who would peddle the gospel for their own personal gain. Verily, verily I say to the ransackers of the redeemed, “You have your reward.”

 

 

Jesus Loves You...Tell Your Face About It

 

 

Have you ever visited a church in which you are not familiar with their form of worship? People stand up, then they sit down, they stand up, they sit down, up, down, up, down, what’s going on here? Is it an aerobics class or a worship service?

 

There are many styles of worship  to be found in various gatherings of believers.  There is informal and formal and everything in between. Personally I love them all. I love the freedom of the informal style and at the same time I love the tried and true style of the set patterns of the liturgical church, where every reading, every set response, and every movement has a divine purpose behind it.

 

The trick is to understand the purpose. I would suggest that if you belong to a church where liturgical style of worship is utilized, do a little digging and find out what each part of the service means and why it is included. It will make your worship more meaningful.

 

Today, let’s talk about one such custom. Why do some churches have the congregation rise when the Word of God is read? I suppose there are more than one reason for this custom, but perhaps it began when Ezra read from the Word of God in the Book of Nehemiah.

 

Ne 8:5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up.  6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. Then all the people answered, "Amen, Amen!" while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

 Ezra is on a raised platform and before he begins to read, all the people stand up to honor the Word of God! The reading of the Word of God is a worshipful moment! The people respond with “Amen! Amen!” Which means, “Yea yea so shall it be!” As they lift their hands up in the universal sign of surrender, and bow their hands in honor to God and His Word.

 

The typical liturgy also has a time of confession, where the congregation acknowledges that they are sinners. The people of Nehemiah’s day were broken as the Law was proclaimed: “For all the people wept when they heard the words of the Law.” (Neh 8:9)

 

This confession is always accompanied by words of absolution. ( A declaration of the gospel of forgiveness through the grace and mercy of God.) They rejoiced greatly because they understood the words that were declared to them. (Neh 8:12)

The joy of knowing that even though you have broken the Laws of God, God in His mercy and grace, has forgiven you through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. This joy of the Christian is his strength! And it is with joy that the Christian leaves the worship service and continues celebrating the Sabbath!

Ne 8:10 Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our LORD. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

 

I think this last part is key! Whether you worship style is formal or informal, you ought to be leaving the building with a smile on your heart. Sometime during the worship service, you should’ve been reminded that you are a sinner, and sometime during the worship service the forgiveness of God through faith in Jesus ought to have been DECLARED to you. (Formally or informally)

 

Hey! Jesus loves you! (Formal worship or informal) Tell your face about it!

A Voter's Lamentation

 

Pr 16:27 An ungodly man digs up evil, And it is on his lips like a burning fire.

 

 

As I was reading this Proverb, I couldn’t help but think of the state of American politics. Whether a man or woman is being considered for the Supreme Court, or a man or woman seeks an office in Congress, or the presidency, the opposing side tries to unearth every skeleton in every closet. An all out effort is launched to find dirt in that office seekers past in hopes that their past mistakes will disqualify them in the eyes of the voters.

 

Don’t get me wrong, character discretion is a good thing when selecting candidates, but it can go too far. Some of our confirmation hearings in recent history have gone too far in attempts to smear prospective appointees and candidates.

 

Let’s face it, something has gone sour in our election process in the land of the free and  the home of the brave. We have this two party system where the strategy boils down to each party pandering to fear. The Republicans paint fearful pictures of what a country would look like if run by Democrats, and Democrats paint a fearful picture of what the country would look like if the Republicans win.

 

And both parties are fearful that they will not be the ones in control. These fears produce an ungodly tension in the land and we have seen where that leads this past summer and earlier this month.

 

The uncomfortable truth in our system of government is neither democrats or republicans are calling the shots….. the lobbyists and their wheelbarrows full of money is what’s greasing the wheel (democrat or republican) You can vote the official out of office, but the lobbyist will be waiting for his replacement (democrat or republican) with more money to throw at what they deem as favorable legislation.

 

Let’s call this system what it is……bribery. And the Bible has much to say about bribes.

 

Ex 23:8 "And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the discerning and perverts the words of the righteous.

 

Ec 7:7 Surely oppression destroys a wise man's reason, And a bribe debases the heart.

Pr 17:23 A wicked man accepts a bribe behind the back To pervert the ways of justice.

De 27:25 'Cursed is the one who takes a bribe to slay an innocent person.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen!

 

'That last one should shake a few who are on the Planned Parenthood dole!

 

What if we had men or women running for office who refused to take a dime from special interest groups? What if they told us what they stood for on the campaign trail and we can take it or leave it! What if we had men or women in office who could not be bought? It’s a pipe dream of mine I know.

 

Sadly it is the size of the campaign coffers that seem to determine the outcome of an election. They use their money to buy ads that create the most fear against their opponent and the average voter falls for it hook, line, and sinker, and the vicious cycle continues.

 

God help us! Give us legislators of integrity. Am I dreaming, or is it possible to give us legislators who will vote their true values rather than the value of what could be placed in their wallet.

St. Tolerant

 

 

Nehemiah. Affectionately known as the “wallbuilder” in Scripture.  He was a Jew who served as cupbearer for King Artaxerxes. (Now there’s a job! If you wanted to poison the king, you’d have to go through Nehemiah first! “Oh look, Nehemiah just keeled over, better not have that cup of wine your majesty. “)

 

Nehemiah was greatly saddened when he heard of the condition of the temple and the walls of his beloved Jerusalem. Ne 1:3 And they said to me, "The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire."

Here’s the thing about a broken down wall. When that occurs, the city is compromised. The world and the enemy can just come and go as they please.  This is one of the major lessons of the book of Nehemiah. We would do well to revisit it again in this day and age of easy believism and cheap grace in the church. Ro 6:1 says, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”

 

Jerusalem, represents the church here, and a broken-down wall is a picture of compromise with the world. And if it isn’t checked we become like the church at Corinth where anything goes and we will even boast of it! 1Co 5:1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles--that a man has his father's wife! 2 And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you.

 

The church at Corinth here could be called St Tolerant, but the Holy Spirit, speaking through Paul sought to straighten them out. Not that they would close their doors to sinners, but they would insist on genuine repentance, that is, a heart that sincerely desires to turn from sin and seek to live by God’s standards of righteousness as found in His Word. We read in 1Co 5:9-13, “I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--not even to eat with such a person.  12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore "put away from yourselves the evil person."

 

The church has walls (standards) that need to be erected and these walls are the “Thou shalt, and thou shalt nots in accordance with “thus saith the Lord,”  in His holy Word. These walls guard against the slippery slope of compromise with the world.

 

A couple of things to note in Nehemiah concerning this breach. The very first thing Nehemiah did was take on the role of intercessor and he confessed the sins of the compromising church. Ne 1:6 "please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father's house and I have sinned.  7 "We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.

Once the sins of the church were dealt with, the rebuilding began in earnest. But the world will not be happy with a church that seeks to return to the standards of God’s Word as opposed to the standards of the world, and the rest of Nehemiah is dedicated to the struggle between the uncompromising church and a world that is angry at it.

 

Ne 4:7 Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry,

 

In the next verse we see the strategy of the world against the church: Ne 4:8 and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion.

Create confusion? One can almost hear them repeat the mantra of the devil: “Did God really say?”

And in the next verse we see the counter strategy of Nehemiah!  9 Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.

 

Pray! And be on guard against those who would cast doubt on the Word of God! It starts with each one of us as individuals. We all need to remove the logs in our own eyes before we attempt to remove the splinters in others. In other words, “Where are you and I compromising with the world in our own walk with the Lord?” Let’s deal with that first, just like Nehemiah did! Then and only then can the compromises be dealt with and repaired.