Life Is Meaningless! Or Is It? #2

The passage which has struck the most fear into me is found in Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 click here to read. I believe church goers are living out the wrongs that v.1 talks about. Do you go to church to "listen" or to "offer sacrifices" to idols? Idols aren't just stone figures or golden calfs...they can be the love of money, power, gossip, deception, etc. V.2 speaks of the importance of being real with God in prayer and worship. God doesn't want fancy speeches to him or our outward expressions of showiness...He wants true worship and to that, it means to let our words be few and as it says in v.7, to stand in awe of God!

Life Is Meaningless! Or Is It?

For My 100th post here on my blog I begin a series from the book of Ecclesiastes. I decided to do this because last night during my normal Bible reading time, I was compelled to read through the whole book at one time! Ecclesiastes was the next book in my reading straight through the scriptures and even though I have read it before, studied it in classes, etc. it never has opened my eyes more than it did last night! As we notice the decline of Christianity in our society, evil overtaking our politics and schools, families being destroyed by sinful desires, and the economy declining due to bad decisions...the reasons why are in this book!

Ecclesiastes was written by "The Teacher" who is general considered to be Solomon, the son of David. When you look at his life, his decisions, his sins, you can know he has authority on speaking on making wise decisions and placing the priority of earthly materials in life. Here are a few verses that popped out at me and bit me like a snake last night.

Ecc. 1:18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief. I can relate to this being in the ministry. It seems it is best not to know everything about everything! The more you know, the more responsibility you have to deal with issues..."the more grief" as Solomon said.

Ecc. 2:24 A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too I see is from the hand of God. I have often heard about people who once they retired from working after 50+ years have gone into depression and have died! They lost the one thing that kept them going and "satisfied" The key to having satisfaction after retirement is to not stop working for the Lord!

Hard To Get Along With Someone?

We all have that someone at work, school, church, family, etc. that we just have a hard time loving and getting along with! What do you do with them? Click Here for the answer! You may not like it.

Psalms, Hymns, and Contemporary Music!

In Ephesians 5:19-21, there is a great doctrine for worship music in churches. Many times I am approached by someone reminding me about a particular style of music they like to sing in church. I have blogged about this topic before, but it is a never-ending battle I deal with so I'll mention it again. We come to worship to worship God, not fulfill our fleshly desires. What! wanting to sing only gospel or hymns is a fleshly desire? Absolutely. It is commanded in Scripture to sing to the Lord all types of song which glorify Him. I am one of the few worship leaders who actually incorporate a true blended style of worship in the services. I feel there is great doctrine and theology in the hymns we sing, I also feel there are great contemporary songs which are based on Scripture too. I have been studying the book of Psalms recently and have read it in an entirely new way then ever before. Since Psalms was the "hymnal" back in the day, I have been reading the texts while trying to come up with a tune to go with it. Some are harder than others. It is easy just to sing familiar tunes that have already been put to them like Third Day's version of Psalm 36. if you've never tried this before I encourage you to, it has really made me enjoy the Psalms even more.
Anyways...the verses in Ephesians give the importance of using all types of songs for worship. It could be translated today as being "singing old gospel songs, hymns, and praise music! While studying hymnology in school, I learned that some of the hymns we sing today are from old tavern tunes in which the church set the words to to help people learn them. That's always been funny to me. Do you agree that wanting to sing only one type of music because it is what YOU prefer is a fleshly desire?

Can The Bible Be Trusted?

Last week I was the subject of a post on Alexander The Atheist blog about my comments on the Trinity. It seems that one of the biggest issues that non-believers have is that they feel the Bible can't be trusted, be true, be inerrant, or be accurate. As soon as people discredit the Bible, they can believe whatever they want to, bash Christians for their faith, and hold themselves up to be more enlightened because they don't have "blind faith" in God. My question today is why is it that the Bible is being discredited? Some would say it's full of errors, typos, editing problems, etc. and that statement is somewhat true. There are some grammatical errors and such in the copies we have today! If you are a reader of the Bible you would know this because most Bibles will "warn" you of these issues when you come to them. For example look at Mark 16:9-20. This passage should be in [brackets] since it indicates that some early manuscripts do not contain these verses. Answer this before you start saying that people have added things to the Bible we have today...does this passage contradict anything in scripture? No! Is the subject, events, stories found in other parts of the Bible? Yes! The other Gospels contain accounts of the risen Lord, the Great Commission, and The Ascension. Need more proof?

Doubter's Question: Hasn't the Bible been copied and copied over and over again? How can we trust it to be accurate today?

Answers: Yes the Bible we have today is what it is, copies of copies of copies. I believe that the Word of God is inerrant in its "autographed" original copies. As mentioned above, most scholars will conclude that there are some minor textual problems with the copies we have today. Scholars like Ravi Zacharias, R.C. Sproul, Norman Geisler, and Bruce Metzger point out that no "error" contradicts any, yes ANY theology or doctrine! This shows the infallibilty of the Bible in that what we read today is still truth. Let's get back to the whole copying issue. The Bible has more copies than any other literary work ever. There are over 5,600 early copies and manuscripts of the Greek New Testament. When compared to Homer's Iliad there are only about 650 copies. Homer wrote the Iliad around 800 B.C. and the earliest copies we have date from the 2nd and 3rd century A.D. That's a long time. How come there isn't such a big stink over the copying of the Iliad? What's the earliest manuscript we have of the Bible? We have parts of John's Gospel that date from A.D. 100-150! This is not very long after the life of Christ! In addition to the Greek copies, there are about 8,000 Latin Vulgate translation, copies in Ethiopic, Slavic, and Armenian. The total amount of copies is about 24,000 in existence. This is overwhelming when you compare the Bible to other ancient writings. Since the Bible has more copies of copies than any other writing...what's the problem? If anything else this helps support the Bible's accuracy. For those who have made the claim that the Bible is inaccurate...please tell me which part. I'd be glad to discuss those parts here with you.

Working or Waiting for the Return?

I posted about being idle in our worship last week. The next question is are we idle in our anticipation of Christ's return? This is not the time for me to share my eschatological views or anything because that's pointless (Matthew 24:36) The Bible does warn us not to be idle in anticipation.

The Gospel of Matthew deals with this theme. Jesus warns us to be alert and ready (24:42,44) If we know that a guest is coming to stay with us at our house, would we not prepare for his or her coming? Cleaning the house, getting groceries, setting up guest rooms are all preparations that must take place. Why is it that when it comes to Christians, many of us live lives not preparing for his coming? Do you prepare by just coming to church or participating in such and such event? I don't think that's all there is to it! Jesus continues this idea with the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30. We see that the first two servants WORKED (they left immediately) for their master anticipating his return, the other one WORRIED and hid his money. On the master's return, those who worked were rewarded and the one who didn't was cursed.
It's like the farmer who was lazy...Lightning struck his old barn down and he thought that it was good that he didn't have to tear it down himself, then rain came and washed his truck so he didn't have to. A friend asked him what he was waiting on next...he replied, an earthquake to come and shake these potatoes up from the ground! Christian should stop waiting for others to do the work of bringing in the harvest. Jesus said the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. We are to be anticipating his return by bringing the lost to him, not sitting in a pew wondering what the music or the sermon will be like!

On to Psalms

For my normal readers, I have been going through the Bible from cover to cover and a few weeks ago I posted how I was struggling to get through the book of Job. Well I did finally finish it. I don't know why I get so weird when I read that book. The problem is not the length or anything but the content. Everytime I read about Job I am reminded of the foolishness I have when I worry about things like money, friends, work, the future, etc. Job never cursed God in his sorrow and pain. I have done it way too much. This past week I was in Daytona, Fl. and thought it very ironic that the same day I finished Job, I heard a sermon from Job by one of the speakers! It brought a fresh insight into how to read it the next time I venture into it. Well now it's on to Psalms and Proverbs! (wow...I'm half-way there!!!)

The Not So Popular Bible Characters #6

Onesimus - The book of Philemon

I hope you read the whole book of Philemon (it's only 25 verses) because if you did, you will notice a real life prodigal son story! Onesimus was a slave\servant of Philemon who was a close friend to Paul. Onesimus ran away from his bondage and took refuge under Paul while he was in prison. Paul counsels Onisemus to return to his master and face his discipline.

Relevance: Some thoughts I gather on this man are that he had great courage to first flee his slavery, and then return to his master. Also, Onesimus ministered to his "fellow brother" Paul (v.16). Do we help build each other up or spend our life tearing each one down? Do we care about the past life of a believer, or help them deal with the future? Do we have the boldness as Onesimus had in facing his past in order to make things right? Something to think about!

The Not So Popular Bible Characters #5

Moving on to the New Testament, An interesting story comes from the account of :

Simeon - Luke 2:21-35 read it here!

Simeon was a very righteous and devout man (v.25) and what must of been awesome in his life was knowing that he would get to see the Messiah before he died. I can imagine everyday was filled with wonder and expectation for the coming King of Kings. One day while he was in the Temple, it says the Holy Spirit moved him (v.27) and he knew the Christ was there! Simeon then blessed the child and gave a message to his parents about Jesus' future (v.34-35).

The relevance: Why did God give Simeon the honor of prolonging life until the Christ came? Perhaps it was because he was righteous, holy, a true worshipper of God. Simeon had to have daily anticipated the Lord's coming! Do we? Does the Holy Spirit move us in ways He moved Simeon in the Temple? The Holy Spirit is always trying to move us...we don't always yield to Him! I'm not prophesying on the return of our Lord in our lifetime or anything like that, but are you anticipating it? Think about it.

The Not So Popular Bible Characters #4

Ashpenaz - (Daniel Chapter 1)

In the book of Daniel, we see the capturing of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar (cool names huh?) anyways, Ashpenaz was the chief of all the king's officials. He was ordered to bring some of the Israelite men to be royal servants and such. Daniel was one of them. Daniel and his close friends Hananiah (Shadrach) Mishael (Meshach) and Azariah (Abednego) did not want to defile themselves with the unclean food at the palace. Ashpenaz was afraid he would be killed if they didn't follow the orders but Daniel gained trust in Ashpenaz (v.9). Ashpenaz allowed Daniel to test the diet for 10 days and they were more healthy and nourished than all the others!

The relevance here is that Ashpenaz was not a believer but gained compassion, trust, and liking towards these men. What was it that made him change? I think that Daniel and his buddies were very respectful, obedient, etc. and Ashpenaz remembered that. We as Christians are constantly being watched by unbelievers. They want to see if we really live the way we believe. Ashpenaz saw the truth in these men, do others change their way of thinking based on your life? Think about it!

The Not So Popular Bible Characters #2

Ham - (Genesis 9:18-29) read it here

This is one of my favorite stories because Christians are too embarrassed to talk about it because of Noah being a drunk naked man!

After the flood, Noah planted a vineyard (v.20) and when the harvest came he made some wine and got drunk on it! (I'm sorry but this wine must not of been grape juice if he got drunk) anyways, about Ham...Ham walked in on his father while he was passed out naked on the floor and he didn't do anything to hide the shame. Ham went and told his brothers. Shem and Japheth covered there father with a blanket. When Noah woke up (probably with a hangover!) he cursed Ham and decreed that his descendants will be slaves to the other brother's descendants!
When we see someone we care about doing something stupid, sinful, etc. what do we do? Are we like Ham and tell others about it? or are we like Shem and Japheth that realized the problem, helped the individual, and did not involve themselves in gossip or mockery. Something to think about!

The Not So Popular Bible Characters #1

O.K. readers, I'm embarking on a journey for the next few weeks on Bible characters many have either never heard of or haven't payed much attention to. The reason I am doing this is first, they are in the Bible for a reason, they teach us great truths, and in some ways are just like me and you today. I hope to add a new one each day (except weekends) while also entering in any other post I feel I want to share. Hope you enjoy it! And the first contestant is.....

Ehud - (Judges 3:12-30) click here to read passage!

This man is one of my favorites so I'll start with him. If you read the passage, you are probably wondering what's so great about him...all he did was murder a morbidly obese king. The thing I love about this man is that the Bible does not say he is talented in many ways, good-looking, rich, or popular among people. Look in verse 15. Ehud is given the adjective "left handed man" that's it! God called Ehud to deliver Israel because his special gift was his left hand! Because of his uniqueness, he was able to hide a dagger\small sword in his right thigh (the normal soldier wore in on the outer left thigh. The guards didn't notice he was "packing heat" (no concealed permits needed back in those days!)

THE RELEVANCE : God can use you for his purpose! Each of us are created uniquely for His glory. Many times we wish that we could sing like someone else, be famous, speak better in public, etc. when all we need to do is use the abilities and talents God gave to us. The only thing special about Ehud was that he was left-handed and look what he did!

Stuck In The Book Of Job

Hey guys! I think I had mentioned before that I am reading the Bible straight through from cover to cover. I have studied all the books before but actually have never taken the time to read them in order. All the books aren't necessarily in chronological order but I think the reader gains a deeper understanding of the New Testament by reading the Old Testament first. After all, Jesus was the fulfillment of the O.T. so why is little emphasis given to it? I seldom hear sermons based on Old Testament passages. I try to incorporate the O.T. with the N.T. fulfillment when I preach.

For that last few weeks I have been stuck in the book of Job. Besides the fact that it is a very long book and I've read it before, I have had difficulty getting through it! This book is probably one of the vital, must read, spiritual uplift anyone can lay eyes on in the Bible and I'm just not motivated to finish it. I have had no discipline in my spiritual life lately. I hate excuses but I do have some. I have been so caught up in the events of my ministry to set aside time alone with God. for the last few weeks I had been stressed out about my cat's failing health and then dealing with putting her to sleep. Perhaps the biggest excuse is that I have been too lazy. Looking back for the past few weeks, I have spent time watching T.V. I have spent time online, reading magazines, playing Guitar Hero 2, etc. but have had no desire to dive more into God's word and finish the challenge of reading the whole Bible.

Distractions are a tool that Satan uses to tempt us to fall. Laying all excuses aside, it is time to get refocused and finish the race. Sometimes it takes something like a pet's death to make you realize how much of your time was devoted in the care of it and how little time you actually spend alone with God. Is anyone else struggling with distractions or having the desire to get into God's word? What are some things you do to keep yourself on track?