God had established the Judges to rule Israel rather than a king which was typical for other nations during that period. God grants their request to have a king even though this kind of leadership was bound to fail. Despite the fact that God told them how they ought to govern themselves, the people caved to peer pressure from surrounding nations. God handed those free moral agents of Israel a shovel and they began to dig.
With that context in mind, here’s a portion of Samuel’s final words to a people who’ve just made a poor decision to reject God’s guidance.
“Then Samuel called on the Lord, and that same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the Lord and of Samuel.
19 The people all said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.”
20 “Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. 22 For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own. 23 As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. 24 But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. 25 Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will perish.” I Samuel 12.18-25
TOP FIVE TAKEAWAYS
There’s a needed message for the church today. We should never let our previous sins hold us back from pressing forward. Samuel tells the children of Israel not to let the evil in their recent past keep them down— but he doesn’t pretend as if they hadn’t sinned against God.
There’s hope. Samuel tells the people that God is quick to forgive. He still is!
There’s a reminder to be selfless in prayer. It’s interesting that Samuel says that his failure to pray for God’s people would be a sinful thing for him to do.
There’s a glimpse of God’s power. Samuel tells the people to fear the Lord AND remember what He’s done for them. God could have wiped them out. He clearly had the power as He demonstrated a portion of it over nature in the beginning of this section.
There’s a warning— motivated by love. It was true for the children of Israel and it’s true for us today. If we persist in doing evil, we will perish.
As a global learner, I enjoy having background noise serve as the soundtrack to my life. It could be music or a talking head providing news or opinions. I can block out the details and rely on the background noise to keep me going. In addition to learning strategies, individuals with ADHD like myself find certain grooves oddly exhilarating, similar to an energy drink. I frequently run errands on Thursdays each week, and this week was no exception. Therefore, it was inevitable that I would have my “symphony” supporting me. Amid the hustle and bustle, I heard a headline stating that more than half of American “clergy” have considered quitting since 2020 (see Blair, 2024).
Whenever I encounter such information, I look into it further. After I finished my errands, I looked up an article about the subject online. For the sake of brevity, the study concluded that the changing religious landscape following the pandemic was the primary source of discontent. These “clergy” have claimed that the pandemic has made it more difficult for them to interact with congregations and that the decline in in-person attendance depresses them. According to the demographics of those surveyed, the so-called Silents (born 1925–1945) and Generation X (born 1965–1980) are less likely to want to quit than Millenials (born 1981–1996) and Baby Boomers (born 1946–1964). Catholic and Orthodox ministers were less likely to feel this way than Protestants.
These attention-grabbing headlines no doubt fill our hearts with existential dread. However, we must realize Jesus’ promise that even death could not prevail against His Church (Matthew 16.18). One knows that regardless of how dire things in the world may seem, there are always those not bowing the knee to Baal (1 Kings 19.18). Hence, Satan could be the author of such headlines designed to discourage the faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. Satan whispers, “You are all alone in your devotion. And would a loving God truly expect you to shoulder these burdens alone?”
But lest we grow too comfortable, we are reminded of Jesus’ words following the Parable of the Unjust Judge, also known as The Persistent Widow (Luke 18.1–8). Jesus asked, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” I know that contextually, Jesus is asking if His followers will have the faith to pray. At least, other preachers often say this as they exegete Luke 18.8. Well, yes. But is it so tidily summed up in the one word “prayer”? Jesus’ question is whether people will continue to believe and be faithful, even in the face of delays or challenges, just as the widow was persistent in her pursuit of justice. As a result, we can interpret this verse as an encouragement to keep the faith and pray, even when justice appears slow, or God’s promises appear delayed. It expresses a theme of perseverance and faithfulness in the Christian life, particularly in light of Jesus’ return.
Jesus expressed concern about whether He would find faithful followers upon His return. The followers can show their faithfulness to Him by exercising their faith through prayer. Unfortunately, people prefer tangible things over intangible ones, leading to practical materialism and a lack of faith. Additionally, scientific advancements may encourage disbelief by providing natural explanations. The hurried, self-centered, and financially motivated nature of the modern age can also undermine faith, which requires quiet contemplation. Faith is a moral quality rooted in the heart, not just an intellectual asset. It grows by living a righteous life, feeding on Biblical promises, and putting one’s limited faith into practice. Therefore, building faith requires setting aside regular quiet time for meditation and communing with God. Faith progresses through continual moral effort.
We are currently living in a time where people are hesitant to return to the Church after the pandemic, which was a time of isolation and a shift in priorities for many. In addition, those who provide moral leadership face challenges, feeling a growing temptation to step away from their roles. This combination of factors is worrisome in response to our Lord’s probing question in Luke 18.8. This study paints a concerning picture of the future of spiritual commitment and the resilience of faith communities.
However, despite these challenges, there remains a beacon of hope. The persistence of faith, even in a few, can be a powerful testament to the enduring nature of spiritual commitment. In the face of adversity, the true strength of faith often emerges, not just in the tranquility of prosperous times but in the tumult of trials. To answer Jesus’ question and reaffirm enduring faith and commitment, faith communities must explore ways to nurture resilience and adapt and thrive.
In today’s world, we face various challenges that can test the foundations of our faith communities. Distractions and the effects of global pandemics can make it difficult to hold onto our beliefs. However, these challenges can also provide opportunities for spiritual growth and renewal. Jesus’ question in Luke 18.8 invites us to deepen our faith, pray more persistently, and live out our beliefs with renewed vigor and commitment. As believers, we all have a unique role in this ongoing faith journey. Instead of seeing our challenges as insurmountable obstacles, let us embrace them as catalysts for strengthening our collective resolve. Doing so ensures that Jesus will find a thriving and active faith on earth when He returns.
There has been some controversy in recent years over what the Bible teaches about our new life. While I don’t believe these are disagreements worth splitting over, some aspects — particularly the ones most commonly known — have done some damage. In popular culture (esp. various forms of entertainment media) and within the church, we commonly refer to the next life as “heaven”. The purpose of this article is not to discuss or debunk or promote any particular viewpoint necessarily, but to hopefully change the way we look at this subject in general.
I watched a discussion between Dr. Jordan Peterson and Dr. Niall Ferguson yesterday (12.11.2023), and Dr. Ferguson said out loud what I’ve often heard whispered up to this point. I’m paraphrasing, but he said, “We are drawn to catastrophe and end-of-the-world fantasies because it makes us feel better [about our own mortality]. And, if we’re honest, the idea of heavenly bliss as it’s been taught seems rather dull” [emphasis mine]. He is not alone in his assessment.
This article can be summarized with the following points:
We were saved to have a hope of the next life (Rom 8.24; I Pt 1.3, 9; I Thess 4.13-18).
God has been very specific in what he communicated to us about our new life (Mt 19.28; II Pt 3.13; Rom 8.22-25; Is 65.17; Rev 21.1-2).
We need to honestly and sincerely sift through our beliefs to determine which of them come from God’s word, and which come from men (I Jn 4.1).
We must not let our respect for family or for those we perceive as spiritual giants override our trust in God’s word (cf. Gal 1.8).
Shouldn’t we be willing to test any teaching by God’s Word?
Whatever the teaching is, whatever the subject is, we should be concerned about how God will perceive us when we meet him (Js 3.1), and not about how some will react to our teaching (cf. Ac 5.29).
I Peter 1.1-2 tells us that God chose us a long time ago. This doesn’t mean we have no say, it just means he’s always known who would and wouldn’t follow him. Broadly speaking, it means that he specifically chose Christians to be the ones who leave with him at the end. This means three things: One, he wants us to have a spirit of moral purity. Two, he wants us to obey him. Three, he wants us to be made clean by Jesus’s sacrifice.
1.3-12 — Our reason for living this difficult life is hope. In the context of this letter, hope is the anticipation of what we’ll get after we die. The entire letter points to the next life as our primary incentive for living morally pure lives. When Peter says to do something difficult or painful, he usually follows it up with a reminder that this life is nothing. Everything we do is in view of the next life. Below are a few examples (we’ll look at the rest next week):
1.3 — His mercy gave us new life.
1.3 — This new life makes us live with anticipation for the next life and gives us a powerful, unstoppable hope. We only have this hope because Jesus came back to life, proving that we can and will, too.
1.4 — This new life has us waiting for God to reward us at the end.
1.4 — We know it’s at the end because vs 4 says that it’s being guarded by God for us. Unlike our current life, which is subject to the law of entropy, the next is not capable of wearing down or losing any of its value or novelty. Things that are new and exciting to us in this life can get boring after a while. Hobbies may eventually become an expensive ritual, rather than something that gives fulfillment or excitement or purpose. New Earth has none of that. It’ll be just as exciting on day one trillion as it was on day one!
“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?” (Psalm 8.3–4 NASB95)
We discover divine wisdom hidden in the heart of these lovely words as we delve into their heart. Consider King David, the author of this psalm. David, a humble shepherd who rose to become king, was astounded by how the Lord created the world and chose him to lead His people.
Even though the universe, the moon, and the stars are all beautiful, they pale in comparison to God’s choice of David, an ordinary person. But the Bible repeatedly demonstrates that God’s ways are not our ways. He selects the humble, familiar, and overlooked and then uses them to accomplish amazing things (cf. 1 Samuel 16.7). For example, the Sanhedrin even thought that Jesus’ chosen twelve were “uneducated and untrained men” (Acts 4.13 NASB95).
David’s words reassure us that God genuinely cares. Even though he has done many bad things, David claims that God has been thinking of him because of His great love and mercy. Let this serve as a reminder to all of us that God loves us regardless of what we’ve done or have done in the past.
The second way to interpret this psalm is as a representation of Christ, the true personification of the psalms. We encounter divine awe in Christ. The wonder of His birth, His teachings, the extent of His love that cost Him His life, and His miraculous resurrection demonstrates how much God loves people. He is mindful of us.
The psalm demonstrates how much God the Father loved His one and only Son, even though He allowed Him to die for us. This gracious gift is the most effective way to demonstrate how much God loves and cares for us.
Finally, let’s look at the psalm through our own eyes. The psalm asks us to view ourselves honestly. We seem so insignificant and unworthy compared to the marvels of God’s creation. Nonetheless, amid all this, we find an acknowledgment and a joyful realization that God cares about us, despite our smallness. God watches out for us. He is concerned about us (cf. Matthew 6.25ff). This truth allows us to learn more about God, His promise, and His love for each of us.
The psalm also makes us reflect on ourselves. What are we as individuals? We are born into a fallen world and will inevitably choose sin with our free moral agency, but God’s grace makes us new. God loves and selects us despite our flaws.
Ultimately, this psalm drives home an important truth: we need to give God the same amount of thought He gives us. We should not view this requirement as a burden but as a source of comfort. Even though we know God is always present, He calls us to maintain a deep, loving relationship with Him.
Let’s keep our eyes fixed on God and constantly remind ourselves of His presence and the eternal future He has promised us as we navigate life with its ups and downs, joys and sorrows.
We’ll spend the next few weeks on an overview of Colossians. The theme of Colossians is simple — Jesus is all you need. You don’t need Jesus, plus some other tradition.
The letter starts with a reminder of why we live the Christian life. 1.5 says, “Your faith and love continue because you know what is waiting for you in the heavens: the hope you’ve had since you first heard the true message about God’s grace.” This is very similar to 3.1, which says, “You were raised from death with Christ — so live for what is above, which is where Christ is sitting at God’s right hand.” Our hope is in Jesus, who came from above. Our faith and love continue because we know what’s waiting for us when the one who is in the heavens comes back for us.
1.9-11 promises that God will make us completely sure of what he wants. He will help us live the kind of lives that make him happy. He’ll help us to be productive and expand our knowledge of him. He’ll also give us strength with his own power so we can make it through difficult times. Our response should be happiness (1.12) and gratitude! By helping us live the right kind of life — thanks to Jesus’s sacrifice (1.14) — we’ll be able to get what he promised us, which is immortality and escape from earth’s corruption.
This is a fun question to tackle. We won’t be able to do it justice in article format, unfortunately. But it’s very difficult to find out what’s actually true when it comes to almost anything. Many scientific disciplines are riddled (ironically) with dogma, bias, conflicts of interest, and corruption. Religion is surrounded by deafening opinions, zealots, and detractors. History is clouded, uncertain, and subjective. Everyone has an opinion and too much information bombards us relentlessly.
So we’re told “reality is an illusion” or “reality is a simulation” or “reality is undefinable” or “there is no good or evil, only balance,” etc. While each of these is an intriguing study, we’ll focus on what we know is true.
Christianity believes this to be true — God is real. He took a shapeless, empty rock and turned it into the beautiful earth we have now. He’s the only entity with unlimited power, but cares most about one group: us. We are nothing in the vast universe, but God cares about us (Ps 8.4).
The collection of books we call the bible is God’s message to humanity. I am fully convinced that the origins of this library are from not earth. Since the bible claims to be from God, and internal/external evidence overwhelmingly suggests a non-earth origin, I believe that it really is from God.
So what’s true? God made reality (Gen 1). He gave us consciousness and the ability to interact with the reality he made. He gave us complete freedom to choose our own destiny. He let humanity kill his son, just to bring his son back to life as tangible hope for all people. If we do what God wants, we get that second life too. There is good and there is evil, function and dysfunction. Good will last forever, but dysfunction will be destroyed permanently when Jesus comes back (Rev 20.9-15).
This earth is not going to last forever, a fact supported by both the new testament and mainstream science. This is truth. Where we’re going when the earth is destroyed is up to us.
That’s all we really need to know about reality — it’s as real as God is, and our next life will be as real as this one.
In I Thessalonians 1.2-3, we’re motivated to work for each other for three reasons. First is our faith, which is a confidence that Jesus is coming back for us. It’s enough to make us go out of our way for each other. Our love for God is another motivator. We love God because he promised us a life with Jesus forever. Because he showed this kind of love, we show the same love to each other. Our hope is the last motivator listed in this section. A better word for this is anticipation. According to research led by Dr Andrew Huberman (neurobiologist and behavioral scientist at Stanford School of Medicine), anticipation is one of the strongest human emotions. This makes perfect sense, as our anticipation of Jesus’s return is why we live the Christian life. This is almost a word-for-word parallel to I Corinthians 13.
I Thessalonians 1.4-6 reminds us that God loves us, so he chose us to be rescued. A few thousand years ago, God chose Israel to be his special people. When they were faithful to him, they enjoyed physical blessings and a relationship with him. God chose us to live with him forever. We’re his special people. Paul also points out that we can trust God to deliver on his promise. This will show up again later in the letter. God promised that we’ll live with him forever when his son comes back for us. Faith means confidence or trust. When we trust God to deliver on his promise, we’re demonstrating faith.
This section also teaches that we can find happiness while we’re suffering. The anticipation we have of Jesus’s return is the only reason this statement is true. If this life is all there is, we’re the most miserable group of people in the world. What makes death, suffering, and anxiety worth the pain? How can we have any semblance of sanity when all the bad stuff happens? We keep going because he promised he’d come back for us, and because this life is short any way!
For centuries, the locals of Meghalaya, India, have manipulated the roots of rubber trees to grow their natural bridges. Stretching over ditches and streams these natural structures will far outlast the man-made metal or wooden bridges that rot and decay in just a few years. The rubber-roots are self-strengthening and become more substantial over time by increasing in thickness.
Meghalaya also happens to be the rainiest place on earth, receiving 467 inches of rainfall a year. Just to put that in perspective, New York will typically get around 60 inches a year. The men and women who work outdoors wear a sort of full body-umbrella made of bamboo and banana leaves.
One visiting reporter stopped a butcher who was carrying a basket of freshly-cut meat up a steep flight of stairs. He was asked if it was hard to live in a place with so much rain. The 26 year old man replied, “we can’t think about that. Here there’s always rain but we have to work, so it’s no good wondering about it.”
There are many people who tend to take this attitude after experiencing a rude awakening in life. When the days of innocence have passed us by we think tragedy, hardship, trials, and tribulations are just a part of the deal.
It’s going to rain. It does no good to think about it— we trudge along.
We’ve got overcast days, cold days, and rainy days— but it doesn’t mean we have to live without any light.
This post is a simple one. Here’s a few passages to help brighten up the darker days.
These verses don’t take the hurt out of life but they can put the hope back in our lives when we begin to lose drive.
Isa. 60.19
No longer will you need the sun to shine by day, nor the moon to give its light by night, for the Lord your God will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.
John 1.4-5
The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
Ps. 40.1-3
I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.
I John 1.5
This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.
I would argue that though it’s impossible for every day to be a sunny one, the Christian will always have access to the Light because of His son.
Ephesians 1.3 says, “In Christ, God has given us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” What does that mean? We hear “spiritual blessings” and might gloss over it as another Christianese phrase. Here’s a short list of what those spiritual blessings are.
1.4 — God chose us before Christ made the world.
1.4 — He chose us out of love to be his special people.
1.5 — He chose us to be his own children through Jesus Christ.
1.6 — God gives grace liberally.
1.7 — We are free because of Jesus’s sacrifice.
1.7 — We have forgiveness because of God’s grace.
1.8-9 — God told us how we can get that grace. He didn’t set up a system that we would have to look super hard for, he made sure to preserve the information needed to find him.
1.10 — He is bringing the heavens and the earth together through Jesus.
1.12-13 — He made grace available to every country on earth, not just one group.
1.13-14 — He gave us his spirit as a downpayment on our reward.
While we won’t fully appreciate these spiritual blessings until later (Paul says these riches are “too great to fully understand” in 3.8), we’re still extremely grateful that God has done so much to give us hope for eternal life.
Many of us were startled by an automatic alert sent to our phones last Saturday morning, alerting us of potential violence and danger in our usually serene city. The reason was a planned protest and counterprotest, a racially-charged event centering on a horrible incident that happened almost seventy years ago in another state. Predictably, it stirred up some division and exposed extreme and racially-prejudiced views from some.
The world prefers to keep people divided on the basis of race, gender, political affiliation, and the like, and uses such tools as identity politics (Brittanica defines this as “political or social activity by or on behalf of a racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, gender, or other group, usually undertaken with the goal of rectifying injustices suffered by group members because of differences or conflicts between their particular identity or misconceptions of their particular identity and the dominant identity or identities of a larger society”) and tribal alliances. Subject to human biases, emotions, and subjectivism, easy to misjudge and assume others’ motives and intentions, it becomes a massive roadblock to oneness and unity.
But we would expect no less from the world. Who is the prince and ruler of this world? He is a murderer (John 8:44), a devourer (1 Pet. 5:8), a sinner (1 Jn. 3:8), and a deceiver (2 Co. 11:3,14). Chaos, disorder, and division serve his purposes quite effectively.
In the midst of such mayhem, the Lord has the church in this world to be a beacon and light (Mat. 5:13-16). What an opportunity we have in the midst of the world’s divisiveness to show a people united on the foundation of truth, regardless of our race, background, education level, economic strata, or any other way the world wants to divide us. We won’t compromise the eternal truth of God’s Word, but we will stand together on that even however difficult or unpopular. We will live by 1 Corinthians 1:10, “Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.” We will honor His objective and follow His blueprint to achieve it.
When an onlooking world gets a glimpse of us in action, red, yellow, black, and white, working in love, harmony, and acceptance of one another, they will find an alternative to the world’s hate. When they see the poor esteemed and accepted as much as the well-to-do (Js. 2:1-8), they will see a bright alternative to a cold, status-conscious world. If the church will be the church, we can help the world–one searching person at a time. But the world will always be the world. We should not expect them to show us the way to be one. Their ruler wants chaos. Ours wants peace.
Ephesians 3:20-21 says, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
In 1999, Australian Bill Morgan was a truck driver who got in a pretty bad accident that left him in coma. After 12 days and despite doctors giving him zero chance of surviving, he miraculously woke up and was, shockingly, completely fine! Feeling lucky for surviving, he went on and bought a scratch lottery ticket and won 18,000 dollars and a new car.
Normally winning a car wouldn’t have made it to the news but, because of Morgan’s accident story, Channel 9 decided to do a feature on the man who was “clinically dead and came back to win the lottery.” While filming, they asked him to buy a lottery ticket so they could re-enact the winning scratch. He happily obliged and started scratching the ticket on camera. But suddenly he stopped. He looked at the camera, and said “I just won $250,000.”
Bill is a man that we would say has some pretty good luck. He was supposed to be dead, but instead he woke up, won a car, and $250,000 dollars. There was a point in our lives where we were spiritually dead, and Christ brought us back to life. But Christ doesn’t stop there. He saves us and continues to bless the faithful. Each and every person that has come in contact with the blood of Christ is no longer dead, plus His blood continually cleanses us of sin if we walk in the light (1 John 1:9).
As lucky as Bill Morgan was, I’d like to suggest that those who are added to the body of Christ are blessed far beyond physical possessions. Our faith in Christ leads to eternal life!
Perhaps Jeremiah seemed to be mean, harsh, even unloving, to his brethren. His message is certainly what we could categorize as negative, but we remind ourselves that its source was God. What may get lost in Jeremiah’s challenging message is how it affected him to share it. Chapter nine is full of the struggles he endured in being God’s spokesman with a message of divine judgment.
Jeremiah endured mourning (1). While Judah would be hypercritical and threatening toward Jeremiah for his message, they had him all wrong. He did not relish his unpleasant message. He would have preferred to have kept his mouth closed (20:9). They had no idea of how his mission was wearing on him. He writes, “Oh that my head were waters And my eyes a fountain of tears, That I might weep day and night For the slain of the daughter of my people!” He knew that they were hurting themselves by their lifestyle, and he wanted them to escape judgment. It can be heartbreaking work to share God’s word on any number of unpleasant, unpopular subjects. No rational preacher, elder, or teacher is excited to share such a message, but it must be done (2 Tim. 4:2). Jeremiah is rightly called the “weeping prophet” (8:18; 13:17; Lam. 2:18). Revealing this was an emotional struggle.
Jeremiah endured isolation (2). The pressures of sharing a message nobody wanted to hear created inevitable isolation. He felt alone and like nobody understood or cared. He longs to escape such disappointing, unrighteous behavior. He wanted to run like Jonah. He felt alone like Elijah. It can go with the business of declaring God’s message. There are times when you may feel like you are standing all alone, but you never will if you are sharing God’s word God’s way. He will never leave you (Mat. 28:20; Heb. 13:6).
Jeremiah endured disillusionment (3-6). He expected more and better from his brethren. They knew better, but they were guilty of treachery and adultery (2), lies and deceit (3,5-6), ignorance (3), violence (4), slander (5), and general iniquity (5). Have you ever overheard someone you looked up to use foul language or stumbled upon someone doing something sinful? It’s like a punch in the gut. But imagine a congregation full of people doing what God through Jeremiah reports. It had to have been discouraging and caused feelings of hopelessness.
Jeremiah endured a sinking realization (7-11). What was the cost of this? Sin is not without consequences (Gal. 6:7-8; Hos. 8:7; Prov. 6:26). At the heart of God’s message was this rhetorical question: “Shall I not punish them for these things?” (9). Jeremiah knew what was coming. There would be weeping, wailing, and dirges (funeral songs)(10). Judah would be ruined and desolate (11). Jeremiah knew this ahead of time. Whatever normalcy he witnessed each morning and evening, he knew that would ultimately change. The fact of judgment looms over the horizon of time. It will be a day of rejoicing for the righteous and prepared, but not for the rest of humanity. The people of Judah were not ready for this judgment, and Jeremiah knew that.
Jeremiah endured being overwhelmed (12-16). The message gets specific about the nature of what was coming. It was going to be more devastating than any of them had experienced. Because of their stubborn rebellion, they would be scattered and annihilated. Hope belongs to the penitent, but there’s just no good news for those who are determined to oppose God’s way.
Jeremiah endured unpleasant duty (17-22). God tells Jeremiah to call for mourning, wailing, and tears (17-19). He is help them focus on their shame (19). The heart of the message was death (20-22). Don’t you think Jeremiah would have loved to have spoken of grace, mercy, lovingkindness, and blessings? But the circumstances did not call for that. Jeremiah had to be faithful to God’s message. Like Micaiah, every faithful spokesman for God should say, “As the Lord lives, what the Lord says to me, that I shall speak” (1 Ki. 22:14).
There is a ray of hope starting in 9:23. Amid the folly of idolatry, there will be a reminder of the wonderful, perfect character of God in chapter ten. But even here, there is encouragement for God’s faithful servant. It was a message for the worldly wise, for the mighty man, and for the wealthy (23) not to trust in those things, but to trust in Him. Everyone should boast of knowing and understanding God, that He is “the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things” (24). Punishment was for the spiritually uncircumcised (25-26). It was not for the faithful, like His man Jeremiah. Whatever we have to struggle through for the Savior, may we know that God will be with us through thick and thin. He has not left us alone. He will always be with us, help us, and strengthen us! Declaring His word is right, and He will not let us lose for being unswervingly loyal to it and Him!
For the next several weeks, I’ll be repeating the book of I Peter in present-day terminology. It’s not a true translation of the book, as I am not qualified to do so. It will be based on an exegetical study of the book and will lean heavily on the SBL and UBS Greek New Testaments, as well as comparisons with other translations (ESV, NASB, NIV, ERV, NLT). My goal is to reflect the text accurately, and to highlight the intent of the author using concepts and vocabulary in common use today.
This is not an essentially literal translation, and should be read as something of a commentary.
I Peter – Part VII
While we’re on this topic, wives must listen to their own husbands. If your husband doesn’t believe, maybe you’ll win him over with just your good example! You wouldn’t even have to say anything. Pure and respectful behavior speaks volumes. Don’t obsess over your physical appearance or fashion. Show off who you are inside! A gentle, easy-going demeanor is timeless; it’s also extremely valuable to God. Remember the women lived a long time ago? They were considered special because God was their hope, just like he’s your hope. They also expressed their beauty by deferring to their husbands. Sarah did that for Abraham – she considered him to be her leader. You are just like her when you do the right thing without being afraid of anything.
Husbands, you’re not off the hook. You share a living space with your wife, so you have to be a student of her needs and wants. Don’t treat her like one of the guys. Remember the differences between men and women. Don’t be rough with her. Make sure you show her how valuable she is! She has just as much a claim to God’s promise as you do. If you aren’t good to her, God will block your prayers.
Finally, you all need to work together. Show sympathy to each other. Be kind to each other. Don’t think too highly of yourselves. Don’t insult people who insult you. Don’t get even with people who hurt you. Do something good for them instead! That’s actually why God called us, and he wants to do good for us, too. You’ve read, “Anyone who wants to live a good life should watch their mouth. They should avoid evil and do good things. They should look for peace and chase it. God watches out for good people and listens to their prayers, but he’s against people who practice evil.”
Who’s going to hurt you if you’re obsessed with being good to people? Even if someone hurts you because of your faith, you’re ok! Don’t be afraid of their threats, don’t let it shake you up. Put Jesus in the center of your heart at all times. Have a logical answer ready whenever you’re interrogated for your faith. Tell them about your hope, but make sure you’re gentle and respectful. Make sure your moral lives are good so they can’t legitimately attack your character. If you’re doing the right thing, they’ll answer for how they treat you. It’s better to be attacked for doing the right thing than for doing the wrong thing.
For the next several weeks, I’ll be repeating the book of I Peter in present-day terminology. It’s not a true translation of the book, as I am not qualified to do so. It will be based on an exegetical study of the book and will lean heavily on the SBL and UBS Greek New Testaments, as well as comparisons with other translations (ESV, NASB, NIV, ERV, NLT). My goal is to reflect the text accurately, and to highlight the intent of the author using concepts and vocabulary in common use today.
This is not an essentially literal translation, and should be read as something of a commentary.
I Peter I – Hope’s Value
The prophets who told us about this rescue were very curious about it. They investigated and obsessed over the identity and timing of the rescuer Christ’s Spirit was telling them about. He told the prophets that he would suffer at first, but would gain everything after. He told the prophets that their writings were for people in the future, not for them. You are those people in the future! Through God’s influence, people told you about our hope for rescue. By the way, even angels are deeply interested in the hope you have right now!
Since you have this hope for rescue, don’t ever let it go. Everything you do must be influenced by this hope. Make sure you’re mentally preparing yourself for spiritual combat. Make sure you have self-control going into this. We’ll be rescued when we see Jesus, so hang on tight to hope.
Don’t go back to your old lives. You had those old, unhealthy desires before you knew any better. Instead, you must live like God wants you to. Jesus did! God’s word said, “You have to be morally pure, just like I am.” You know that God will judge everyone without bias. Live like you know this, and let that give you a healthy dose of fear. He didn’t use an unstable asset like money to secure your rescue. He used the most valuable thing in existence: his own flawless blood.
Jesus’ plan was in motion before we were even created! He recently made his appearance just for us. Because of him, we believe in God, who brought Jesus back to life and gave him recognition and power. We believe in him. We have hope because of God.
Fragment containing 1 Peter 1:23–2:5 on Papyrus 125 (3rd/4th century).
For the next several weeks, I’ll be repeating the book of I Peter in present-day terminology. It’s not a true translation of the book, as I am not qualified to do so. It will be based on an exegetical study of the book and will lean heavily on the SBL and UBS Greek New Testaments, as well as comparisons with other translations (ESV, NASB, NIV, ERV, NLT). My goal is to reflect the text accurately, and to highlight the intent of the author using concepts and vocabulary in common use today.
This is not an essentially literal translation, and should be read as something of a commentary.
I Peter I – Intro to Hope
I am Peter, one of the special messengers that Jesus chose to follow him. This is for the chosen ones who had to leave their homes; they are spread out over Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.
You were chosen by our father, God, because that was his plan. It was his Spirit that made you special people who live differently from everyone else. He chose us [Christians] to be the ones who obey him. He chose us to enjoy grace through Jesus’s blood, the one who came here to rescue us. May you have plenty of grace and peace.
God, the father of our master Jesus (the one who saved us), deserves our love and praise! He has so much good will for us that he gave us new life and a hope that can never die. We have that hope because Jesus came back to life.
This hope is for something we’ll get when we die: a brand new, untouched, permanently perfect place to live forever. It’s reserved for you right now, protected in heaven. God’s power is protecting you right now because of your faith. He’ll make sure you get the results of your hope when it’s revealed at the end of time.
For practitioners of Japan’s True Pure Land Buddhism, one desires to enter the pure land upon death. In so doing, he could bypass our corrupt world and enter the western paradise where he could quickly achieve nirvana. Conversely, True Pure Land Buddhism has a hellish alternative in which souls are tortured by oni (i.e., demons) until they are purged of their sins and can enter the Pure Land. No one desires torture. So, the Japanese would recite the nembutsu: “I call on the Amida Buddha.” In medieval Japan, practitioners of True Pure Land Buddhism would lay on their deathbeds holding on to a string as an added measure. That string led to a painting of Amida and his cohorts. As they looked longingly towards the picture, they hoped that their escaped soul would travel the line and enter the western paradise.
It may be that upon reading the previous paragraph, you thought of the apostle Paul in ancient Athens. He told the men of Athens that he perceived them as superstitious, literally δεισιδαιμονεστέρους—“very fearful of gods” (Acts 17.22). As Japan is often called the home of eight million gods, with the Buddhas incorporated into the mix, it is easy to label the Japanese as superstitious. Yet, I note something different when I hear about this True Pure Land Buddhism. It would almost seem that True Pure Land Buddhism rubbed elbows with Christianity somewhere. It is conceivable since Pure Land Buddhism arose in India during the second century A.D. before making its way to east Asia. However, note two intriguing features of True Pure Land Buddhism reminding one of Christianity. 1) Calling on Amida’s name and 2) Looking to Amida for hope.
Joel prophesied that those calling up the name of the Lord would be saved (Joel 2.32). Peter and Paul quote this verse from Joel’s prophecy regarding salvation within the New Covenant (Acts 2.21; Romans 10.13). So, there is most assuredly power in the name of Jesus Christ. Peter says there is “no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4.12, all ref. NASB1995 unless otherwise indicated). But calling on Jesus’ name is not like reciting a nembutsu. Paul shows us that we call upon the name of Jesus when our faith moves us to action. After seeing Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul has been fasting and praying for several days. The prophet Ananias finds Paul in his misery and says, “ Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name” (Acts 22.16 NASB1995). See then how Paul called on Jesus’ name. Paul submitted himself to baptism for the washing away of his sins. In so doing, Paul called on the name of Jesus.
Do we not also look to Jesus to give hope? Well, we do not stare at an artist’s rendering of the Christ upon our deathbed. But we do look to Him in life as our hope. After citing many examples of those from whom we could find a worthy model of faithfulness, the Hebrews’ writer adds: “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12.2-3). The KJV says we look to Jesus. Either way, our eyes are drawn to and become fixated upon Him. This hope we have in Jesus is an anchor for the soul (Hebrews 6.19).
It remains a challenge to preach the Gospel in those parts of the world where Buddhism has taken root. I’ve heard missionaries remark of the antagonism against Christianity within the Buddhist world. Yet, it seems strange that within at least one branch of Buddhism, there is a central figure who is something of a Messiah. Considering that so much of Buddhism asks you to find salvation from within yourself, there are at least some within that belief system who recognize the nature of the human condition is such that we must rely on the grace of someone greater. Therefore, even in hostile environments, may we endeavor to preach that the One willing and able to save is the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us tell the world to call upon and look to Jesus.
When I was in elementary school, we had a teacher who taught us how to properly write a letter. Miss Crews, my fourth grade teacher, told us it included the heading, greeting, body, complimentary closing, and signature. Isn’t it interesting what we retain (or fail to retain) from childhood?
Applying that basic analysis to the New Testament epistles, we are greatly helped. In addition to reading who the epistle of 1 Corinthians is from (1:1) and who it is to (1:2), we have a heading (helped by the information in verse 2), greeting (1:3), body (1:4-16:18), complimentary closing (16:19-20, 22-24), and signature (16:21). It is also in this first section of the letter (1:1-17) that we find the purpose of the letter. Notice some key aspects of these first several verses.
PAUL REMINDS THEM OF WHO THEY ARE (1:2-3)
In the daily grind, I can be apt to forget exactly who I am and who God has called me to be. It seems this had happened to the entire congregation at Corinth. Paul starts out this letter by reminding them they belong to God, set apart, and recipients of grace and peace.
PAUL TELLS THEM WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR THEM (1:4-9)
Except for Galatians, Paul begins with a prayer, blessing, or thanksgiving. Here, Paul reminds them of how blessed they are–with grace (1:4), riches (1:5), confirmation (1:6), various blessings (1:7), hope (1:8), and fellowship with the Father and Son (1:9). I don’t know about you, but I often need to be reminded of how mindful the Lord has been of me. I need to reflect on my blessings so I won’t obsess over my problems. Paul is going to be addressing a serious problem in their lives, but he starts by centering their focus on their spiritual treasures.
PAUL URGES SOMETHING OF THEM (1:10-17)
One of the ways a New Testament writer indicated the purpose of his writing is through petition verbs. While Paul actually uses a petition verb three times in this letter (1:10, 4:16, and 16:15), there’s no doubt that his first one sets the tone for the rest of the letter. They have a big problem at Corinth: division. We can see this in greater detail as we walk through the letter, but their division was seen in their allegiance to men instead of Christ, in their worship services, in their exercise of spiritual gifts, in their exercise of their Christian liberties, in their view on various sins, and more. So, Paul brings them into focus here.
He urges them to be complete, by being of the same mind and judgment (1:10).
He urges them to see the true nature of Christ (1:11-13).
He urges them to focus on the gospel and the cross (1:14-17).
Keep in mind, as you read through this entire letter, that God had something He wanted Corinth and all subsequent churches and Christians facing the same general struggle to understand. It requires us to keep sight of our identity, blessings, and purpose. Otherwise, we open the door to division which can be the gateway to “disorder and every evil thing” (Jas. 3:16).
Henry Adams wrote, “One friend in a lifetime is much, two are many, and three are hardly possible.” While I do not share his pessimism or cynicism, I do believe that true, close friends are certainly not prevalent. There are too many factors at play. Friendships take time, trust, and transparency. Some things can be barriers to developing close companionship from contrasting values to clashing viewpoints.
The Bible gives insight into factors essential to building true, lasting friendships. Since God made man, He knows what makes us tick and operate at our optimism levels. Here are four quick principles:
A Friend Loves At All Times (Proverbs 17:17).
Solomon does not suggest blind loyalty or blanket endorsement. Scripture does not encourage fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness (Eph. 5:11), but it also points out that we all struggle with sin problems (Rom. 3:23). We also are prone to weak moments and we go through trials and reverses of fortune. It is a blessing to know we have people we can count on to be there even when we’re not at our best or enjoying our mountaintop moments (Heb. 12:12-13; Rom. 12:15).
For The Despairing Man, There Should Be Kindness From His Friend (Job 6:14).
For every one we exchange superficial greetings with, even as we are carrying our hidden cares, we need true friends to turn to for help when we face deep needs in our hours of trial. Rare is the friend who knows, sympathizes, and is ready to help with a kind word or deed. You can imagine how Job’s friends added to his despair by failing to offer that when he needed it most. So many things bring despair–job loss, family crisis, financial reverse, health issues, and other life changes. It is then that astute acts of kindness make a lasting impact and forge true friendships.
If They Fall, One Will Lift Up His Fellow (Ecc. 4:10).
Solomon does not specify whether the falling is physical, emotional, or spiritual. No matter what makes us fall, it is the trustworthy response of a friend that he focuses on. How tragic not to have someone in our lives with a ready hand when we are sinking! What if we are falling away from God (Jas. 5:19-20)? What if we are losing faith or overwhelmed (Mat. 14:30)? “The Lord sustains all who fall” (Ps. 145:14), and what a blessing when He does so through a faithful friend!
Faithful Are The Wounds Of A Friend (Prov. 27:6).
We need people in our lives who are more than “yes” men and women. True friends care enough to correct if we are going off course. We need those who don’t just rubber stamp our speech, validate our every action, or automatically take our side. None of that helps us refine our character or makes us fit for the Master’s use. It’s not easy to tell someone we like and care about that they’ve fallen short in some way, but having a friend that deep and genuine is a true blessing in life.
These passages challenge me to ask, “What kind of friend am I to others?” Am I deeper than a fellow sport’s fan, a person with common interests, or even a co-member of the church? Can I be counted on to be there in the valleys as well as the mountaintop days? Can I be trusted with kindness on despairing days? Am I a lifter? Do I have the courage even to say the difficult things in difficult moments? I want to be that kind of friend to my friends!
Some of our dearest friends, whom we were blessed to see this past weekend.
