Category: Philosophical

Near And Far.

“Am I only a God nearby,” declares the Lord, “and not a God far away?”

~Jeremiah 23:23

I’ve been thinking about the above verse a lot lately. Is God nearby? Far away? Is He both near and far? What do near and far even mean in this context?

To get a better understanding of what this verse means, let’s first conceptualize God as being “far away,” and then we’ll think about God as being “nearby.”

Far.

In many ways, God is unfathomable. Consider for a moment the first words of Genesis:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

~Genesis 1:1

Once, there was no universe. No people, planets, stars, or galaxies. There was no time, space, matter, or energy. But there was God. Self-existing, self-sustaining, eternal. Not just a being, but Being itself! God spoke, and the universe began to exist. That kind of power is far beyond human understanding.

The following verses give us further glimpses into God’s greatness and power. As you read them, think about the vast differences between us and God.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

~Genesis 1:3

Let every created thing give praise to the Lord, for he issued his command, and they came into being.

~Psalm 148:5

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.

For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

~Isaiah 55:8-9

Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!

~Romans 11:33

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.

I Chronicles 29:11

These are just the beginning of all that [God] does, merely a whisper of his power. Who, then, can comprehend the thunder of his power?

~Job 26:14

This is but a small sample of what The Bible tells us about God and His nature. When I consider God in light of verses like these, I feel very small indeed. I wonder how you or I, insignificant as we are, could possibly matter to God. King David wondered the same thing when he penned these words:

What are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?

~Psalm 8:4

When we begin to understand who God is, that He is so far above us and greater than we can comprehend, it should fill us with awe, wonder, and reverential fear. It should bring us to our knees in worship. One should never lose this view of God. A God who is powerful, mysterious, awesome… far away.

Yet, while this is an accurate picture of God, it is incomplete. As we will see from other verses, though God is great and powerful beyond our comprehension, He is not an unknowable, untouchable, impersonal force.

Near.

There are two verses I memorized recently that, for me, really encapsulate the idea of God being nearby:

I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

~Psalm 16:8

Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand.

~Psalm 73:23

There is incredible intimacy in these two verses. How comforting to know the God of the universe is with me. Right beside me. Holding my right hand.

These verses remind me that He’s here, now, ready to help and to heal. Ready to listen and to guide.

It’s incredible that the same God who created and sustains all things, cares for me personally, but it’s true! God desires to be near us, to love us, and to bless us.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

~James 4:8a

The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.

~Psalm 145:18

Perhaps the ultimate example of God’s “nearness” is His Holy Spirit living inside those of us who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ.

 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.

He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.“

~John 14:16-17

“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.“

~John 14:26

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.

~Romans 8:26

He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.

~Titus 3:5

Both.

To sum up, Scripture teaches that God is simultaneously far away and nearby. As we think about God, we should strive to maintain balance between these two views. If we overemphasize the far away aspect of God, we miss out on the intimate fellowship God desires with us. On the other hand, if we stress God’s nearness to us, we forget who we’re dealing with, and fail to show proper adoration and respect. We have to remember that while God is our friend, He is also our King. Thank God for all that He is, and all that He does!

Process.

Most things in life require a process. For example, if you want to make a chocolate cake, you must go through a specific process. You have to gather the ingredients, properly mix and assemble them, and finally bake the mixture in an oven.

What would happen if you decided to leave some ingredients out, or add wrong ingredients in? What would happen if you didn’t mix the ingredients, and just threw everything into the oven? Would the end result be good? Of course not.

Like it or not, you have to follow the process or you won’t end up with a chocolate cake.

Instant gratification.

A lot of times we don’t like process. We want what we want… and we want it now! (Which is why many of us go to a bakery to buy our chocolate cake.) We’re always on the lookout for shortcuts. We like instant results. We want fast food, fast communication, fast travel… forget the process, just give me the end result! It’s the finished product I’m after.

Don’t get me wrong, I think modern conveniences are great, but I wonder if in our quest for instant gratification we haven’t lost something along the way. Sometimes the journey is as important as the destination.

Why does process matter?

Going through a process has many benefits. We gain knowledge, experience, and satisfaction that we just don’t get when we take shortcuts. Going back to the chocolate cake example, you can eat and enjoy a cake you buy from the bakery, but that won’t teach you anything about how to make a cake. To learn that, you’ve got to go through the process.

When we take too many shortcuts, we deprive ourselves of opportunities to learn and grow.

You’re probably wondering where I’m going with all this. It will hopefully make sense in just a moment, so bear with me.

At the bottom of my prayer list, there are five things I pray for everyday: wisdom, guidance, strength, patience, and courage. I thought the answer to my prayer was going to be something like: “**Poof!** Here you go, Seth!” Turns out, God had something else in mind. He’s answering my prayer through a process.

Process can be painful.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “no pain, no gain.” For our bodies to get stronger, muscles have to stretch and strain. It can be extremely uncomfortable.

Sometimes a process requires sacrifice. If you’ve ever gone through the process of losing weight, you’ve probably had to sacrifice some things (like chocolate cake).

The process I’m going through right now includes both pain and sacrifice. But God is helping me to develop strength, patience, and courage through it. As I trust in Him to guide me, He’s developing the very character traits I’ve been praying for! I wouldn’t say it’s a piece of cake (that’s my last cake reference, I promise), but I know that the end result will be worth it.

There is always hope!

Perhaps, like me, you’re in the middle of going through a difficult process. Don’t lose hope. Ask God what He’s trying to teach you through it. Trust that God can take your pain, your struggle, your difficult situation, whatever it is you’re going through, and use it for good.

I’ll leave you with five Bible verses that are helping me through my process. I pray they will encourage and inspire you as well:

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

~Romans 8:28

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever.

~Psalm 118:1

[God] You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope.

~Psalm 119:114

Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp.

~Psalm 131:1

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.

~Deuteronomy 31:6

Jesus Said WHAT!?

There’s a passage in the book of John where Jesus shocks His followers. Here’s the passage:

 So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. 

But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. 

For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 

Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 

I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me.“

~John 6:53-57

If you’re wondering what-in-the-world Jesus is talking about here, you’re not alone. The people listening to Jesus argued over what this meant, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat? (John 6:52)” and “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it? (John 6:60).” In fact, many of Jesus’s followers “turned away and deserted Him (John 6:66)” over this very teaching.

So what’s going on here? What are we to make of it? Is Jesus introducing some radical, new teaching involving cannibalism? To make sense of this passage, we have to look at the context, and we have to look at it in light of other scripture.

Literal or figurative?

We can safely dispense with the idea that Jesus wanted His followers to literally eat His flesh and drink His blood. He never carved off pieces of Himself and fed them to His disciples, nor did He fill goblets with His blood for them to drink.

The questions that need answered are:

  1. why did Jesus use this shocking metaphor?
  2. what does it mean?

Context.

If we back up a little bit, we see that this passage takes place one day after the feeding of the 5000. Jesus has just fed a multitude with only five loaves and two fish, and the people are beyond excited (John 6: 1- 15). They have just witnessed a true miracle, and they want more.

Now, this is important: In regards to the feeding of the 5000, Jesus tells them they do not understand the meaning of the miracle. (John 6:26) Jesus is offering them something far better than perishable food; He’s offering them eternal life! They have failed to make a connection between the physical food He miraculously provided, and the spiritual sustenance He wants to give them.

The crowd just wants more miracles. They talk about how Moses brought down bread from heaven. Jesus tries again to get them to see that their spiritual needs outweigh their physical needs:

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. 

The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

The crowd’s response is:  “Sir, give us that bread every day.”

This reminds me of the response from the woman at the well. When Jesus tells her that He has living water, she doesn’t grasp what He’s saying. She says, “Sir, give me this water… so that I won’t have to keep coming back to this well.“

These people are wanting Jesus to literally give them a magical loaf of bread, or a glass of magical water.

Once again, Jesus tries to help them make a connection between something they are familiar with (food and drink are necessary for the survival of the body), and a spiritual reality they don’t yet understand (Jesus is necessary for the survival of the soul).

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. 

However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.

For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. 

And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. 

For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.“

~John 6:35-40

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. 

Yes, I am the bread of life!

Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. 

Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die.“

~John 6:47-50

Let’s return to the shocking text we started with. By looking at the verses leading up to it, it seems clear that Jesus is intentionally taking His metaphor to the extreme because His audience is thinking too literally. When He does, there is no longer a reasonable, literal interpretation of what He is saying. The audience is forced to either accept that Jesus is teaching a spiritual truth they don’t fully grasp, or abandon Him.

After a large portion of these “followers” decide to turn away, Jesus asks the twelve apostles, “Are you also going to leave?” To which Simon Peter replies, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:67-68).

Even the apostles did not fully understand what Jesus was teaching at the time, but they had faith that Jesus was the way to eternal life… and that was the essence of what Jesus was trying to teach them!

The Last Supper and the cross.

Obviously the “eat my flesh; drink my blood” teaching takes place prior to Jesus’s death and resurrection. It’s not a coincidence that Jesus revisits this theme with His disciples at The Last Supper.

When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table.

Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. 

For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”

Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 

For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”

He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.”

~Luke 22:14-20

Here Jesus makes it clear that His broken body and shed blood are what make salvation possible. Once again, He brings in literal food and drink (bread and wine) to help them understand a spiritual truth. Just as their physical bodies would perish without food and drink, so their souls would perish without the broken body and shed blood of Christ.

A key takeaway is this: when it comes to salvation and eternal life, it’s not enough to just believe that Jesus existed, or that He was a good man and a prophet. You have to personally accept the sacrifice that Christ made on your behalf. And that is what it means to eat His flesh and drink His blood.

Another layer of meaning.

There’s a poem by Walter de la Mare that begins like this:

It’s a very odd thing –
As odd can be –
That whatever Miss T eats
Turns into Miss T.

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “you are what you eat.”

Our bodies automatically take the things we eat and drink, and transform them into… us!

In a spiritual sense, the same thing happens when we eat Jesus’s flesh and drink His blood. Not only does this sustain us and give us life, it also transforms us… making us more like Him.

To accept Jesus as savior, to be “born again”, is to invite Him to transform you.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

~II Corinthians 5:17

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

~Galatians 2:20

How about you? Have you received eternal life? Have you been transformed by the broken body and shed blood of Jesus Christ?

But I Say…

We all have opinions about everything. But Jesus never uttered opinions, only truth. The question is, how closely do your opinions match up with the teachings of Jesus? You might be surprised. What Jesus taught was often contrary to conventional wisdom and popular opinion.

Read Mathew 5: 21-45. Pay close attention when Jesus says, “But I say…”

On murder and adultery.

The sixth and seventh of The Ten Commandments are: do not kill, and do not commit adultery. Most likely you’ve never killed anyone, and hopefully you have never cheated on your spouse. But don’t be too quick to pat yourself on the back.

Jesus explained that these commandments go deeper than we realize. It’s not just about the physical acts; it’s a matter of the heart.

“You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’

But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment!”

~Mathew 5: 21-22

“You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’

But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

~Mathew 5: 27-28

God knows our hearts. We may not commit the physical acts of murder or adultery but sometimes the desire is there, and if we knew we could get away with it…

The bottom line is, Jesus taught that if you have ever looked at woman with lust, or burned with hatred against another person, you are guilty of breaking God’s law the same as if you had committed adultery or murder!

On divorce.

In our modern times, divorce is not seen as a big deal. If you’re unhappy, unfulfilled, or unsatisfied with your marriage in any way, just call it quits.

But Jesus taught that marriage is a sacred commitment, and that the only valid reason for divorce is an unfaithful partner.

But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery.

~Mathew 5: 32

Some Pharisees came to [Jesus] to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’

and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?

So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

~Mathew 19: 3-6

On making vows.

How many times have you heard someone say, “I swear on my mother” or, “I swear on my kid’s lives”? It’s a fairly common thing, and it’s meant to show that the person is serious about the claim they are making.

But Jesus said not to use such oaths. We are to live with such integrity that people know our word is good at all times.

But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne.

And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King.

Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black.

Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.

~Mathew 5: 34 -37

On revenge.

The desire for revenge when we are wronged is a natural impulse. We want those who hurt us to pay a price.

But Jesus taught that we should resist the urge for revenge and instead “turn the other cheek.” It’s hard to overstate how radical (and difficult) this teaching is. It goes against our every instinct.

But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.

~Mathew 5: 39

Don’t say, “I will get even for this wrong.” Wait for the Lord to handle the matter.

~Proverbs 20:22

On enemies.

An enemy, by definition, is someone hostile toward you. They don’t like you, and they want to see you come to harm. The natural tendency is to reciprocate.

But once again, Jesus tells us to take a radically different approach.

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 

But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!”

~Mathew 5: 43-44

So how do your opinions about these topics line up with what Jesus taught? Do you find some of the teachings hard to accept? If so, ask God to help you adjust your thinking, then ask Him for the strength to put these teachings into practice in your day-to-day life.

Nowhere To Hide.

I’ve been thinking about God’s omnipresence lately. This is the idea that God is everywhere; that there is no place you can go where God is not there. Since God is spirit and not material in nature, it’s probably more accurate to say that “everywhere is in God.” In other words, our material reality is encompassed by and permeated by God. But this is a semantic difference. The point is simply this: wherever you go in the universe, God is there.

There are some beautiful scriptures that illustrate this attribute of God.

…though he is not far from any one of us. 

For in him we live and move and exist…

~Acts 17: 27b-28a

I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!

If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.

If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.

~Psalm 139: 7-10

The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping His eye on both the evil and the good.

~Proverbs 15:3

Both disturbing and comforting.

The disconcerting thing about this is that God sees us at our absolute worst. Every time I’ve lost my temper, acted selfishly, or committed some shameful act, God has been witness to it. And there’s no way to fool or manipulate Him about what happened. He knows my innermost thoughts and motives. I don’t know about you, but when I contemplate God having intimate knowledge of my every thought and deed, I cringe.

The good news is, in spite of my flaws, in spite of my sinful nature, God loves me. Remember, He died for us while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8).

God knows every bad thing you and I have ever done, and He loves us anyway. He wants to help us through this life, and promises eternal life and peace if we repent of our sins and follow Him (John 3:14-16 | Revelation 21:4).

The pride problem.

Our culture today preaches a message directly contrary to scripture. The world says not to be ashamed of anything! If it feels good, do it. Embrace who you are, do what you want. Your personal pleasure and happiness are all that matter. Nothing is really right or wrong, it’s all relative.

And so many people have become blinded to their own sin. Their pride won’t allow them to admit they’ve ever done anything wrong.

I’m convinced that pride will keep more people out of Heaven than anything else. Pride says, “I’m my own judge, and I’m fine just the way I am.” Humility says, “God is judge, and I’m a sinner in need of forgiveness.”

If you want God’s grace, humility is key.

And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say,

“God opposes the proud
    but gives grace to the humble.”

~James 4:6

Loving and merciful.

God is everywhere, sees all things, and knows all things. But this needn’t fill us with dread. In fact, it should fill us with awe that God knows us so intimately and loves us in spite of our sinfulness.

The LORD is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.

~Psalm 145:8

You can’t hide from God. But how sweet it is to know that God, who sees you at your best and at your worst, loves you, cares for you, and gave His life for you.

Humility.

Since the 1970’s, June has been known as “Pride Month” in the United States. Rainbow flags and other gay-pride paraphernalia are ubiquitous. Our culture now fully embraces the LGBTQIA2S lifestyle. The message: Be proud of your sexuality!

Social media encourages people to flaunt their wealth. You’re supposed to post pictures of the cool new toys you buy. Post pics of food from that fancy restaurant. Brag about your exotic vacations. The message: Be proud of your possessions!

Society encourages us to boast about our achievements. Go ahead and broadcast that you went to an Ivy League school. Make sure people know how successful you are. Brag about your intellect and business acumen. The message: Be proud of your accomplishments!

Notice the common thread. Pride is all about “me, me, me!” It is a form of self-worship, for it prizes the self above all else.

Not something to celebrate.

Pride is no virtue. In fact, it is chief among the cardinal sins.

In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis said this about pride:

“Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.“

Here’s a sample of what the Bible says about pride:

Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.

Proverbs 16:18

All who fear the Lord will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech.

Proverbs 8:13

In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

Psalm 10:4

And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say,

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

James 4:6

If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. 

But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. 

For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 

For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

James 3: 13-16

Opposite of pride.

Jesus taught humility.

Read Mathew 23:1-12 where Jesus condemns the pride of the Pharisees, and warns His followers not to be like them.

Read Luke 22: 24-27 where Jesus teaches His disciples that if they want to be truly great, they must humble themselves and serve others.

And Jesus didn’t just teach humility, He lived it. He demonstrated it when He healed the sick, when He ministered to the meek and lowly, when He washed the feet of His disciples.

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Mark 10:45

Finally, Jesus exemplified humility in the most profound way possible: He took on feeble, human flesh, and willingly went to the cross to die for sinful mankind.

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.

Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form,

he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Philippians 2:5-8

Food for thought.

A proud man is a miserable man. He looks down on those he deems inferior, and he burns with envy at the mere thought of anyone being superior. He lives in constant fear of being knocked off the pedestal on which he has placed himself.

Our modern world is at odds with The Almighty on the issue of pride. You have a daily choice to make: Will you go with the flow, and celebrate what God detests? Or will you dare to follow the example of Jesus?

Mind Your Tongue.

Julian Treasure gave a Ted Talk called, “How to speak so that people want to listen.” In this talk, he gives a list of seven things you should avoid when speaking. They are:

  • Gossip
  • Judging
  • Negativity
  • Complaining
  • Excuses
  • Lying
  • Dogmatism

When I heard the list, I smiled and thought to myself, where have I heard this before? (spoiler: it’s in the Bible!)

James chapter 3 reminds us just how unruly our tongues can be, and that if we are not careful our words can do great harm.

Proverbs 15: 4 says, “The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.”

Let’s look at the Biblical reasons that we ought to avoid the seven things on Julian Treasure’s list.

Gossip

Talking about people behind their backs is rarely a good idea. The one exception is when you have something positive to say. If you can’t say something nice, say nothing!

A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.

Proverbs 11:13

A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.

Proverbs 16:28

Judging

Romans 3:23 reminds us that we all fall short of God’s perfect standard. God alone is qualified to judge.

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 

For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.

And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?”

Mathew 7: 1-3

You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. 

And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things. 

Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things?

Romans 2:1-3

Negativity

A negative attitude is toxic. Negativity drags people down.

As Christians we always have a reason to be positive, because the trials of this life are nothing compared to the glory that awaits us (Romans 8:18)!

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Philippians 4:4

Always be joyful. 

Never stop praying. 

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

I Thessalonians 5:16 – 18

Complaining

If you’re complaining, you’re probably focused on the wrong thing. You can complain that you’re stuck in traffic, or you can be grateful that you own a car. You can whine about needing to wear glasses, or you can appreciate the amazing gift of sight.

Shift your focus to the good things, and watch what happens. You’ll complain less, and smile more.

Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.

Philippians 2:14-15

He comes to say that all are guilty for all the sin they have done and all the sinful things these sinners have spoken against God.

These men complain and are never happy with anything. They let their desires lead them into sin. When they talk about themselves, they make it sound as if they are great people. They show respect to people only to get something out of them.

Jude 1:15-16

Excuses

To make excuses is to abdicate responsibility. Never cast blame that you deserve onto someone or something else. Take responsibility for your actions.

[Adam] replied, “The woman you gave to be with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate.”

So the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Genesis 3:12-13

Don’t excuse yourself by saying, “Look, we didn’t know.” For God understands all hearts, and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew. He will repay all people as their actions deserve.

Proverbs 24:12

Lying

The Bible has a lot to say about lies and truth. God is Truth. He cannot lie (Numbers 23:19 , Titus 1:2, Hebrews 6:18). We can trust in His promises.

The Devil is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44).

We must strive to speak only truth.

So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.

Ephesians 4:25

Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.

Proverbs 12:22

Dogmatism

Actually, sometimes, we should be dogmatic! When it comes to truth, we should stand firm, and never waver or compromise.

Where we should avoid dogmatism is in matters of opinion, or when we are uncertain about the truth. Dogmatism often stems from pride; from our need to be right. Be humble, and be open to the opinions of others.

Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Colossians 4:6

Stop acting so proud and haughty! Don’t speak with such arrogance! For the Lord is a God who knows what you have done; he will judge your actions.

I Samuel 2:3

I don’t know how Julian Treasure came up with his list of seven things to avoid when speaking, but his advice is sound because it lines up with Biblical principles.

I challenge you to pick out at least a couple of things on the list, and make a commitment to eliminate them from your speech.

Taste And See.

You probably know who Jordan Peterson is. Personally, I admire him for his intellect and his principles.

Several months ago I watched his video series on Exodus. If you are unfamiliar, I would describe it this way: a panel of brilliant men with diverse backgrounds gather around a table to read and discuss the Old Testament story of how God delivered the Israelites from Egypt and brought them to the promised land.

The series consists of 17 episodes, and the total runtime is over 33 hours!

Prior to making the Exodus series, Jordan Peterson gave a series of lectures on the book of Genesis, and currently he is on a tour entitled, “We Who Wrestle With God.” He’s written a book with the same title.

It’s clear that Dr. Peterson is serious about his search for God. Sadly, with his current approach, I fear he may miss Him.

Knowledge vs understanding.

A parable:

There once was a brilliant scientist who wanted to learn all there was to learn about chocolate. He bought a chocolate bar, and conducted many experiments. He meticulously recorded his observations, and in time he came to know a great deal about chocolate: how its made, its melting point, the precise ratios of all the ingredients, etc.

The scientist dug deeper, learning about chocolate’s chemical composition, molecular density, atomic structure, and more. Finally, he felt confident he knew all there was to know.

Then, one day, a boy came into his lab. The boy simply ate the chocolate bar, and smiled.

You see, the scientist knows about chocolate; the boy knows chocolate.

Until the scientist tastes the chocolate for himself, he will never truly understand it. When he does, he will realize that what he knows about chocolate on an intellectual level doesn’t compare to the experience of eating it.

It’s similar with God. Using one’s intellect to get a deeper knowledge of God is no substitute for experiencing God in a real and personal way. As the Psalmist said:

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

Psalm 34:8

Uncomplicated.

Good news! If you want to know God, you don’t need special training or equipment. You don’t have to have a PhD in philosophy or religion. A personal relationship with God is available to anyone who desires it. All you need is humility and a tender heart.

About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Mathew 18:1-4

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6

For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says,

‘The stone that you builders rejected
    has now become the cornerstone.’

There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.

Acts 4:11-12

Want to enter the Kingdom of Heaven? Want to find God? Humble yourself, repent of your sin, trust fully in Jesus, and you will.

Jesus is the way to God; there is no other. Through Him, the God of the Bible becomes more than just an abstract idea. He comes alive inside you. The One, True God. The God of the prophets, the God of King David, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Through Jesus, that God becomes your God.

Don’t settle.

I pray almost every day for Jordan Peterson. He is so close to the truth. I pray that one day he will humble himself and come to Jesus with the heart of a child. I pray that he will experience God, not as some impersonal, abstract idea, but as the awesome, terrifying, holy, and personal Being that He is.

If you have come to Jesus already, you know what I’m talking about. If you have not, don’t delay. Take a leap of faith. Experience God for yourself. Taste and see.

Obedience.

I’ve been thinking a lot about obedience lately: what it means, why it’s difficult, and why it’s important.

Let’s begin by looking at the dictionary definition:

obedience, n.

The action or practice of obeying or doing what one is bidden;

the fact or quality of being obedient;

submission to the rule or authority of another.

Oxford English Dictionary

Look closely at that third definition (submission to the rule or authority of another), for it is in this sense that Christians are called to obey God.

Obedience means surrendering your will to Him. It means praying, as Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but thine be done.”(Luke 22:42). It means doing what God says, even when you don’t want to. In fact, if God asks you to do something you want to do, then doing it isn’t obedience at all. There is no submission there; no surrendering of the will. Obedience is when you do what you’d rather not, because God told you to.

We find examples of this throughout Scripture. Abraham took Isaac up the mountain to be sacrificed (Genesis 22). Moses confronted Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 4). Gideon reduced his fighting force down to 300 men before a crucial battle (Judges 7). In each case, these men did what they did, not because they wanted to, but because God told them to. They submitted to God’s authority; surrendered their wills to Him. They obeyed.

What makes obedience so difficult?

———-Pride———-

When we understand what obedience is, it’s pretty easy to see why it’s hard to be obedient. We’re rebellious by nature. We hate being told what to do. Our sinful flesh wants to be in charge. If our fallen nature has a motto, it mirrors the last two lines of William Henley’s Invictus: “I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.“(emphasis added).

Pride makes obedience nigh impossible. A prideful man does not recognize any authority higher than himself. He will not bend the knee, even to his Creator.

Humility is both prerequisite to, and a demonstration of, obedience. As always, Christ is our perfect example. Jesus humbly did the will of the Father at all times, no matter the cost.

[Jesus] humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Philippians 2:8

———-Fear———-

A second obstacle to obedience is fear. You can be humble, recognizing God as the ultimate authority, and still not obey because of fear. Fear comes in many flavors: fear of failure, fear of ridicule, fear of loss, fear of pain, fear of death.

Fear is a paralytic toxin when it comes to obedience. As humility is the antidote to pride, so faith is the antidote to fear. To overcome fear, we must have faith that God is good, that He knows what is best, and that He will give us the strength we need to accomplish what He tells us to do.

The prophet Isaiah spoke often about faith and fear:

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.

Isaiah 2:12

[The LORD] will keep in perfect peace all who trust in [Him], all whose thoughts are fixed on [Him]!

Isaiah 26:3

Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal.

Isaiah 26:4

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

Bottom line: Obedience requires humility and faith.

Why bother?

Since obedience is so hard, and it involves doing what we don’t want to do, why should we obey? Here are four good reasons:

1) For our protection:

When you tell a small child, “Don’t put your hand on that hot stove,” you do so because you care about the child. You know that if the child disobeys, they will suffer the consequences.

In the same way, many of the commands God has given us are for our own protection. We may not see how disobedience will lead to disaster (just as a child may not fully understand what will happen if they touch the stove), but God does. Obedience can, and often does, keep us from harm.

2) For our development:

When I tell my daughter to clean her room, or to do her chores, I’m not doing it just to throw my weight around. My daughter may think these things are not important, and that I’m being a horrible dictator, but that’s simply not true. I know there are important life-lessons that can only be learned from experience. By doing her chores, she learns about authority, responsibility, discipline, and much more. Doing what I ask of her develops her character in ways she does not understand.

Similarly, when we obey God, we gain valuable experience. We become more like Christ. Obedience strengthens our faith, and builds our character.

3) Out of love:

God’s love for us is clear. He created us, sustains us, and cares for us. Everything we have, and all that we are, comes from Him. He loved us so much that, while we were still sinners, He died for us (Romans 5:8).

God wants us to love Him in return, and to do that, we obey. Jesus said: “If you love me, obey my commandments.” (John 14:15).

4) For guidance:

Imagine that I come to you and ask you for directions and we have this conversation:

Me: Hey, do you know how to get to such-and-such?

You: Sure. First, head south...

Me: Whoa! let me stop you right there. I don't want to go south. I'm headed north. Can you please help me get to such-and-such?

You: Yes. Turn around and head south, then...

Me: Wait! I just told you ... I'm not going south. Now, please, just tell me how to get to such-and-such!

If I refuse to follow your instructions, you can’t help me, can you?

It’s the same way with God. If you want Him to direct you, you must make sure that you are following the directions you already have. For example, suppose God tells you to go to church (Hebrews 10:25), study your Bible (II Timothy 2:15), and spend time in prayer (I Thessalonians 5:17). If you refuse to do these things, how can you expect God to direct you any further?

Start obeying the commands you know, and God will guide you from there.

Take action.

Obedience is not easy. To submit to God’s authority, we have to swallow our pride and overcome our fears, but when we do, blessings come. When we obey, God protects us, develops us, and guides us.

See if you can think of just one command God has given you that you are not following. What’s stopping you? Pride? Fear? Ask God to help you change. Make a commitment to obey that command from here on out. It won’t be easy, but God will bless you if you do.

A God Too Small.

The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.

Richard Dawkins

It’s utterly, utterly evil. Why should I respect a capricious, mean-minded, stupid God who creates a world which is so full of injustice and pain?

Stephen Fry

Either God wants to abolish evil, and cannot; or he can, but does not want to. If he wants to, but cannot, he is impotent. If he can, but does not want to, he is wicked. If God can abolish evil, and God really wants to do it, why is there evil in the world?

Epicurus

I’m fascinated when men who do not believe in God attack Him with such great passion and ferocity. “God doesn’t exist!” they proclaim, “But if he does, he’s an immoral psychopath because he allows or even perpetrates [insert atrocity here].”

Theologians and apologists have wrestled with “the problem of evil” for centuries. It’s often presented as evidence that God does not exist, but the quotes above assert something more. There’s an audaciousness to them, an attitude of superiority. They imply that if God exists, man possesses the knowledge, wisdom, and authority to sit in judgement of His actions. How foolish!

An incomplete picture.

Can you rightly judge the quality of a painting if you can see only one square inch of it? Can you read the first word of a book and determine the worth of its message? If you taste only one ingredient, can you fairly critique the whole meal?

In like manner, none of us has sufficient knowledge to criticize God’s actions. We see one speck of one piece of the puzzle, and dare to imagine that we are in a position to pass judgement on the whole. We don’t even know how much we don’t know!

Given our limitations, isn’t it possible that God has good reasons for allowing pain, suffering, and evil to exist? Reasons that we know nothing about? Reasons that are beyond our comprehension? Only pride would dare answer, “no!”

When a parent takes their small child to the doctor and allows the doctor to give the child a shot, what does that look like from the child’s point of view? The child doesn’t understand the purpose of the shot. They don’t know that it is ultimately for their good. All they know is that the needle hurts, and the parent let the doctor stab them with it! Would the child be right to call the parent evil based on what they experienced?

Obviously, the knowledge-gap between us and God is infinitely greater than the gap between a parent and their child. It’s fair to say that we are in no position to accurately judge the decisions of The Almighty.

Where were you?

You are probably familiar with the story of Job. He was a man who had it all… health, wealth, family, and fame. In an instant, God took it all away.

Job was flabbergasted. Why had God allowed all this evil to happen to him? Job’s friends came and basically said, “Wow! Job, you must have sinned pretty bad for God to do all of this to you.” Job insisted he was innocent; that he did not deserve what God was dishing out.

In the book of Job, chapter 31, Job boasts to his friends of his righteousness. Near the end of the chapter he states:

“If only someone would listen to me! Look, I will sign my name to my defense. Let the Almighty answer me. Let my accuser write out the charges against me.

I would face the accusation proudly. I would wear it like a crown.

For I would tell him exactly what I have done. I would come before him like a prince.”

Job 31:35-37

Bold words. He’s basically saying, “God, You messed up! You got this one wrong!” But his friend, Elihu, reminds Job who God is (Job chapters 32 – 37), and then God Himself responds to Job (Job chapters 38 – 41).

Then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind:

“Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words?

Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much.

Job 38:1-4

God asks Job a series of rhetorical questions to remind him of his place in the universe. Such questions apply to anyone who wishes to challenge God. Where were you when God created the universe out of nothing? Where were you when God brought order out of chaos and light into darkness? When did you become omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent? Who do you think you are?

Job, to his credit, responds in the only appropriate way:

Then Job replied to the LORD:

“I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you.

You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me.

You said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’

I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.

I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”

Job 42:1-6

No limits.

I don’t know why God allows evil, pain, and suffering to exist, but I don’t need to. The Bible tells me that God is good, that He has a plan, and that He is without limits. God is not bound by time or space. He is not constrained by the laws of nature, physics, or mathematics. If He chooses, He can instantly right every wrong, and mete out His perfect justice to every human soul… past, present, and future. He can do this because He is Almighty God, and with Him nothing is impossible.

If you look at the current state of the world, and believe that evil, pain, and suffering are incompatible with a perfect and holy God, you simply believe in a god too small.

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