QT 25 Feb 15, Matt 3:7, Wrath is coming

Matt 3:7 (ESV) But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

NOTE: The wrath to come is usually viewed in an eschatological sense. Jesus' coming "begins the end." The wrath is post rapture and occurs during the final 7 "days" of Daniel's prophecies. Right now, those seven days are interrupted. A mystery has appeared, the church. The body of Christ is taking the gospel message to the world. At some point soon, the body will be removed from the earth, just as Jesus rose from the earth, and tribulation (the wrath to come) will be poured out on mankind. Before the very end, the Jews will return to the Messiah, and Jesus will come down to rescue his people, and then the Messianic kingdom will start. Many of the seeds of these final days have already been sown and some are near. An attack on Israel by Iran (Persia) and Russia is the next major event. Also some movement toward a world order is also necessary, probably precipitated by an actual use of nuclear weapons between Israel and Iran, although Israel will be untouched. The world will try to create another system just as it did after WWI (league of nations) and WWII (united nations) to prevent any future nuclear wars. The time is close. It is hard to imagine another 20-30 years without seeing these events happen. The time is at hand. Are we doing all that we can to live and share our faith with those around us?

QT 23 Feb 15, Heb 13:5, Don't live for pay raises

Heb 13:5 (ESV) Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

NOTE: There are a number of practical instructions in this section that also give insight into the struggle of the Hebrew believers. Apparently their new faith has resulted in closed doors for financial gain. If they go back to their Hebrew faith, potentially these doors reopen. God's response is that too much emphasis is being placed on monetary gain. The real key is not gaining more money but learning to be content with what you have. God promises to never leave us, so why do we worry about gaining more money.

I admit that I fall into this trap as well, although not because of my faith or at least I don't see my faith as an obstacle to better position and better pay. But the point remains, I need to be content with what I have. And I do have a lot. Why do I really want more? What is my purpose? Will it help me to be a better witness for Christ?

If God gives me an opportunity then so be it, but I must not worry about money. I must not let money rule my life.

QT 9 Feb 15, 2 Sam 5:22-25, Build habits of spiritual discipline

2 Sam 5:22-25 (ESV) And the Philistines came up yet again and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. 23  And when David inquired of the Lord, he said, "You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees. 24 And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself, for then the Lord has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines." 25 And David did as the Lord commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba to Gezer.

NOTE: This is one of those positive moments in the life of David. It was not free of conflict or stress or pain, but it was a time of victory and blessings. It is also a time of reliance, as David goes to God for direction. Prayer is often the missing element when we compare times of victory and times of stagnation and defeat--which is why it is so important to develop a habit of prayer. Hard times force us to our knees, but good times tempt us to forget God. Yet good times are the best times to develop good habits of prayer. Prayer needs to be a habit and is seldom successful without being a habit. A habit is "an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary (dictionary.com)." To be regular, you need a regular time and a regular place and a regular environment. The more things that are regular (the same), the easier it will be to develop a habit. It is not possible to develop a regular habit of prayer at irregular time and places during the day, unless you find the defining regularity. For example, standing in line, which is not regular in place or time, can be used as a device to initiate prayer. But better ideas will have additional regularity to it. My time is my half-hour drive to work in the morning. I do it 5 of 7 days for 35 minutes each day at the same time. It has become a habit to start praying as I drive out of my neighborhood.

QT 5 Feb 15, Matt 23:9, Humble yourself by learning to exalt others

Matt 23:12 (ESV) Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

NOTE: So this is the area where I can say in today's popular nomenclature--FAIL. And I do. I struggle again and again to just shut up. I don't need to exalt myself. I don't need to talk about my past accomplishments, authority, or awards. I just need to let it go and shut up. There are certainly advantages to people knowing your strengths. It is possible that it could increase trust. But it is just ugly to watch some puffed-up person, like myself, subtly puffing himself up. Well, at least I think I'm subtle, but probably not. So, it's hard to just stop doing something. Usually you need to replace it with some other activity. So my activity will be to lift others up and promote others. I need to change my thought process. How can I compliment or lift up another? What can I say to make that person look good? I don't know how well this will work, but this will be my goal today, at least as a start.

QT 4 Feb 15, Prov 16:9, God knows what he is doing in our lives

Prov 16:9 (ESV) The heart of man plans his way,

but the Lord establishes his steps.

NOTE: The verse doesn't say we shouldn't plan nor does it make any moral judgment on the decision to plan. Other scripture do, and suggest prudence and planning as wise actions. What it does say, is that God is never not involved. He may choose to allow us to experience the consequences of poor planning or lack of planning or selfish planning. He may intervene and he may not. But Rom 8:28 says that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him. So if he allows something, it is because he sees good that will come or if he intervenes, it is because he is working to bring good out of it. Of course, God's definition of good and ours may differ exceedingly. He can see into eternity, but we can only see a little bit ahead. Therefore, we will often not see something as good because we can't see it from God's perspective. Additionally, we measure things by a physical life and earthly treasures, and God sees the spiritual, and unseen things of eternity and heaven. So, in the end, we must trust that God is the one establishing our steps, not our plans.

QT 3 Feb 15, Eccl 7:10, Our attitude determines our evaluation of events

Eccl 7:10 (ESV) Say not, "Why were the former days better than these?"

For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.

NOTE: In retrospect, everything seems better -- well, most things. Yet, at the time, if a person is honest, he will admit that he grumbled and wished for change, something different, back then. This section of scripture falls within Solomon's "Under the Sun" wisdom. It is generally true, but not necessarily spiritually true. It must be examined against the context and other passages. In this case, while the statement is completely true, the answer is not completely given. It is true that it is not wise to think this way. It is a distorted view of reality. Wisdom would be to 'ask different questions,' and to pray in a thankful manner. Our attitude determines our evaluation of events. So, the questions should be: what do I like about these days? What can I do that I could not do? What opportunities do I have now? What is God doing in my life? The prayers are similar, but rather than just asking "what can I thank God for," they should include, "what do I need to thank you for that I don't want to be thankful for?" Those are the prayers that change our attitude and give us wisdom to see what God is doing today, rather than wishing for days that are long past.