QT 30 Mar 15, Heb 10:30, God calls us to be his witnesses

Heb 10:39 (ESV) But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

NOTE: Am I embarrassed by my faith? Do I stand up for what I believe in, even when it is not popular? I think all of us struggle at times in this pluralistic culture with identifying with our faith. Our culture has worked so hard at destroying every aspect of our faith, although mostly without knowledge. Their arguments are poor and in error, but usually reside in catchy phrases and slogans and half-truths that sound good. It is not as if God needs defending, he will have the final say, but if we don't speak up, people will never know the truth. And besides, God has called us to be his witnesses and ambassadors to the nations. We really don't have a choice if we want to be obedient.

QT 26 Mar 15, Heb 10:1, The law was only a shadow

Heb 10:1 (ESV) For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near.

NOTE: The law was never intended to be permanent since it was always only a shadow of the good things to come. There are a number of purposes for the law and the OT. One is provided here. It is a shadow, a type of the true covenant. It bears resemblance to the true covenant since it is a copy of the things in heaven. It shows the importance of blood and death. It shows the degree of sin and the separation of man from God. It shows the need for a mediator. It shows the need for a perfect sacrifice. It shows the need for a better sacrifice, one that can truly cleanse our conscience from acts that lead to death.

QT 25 Mar 15, Ps 84:10, Pleasure must be pursued in the right order

Ps 84:10 (ESV) For a day in your courts is better

than a thousand elsewhere.

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God

than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

NOTE: The tents of the wicked are tempting. The fares appear to bring pleasure, but the cost is too high. The price is felt within our souls, for as David says elsewhere, "against you, you only have I sinned, and done what is evil." Sin is against God. It strikes at our spiritual nature and tears us down from within. It is a fleeting pleasure. It is a twisting of something good into evil. Afterwards the cost is extracted upon our lives. A good pleasure has the cost paid beforehand. It is the result of doing the right thing in the right way. It does not tear us down, but it builds us up. The pleasure seems similar on the outside, but the difference is great. God protect me from the shortcuts and from evil steps. I want to enjoy your pleasures from your hands. I don't want to sin against you.

QT 23 Mar 15, Eph 6:11, Leaving off armor pieces leaves us vulnerable to certain attacks

Eph 6:11 (ESV) Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

NOTE: I think are problem is that we don't fully equip ourselves. We will put an item or two of the armor, but leave other pieces off. The problem is that leaves gaps or weaknesses that the enemy can exploit. The armor is designed to work together as a whole. A shield alone can't protect from an enemy wielding two weapons. It is better than nothing, but only using bits and pieces leaves us exposed. We need to cultivate a lifestyle that naturally puts on all the pieces of the armor. What is the piece that I have been omitting? I think I can admit to more than one. My feet shod with the gospel of peace is one I don't think about enough. How hard do I look for opportunities to be a witness as I walk through this life?

QT 19 Mar 15, Luke 12:1-3, We cannot hide from God

Luke 12:1-3 (ESV) In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.  2  Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.  3 Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.

NOTE: We think we can hide. We think our sin will not find us out. We know what is right, but we don't want to face the truth some times. I think the Pharisees convinced themselves that things that were wrong were right for them. But God knows our hearts and sees our actions. He is not fooled by anything, even if we do manage to fool ourselves. The verses that follow remind us to fear God, not men. Lord, we need your mercy. We are frail and weak. We give in to the flesh and emotions. We react instead of think. We think like the world instead of using your wisdom. Forgive us and have mercy on us. We depend upon you. We are more valuable than sparrows and is some ways, more delicate as well. Guide us in truth. Amen.

QT 17 Mar 15, Col 3:19, Called to treat our wives considerately, kindly, and gently

Col 3:19 (ESV) Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.

NOTE: So, this is a very shortened version of the same message to the Ephesians. A comparison of Eph 5 and Col 3 shows the similarity of the message. So when Paul boils it down to a much shorter section, in this case, one verse versus nine verses, what is his emphasis? First, he tells the man to love his wife, much as was told in Ephesians, with the additional detail in Ephesians that the love is to be a sacrificial love like Jesus' love for us. He also has a negative command--don't be harsh. Some people pay more attention to negative commands than to positive commands. Negative commands also highlight poor current behavior. So, in saying that the husband is not to be harsh, he is also saying the husband is to be considerate, kind, and gentle. The husband is to lead the family (other passages tell us this) but not in a demanding or forceful way. His leadership should be considerate, kind, and gentle.

QT 11 Mar 15, Rom 7:21-25, It is not good but it is normal to struggle with sin

Rom 7:21-25 (ESV) So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

NOTE: So, Paul's struggle here is clearly a struggle as a believer, and not before he came to Christ or just theoretical. He says in vs 22 that he delights in the law of God in his inner being. He also says that he has been delivered by Jesus, yet also he says that in his flesh he serves the law of sin. There is a war that we struggle with all the years of our life on earth. It does not excuse our actions. It does not obviate the need to struggle and war against the flesh (as it wars against the mind). It is a real thing that we all deal with but in different ways. The worst failure is to think you have no struggle, because I would argue then that sin has won (in pride for sure, but in other areas as well). Father be merciful to us. We are weak creatures.

QT 9 Mar 15, Isa 58:6-10, Do we love God most when we love others first?

Isa 58:6-10 (ESV) "Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? 8  Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, 'Here I am.' If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10  if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.

NOTE: What does it mean to put God first? What is more important to God, the sacrifice of our body, or love expressed to his children? Do we love God more when we love others? If a person denies his faith to save his children's lives, is he wrong, as a story about a family forced to convert back to Islam relates? Can loving others so much be wrong? If we love our lives, then the answer is yes. That is wrong. If we are trying to save our lives, then yes that is wrong (in my opinion). But to save the life of another, how can we be so sure? I don't know what I would do, but I don't doubt I may have acted as the Father did. A renunciation of your faith does not change your faith. That is inside and no person can separate us from the love of God. They may force our external behavior to be different, but they cannot change what is in our heart. No one can take the HS from us.

QT 2 Mar 15, 1 Sam 13:19-23, What do I need to do, not what do I need?

1 Sam 13:19-23 (ESV) Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, "Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears." 20 But every one of the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, or his sickle,  21 and the charge was two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares and for the mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening the axes and for setting the goads.  22 So on the day of the battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan, but Saul and Jonathan his son had them. 23 And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.

NOTE: It is an interesting way to control people, by taking away certain skills. I'm not sure if they made it illegal or if they killed all the blacksmiths, but the result was that the whole nation went to the Philistines for blacksmith services. Consequently, there were no weapons, except weapons that remained for the King and his son. This may even explain why later, Goliath's sword was such an important item. What do you when you don't have the required tools? In this case, you do the best you can. You bring your axe, and your hoe. You bring a club and a knife. And most importantly, you bring faith that God can give the victory if your heart is right with him. You do the right thing, even when it doesn't seem possible to do the right thing. What is the right thing? Deep down, I think we all know.