Not Asking Enough Questions

And he said to him, "I also am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, 'Bring him back with you into your house that he may eat bread and drink water.'" But he lied to him.
1 Kings 13:18

One of the major problems in Christianity today is an utter lack of discernment. We all want to trust others. And trust is not a really bad thing, but it should not be blind. We all like to see people have success and to see great influence. Moreover, success and influence are not bad in themselves, but there are hard questions to be asked.

Our prophet in 1 Kings 13 wants to trust a fellow prophet. He knows what God told him, but another comes along with a conflicting message. Our prophet trusted him. No questions were asked, which unfortunately led to his demise. It is the penalty of blind trust. Many might be worthy of our trust, but the failure of our trust can be severe. What makes this particularly sad is that our prophet trusted another in a land he was prophesying against. The penalty of his misplaced trust was his death and burial away from his home.

We all have people whose ministry we like but we must be ever vigilant. For the one who blindly trusts another leader in all things is setting himself up for failure. We must always be ready to ask the hard questions, lest we wind up like our unnamed prophet.

Those Solitary Decisions

And Jeroboam said in his heart, "Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of David. If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the temple of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah."
1 Kings 12:26-27

Jeroboam chosen by God to divide the nation of Israel. Indeed, all he has to do is walk into the countryside and people virtually throw him on the throne. So he worries about his long term success, or really how long he lives as a rival king. His concerns are probably pretty valid, however, he does not approach them the right way. Instead of trusting God who earlier dismantled an army set to destroy him, he trusts in his own cunning and turns his back on God. This leads the people under him into a path of judgment that eventually destroys the country.

We like to think that our lives are fairly self-contained. Any bad results will be something we deal with and they will not impact others. The fact of the matter is that few, if any, results of our choices affect only us. Like Jeroboam our sins affect others, and it is not pretty. Few of us will have the potential fallout like his, but we cannot ignore that our lives are intermeshed with many other people. This is why we should talk about our churches as a community not a place. This means we need to understand how much damage our sins can do to the world around us.

Called by the Right Name

And Paul said, "I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.'"
Acts 23:5

I am impressed once again at the difference that many Christians have against the word of God. Paul, this time, has created the backdrop that we need to see our own failures. Paul in a moment of frustration or anger calls a pharisee a whitewashed tomb. Looks nice but absolutely unclean, the kind of place you avoid. You might think that this is something to write about, but the text continues and Paul admits his error. What was his error? He insulted the chief priest. This is not good. He pleads ignorance and even confesses error citing Exodus 22:28. This is a problem for many Christians. In capitulating to the spirit of the age we call leaders we disagree with degrading names and give them less honour than they deserve. Rulers are set in place by God. They get to answer to God for their errors and sins. We do not have an excuse for treating our leaders with such contempt (Romans 13:1-7). We are to give them the honour they are due. This does not mean we accept their choices. This does not mean we sit back and watch them. This is a democracy therefore we let them hear. However, we speak with respect no matter how much it goes against our culture.

Holding to the Message

Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, "Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live."
Acts 22:22

Paul had a message to proclaim and unfortunately it was not one that was well received. In fact, it was a message that could have cost him his life then and did cost him his life later. The difficulty is that it is a message that divides as much as it unites. A message that creates within either relief knowing that salvation is not in our hands or anxiety knowing that this challenges deep beliefs about how we are saved. It fundamentally shifts our understanding of life from thinking we control our salvation to salvation by grace. It fundamentally changes our perception of the law. The law is no longer our task master, but our response conforms to the law. A message that drives to the heart in a divisive way. Some will respond in faith and find salvation while others further drive the wedge between them and God. This is the sad part of the message of redemption: some will not accept the message. We always try to share it with everyone, however, not everyone is willing to accept it. Some may later on, Paul was one such example, but in the mean time he fought with all his might. So will some we meet too. All because we carry the message of redemption for all people.

Update on Life

I have been a little quiet lately. There are two reasons. One I am just coming off vacation. Two my wife is pregnant and these early months are rough on her. We would appreciate prayer at this time. I am going to make an effort to post but I may be a bit intermittent at the moment. Please bear with me.

Rick

The Bringer of Good News

Behold, upon the mountains, the feet of him
who brings good news,
who publishes peace!
Keep your feasts, O Judah;
fulfill your vows,
for never again shall the worthless pass through you;
he is utterly cut off.
Nahum 1:15

It is interesting how for many the topic of salvation gets separated from sin. Maybe sin might not need to be so direct, perhaps it can be worked around, but the idea of justice cannot be lost. Nahum is prophesying of the messenger who brings peace: Jesus. Yet the entire context both before and after is that of judgment. The entire point is that the coming messiah brings hope for the oppressed people of God, yet fear and imminent doom for those who stand by the might of any but the Lord. The powerful oppressor will fall and the world will be glad. This judgment will come and did come. Nineveh has fallen. Yet Nahum 1:15 points towards the future. And in the future Christ will return and this chapter of salvation history will close. With the close of this chapter comes salvation and judgment. One cannot be left without the other. This is why we must go out and preach the word. Let others know what is coming. There will always be those who reject God, but the good news must be proclaimed for all those who might respond to the message. Lest they fall into the judgment worse than what was proscribed for Nineveh.

A Hard Wait

Do not say, “I will repay evil”; 
wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.
Proverbs 20:22

Some people look to the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) as showing us a new message on how to live. It is claimed to be a strong break from the old testament. The reality is that the message is nothing new really. It is bringing out the law for better understanding. The extension on adultery shows us that we are sinful deep within ourselves. What we have here in Proverbs is turn the other cheek. Personal vengeance is wrong. It always has been. Many key examples of sin involve a person bringing about their own personal vengeance. Few people can separate their feelings enough for punishment to be just. Usually things escalate more and more, each side demanding a higher price for teir perceived wrong, so that eventually death is the only solution. Our hope is in God, He will provide justice. Whether it comes from his divine hand or by his representatives here on earth, namely our governments, justice comes from God. We do not measure it out ourselves. That is a pride or self reliance to demand to measure out vengeance.