Protected by God even if it isn’t obvious at first

When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. There were more than forty who made this conspiracy. They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul. Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.” 
Now the son of Paul’s sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.” So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, “Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you.” The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?” And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him. But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your consent.” 
So the tribune dismissed the young man, charging him, “Tell no one that you have informed me of these things.” Then he called two of the centurions and said, “Get ready two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night. Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor.” (Acts 23:12–24)

I love this story. Paul was arrested. More than three dozen plotted to kill this man of God and God used a young man and a Roman military leader to stop the plot with several hundred soldiers to ensure that Paul would be safe. No doubt Paul’s sister was praying!

This week I heard an expert on brain research who used technical equipment to discover that parts of the brain rev up when a person prays and parts shut down. Peace and joy often accompany prayer and this brain activity increases when people pray in groups. It is a huge help for loneliness in the sense that people who pray also understand they are talking to God (or at least someone) and they do not feel alone.

This research also looked into the other ways that prayer changes things. Contrary to much of my experience, prayer for people unseen, far away, and personally unknown very often makes any difference to the one in need. Sometimes their situation even becomes worse. In wondering about that, I’ve thought two things; one, it is difficult to know how to pray for such a person. Most prayers are, “This is what I would want God to do if I were in that situation.” In other words, they prayer is not always based on the will of God.

Also, because God promises to use all things for good for His people, the trials we experience are for His purpose to transform us into the image of Christ. Yet rarely do most see a trial as a good thing. We tend to ask God to remove it or fix the problem rather than to glorify Jesus Christ in us. Those “fix it” prayers might be answered, but not always. God has a plan to use the trial hence does not answer that prayer.

O Father, we love these stories of deliverance and cringe when answers seem delayed or do not happen. My way is comfort and success, but Jesus rarely experienced such glories. His greatest accomplishment was initiated by a cruel death. Later, it was crowned by resurrection and salvation for sinners. Help me to trust You in both the relief of sorrows and in the pain of trials that lead to transformation. May Your will be done!

 
 

Obedience and blessings

Then King David rose to his feet and said: “Hear me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord and for the footstool of our God, and I made preparations for building. But God said to me, ‘You may not build a house for my name, for you are a man of war and have shed blood.’ Yet the Lord God of Israel chose me from all my father’s house to be king over Israel forever. For he chose Judah as leader, and in the house of Judah my father’s house, and among my father’s sons he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel. And of all my sons (for the Lord has given me many sons) he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. He said to me, ‘It is Solomon your son who shall build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. I will establish his kingdom forever if he continues strong in keeping my commandments and my rules, as he is today.’ Now therefore in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, observe and seek out all the commandments of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and leave it for an inheritance to your children after you forever. (1 Chronicles 28:2–8)

David was the king and yet forbidden to built the house of the Lord. As king, this seemed out of line. Yet even though it was on his heart, God said NO and David was okay with that. He accepted his lot in life and obeyed God. His response to this is remarkable.

Not only that, he turned it into sound advice for others, telling them to obey God because that is key to the good life for ourselves and our children. Most humans try to make that good life happen by our own efforts, but…

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)

Running my life my way will lead to misery because my own way is sin. Why is it so easy to believe Satan when he whispers “God does not want the best for you” and forget that He died for me that I might have an abundant life and the ability to live His way?

This week I told my pastor that God gave me an easily distracted mind for a reason, not that I would be distracted from the truth but that I would need to constantly read it from His word because that is the only way I can remember it. I accept my weakness because He uses it for good.

Jesus, I am thankful for my mother’s mantra, “We must need it or we wouldn’t be getting it.” It is a biblical attitude that put the idea in my heart to accept whatever You and life throw at me, and to look for Your good reasons for letting things happen. You DO want the best for me, even when it comes as an unpleasant trial to prompt a heart search. Thank You, thank You.

 

 

God has reasons for saying NO…

 “You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my rules and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. And you shall not walk in the customs of the nation that I am driving out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I detested them. But I have said to you, ‘You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.’ I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from the peoples. You shall therefore separate the clean beast from the unclean, and the unclean bird from the clean. You shall not make yourselves detestable by beast or by bird or by anything with which the ground crawls, which I have set apart for you to hold unclean. You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine. “A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.” (Leviticus 20:22–27)

Some find this OT book a boring read, but if read with the will of God and godly principles in mind, it changes my thinking and my life. For instance, this passage points to two very different areas of life; the food I eat, and the way I seek spiritual truth.

The food issue has not been thoroughly studied, but I know one thing — what God forbids is generally not healthy. In those days, pork was prone to have parasites and other bacteria. While these dangers have been reduced now, back then people died from eating pork. I don’t know much about other forbidden foods, but trust God who knows what is dangerous to my well-being.

As for mediums and others involved in summoning the spirits of the dead, this is in the realm of demonic activity. Even if a sincere truth seeker in this area can open themself to dark and evil forces. Jesus called the devil a liar and the source of lies. If I go that direction, I would be setting myself up for disaster, even destruction. 

All of this seems obvious to me now, but not all Christians are aware of these dangers. Some mess with horoscopes or eat forbidden food as if it were a delicacy, not realizing that God is not being a rule-maker without reason. While keeping these laws does not make me a redeemed person, paying attention to them marks me as someone who pays attention to God, trusting Him to know what is good for me and what is dangerous. It is faith in Him that makes the difference between trust and obey, or living by rules.

Jesus, we have been to restaurants that offer strange stuff on the menu that You say is unclean. We also have events in our city that feature mediums and others who tell fortunes and act as if they have knowledge of the spirit world, luring others to trust and even pay them to tell their futures or explain their problems. These and many other ‘forbidden things’ are not only a danger to true godliness, they insult You as if You are not Lord of all. Keep me alert and avoiding these lures that could destroy me. I’m so glad to know and trust You.

Glorify God in marriage…

While this is not a popular teaching nor is it often preached, the Bible says this:

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Ephesians 5:22–33)

Rather than stumble over that “submission” word (it does not mean doormat), I see the bigger intent in this passage; the relationship between a husband and wife is supposed to mirror the relationship between Christ and the church. 

Sadly, I remember the Christian woman who said if her hubby acted like Christ, she would be willing to do what he wanted. The other side is that many men will do what their wives want to avoid stress or conflict of any kind, so they do what she says. Both excuses fail to demonstrate what God intended. 

I don’t know the stats, but Christian couples are not immune from fights, separation, splits, divorces, and unfaithfulness. God stresses the seriousness of this, not only because of the emotional damage to families, but the spiritual purpose of love and respect. A divorce and whatever causes it does not reveal how Christ is toward His bride nor does it reflect how the church should respond to our Lord and Savior. 

In reading 1 Corinthians  this morning, I felt deep sorrow. God told to Paul convey this to the church:

I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.” (1 Corinthians 5:9–13)

He also wrote about our responsibility to judge any sins, and not take disputes to a court of law. Nor are we to think that someone in the church who is caught in any sin is okay.

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9–11)

And this includes cheating on your spouse and calling it severe because, “Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." (1 Corinthians 6:18–20)

PRAY: Father, we know the weakness of many who cannot exercise self-control, and how badly they need to marry rather than let passion rule their behavior. Your Word stresses walking in the Spirit for the Spirit produces the ability to say NO to temptation. Today I pray for those who need to yield to You, both men and women, that each of us is able to reflect Your great love for us and our response of love to You — with the way we live and the way we relate to our marriage partners. And may those who are not married also rely on the Spirit to keep their lives pure so they glorify Your goodness.


 

God loves me even when He hurts me…

A pastor tells of talking to a woman who said she had not yet accepted Christ but was thinking about it. He told her that at that point she was rejecting Him. She argued, but he told her there is no middle to choices, only yes or no. Then he told her she could choose as she wished, but she could not choose the consequences.

Today, Piper says there is a difference between the consequences of forgiven sin and the consequences of unforgiven sin. He then changes the terminology; the latter are properly called penalties; the former we should probably call “disciplinary consequences.” 

While both are related to sin, and reflect the displeasure of God for sin, their aim is not the same. For those who sin but belong to Jesus Christ by faith, our consequences are not condemnation. Jesus has already take that judgment on Himself. Instead, consequences of forgiven sin are to demonstrate sin’s evil, to show that God does not take sin lightly, and to humble and sanctify us as forgiven sinners.

My experience agrees. When I go against the will of God, there are consequences, but this is to show me the folly of what I did, and that even though Jesus died for that sin and I am forgiven, God take my actions seriously. I cannot do as I please for the results are never good for me or for others who may be involved.

Not only that, I gain by learning a lesson. Just as Hebrews 12:6 teaches “the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives”, I experience the reality of His desire that I be like Jesus and live a holy life. 

. . . .  He disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:10–11)

While not all disciplinary pain ordained by God is directly owing to some sin I have committed, I usually can see some connection. However, I also realize that God is doing this for my good because He loves me and wants the best for me. 

Piper adds that this is immensely important to understand whenever there is an imbalance of emphasis on the Father’s forgiving tenderness to the exclusion of the Father’s forgiving toughness. Without a category to deal with the consequences of their sin, some will  underestimate the preciousness of forgiveness, or accuse God of double jeopardy in punishing what He has already forgiven.

The illustration is the sin of David with Bathsheba and ordering the death of her husband. While the result was painful (the baby died too), David was restored after confessing his sin, not  punished. (Psalm 51)

PRAY: Oh Jesus, at times I’ve suffered consequences, yet by Your grace and the gospel I’ve not lost the truth of forgiveness, or the hope of glory. When I confess, you restore both and even grant Your deep joy, sometimes in the midst of suffering those consequences. I know You allow them so I can be more like You and less like the stubborn and selfish person I would be without You in my life. Again, Your grace and love are amazing, even when it hurts.