Freedom is Good News Part 104

It appears that God wanted us to know how important the 10 commandments were and so He caused them to be written completely in two separate books of the bible.  We find them first in the 20th chapter of Exodus.  The time line for this is shortly after the Israelites came to Mount Sinai after crossing the Red Sea. 

The build up to the event of God speaking these commands, is given to us in chapter 19.

God tells Moses, “This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the sons of Israel:  You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt and how I carried you on eagles wings and brought you to myself.  Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.  Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” 

God had great plans for the people of Israel but as we know, they turned from God and broke His covenant.  This 19th chapter is a very beautiful story of God calling His people to meet with Him and so hear Him speak all these words.  Listen to the description of this meeting:  “On the morning of the third day, there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast.  Everyone in the camp trembled. … Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the LORD descended on it in fire.  The smoke billowed up from it … the whole mountain trembled violently and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder.”  Yes, the presence of God is an awesome thing!!

God Himself spoke all the words of the 10 commandments in the hearing of the people.  Moses wrote down all the words for us to read and learn from but he also re-wrote them in the book of Deuteronomy.  We find them, with only a very small variation, in Deuteronomy 5.

Last article, we took a look at the first commandment and considered why it is the most important one.  “You shall have no other gods before me.”  So we know that God doesn’t want us to worship anything or anyone beside Him.  The second commandment follows with God stating that even if you do not have another god, He does not want us worshiping Him by trying to create an image.  We just read a part of what it was like when God went to meet with the children of Israel; how could anyone believe that they might capture the might and awe and splendor and glory of the Creator God by making a statue of Him? 

Do you think you have a picture in your mind of what God looks like?  I must say, get rid of it.  Our small minds with their finite capabilities cannot create an image of the God who is life itself, the God who dwells in unapproachable light, the God who is an all-consuming fire.  If we create an image of God in our minds we are breaking this second commandment.  We find this one in Exodus 20:4-6.  Let us worship God as He would have us worship Him.  It is not about us and what we want.  Rather it is about Him and what He wants! 

Freedom is Good News Part 103

“You shall have no other gods before me.”  As it stands, this is the first of the 10 Commandments.  We have been talking about the greatest commandment – the one Jesus cited in Matthew 22:37 and have seen that the first step in loving God with all that we have and all that we are is to be obedient children of our Heavenly Father.  When considering obedience, our first stop must be the 10 Commandments.

Some time ago, I read that there are approximately 5,000 laws enacted every year in the U.S. - in federal, state, and local legislatures.  God told Israel, “I give you ten!!”  We know that as time went on, Moses asked for guidance in dealing with the multitude of people that accompanied him in the wilderness.  God gave him statutes and precepts to go along with the ten – but that’s another story for another time.

The first commandment had to do with God’s mandate that His people worship Him alone.  Let us consider why.  God is a God of forgiveness and mercy and grace.  The bible tells us that He knows our frame and that we really are prone to sin.  He so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son to save us from our sins.  Knowing this, then, if we break any of the other commands, we are called to go to Him and repent of our sin and He is true to His word and will forgive us.  Correct?  Yes! 

OK then, if I have another god before Him and in this way sin, who is going to forgive me?  The reality is, there are no other gods to offer me forgiveness. 

But, you ask, we really don’t have statues of Molech, Dagon, Baal or Rephan as did the pagan people of Israel’s day.  True, but we have made many other gods that we in the 21st century serve and worship and place before our heavenly Father.  Have you ever heard the term, “the almighty dollar”?  Many people chase “the buck” to the exclusion of faith or family.  There is only one who is Almighty and He tells us to trust in Him with all of our heart.  But I have a better one for today; the internet in all of its various forms.  Hours spent in front of a screen – any screen – whether playing games, texting, checking e-mails or facebook posts, we can very easily find ourselves being addicted to the “machine”; a sorry sight indeed.  We are serving a machine rather than have it serve us.

Some people serve the entertainment industry.  I read about a man who claims to have seen over 5000 movies in his short life.  Why?  Some people serve the fashion industry.  The desire to have the best clothing and accessories to the point of spending beyond ones budget is a sin and a placing something before God.  We in the U.S. have an abundance of food, whether it is in the grocery stores or at restaurants.  Sometimes our appetites control us rather than the other way around.  I could go on but I believe you get the point.

Is there something in your life that takes precedence over obedience to God?  The word worship literally means to deem something to have a great amount of worth.  Worship is a shortened form of the two words – worth ship.  This worshiping God with our whole heart and soul is not too hard.  But we’ll talk more next time.  Obedience = love for God = good news.

Freedom is Good News Part 102

We’ve been considering, what I have called, the prime directive given to us from God.  And we have come to see that Jesus labeled the words from Deuteronomy 6:5, “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength”, as the greatest commandment (or prime directive).  I’m not sure we’ll ever get anything closer than that. 

But how do we attain that directive?  It is my belief that this command to love God is a life-long goal for us.  When you put together the heart, which in Hebrew is understood as our feelings, thoughts, motives, aims and will; the soul, which basically means a “breathing creature” and refers to the essence of life; and strength, which is easily understood as power; we have a complete picture of who we are.  This may sound overwhelming at first but as in any journey, it starts with a single step!

So, what if I told you that this first step is as simple as obedience?  But is obedience really all that simple?  Yes, it can be!  Take for example, “You shall not steal.”  Is it difficult for you not to steal from another person?  Is it difficult for you to logically consider that some tool sitting in the middle of the shop floor when no one is around, really belongs to someone else?

The laws that God gave to us are for our own good and the good of society.  Stealing, lying, murder and adultery, etc. cannot be permitted if a society is to survive.  But how does this apply to our love for God?

I’m glad you asked!!  In John 14:21 Jesus says, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.  He who loves me will be loved by my Father and I too will love him and manifest myself to him.”  He goes on in verse 23, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my words.  My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him.”  To bring this down to everyday life; what parent wouldn’t feel the love of their children in their obedience to the rules mom and dad placed upon them – always coming home at curfew time, being honest about the company they keep, mowing the lawn without having to mention it more than once.  Oh!  Perhaps I’m talking about an ideal world!!  But I think you get the point.

God delights in our obedience.  God blesses us for our obedience.  Our Father in heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ want to abide with us!!  How amazing is that!!  The God of the entire universe, Creator of all things wants to have us near Him!!  Friends and brethren, I get goose bumps just thinking about it.

This prime command that we are looking at is not unlike the first commandment, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.  You shall have no other gods before me.”  Let’s take a look at what it means to have no other god before Him.

Freedom is Good News Part 101

In our last article we were considering the topic of a “prime directive” for our lives.  We first came upon the idea of the resurrection from the dead as fitting the bill.  But really, this is the result of that which should be a directive for us and not the directive itself.

Perhaps we should define what I mean by this terminology.  I mentioned that I had learned the term from the old TV show, Star Trek.  As they set out on their journey they were given a “prime directive” from the powers that be.  It took precedence over all other instructions.

The word “prime”, comes from a Latin word meaning “first”.  And in English we define it as, “first in time, rank authority, quality or importance”.  For our purposes, we will be looking at, “first in importance”.  For the word “directive”, Webster tells us it is “a general instruction or order issued authoritatively”.  Putting this together, we are looking for an instruction from God that is given to us and is the most important!

Wow!!  This could certainly be a tough task – but let’s dig in!

Some time ago, I wrote a series of articles concerning being “wholehearted” in our serving God.  And as I sit here I am wondering if this most important directive has anything to do with God wanting us to be wholehearted in something – let’s take a look!

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.  Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”  This directive from Moses to Israel is found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5.  This is more than a wholehearted love.  It is also an, “all your soul, and all your strength” love.  These words carry a lot of weight.  They carry so much weight that when Jesus was asked by an expert in the law, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”  Jesus quoted this very scripture in Deuteronomy.  And when He finished quoting it, He said, “This is the first and greatest commandment.”  (Matt. 22:37, Mark 12:30)

Well, that wasn’t so hard was it?  Jesus said it was the first (prime) and greatest commandment (directive).  And here I thought it might take a couple of articles to get there.  But maybe we should take some time and consider what it means to love God this way.  In the book of Luke, we have this same scripture quoted from Deuteronomy but this time, it is from the mouth of a scribe who asks Jesus what must be done in order to inherit eternal life.  Jesus turns the tables on him and asks him what he thinks the answer is.  The scribe replies with this same scripture and Jesus responds with these words, “You have answered correctly.  Do this and you will live.” (Luke 10:25-28)

Wasn’t it last week we were looking at the concept of resurrection – to have life eternal?  We will have to look into this in the next article.  Until then, think about what it means for you to love God with all that you have – the result is “good news”.

Freedom is Good News Part 100

It seems that the sci-fi movie genre today is mostly about comic book heroes and Star Wars.  But when I was younger, the big news in television sci-fi was Star Trek.  Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock moved on from saving the world to saving the galaxy – heady stuff in those days.

Like most things these days, I have forgotten the details of their adventures but there is one thing that has stuck with me all these years; they were given a commission to explore “strange new worlds” and to seek out new life forms – kind of like a future Lewis and Clark expedition!  But they were also commissioned with what was called a “prime directive”.  Those two words have embedded themselves in my memory.

Do you have a prime directive today?  All of us have directives and visions and dreams that we either follow closely or fantasize about.  One of the dreams from my younger days was to build a straw bale house.  Now that I am older and not as physically capable, this dream has shifted into the realm of fantasy.

Ah, but what about those things which are first and foremost in your mind?  Well, as a parent, you must have the directive to provide for a family; not just financially, but also mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  That is an extremely important concept.  There are many more that I am sure we could think of and share. 

But what about in our spiritual lives?  Someone may say, “I am not concerned with things spiritual.”  I am sorry for you.  If it is only for this physical life that you strive then the Apostle Paul has a word for you, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” (1 Cor. 15:32)  How sad!

Paul’s comment here deals with those who say there is no resurrection of the dead.  Hmmm!!  Could this be a “prime directive” for us, being raise from the dead?  Paul spends an entire 58 verse chapter in 1 Corinthians on this very subject.  The bible tells us that death is an enemy and even an atheist will agree with that.  A loved one dies and we are filled with sorrow.  And yet our true “loved one” died – yes He died for us that we may live – and He was resurrected from the grave, sits at the right hand of the majesty on high and is looking forward to spending eternity with those who have a faith in His saving power.  It is in the death of this One that we rejoice.  “Do not let your hearts be troubled.  You trust in God, trust also in me.  In my Father’s house there are many abodes, if it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may abide where I am.”  What a promise!!

Let us take a look at this directive again and see if it is the “prime directive” we might be searching for.  Until next time remember, in Christ we have good news!!

Freedom is Good News Part 99

“Many are asking, ‘Who can show us any good?’”  This is from the sixth verse of Psalm 4 and it seems quite appropriate for us today!  In fact, if I go back to where these articles began, I realize this is the reason for writing these articles.  Where do we find any good?

Would you mind if we take a look at this Psalm in its entirety?  Perhaps there is a lesson in it for us all.

This particular Psalm is a Psalm of King David (not all Psalms were written by him).  If we know anything about David, we understand that his life, although filled with a desire for God’s presence, was never really a “bed of roses”.  In Psalm 3:1 he writes, “O LORD, how many are my foes!”  This was written when he was fleeing from his son Absalom (the tale is told in 2 Samuel 15.)  As is true of most of God’s true servants, David had a hard life.

Psalm 4 may be broken down into 3 separate sections: first - verse 1, an urgent plea; second - verses 2–5, a protest against his enemies; and third - verses 6–8, an expression of security in God.  Verse 1 is actually 4 separate pleas to God: “Answer me when I call”, “Give me relief”, “Be merciful to me” and “Hear my prayer”.  These 4 pleas, made in rapid succession, emphasize the urgency of David’s plight.

Verse 2: “How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame?  How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?”  David knew that he had enemies but he also knew – as it is said in the next verse – “The LORD has set apart the godly for Himself; the LORD will hear when I call to Him.”  At this point, David turns toward you and me, the readers, and admonishes us in verses 4 & 5, “In your anger do not sin … search your hearts and be silent … and trust in the LORD.” 

David gives us a snapshot of his trials.  He lets us know that the things in life aren’t always fair and pleasant, but we can always turn to our Heavenly Father for help.

And so we come to where we started, “Many are asking, ‘Who can show us any good?’”  David goes on from here to answer this question, “Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD.  You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.  I will lie down and sleep in peace for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.”

Perhaps the lesson for us is that even though David found himself in difficult situations in this physical life, he knew that it was only in the presence of God that true joy might be found!  So then, who alone can show us any good?  I believe you know the answer – God alone!!  And that is good news.

Freedom is Good News Part 98

Is there good news in examining a poem closely?  If it is in God’s word there is! 

I mentioned in a previous article that Solomon wrote this book of Ecclesiastes, which I believe is his book of repentance.  And in the 12th chapter Solomon has an admonition for all of us.  “Remember your creator” before it’s too late.  “Remember Him before the silver cord is severed or the golden bowl is broken.  Before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, or the wheel broken at the well, and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the breath returns to God who gave it.”  What a beautiful ending to a remarkable poem. 

We have, here in these first 7 verses of Ecclesiastes 12, a short yet vivid picture of the aging process.  So why have we come to study this poem in our article about “good news”?

We began four weeks ago considering the question “Do you find satisfaction through the things you accomplish in your life day to day?  And as an aid in answering this important question, I suggested we take a look at the book of Ecclesiastes.  In it we saw Solomon suggesting that the things done in this life, for purely secular and selfish reasons are a chasing after the wind and are utterly meaningless.  The truth of the matter is, anything we strive for in this world (i.e. “under the sun”), has little or no value if we have no hope of achieving entrance into the kingdom of God. 

Let’s look again at an entry from that previous article: “There is a book in the bible that, in my opinion, addresses this subject.  It is a book that I enjoy reading when the things of this life have gotten me down.  It has the tendency to help me center myself in the true meaning and reason that God has placed us here on earth.  The book of Ecclesiastes is a part of the bible called The Wisdom Literature”. 

As I read this book and slowly ponder its words, I consider the joy I get from serving a true and living and mighty and wonderful God!!!  I begin to forget my failures and frustrations and begin to let God erase them from my heart.  I ponder the joy of the blessing He has given to me.  I can once again “stand in awe of the works of His hands” and see and feel the beauty of His creation.  When read in this fashion, the book of Ecclesiastes can truly refresh.

The reality in all of this?  It becomes clear to me that it is all about God and not about me.  And so I come to the conclusion of the matter:  chapter 12 verse 10, “The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.  The word of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails – given by one Shepherd. …  Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man.  For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”

Freedom is Good News Part 97

“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth.”  As I sit here reading this first line of chapter 12 in the book of Ecclesiastes, I wonder how many of you reading this article would consider yourselves to be classified as “youth”?  I suppose the concept of youth is relative; and yet those of us who are “older” know a little something about youth and how fleeting it is.  “Yesterday I was young and now I am old” says the poet. 

This opening line reminds me about what David said in Psalm 95:7, “Today when you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts ….”  In other words, don’t wait, pay attention to His words today!  I mentioned in our last article that this chapter was quite unique to the book in which it is found.  It is a poetic allegory given so as to open our eyes to the brevity of life.  “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, ‘I find no pleasure in them’”. (Verse 1)  I just returned from a visit to my oldest sister who is becoming crippled up with arthritis – she finds no pleasure in the days ahead of her.  But she still has the opportunity to “Remember her Creator”. 

Let us take a verse by verse look at this poetic allegory. Verse 2: “(Remember your Creator)  Before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark and the clouds return after the rain.” - The days of carefree cheerfulness and prosperity see their decline for the elderly and even the sun does not come out after a shower.  Verse 3: “When the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men stoop.” – The keepers of the house might mean the hands and arms.  They are no longer strong and they even tremble a little.  “When the grinders cease because they are few” – perhaps a reference to the end of a full set of teeth (they had no false teeth in Solomon’s day).  “And those looking through the windows grow dim” – no cataract surgery in those days either!

Verse 4: “When the doors to the street are closed and the sound of grinding fades” – without wheel chairs and walkers, access to the out of doors became difficult.  The duty of grinding the grain was given to the more youthful of society.  “When men rise up at the sound of birds but all their songs grow faint” – The older I get, the harder it is to sleep late in the morning and without my hearing aids, I miss some of the bird songs.

Verse 5: “When men are afraid of heights and of dangers in the streets” – I use to enjoy roofing houses; alas no more!  “When the almond tree blossoms and the grasshopper drags himself along and desire no longer is stirred” – Quite possibly, the almond tree blossoming refers to one’s hair turning gray and silver; the grasshopper is no longer spry.

And “desire”?  Well, as one gets older, the less it is stirred (enough said?)!!  This is a beautiful picture of the wearing down of the human body.  My pulling it apart for explanation has in ways diminished its effect.  Read it in full for yourself from your bible.  It is here that we finally see the outcome of this aging process; “Then man goes to his eternal home and mourners go about the streets.  Remember Him before the silver cord is severed or the golden bowl is broken.”

More on this beautiful piece of poetry in our next article.  The conclusion of the matter is just around the corner.

Freedom is Good News Part 96

We’ve been looking at the book of Ecclesiastes and considering the phrase, “under the sun”.  Solomon uses it 29 times in this short book.  We have ascertained that he uses this phrase as an expression to point out our fleshly existence here in this world.  

In chapter 4:1 we read, “Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place “under the sun”.  If there is one thing I know, it is that God is not an oppressor.  He is a giver and a giver of good things.  I believe we established this in a previous article.  No, it is man who is shown to be the oppressor.  Solomon goes on to say in verse 4, “And I saw that all labor and all achievement which springs from man’s envy of his neighbor is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” 

The use of this phrase actually sets the parameters for how we should look at this book.  It becomes the lens though which we see Solomon’s lessons for us.  Let’s consider chapter 2:17-23; five times in these 7 verses we read the phrase “under the sun”.  Solomon starts off saying, “So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me.  things I had toiled for under the sun … all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun is also meaningless … My heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun.  What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun?”  At one level it sounds almost depressing; as though Solomon were about to have a breakdown.  But then in verses 24-26 we are told the real message of this book and we dare not miss it.  “A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work.  This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without Him, who can eat or find enjoyment?  To the man who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness…”  So now we are shown the difference.  Do things, under the sun – meaningless!!  Do things to please God – priceless!!

Without God in one’s life we are given this stark picture of a man striving under the sun for no real reason.  Solomon was perhaps the richest man in the world – ever!  He had it all.  (See Eccl. 2:4-11 for a deliberation of what he amassed.) 

If we had the time and space, we might go through this book of wisdom, verse by verse but for now, let us go beyond the use of this phrase, “under the sun” and consider the last two chapters – for in them is the really good news.  (Yes, there are some good lessons though out the book: chapter 5 – stand in awe of God; chapter 7 – the wisdom of having a good name.)  Chapter 11 tells us to cast our bread upon the water and give portions to the needy; sow our seeds in the morning; enjoy the creation around us and take joy in our living; be happy and follow the way of our hearts, banish anxiety. 

Chapter 12 is quite unique and we should take some time to look at it in our next article.  In it we are given a beautiful poem of wisdom and finally are told the conclusion of the matter – good news.

Freedom is Good News Part 95

The opening words of the book of Ecclesiastes let us know that “everything is meaningless, yes utterly meaningless”.  Verse 1 along with verse 12 gives us the understanding that it was King Solomon who penned the book.  He is the man who was given great wisdom from God and yet went astray.  This in itself should cause us to sit up and take notice of what could lead a man of wisdom to walk away from the true God.  Something to think about!!

But as I said in our last installment, “It is my opinion that Solomon came back to his senses and saw his error.  And so the book of Ecclesiastes may be seen as his book of repentance.”  In his book of proverbs Solomon makes this observation “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”  Solomon was trained by his father, King David, in the ways of God and when he was older he came back to it.

So why, pray tell, should a book that opens up by telling us everything is meaningless, be the one that can lift us up and help us find satisfaction is all that we do?  Good question, I’m glad you asked!!

But before we tackle that issue let’s do a short outline of the first two chapters.  Chapter 1 verse 1-11: everything is meaningless!  Chapter 1:12-18: wisdom is meaningless!  Chapter 2:1-11: pleasures are meaningless!  2:12-16: wisdom and folly are meaningless!  2:17-26: toil is meaningless!  OK, enough of this Bill, where am I going to find the good news? 

There is a clue to this answer in a phrase that Solomon uses 29 times in this short book of only 12 chapters.  The phrase, “under the sun” is inserted by Solomon in very strategic positions to help us see where the vanity and meaningless activities come from.  Let’s consider some of these examples.  The first instance is found in chapter 1:3, “What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?”  Well, the answer to this rhetorical question is “he gains nothing”.  In other words, you can’t take it with you.  (This reminds me of the story of the rich man who meets St. Peter at the pearly gates with a wheel barrow of gold ingots.  St. Peter takes a look and asks the man why he is bringing paving material into the kingdom.  Ah yes, streets of gold!!!)

We are ultimately, just consumers.  We earn, we spend and we leave the rest to others when we die.  Jesus put it this way in John 6:63, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing.”  The term “flesh” is used here to indicate our life here on earth – it is a wonderful experience that we have been given; but without God, without the hope of eternal life, without the hope of glory, there is no profit in our fleshly existence.  As Solomon put it, “no gain from labor under the sun”.

In chapter 2 Solomon writes this, “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. … yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”  We will consider this catch phrase some more in the next article.

Freedom is Good News Part 94

There is an innate desire within each one of us to find satisfaction through the things that we accomplish.  I have had the opportunity to visit with and to counsel people who find their lives unfulfilled.  Perhaps you have found yourself in this situation, wondering what it is all about.  Is there a meaning to our routines that we attend to each and every day?

Do you enjoy your work?  Perhaps the first question to ask is; do you have work to do?  Work in itself can be a great help in finding some inner peace and satisfaction.  Unfortunately, many today feel that it is all about a paycheck.  This is a false motive.  There is a line in a song that I very much enjoy; it says, “Work like you’re worth more than money.”  Think about that.  Is the life you live only worth the money you earn?  Money is just a medium of exchange – I exchange my time at work for money, and then I exchange that money for things.  And some people think that the more money they have the more they will feel fulfilled or the happier they will be. 

A long time ago I learned a precious lesson and it has accompanied me these past many decades; the more things you own, the more they own you!  What is it you really want in life?  Well, I began this article talking about finding satisfaction through the things we accomplish. 

There is a book in the bible that, in my opinion, addresses this subject.  It is a book that I enjoy reading when the things of this life have gotten me down.  It has the tendency to help me center myself in the true meaning and reason that God has placed us here on earth.  The book of Ecclesiastes is a part of the bible called “The Wisdom Literature”. 

This book was written by Solomon and I believe it was written during the latter part of his life.  Perhaps we all know that when Solomon was very young, he was given rulership over all the nation of Israel from his father King David.  God came to him in a dream one night (the episode is found in 2 Chronicles 1) and said to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”  In verse 10 Solomon said, “Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?”  First of all this is an amazing request and second, Solomon had the understanding that this nation belonged to God.

Solomon started off really well and impressed all he met with his wisdom and with his wealth.  He reigned very wisely until his wealth and power went to his head.  In 1 Kings Chapter 11 we learn how his many foreign wives turned his attention away from God and toward false gods.  But it is my opinion that Solomon came back to his senses and saw his error.  And so the book of Ecclesiastes may be seen as his book of repentance.

“Meaningless!  Meaningless!” Says the teacher.  “Utterly meaningless!  Everything is meaningless.” (Eccl. 1:1)  This first line of the book doesn’t sound like a real pick me up at first blush but hang on – God willing, in the next few weeks, we will do a little study of this book to see if it contains any good news.

Freedom is Good News Part 93

Why take on something and do it halfheartedly?  That is the question I asked several articles ago and I believe we should ponder it awhile.  There seems to be a huge disconnect in our society today.  I am used to sitting with some of our teenagers these days and being virtually ignored because they are very busy with their phones.  But just recently I had the opportunity to be in the company of some adults (by this I mean an over the age of 50 group) and found myself wondering what to do while all of them were texting or reading texts.  Wow, you talk about doing something whole heartedly; we seem to be a society glued to Facebook, Twitter and any other self-inflicted form of the small screen!

OK, I got that off my chest – I just wish we could have as much zeal for our God and Father as we do for the many forms of entertainment we have surrounding us. 

Just what is it that you and I own?  I suppose our answers might contain things such as our house, car, furnishings, some land and whatever toys and trinkets we may have.  But I find it interesting that in Psalm 24:1, we read, “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it; the world and all who live in it.”  In other words, God owns everything in this physical world!  Oh, and yes He even owns us.  So can we claim to own anything?  Well, as I see it the answer is yes; we do own one thing and that thing that we own is time.

Each and every one of us has a 24 hour day to live in and to utilize.  How many of these days we may have is not, for the most part, up to us to determine.  God has determined the length of a day – one full rotation of the earth around its axis.  God has determined the length of a week, “For in six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God.” (Ex. 20:9-10)  God has determined the length of a month (originally it encompassed the time that the moon took to make its circuit around the earth).  And lastly, God has determined the length of a year – the full circuit of the earth around the sun.

God has given all of us the gift of time - 24 hours in a day - and just what are we doing with it?  Sleeping, eating  and working take up a large portion of our time, this we know.  But how about the rest?  May I suggest that we might categorize the rest of our time as opportunities to give of ourselves; in other words our time is broken into increments of love.  If we are married, we give of our time, in love, to our spouse.  If we have children, we give of our time, in love, to our kids, etc. (you get the point) and the time we work must be incorporated here.  The critical two questions then become, how much time do we devote to self-love and how much time do we devote to our love of God?

Might I suggest at this point that our time really becomes the only commodity which we are able to  invest.  Where will we get the greatest return for our investment.  The answer to this is in your hands alone. 

Freedom is Good News Part 92

In our previous article we took a look at a couple of prayers given by a couple of prominent men of the bible – David and Daniel.  So, we know that they were men of prayer.  But how often did they pray? 

We are all familiar with the episode in the book of Daniel concerning him being thrown into the lion’s den.  But do we know why this happened?  A decree was issued by the king of the Medes and Persians that anyone found praying to any god or man beside Darius the king, would be thrown into the lion’s den.  This episode is found in the book of Daniel, chapter 6.  In verse 10 of this chapter we read, “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem,  Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had once before.”  Daniel’s practice was to pray three times a day and he did so openly, even though it might cost him his life.

And what about King David?  This man who wrote the lion’s share (excuse me Daniel, no pun intended) of the Psalms tells us this in Psalm 55, “Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea; hear me and answer me for my thoughts trouble me and I am distraught … But I call to God, and the LORD saves me.  Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress and He hears my voice.”  We find here that David prayed as Daniel did, three times a day!!  Do you pray three times a day?  Let me include myself here – do I pray three times a day? 

How near do we want to draw to our Heavenly Father?  The bible tells us in several places, to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, all of our strength and all of our life. (Deut. 6:5, Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30)   It tells us to serve the Lord our God with all of our heart and with all of our soul. (Deut. 10:12)  It tells us to seek the Lord our God with all of our heart and with all of our life. (Deut. 4:29)

I once brought up these examples of praying three times a day and a listener raised his hand and pointed out what Paul had to say.  In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 Paul writes, “Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  In Colossians 4:2 he writes, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”  In Philippians 4:6 he writes, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”  In Romans 12:12, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, devoted to prayer.”

Paul sets the bar pretty high for us as we consider our relationship with our Heavenly Father and talking with Him in prayer.  But, let us remember where we started out;  “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Everyone was filled with awe …” (Acts 2:42)  Oh, this “awe” thing, and being filled with it; I am sure it is good news!!  Don’t forget to pray.

Freedom is Good News Part 91

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Everyone was filled with awe …” (Acts 2:42)

We picked up this scripture in our previous article as we began to examine ourselves to see if we were “all in” when it came to wholeheartedly serving our God.  We touched on the first three items: the apostles teaching, fellowship and the breaking of bread, in that article but saved the fourth item, prayer, for today.  So let’s consider the concept of a “prayer life”.

If we begin by looking into the Old Testament for the word prayer, we will find the first use of the word in Genesis 20:7.  God tells the king of Gerar that Abraham is a prophet and he will “pray for you and you will live”.  We find in verse 17 of this same chapter that “Abraham did pray to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife … so they could have children again”.  This first use of the word prayer expresses the idea of interceding on behalf of another.  We may use this type of prayer when we find that someone near and dear to us has become ill or has lost a job, etc. and we intercede with God for them. 

Another type of prayer may be for ourselves because we have sinned before our God and we need forgiveness.  We find this type of prayer in what many consider the book of prayers, i.e. the book of Psalms.  In Psalm 51 (of David) we read, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your lovingkindness; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.  Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.”  We see an example of both types of prayer in the book of Daniel, chapter 9.  Here Daniel is interceding for the people of God who have been exiled to Babylon because of their sins. In verse 4 we read, “I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed:  ‘O LORD, the great and awesome God who keeps His covenant of love with all who love Him and obey His commands, we have sinned and done wrong.  We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. … LORD, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame … .’”  In humility, Daniel includes himself here.

In these two prayers – of David and of Daniel – we can almost hear how sincere they are and how from their innermost being they pour out their hearts to God.  In this prayer of Daniel we begin to get into a third type of prayer, a prayer of praise and adoration to the great and awesome God who has created all things.  In considering this type of prayer, I would like to take you to my favorite prayer in the entirety of the bible.  This is a prayer of David in 1 Chronicles 29:10-20, “Praise be to you, O LORD, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.  Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.  Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.  Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things.  In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.  Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.”  David goes on from here with more praise and thanksgiving but I will let you read it for yourself so you may be lifted up with his words.  They are good news indeed.

Freedom is Good News Part 90

There is a short quip that makes its way around sports teams: “All in”!  I have seen it on the back of t-shirts and warm up jerseys of some athletes.  It is a nice sentiment to remind team mates that they should take the game and the season seriously.  Whether it’s in the weight room, the gym or the field, the team has a goal and each individual must be “all in”.

I have played many sports throughout my life and I have always tried to give my all, so I can appreciate the idea.  Why take on something and do it halfheartedly?

In the book of Acts, chapter 2, where Peter gave his most beautiful message to the gathered crowd on the day of Pentecost, it says that “they were cut to the heart” and wondered what they should do.  Peter told them to repent of their sins and be baptized, “every one of you for the forgiveness of your sins.  And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  This scripture continues in verse 40, “And with many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’  Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”  Wow, there were about three thousand who understood that they were living in a corrupt generation and they understood that Peter was showing them a way out. 

Was it any better or any worse than the generation we are living in today?  I suppose it is hard to say.  They were under the control of a corrupt Roman government and their society was decadent and perverse – hmmm, I don’t think I need to comment here!  But on that particular day three thousand people were cut to the heart when they heard what Peter had to say.

Do you suppose these people were “all in”?  Let’s read on: “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Everyone was filled with awe …”  I counted 4 things that pointed to their commitment.  First, they were devoted to the apostles teaching.  Today we call that the “The New Testament”.  The other name for the New Testament is “the Apostolic Writings”.  Is that where you are?  Are you “all in” on that agenda?  How often do you read the word of God?  Secondly, they were devoted to “the fellowship”.  Do you enjoy visiting with likeminded godly people, sharing in bible studies with comments and questions?

Third, how do you feel about the breaking of bread?  The concept here is not really about communion but more about sharing meals together with brethren so as to join in with fellowship and perhaps spiritual conversation.  Are you “all in” on these first three things?  Think about it my friends, we also live in a corrupt generation and many are wondering where it is all heading.  The fourth item mentioned above is prayer.  We will talk about that very important subject in the near future – God willing.  Remember, the definition of the word “gospel” is “good news”.

Freedom is Good News Part 89

Paul tells us that “the commandment is holy, righteous and good.”  And then goes on to tell us, “There is no one righteous, not even one.” (Romans 3:10)  Why do we not want to do the things that are good for us?  We humans are a strange lot!  We want God but we want Him on our own terms and yet He is the creator and the giver of all good gifts.  As James says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

Did you catch that?  “He does not change like shifting shadows.”  In other words He does not play “good cop / bad cop” with us.  He is not a good God today but tomorrow He is not so good.  (James 1:17)  Elsewhere in the bible it says that He is the same yesterday, today and forever ….. hmmmm?  Why is it that many of us think He has changed?

Do you like the Psalms?  There are so many beautiful thoughts and tremendous bits of wisdom in the Book of Psalms.  Might we take a quick walk through the 119th Psalm together?  Verse 1: “Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD.  Blessed are they who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart.”  Right off the bat, we have two beatitudes that tell us it is a blessing to keep His laws.  Verse 11: “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”  Verse 20: “My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times.”  Verse 46: “I will speak of your statutes before kings and will not be put to shame, for I delight in your commands.”  Verse 174: “I long for your salvation, O LORD, and your law is my delight.”

This Psalm is the longest in the Psalter - 176 verses – and in each one we find words that lift up the law of God!!  Did you know that Moses was not the first to receive these commands and laws?  I have heard some say that these laws were just for the Israelites.  But long before there was an Israelite, we are told that Abraham kept the laws of our God, (who changes not!)  And by the way, Abraham was not an Israelite; he was not a Jew.  Judah, from whom the Jews get their name, was the great-grand-son of Abraham.  When Isaac (Abraham’s son) was being blessed by God, we read this: “I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees and my laws.” (Genesis 26:4&5)

It was four articles ago that I mentioned how huge a subject is the topic of “law”, and we have only touched the surface.  God’s law is good and keeping it is good news!  And yet somehow we tend to see this world’s empty glory and run after it.  The only way we humans can be filled and fulfilled is by allowing the God of the universe to guide us, to direct our paths and to fill us with His lovingkindness.  He has a plan and He is working it out.  Perhaps I have said this before but in any text book all the answers are found at the end and so it is with the bible; in the end of the book of Revelation we find that God wins.  Satan is defeated and destroyed; the righteous are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb.  God is good – amen.

Freedom is Good News Part 88

No more locks, no more security cameras, no longer any need to keep your eye on your baggage or laptop at the airport, for everyone has come to see the benefit of obeying the eighth commandment of God!  I know; that is a fantasy scenario in today’s world.  But is there anything wrong with it?  It is good to see the ramifications of “Thou shall not steal.”

Last week we began looking at the law of God and maybe trying to understand that it is we who have gone astray from our God and Creator and not the other way around.  And so if this is true, then we must place the blame squarely upon our shoulders for the chaos we see around us.  God gave us the law as a gift and He tells His people, “I have taught you decrees and laws … that you may follow them in the land … Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations around you, who will hear about these decrees and say.  “What other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?” (Deut. 4:6)  By the way, did you know that the original colonies of the 17 and 18th centuries, used these very laws of God to set up their own laws and judicial systems!   

I mentioned in the previous article, that Jesus said He did not come to abolish the law.  And to this Paul agrees when he tells the Roman church, “I would not have known what sin was except through the law.” (Rom. 7:7)  And then he goes on to say, in this discussion on sin, that “the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.”  What should we twentieth century dwellers, make of this?

You know what?  We all break the law.  The scripture teaches us that, “There is no one righteous, not even one.” (Rom. 3:10)  So the law of the state of Iowa tells us that the speed limit is 70 MPH on the interstate.  Have you ever exceeded that?  I have.  And so I am a law breaker.  This is a law of man but Paul tells us later on in the book of Romans 13:1, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities.”  So where do we go with this whole concept of sin? 

Allow me to cite a very recent example:  I am a school bus driver.  There are rules for the safety of the students, one of which is that the aisle must be clear at all times.  This is actually a state law.  On the last day of school, one of the pupils asked if we could forgo this rule because it was the last day.  Hmmm.  My answer was to ask her if it would be OK, because it was the last day, to ignore the stop sign at Hwy. 71 and just continue at 55 MPH on into Exira.  Laws have reasons and laws have consequences. 

God has blessed us with a beautiful set of laws.  They are laws that will protect us and bring us security.  And His laws are for our own good.  A loving heavenly Father has told us what it is that we should do to stay out of trouble and; Oh yes, He has told us just how it is that we should honor Him.  The first commandment is, “You shall have no other gods before Me.”  We perhaps chuckle at the ancient pagans and their idols; statues of wood, stone and precious metals.  But if we are not somehow capable of keeping the simplest of laws made by man, can we really think that we do not break this first of the 10 commandments?  “Oh how I love your law!” (Psalms119:97)

Freedom is Good News Part 87

In our previous article we considered how it is not God who has abandoned His creation; but it is we, the people of His creation, who have abandoned Him.  There are many gifts that God has given to man and one that has been extremely overlooked is His law.  So let me give you a quote here, “Be sure to keep the commands of the LORD your God and the stipulations and decrees He has given you.  Do what is right and good in the LORD’s sight, so that it may go well with you …” (Deut. 6:17-18)  I, for one, want it to go well with me and so perhaps I should read the word of God and see what these laws are. 

The whole concept of law is very deep and quite vast.  You tell someone that you keep the law of God and they may try to label you as a legalist.  I have even heard people say that “we have been freed from the law.”  One of the problems here is that perhaps we have not settled upon a real understanding of just what the law really is! 

Someone may say, “You have quoted from the book of Deuteronomy, Bill, and that is a part of the Old Testament”.  So let us set that part of God’s word aside for a second and see what the New Testament has to say about the law of God.  Let us begin at the very beginning.  Jesus, in the first recorded message He gave, (usually called the Sermon on the Mount) tells us this, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matt. 5:17)  Twice in this verse, Jesus warns us who read it, that He is not going to abolish the Law!!  In other words, “let’s get this straight, right off the bat!”  In the next verse He says this, “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”  It is of interest here that Jesus tells us that it is the written law He is talking about.  He mentions a pen stroke and a letter.  This is because, at that time, the Jews also had what they called the oral law.  The oral law was not codified in the scripture but consisted of the traditions and rules that the Scribes and Pharisees had made up.  These Scribes and Pharisees were soundly rebuked by Jesus for their traditions when in Matt. 15:3 He said, “Why do you break the commands of God for the sake of your traditions?”

When Jesus tells us He has come to “fulfill” the law, He uses a specific Greek word that means “to cram full; to make full”.  He then goes on in the rest of chapter 5 telling us that “You have heard it said …. But I tell you…..”  In these statements, concerning murder, adultery, divorce, oaths, etc., He is making the law more complete than the Jews of His day taught; in other words, He was cramming it full.  Jesus railed at the Scribes and Pharisees of His day for their treatment of God’s law. 

Which of God’s laws would you want to do away with?  Or better, wouldn’t it feel good to live in a community where all of God’s laws were fully kept.  Think for a moment what it would be like to know unequivocally, that everyone kept the command to not steal.  I see that as true freedom and indeed good news.  But as I said above, this topic is very deep and so we shall talk more about it in the future.

Freedom is Good News Part 86

And so we continue to see things happening in this world and in our society that could, if dwelt upon, begin to bring us down.  It is not my desire to do that in this column for in my heart of hearts I know that our God is in charge and He has a plan that is being worked out for good.  But, some may say, where is God who will bring this “good” to fruition?

Imagine if you can, that you are in charge of a group of young people – let’s say they are boys and girls somewhere around the age of 12.  You have a very important task to complete; it may even be a matter of life and death.  The steps needed to achieve the goal are all in your possession, you only need to get these kids on board with your solution.

A couple of these youths do not think you know anything (typical 12 year olds!!) and they proceed to infect the group with doubts as to your wisdom.  You take them through several steps and show them that you do indeed have the answers and several of them begin to listen to you.  So far so good!!  But the rest begin to moan and groan and pursue their own ideas.  It does not take long to see that their solutions are leading them down a dangerous path.  You try again and again to convince them.  You even send the other kids (the wise ones) to show them their errors.  Things get pretty bad on their side of the project; you know it is leading to disaster but they just will not listen.  It could end in tragedy.  At some point you realize that you must take a “hands off” approach and come up with a plan to save this project and perhaps jump in at the last moment to achieve the goal.

God has a goal!  God has a plan!  God has the solution safely in His hands.  This plan has been in place since the foundation of the world.  God created a world and all that is in it.  He placed a man and a woman in a most beautiful garden the likes of which have never been seen since.  He gave them the key to enjoying, not only the garden, but also His presence with them.  “Of the two trees in the middle of the garden,” He said, “you may only eat the fruit of one of them.”  I believe we know the rest of the story.  (Genesis 3)

The bible is filled with stories of God’s people rebelling against Him.  Again and again He sent His servants the prophets to warn them of the error of their ways – they did not listen.  And so He even sent His Son, His only Son, whom He loved; perhaps they will listen to Him.  They didn’t.  (See the parable in Matthew 21:33-40)

It is not a question of “Where is this God who is supposed to be so good”?  God knows His plan and will bring it to fruition.  The question really is, “Why do we, His creation, think we know better than He does?”  This has been our reaction all along.  We think we know better and will strive to do things our way even when we see what a mess we have made of His creation. 

Friends and brethren, can we take a look at His plan and His will and then walk accordingly?

Freedom is Good News Part 85

In the previous article I wrote about how effective it can be to quote a scripture when confronted with some dilemma.  I am sure you know that in Jesus day one could not run down to the local bookstore and purchase a set of the scriptures?  Jesus quoted the scriptures when confronting Satan’s temptation because He had them memorized!  In Jesus day they did not have books (as we know them).  All the scriptures were written on scrolls usually made of animal skins and hand written – in other words, they were expensive!  The scrolls were rolled up and had to be unrolled in order to read them. Only the local synagogue would own them and even then many would have just a portion of the scriptures. 

Ancient languages – Hebrew included – did not use punctuation as we have it today.  They did not even have spaces between the words (yes, that is hard to believe but it is true!).  Today we have it easy in that we do have punctuation, we can know when a word begins and ends and we can easily communicate with each other concerning the scripture because they have been codified with chapters and verses. 

Today we can go to a book store or get on line and purchase the word of God for very little money.  And not only that; if we think the King James Version is too difficult to read, we can purchase the New International Version.  Do you think the NIV is too loose with the translation?  Then go and buy the New American Standard or the English Standard Version or one of several dozen other translations.

“To whom much has been given, much will be required.” (Luke 12:48)  When we stand before the judgement seat, will we be able to claim ignorance?  “I just didn’t know!”  Many today claim that God is not interested in our hurts, our failures, our sicknesses, our financial situations, or our ……. You fill in the blank.  But the truth is that He is interested and He did not leave us without help.  He gave us everything we need for life and godliness. (2 Peter 1:3)  The one who created us made sure that we have the things needed for physical life: He gave us water, air, food and a brain.  That brain of ours is the most advanced computer on the planet.  Some might say that they do not have enough of these things but they do not understand that God promises to bless us abundantly if we would only follow His ways!  And beyond the physical, He has given us so much more by making sure that we have His “manual for life and godliness” – the bible!  But that’s not all (I’m starting to sound like one of those infomercials on TV) He sent His Son, His only Son whom He loves, to be a propitiation for us to bring us a righteousness that we cannot work to earn.  But wait folks, there’s more; if we accept His Son and His shed blood for our sins and turn from our fleshly ways, then we can repent and be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, who will bring us into all truth. 

Yes Jesus did have the scriptures memorized.  They were quite precious to Him.  Here is one scripture for us to memorize: “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.”  Now that is Good News.