Freedom is Good News Part 110

When I was young I was introduced to the Ten Commandments and given a simplified version of them to memorize.  I recall that I memorized the fifth commandment as, “Honor your father and your mother.”  And this is the gist of what is said there, but our Heavenly Father gives us a few more details in this next commandment.

“Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” (Deuteronomy 5:16)  These are interesting details, are they not? 

God has given us the first 4 commandments that teach us how our Heavenly Father desires to be worshiped; but before He gives us the last 5 commandments, ones that teach us how to enjoy a prosperous society, He tells us that we must honor our parents.  This fifth commandment acts as a bridge from God to society.  In it He teaches us that the family unit is the foundation of society.  Without this understanding, society has no substance upon which to stand. 

Our society today appears to be on a slippery slope downward toward calamity.  The honor that a child is required to have for his parents becomes hard to find today.  God, the creator of all things and all people, knew that this command was imperative for an orderly society and so He added the promises to the base command.

Do we want a long life?  I believe most of us, if not all, would answer yes.  Do we want a long life that goes well for us?  If I get to live a long life, I sure would desire it to go well!!  I believe a sane person would answer, yes!  And what’s this about “the land the LORD your God is giving you”? 

God is the owner of all things.  In Leviticus 25:23 He tells us that the land is His.  As the old song says, “This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through” – God brought the land into existence and He can surely take it all away.

There is a principle tucked away in this 5th Commandment – and it involves respect for authority.  The first authority for a family (after God) is the parents.  But in a solid society, authority extends outward to what the bible calls “elders”.  When I was a kid, I knew that when my friend’s parents told me to change my behavior, I had better obey.  I also understood that policemen were around for our good and they were to be respected.

God is the ultimate authority but He has placed others in society to keep order.  Paul says it this way in Romans 13:1, “… there is no authority except that which God has established.  The authorities that exist have been established by God.  Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted.” 

God has told us to “Honor our father and mother.”  And so I see that Jesus tells us that God is our Father – He is our Heavenly Father.  Therefore honor God, all you His children!!

Freedom is Good News Part 109

In looking at the Fourth Commandment we saw, in our previous article, that there was a slight difference in the two instances where the Ten Commandments are written.  Deuteronomy begins by telling us to “Observe the Sabbath day” and Exodus starts by telling us to “Remember the Sabbath day.  In Exodus the emphasis of this command is related to the creation found in Genesis 1 and 2.  Within this version we find written, “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God.  On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your animals, not the alien within your gates.  For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day.  Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” 

As we look at this, let us note that God is concerned with animals.  He is the creator and He has compassion upon all the He has created.  The alien that might have been living among them (there were a few Egyptians that tagged along with them as they left Egypt) was also to be given a rest day.  But the emphasis here is upon creation week. 

In the other version of the commandments found in Deuteronomy we find this addition, “The seventh day is a Sabbath day to the LORD your God.  On it you shall not do any work, neither you, not your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor the alien within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do.  Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.  Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath Day.”  The emphasis here is on the fact that the Israelites were slaves in Egypt.  This was something that God wanted His people to remember and so to memorialize it by keeping the Sabbath day; a day of freedom.

Allow me to consider here what the Apostle Paul tells us about our own slavery.  In Romans 6:16 we read, “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey – whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?”  Jesus Himself said in John 8:34, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.”

And so, what is the sign that leads us to remember our freedom?  It is the Sabbath day!  And our freedom leads us to rejoice in the freedom of obedience. 

Within both of these versions we find written that the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD.  This is not a man-made concept.  God blessed the day and made it holy; only God can make a day holy!  It is a gift from God to us and is something to be valued.

In everyplace I look, I see the hand of God giving good gifts and blessing His people – let us rejoice in our God!

Freedom is Good News Part 108

We have taken a look at the first three Commandments in our previous articles and so we come to the fourth.  When we consider these first four we see that they all pertain to our worship of God and that is an important observation.  God does indeed, come first in everything.

I have my bible open to Deuteronomy 5, which is where we find the second entry of the 10 Commandments (the first being in Exodus 20).  The first thing that grabs my attention is that this fourth Commandment is the longest of all the ten.  Our God does not waste words.  Words are of great importance to Him.  Remember in the gospel of John chapter one it is written, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the word was God.”  Two things are to be understood here.  First: this is a reference to the Son of God, who in the book of Revelation 19:13, is referred to as the “Word of God” and second: we see in the book of Genesis that it was with the use of words that God created all things – “And God said, ‘Let there be light and there was light’” etc.

Our God does not waste words!  Deut. 5:12, “Observe the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy.”  In the book of Exodus it is written, “Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy.”  One version tells us to “remember the Sabbath” and the other tells us to “observe the Sabbath”. 

The version in Exodus is calling us to remember.  What does it want us to remember?  The idea of this day of rest is not something new.  It is not something that was given to the Israelites after their exodus from Egypt.  God established the Sabbath at creation!!  “Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.  By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He ceased from all His work.  And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He ceased from all the work of creating that He had done.” (Gen. 2:1-3)  It was God who gave to His created ones, a day of rest and because the Israelites had been slaves to the Egyptians for over 200 years, He wanted to remind them of this extremely important day. 

As slaves, they most likely had been working seven days a week – no time off.  God reminded them of this wonderful gift and commanded that they cease form their labor and spend one day out of seven, worshiping Him.  What a beautiful gift for God’s people.  Are you one of God’s people? 

Just as we saw in considering the importance God places on words, we see a similar concept here in the Sabbath day, a day of rest.  When God began to create, He used words and when He refers to His Son he calls Him “the Word”; so, when we consider His Sabbath, we remember this creation and when we ponder His Son we find in Him the true rest for our souls, “Come unto me, all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)  There is more on this topic to come!!

Freedom is Good News Part 107

“It is not about us and what we want.  Rather it is about Him and what He wants!”  And so we come once again to the Third Commandment.  Here we see that God’s name is not something to be taken lightly.  It is this name that one may call on to attain salvation.  We find this statement in both the book of Joel in the Old Testament, and the book of Acts in the New. (Joel 2:32 & Acts 2:21)

But what does it mean to “call upon the name of the LORD”?  In our previous article, we saw that this statement in Joel is shown to mean “Everyone who calls on the name of the One who is LIFE itself will be saved.”  The God that we serve is not only good and kind and loving, He is also awesome.  The book of Hebrews tells us this: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us hold to grace and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”

The name of God – I AM THAT I AM – is not just His moniker; it is a statement of who He is.  It is the awesome name of an awesome God!!  His name is indeed a heavy name.  What do I mean by this?  In Psalms 29:2 we read, “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name.”  Have you ever thought about the word glory?  And why is it that God’s name is due  glory?  In Hebrew the word for glory is “kabowd” and by definition it means, “a weight, a great quantity, a copious amount”.  When applied to God it means “to recognize His importance, worth and significance.”  (Vines Expository Dictionary)

Backing up one verse in Psalm 29 we are admonished to, “Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.”  God himself is due glory from us His children and as such, His name is also due glory.  So when I said, up above, that we should not take God’s name lightly, it was because His name is due a great weight of glory! 

Now, back to the Third Commandment, “You shall not take the name of God in vain (that is, in an empty manner).”  God’s name is not empty.  It is full.  His name is not light.  It is heavy.  And so God says, “For the LORD will not hold guiltless anyone who takes His name in vain.”

May I run a few scriptures by you?  Psalm 5:11, “May those who love your name, rejoice in you.”  Psalm 8:1, “O LORD our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”  Psalm 9:2, “I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.”  Verse 10, “Those who know your name will trust in you.”  This stroll through the book of Psalms could go on and on.  Psalm 34:3, “Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt His name together.” 

When you read in the scriptures the all capitals “LORD”, it is a signal that the name of God “YHVH” is being used.  This is a convention that most of the translators have used over the years. 

Call upon the name of God for salvation, but do not do it lightly.  There is a weight to that name and it is to be used reverently.  It is God alone that we must revere!!

Freedom is Good News Part 106

A couple of articles ago I made the statement, “It is not about us and what we want; rather it is about Him and what He wants!”  I added it at the end of the article as a passing comment.  However, this statement is one that should be forefront in our minds.  God is Sovereign and so it is His jurisdiction to dictate the rules that we live by!!  This is important to understand.

We have been looking into the 10 Commandments recently and find ourselves in the midst of the third Commandment; “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.  For the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who takes His name in vain”.  In our last article we covered the first half of this by considering what is meant by taking God’s name in an empty manner.  But what about the second half?  This is the only one of the ten that tells us that God will not hold us guiltless if we break it.  Why?

In the book of Acts chapter 2, Peter addresses the crowd on the day of Pentecost after having received the Holy Spirit.  In this episode, the crowd is confused as to what was happening – in fact some were accusing the disciples of having drunk too much wine.  Peter assures them that they had not and then proceeds to tell them, “This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel …”.  He then quotes from Joel 2:28-32.  This is an important piece of scripture and I will leave it to you to read the entire segment.  But in keeping with our discussion today I want to center in on the last part of the quote:  “And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.”

In our previous article I mentioned that God’s name consisted of 4 Hebrew letters that transliterate into the 4 English letters: “YHVH” which have been pronounced in various ways.  It was Moses, who was talking to God in the incident of the burning bush, who asked God to tell him what His name was.  We find this in Exodus 3:2-15, “And God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.  This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.’”

In our day, names are only a series of letters, such as Bill or Jerry or Mary, that allow another to get our attention or address us specifically.  In ancient times it was not so.  Names meant something.  God changed the name of Abram (which means, “exalted father”) to Abraham (which means, “father of many”).  Because both Abraham and Sarah laughed when told by God that they were to have a child in their old age, God said that the name of the child would be Isaac.  In Hebrew the word Isaac means, “he laughs”.  And on and on it goes.  It can be an interesting study into the meaning of some of the names in the bible!

God’s name, however, is unique!  It can be transliterated as “I AM THAT I AM” or “I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE”.  The emphasis upon His name is LIFE itself!  Some, in an effort to bring this name into English, translate it as “THE ETERNAL ONE”.  And so, “Everyone who calls on the name of the One who is LIFE itself will be saved.”

We will go further with this, God willing, in our next article.

Freedom is Good News Part 105

So we know that we are not to have any other gods besides the one true God – the Creator of heaven and earth!!  And that’s not all.  Even if we know who God is and desire to worship Him, we must not do so by any means other than what He has prescribed.  There are to be no images made “in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.  You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations, of those who love me and keep my commandments.” (Exodus 20:4-6)

So let’s say we understand these first two Commandments and we proclaim to worship the one true God and we have not considered any images of Him to utilize in our worship – and now we come to the third Commandment, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.”  If you are following along, you will notice I only quoted the first half of this commandment.  But let us pause here and consider this first half.  Some translations tell us we must not “misuse the name of God”.   This is not the true meaning here.  God is telling us that He will not have us take His name in an empty manner.  The Hebrew word “shav” has the basic meaning of, “deceit, vanity emptiness or falsehood”.

It is not good to falsely use God’s name.  And most of us probably consider this in conjunction with using His name as a profanity by cursing; this is true.  But it goes much deeper.  I shall assume that most of us would consider ourselves to be Christians.  This name is derived from our being followers of Jesus Christ.  In other words, we have taken upon ourselves the name of the Son of God.  Do we take upon us this name as something sacred and something to be held in high esteem? 

The true name of God is made up of 4 Hebrew letters – in English the letters are YHVH.  This has been translated at times as Jehovah, Yahovah, Yahweh and Yahveh.  The name of the Son of God, in Hebrew, is Yahoshea.  (Jesus is an Anglican version of the Greek.)  The first two letters “Ya”, being the shortened form of the Father’s name and the last six letters spell out the Hebrew word for “salvation”.  In other words Jesus’ name in the original Hebrew means, “The Salvation of Ya”.  The name our Savior was given encompassed the shortened form of God’s true name. 

Other than that it is a nice bible study, why am I telling you all this?  Jesus did not take upon Himself the Father’s name “in vain”!  He understood the gravity, the seriousness and the responsibility of having the name of God placed upon Him.  So I must ask you, do you take upon yourself the name of God?  Do you take upon yourself the name of the Son of God?  There is a heavy weight attached to this name we sometimes so carelessly use for our own honor. 

Oh … the second half of this third Commandment?  “For the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who takes His name in vain”.  Think about it.  There is still more to come!!

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.