It only takes one sinner...

Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

Ecclesiastes 9:18

Gaining wisdom from God is a life's goal of mine. It is why I want to invest the time and energy to apply my heart to understanding God's Word. It is why I want to read the Bible for practical understanding. I want wisdom. I need it. I want to know God. These things are better than any other skill or knowledge because they enable me to make sense of this life and lead to eternal life to come. They protect and defend better than any weapon of war.

But there is a sinner living in me. And like this passage warns, my sinning destroys much good. All that is wrong, painful, or complicated in my life is either the direct result of my own sin, or is tied to the collective damage of broken humanity in Adam's Fall. Sin is the bane of all good living. I must fight it... earnestly, seriously, and without any accommodation to it.

Lord,

The blessings of Your wisdom are clear in my life. Your Word has kept me from so much harm. It has helped me fight sin and protects me. Yet I still know the damage of sin. I'm warped and broken in my own unique ways, needing You to sanctify me. Sin does much damage. Lead me to faithfully repent and find grace and wisdom from You. Thank You for Your Word and Holy Spirit. Both bring grace and wisdom to me, a needy sinner.

Amen

prayer to the God Who does as He pleases

Whatever the Lord pleases, he does,

in heaven and on earth,

in the seas and all deeps.

Psalm 135:6

Lord,

You do as You please for You are God. You are sovereign over my life, over all lives, over all the universe. I will worship You for You deserve this creature's praise. You've made me and all that is around me. What I like and what I don't like... all of it is Your doing in some way. Nothing that ever happens to me is beyond Your wise care. The heavens and earth move at Your command and so must I.

Standing on the seashore I realize that no grain of sand moves by the pounding waves of surf without You controlling the process, knowing it all and willing it to be. And nowhere on this earth is far from You. No ocean trench or atmospheric peak will hide me from Your presence or Your heart's concern. You fill my life as You hold the universe. You are as infinite in expanse as You are in microscopic details. You hold all nations, all peoples, all galaxies and all subatomic particles, in Your grasp.

Lord,

I know You are great and I am small. Yet You love me, care for me, and have saved me through Christ. Do as YOU please, my God, with me. I surrender to You now and desire to always see Your greatness.

Amen

the Lord of all kings

Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem...

Ezra 7:27

God is behind all the movements of human organizations and governments. He sovereignly moved over many years so that kings ruling in Babylon would support, encourage, and find the rebuilding of the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. Ezra's prayer of thanksgiving at the completion of the temple recognizes the wisdom and sovereign hand of God in so doing.

The God Who moves empires to honor His covenant with Israel is still very much on the throne today, overruling all other human pretenders to His throne. And in this presidential election year of 2016 here in America, where one administration will give way to a new one, it does Christians here good to recognize that nothing in our politics will thwart the complete sovereign hand of God. He holds all power... not political parties, lobbying blocs, fundraising gurus, or business tycoons bent on ego-stroking stump speeches. Over the ages, no empire, no communist, no fascist, no socialist, no democrat, no republican, no parliamentarian, no city council or commission, no dictator, no pope, no church council, no prime minister, no justice of the court, no "supreme leader" appointed by human means has ever succeeded in cheating death or atoning sin, or wresting from God absolute control of the human world.

By faith I will trust God above all these human authorities. He commands kings and congresses, sub-committees and county officials, judges and school districts. And His kingdom shall stand forever, opposed by some, but never is God's rule threatened. He who sits in the heavens laughs (see Psalm 2) at the limits of measly human effort. He directs the universe to the ends of His glory. Our little governments are just part of that sovereign, glorious work.

 

respect landmark stones

You shall not move your neighbor's landmark, which the men of old have set, in the inheritance that you will hold in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.

Deuteronomy 19:14

Respect for personal property was taught through this principle in the Law because for Israel, the land itself was a physical manifestation of the grace of God. The Lord gave Israel the land of Canaan. And each tribe received a geographical territory. The tribes then subdivided their allotments to families. Each family set boundary stone markers to show the extent of the grace that they received. The land then became the source for building their homes and achieving livelihoods.

Moving these markers was more than mere land grabbing. It was deep robbery... depriving another of both a heritage and of the grace of God to that family to make a living. Each family was to be content in their home. Respecting property was a civil form of worship, contentment with God, and trust in the good gifts of the Lord to provide for each home. Obeying this command was a way to reflect on God's goodness and to worship Him.

All of life is a gift of God's grace. I am called to celebrate that with who I am, and what I have been given by God. I have boundary lines of property, income, and resources that are God's gifts. Respecting others as they steward resources is a way in which I celebrate that, learn contentment, and trust my God. Envy and greed brutally destroy this simple worship.

DMDWMD

And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

Acts 18:27-28

I love the account of the ministry of Apollos and how God used the Ephesian church to mature him into a vibrant evangelist and Christian leader. He represents a second generation and maybe really a third generation leader who was intentionally discipled in the church. He was already a gifted speaker, eloquent and competent in handling scripture when he came to Ephesus (see Acts 18:24). He had believed in Jesus and loved to share about Him to Jews in the Ephesian synagogue. But his understanding of baptism was limited, knowing only about how John the Baptist baptized people. Priscilla and Aquila lovingly took the time to gently disciple and instruct him further and he humbly learned more accurately from them.

The Ephesian Christians undertook support of Apollos and his unique ministry to Jews in Gentile settings. They enthusiastically support his trip to Achaia where he helped strengthen the church there while simultaneously evangelizing in the Jewish community. 

Because Paul made disciples well in Ephesus, they could make a strong leader even better when they met Apollos. And in turn Apollos made disciples well in Achaia. Disciples make disciples who make disciples. That is Christian ministry in summary and it is always the call of the church.

Two Types of Gifts

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 4:10-11

At the most basic of levels there are two ways to serve the church, the Body of Christ. Notice that these gifts are not ever for individual benefit, but rather function to "serve one another" in mutual ministry. This draws us away from our tendency toward selfish consumerism (church is about me insisting that I get what I want) and into participation and worship in a community where we love and care for each other (church is about God using me and others to build His work in us all through the gospel).

The first kind of gift that builds the church is a "speaking" kind of gift. It can be teaching, shepherding, encouraging, or admonishing others in large groups, small groups, or one-to-one. But when we speak to one another, we should speak God's Word. People who speak in the Body of Christ need to be biblically saturated and focused on ministering the truth and meaning of God's Word to one another. They focus on God through His Word. Functionally in terms of leadership, the church has elders who primarily administrate these speaking gifts and help others use speaking gifts for the glory of Christ.

There are also "serving" gifts mentioned here. These can include the work of official servants of the church, deacons, but also extend to serving through hospitality, administration of ministry, giving, and the gift of helps. Those who do these "tasks" in the church must also rely on God, serving not under compulsion or self-effort, but in the strength that God gives them. Both kinds of gifts (speaking and serving) lean fully on God and not natural human talent alone as both types of gifts are necessary to bless Christ's Church. Thank God that He chooses to bless each of us through all of us in the Body of Christ, using people around us to encourage us to be more like Jesus as we speak to and serve one another!

surrounded and centered

“Run, say to that young man, ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the Lord, and I will be the glory in her midst.’”

Zechariah 2:4-5

This vision was given to the prophet Zechariah for the city of Jerusalem. The prophecy was given as the city was being resettled. It was still very much a town of rubble and rebuilding, looking more war torn than majestic. But God had plans to restore the people and the city.

God Himself was to be the glory of Jerusalem. He would protect the settlers as they rebuilt the city with new lives there. He would be like a wall of fire around the city. He would surround them with His care and protection better than any city wall could keep them, even as they rebuilt the walls.

But He would also be at the center of their lives as they rebuilt His temple. A new temple would be the glory of God in their midst. This would be the reason they could dwell safely as well. Worship was the key. God would surround them as He was the center of their daily lives.

Lord,

I thank You that You surround those who are centered in worship of You. Jesus, Your word says that of You and through You and to You are all things. You redeem me, transform my heart, and work in my life so that You may be all around me in everything!

Amen