1 Peter 3:1
Wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to
the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives.
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Not being a woman I want to tread lightly here but it seems Peter laid a pretty heavy charge on women in 1 Peter 3:1-6. He says if you have an unbelieving husband you are to win him by your actions – the purity and reverence in your lives – not by your words. He says your beauty should come from within – a gentle and quiet spirit – not from decorating the outside.
Maybe women find this easier than I do but my initial response would be, “Are you kidding? That is too hard and takes too long. Surely I could win my husband quicker by letting him regularly know how disappointed I am in him that he is not a Christian. Even with my regular prods and encouragement he hasn’t changed so how do you expect him to change if I just shut my mouth and … and … you are saying I should submit to him, too? But He isn’t even a Christian, at least not a mature one like me. Continue reading →
2 Corinthians 10:12
But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!
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It is easy to compare ourselves to unbelievers and think we are different than the world when in reality we are just a few years behind. What was shocking fashion 20 years ago is now church attire. What was anathema a decade and a half ago is now accepted behavior.
It appears that as the world abandons one level of ground to sink to deeper levels of depravity, the church rushes in to occupy the vacant land. Tragically, as we sow the same seeds of lifestyle, we also reap the same harvest of selfish living – high divorce rates, addictions, financial struggles, greed, loss of purpose, etc.
It is true that some things once condemned from the pulpit were not based on Scriptural standards but in our rush to avoid “legalism” it is easy to swing too far in the other direction. God’s standards, however, don’t change and if I want to experience the blessings He promises for those who walk in His ways, I must discover His ways. The only place to do that is in His Book. I have got to get into the Bible to discover what brings joy and honor to Him.
I wish I could look to the church to guide me in that, but sadly, even many leaders in the church today are adrift pursuing the world. I love the church and I love God’s people but I have got to keep my gaze fixed on Jesus and His Word to be my standard of conduct. I will give account to Him based upon His Word, not based upon how everyone around me is living.
Lord, help me stay engaged and in love with the Body of Christ but when it comes to daily decisions and life standards keep me laser focused on You and Your Word. Teach me Your ways. I want to learn to follow You more perfectly every day.
_____________________________________ Psalms 25:4-13
4 Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; 5 guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. 8 Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. 9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. 10 All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant. 12 Who, then, is the man that fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him. 13 He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land.
Proverbs 19:11
A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.
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Overlook an offense? That can be hard to do – especially if you have a strong sense of justice, of right and wrong, of fairness and equity. When we overlook an offense the offender gets off easy, they don’t have to “pay” for their offense, rather the offended one takes the brunt, absorbs the loss, pain or hurt.
But Scripture makes it clear that believers are to be people of forgiveness. “Judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!” (James 2:13)
A little girl was being berated unjustly by an adult. He was wagging his big finger in her face, falsely accusing her and telling her what a bad child she was. After his tirade, she looked at him and gently said, “You must be having a bad day.”
Wow! When I heard that story, I thought, “I hope someday I can be as mature as that little girl.” She didn’t let the injustice infect her. Rather than turning inward or becoming defensive or going on the attack, this young lady saw the need of the other person. Even while being abused she could consider others, their needs, their hurts, their pain. How so perfectly like Jesus. “Father forgive them” – not because they have asked for it or earned it or even deserve it. In the midst of His pain He reached out to others.
It is to our glory to overlook an offense because it makes us look so much like our Heavenly Father. Some day I want to be like that little girl, like my Lord. Today is the day I can start.
___________________________ Psalm 119:165-166
Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
Colossians 3:13
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Psalms 1:1-3
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
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This chapter makes an amazing claim. It promises a secret to success in every area of life – career, finances, marriage, parenting, every relationship, every venture. Whatever he does prospers (verse 3). Pretty big promise! All that if we will simply not do three things (verse 1) but instead do two things (verse 2).
It is not that delighting or meditating on God’s Word is some magical formula or charm that produces these blessings, rather the blessing comes because we are:
1. not taking our counsel from the ungodly.
2. not taking the same stand (approach to life) that sinners take. We do not follow their patterns or path toward success.
3. not finding our rest or peace (sitting) in the same diversions and amusements where the world goes to seek contentment.
Rather, as we immerse ourselves (delight in and meditate day and night) in that Word we begin to see the world – opportunities that come our way, decisions we must make, relationships, etc – from God’s perspective-walking in His counsel, taking the same stands (for and against) that He takes and finding our rest and peace in Him and His plan. Saturating our mind with God’s thoughts causes us to begin to think and consequently act more like Him That then leads to success in every area, flourishing while those around us are floundering, rest amidst strife.
………………….. Proverbs 13:20
He who walks with the wise (metaphorically what we do as we “walk” with God in His Word) grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.
Luke 7:31-34 – “What can I say about such men?” Jesus asked. “With what shall I compare them? 32 They are like a group of children who complain to their friends, ‘You don’t like it if we play “wedding” and you don’t like it if we play “funeral'”! 33 For John the Baptist used to go without food and never took a drop of liquor all his life, and you said, ‘He must be crazy!’ 34 But I eat my food and drink my wine, and you say, ‘What a glutton Jesus is! And he drinks! And has the lowest sort of friends!’
—–
Though it was not His main message this reminds us of the futility of trying to please people. No matter what you do some will complain you did too much and some will criticize you for doing too little. “You should have danced when you were mourning” or “You were mourning when you should have been dancing.” You can’t please all the people all the time.
“What will people think?” You can’t control that. “What will people say?” You can’t control that either. Even if you always do the right thing people can still think and say you are a scoundrel. So should we just live for ourselves and not be concerned with others or what they think? No, that is the most self-centered choice of all.
Instead, live to please the Lord. Live your life for an audience of One. Constantly trying to please man, the fear of man, is a snare (Proverbs 29:25) but “the fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death”. (Proverbs 14:27). Ultimately, when we stand before Him, it is only His opinion that will matter for all eternity. So live for that day.
Live to bring a smile to His face and let the chips fall where they may.
_________________________ Psalm 147:11
The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.
Proverbs 14:26-27
He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.
Proverbs 16:7
When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.
We are in a war where radical Muslims claim God is on their side. In America we pray for God to bless our troops and believe God is on our side. Does God choose sides and if so, whose side is He on? Joshua 5:13-14 gives us the answer.
Joshua is preparing to lead Israel in battle against Jericho. Joshua sees “a man” standing with sword drawn and he asks him, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” This “man” turns out to be an angel, or most probably, a pre-incarnate appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
God had commanded the Israelites to go in and conquer the land to punish the inhabitants for their continued wicked ways. He had promised the Israelites that He would give them victory. If anybody could ever say, “God is on our side”, these would be the people who could make that claim. Yet, the “man” gives a very curious answer, “Neither”.
Neither? He wasn’t for them or for their enemies? He goes on to explain, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” In other words, He was saying, “I am on God’s side. The real question is, ‘Are you on God’s side or on the side of His enemies?’” God is always on His own side, accomplishing His purposes. It is man who must choose which side He will be on, the side of right or the side of wrong?
Is there a “right” side in war? Certainly there is, God’s side. It is God who established what is right and what is wrong. God is always on the side of good. That means He is opposed to those who are proud, perpetrate injustice or do not show mercy (Micah 6:8). He is opposed to those who shed innocent blood and devise wicked plans (Proverbs 6:17). He supports liberty for mankind (Isaiah 61:1; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Leviticus 25:10). The Bible lists many things He is opposed to and many things He is in favor of. The nation that goes to war to accomplish a godly purpose has chosen to be on God’s side.
God has often provoked nations to go to war to accomplish His purpose. Israel invaded the Promised Land to accomplish God’s punishment upon those nations that had repeatedly rejected Him. (They had heard the message. Melchizedek is an example of one prophet God had sent among the gentile nations in that area.) Throughout the book of Judges, and elsewhere, God provoked the nations surrounding Israel to attack them to chastise them for their rebellion. Ultimately Israel and Judah were conquered by the Assyrians and the Babylonians as part of God’s plan to purge Israel of her idolatry. We have solid Biblical reasons to believe God still provokes nations to go to war to accomplish His will.
Is God on the side of the Muslims? Is God on the side of the Jews? Is God on America’s side? God is on His side and actively accomplishing His purpose here on earth. Therefore, it is up to us to choose where we will stand. Will we stand with God in bringing about His plans for mankind or will we fight against God for our own selfish ends?
___________________ Psalms 115:2-3 Why do the nations say, “Where is their God?”
Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.
Based on Philippians 3:18 I said in an earlier post that our attitude toward those who are perishing should be one of tears. But what of David who asked God to “break the teeth of the wicked” or even the Lord who “laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.” (Psalm 37:13) Contradiction? Am I to cry over the lost or rejoice that they will get what is coming to them. If God laughs at the wicked, it looks like He is pretty happy to know they will get “burned” one of these days
Yet, we know God takes “no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.” (Ezekiel 33:11). But it says He laughs at the wicked knowing their day will come. Is God schizophrenic? Is this a contradiction in the Bible?
No, it is easily understood when we realize that the Old Testament often provides physical pictures for us to illustrate spiritual truths. A physical lamb illustrated Jesus, the spiritual lamb of God. The bronze serpent lifted up that brought healing to those who looked on it speaks of Jesus becoming sin for us on the cross to provide healing for all who will look to Him (Numbers 21:8). The OT is filled with physical illustrations of spiritual truths.
In the NT our battle is not against flesh and blood. Your enemy is not that nasty boss or your atheist neighbors. Our battle, our enemy, is against spiritual forces. It is still proper for us to pray, “break the teeth of the wicked” when we understand we are talking about the spiritual forces of wickedness, not the human vessels they use to accomplish their wickedness. Yes, God laughs at Satan’s attempts to thwart His will for God knows Satan’s “day is coming”.
God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, neither should we. But we can rejoice that the teeth of the roaring lion, Satan, have been broken and that Satan will one day be cast into the pit to never again tempt mankind into rebellion against God.
——————- Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
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