Reading, Knowing, and Living in the Word of God

Below is a letter I gave to my congregation in January 2019 - I wonder what this year was like for them in terms of reading, knowing, and living the Word of God?

How has it been for you?

Maybe there is something here for you?

Love,

Bob

Dear Bethlehem Family,

I want to encourage us to read the Bible during the coming year. What’s your plan? Are we reading the Bible as if it were a life and death matter? It is. We are surrounded by a culture of death – we are called to be men and women and families of light and life in Jesus Christ.

Take a look at 2 Peter 1:1 – 11; through God’s Word we are partakers of His Divine Nature. As we feed on Jesus Christ (John Chapter 6) we live, and if we live in Christ we can feed others in and through Christ. We ought to be traveling bread trucks, food trucks – dispensing the grace and mercy and life of Christ freely to those around us. Are we feeding others?

Please read all of the New Testament this coming year.

Please read at least one Psalm each day – this is a treasure house.

The Old Testament contains the Pentateuch (Genesis – Deuteronomy); books of history (Joshua – Esther); Wisdom/Poetical books (Job – Song of Solomon); the three Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel), and the Minor Prophets (Daniel – Malachi). This is just one quick way of looking at the OT, there are other ways. This method gives us five sections.

Why not choose a section to get to know really well in the coming year? Or in the first quarter? Then after the first quarter you can decide to move to another section or remain where you are.

In the NT, try to read a Gospel chapter a day – we can never get too much of our Lord Jesus. Begin with a Gospel and then move to another Gospel throughout the year.

The NT has the Gospels, Acts, the letters of Paul, Hebrews, the General Epistles (James – Jude), and of course Revelation. (Hebrews can be placed with Paul or with the General Epistles).

How about choosing a section or book of the NT to get to know really well during the first quarter or during the entire year? If you are thinking of Paul, rather than start with all of his letters you could choose the Prison Epistles (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon); or the Pastoral Epistles (1 & 2 Timothy and Titus); or 1 & 2 Thessalonians, or Romans and Galatians, or 1 & 2 Corinthians.

Let’s get to know the Bible so that God’s Word owns us and we own God’s Word. If we can get up in the middle of the night and find our way to the bathroom in the dark, surely we ought to know the Bible so well that we can come to the place where we can find our way from Genesis to Revelation without a flashlight or lamp on a nightstand.

People need us to know God’s Word and to allow His Word to live and flow through us. God’s Word is where we can enjoy intimate relationship with our Father and with one another.

Take a look at Joshua Chapter One – if we don’t walk on the land we will not possess the land – the land is the Word of God.

Have a plan – work the plan; gain ground, don’t circle round and round for 40 years…or 60…or 70…or 80.

Much love,

Bob

Another Mystery

You may or may not have a context for this, and I do hope I follow this up with some extended written thoughts. This is a note I sent to one of my brothers in our Tuesday-morning group:

I said something that might have been misconstrued, and I think I'll try to work it out in a written piece that explores it...but for the short-term:

My comment about Christ and Isaiah was not to mean that Christ and Isaiah were/are the same "persona" - (though Isaiah is a member of the Body of Christ - but I'll leave that alone for now, human words are pretty inadequate for some of this!) - but rather to approach the idea that the "Word" that Isaiah saw and transmitted was the Word of John 1:1. That ever-present Word in His People - mystery though it is.

So then, while I struggle with the mystery of "fully God and fully man", and while I want to give due recognition to this mystery - the idea that Jesus Christ simply "studied" the Scriptures and was relying solely on memory when He "quoted" them - falls a bit short for me. I cannot sort it out, anymore than I can sort out "though He were a son, yet he learned obedience by the things which He suffered and being made complete..." Hebrews 5:8 - 9. 

Anymore than I can sort out Hebrews 2:11 - 13 - we have a transcendent brotherhood in and with Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29) within His Atonement.

So Christ was the Word which Isaiah saw, heard, and spoke - if in fact Christ was the glory that Isaiah saw (Isaiah 6, John 12:38 - 41), which of course He was.

Also, (and I just thought of this), if the New Covenant is having the Word of our God written on our hearts and in our minds, and if Jesus Christ is the minister of the New Covenant - shouldn't we anticipate that He is the embodiment of the very Covenant He mediates?

Ah - the joy of Christ, the joy of His Word, the joy of a band of brothers!

Bob

Zechariah (10)

Here's another installment of our small group exploration of the prophet Zechariah, maybe there is something here for you.

Our passage is Zechariah Chapter 10.

The motif of Chapter 9, God judging the nations and preserving His People, continues in Chapter 10. As we read the Scriptures, whether in the OT or NT, it is good to keep this motif in mind, as it is found from Genesis through Revelation. Too often we tend to think that everything is woe on the one hand, or, on the other hand, that God does not distinguish between those in His Kingdom and those in rebellion against Him and we think we’re all involved in a group hug. While for sure God is merciful to all and desires all to know Him, God also judges those who reject His Son Jesus Christ; there is enough light for those willing (by His grace) to “see” to “see”, and enough darkness for those who reject the light of His Son to live in darkness.

In 10:1 we are told to ask for rain. Please compare with Joel 2:23 and James 5:7 – 8. Some of us may know that old hymn, “Showers of Blessing.” That hymn has its roots in the Biblical image of rain as a blessing. If we keep in mind the idea found in Haggai 2:9 that the “latter glory of the house will be greater than the former”, we might conclude that the glory of the Early Church, which was birthed in Acts Chapter 2, will be surpassed by the glory of the Latter Church as our Father reveals Himself through His Sons, (Romans 8:18 – 30).

While I realize there are other perspectives regarding the trajectory of the Church, I believe that the Scriptures call us to growth in our Lord Jesus and victory, that we are to be overcomers (Romans 8:31 – 39) and that we are here on earth to glorify Christ by laying our lives down for Him and others.

Consider Zechariah 10:5 – 12, is this a picture of victory or defeat?

Are we participating in that victory in our lives?

Please consider Ephesians 1:15 – 23 and Ephesians 3:14 – 21: what do these passages look like in our lives? In the lives of our churches?

In Zechariah 10:2 – 3 we see, once again, God’s judgment on unfaithful religious leaders; we’ve seen this throughout the Minor Prophets. We should not forget Revelation 22:18 – 19 and Proverbs 30:5 – 6.

In Zechariah 10, Egypt and Assyria are the personification of the enemies of God’s People, Egypt is to the south of Judah and Assyria attacks Judah from the north and east. Also, in 10:11 God speaks of “the sea of distress”.

Are there Egypts and Assyrias in our lives? Sources of temptation and conflict? Are we going through a “sea of distress”? Are we in slavery to anything or anyone other than our Lord Jesus Christ? If so, let’s pray for one another and let’s please remember 1 John 4:4, 17 – 18; 5:4.

Are there Egypts and Assyrias and seas of distress that others are in? Is God calling us to rescue others from these difficulties and strongholds? God sent Moses to Egypt, He can send us too.

God sent His only Begotten Son to earth – how is God sending us? John 17:18; Matthew 28: 19 – 20.

Much love,

Bob

Guarding What Has Been Entrusted

“O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you…” 1 Timothy 6:20.

“Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.” 2 Timothy 1:14.

“The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:2.

How are we doing in terms of guarding what has been entrusted to us in Christ? As Paul looked back over his decades of service to Christ, as he contemplated that which Christ had entrusted to him, “…the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted” (1 Timothy 1:11), his heart’s desire was that Timothy would guard that trust which Paul had passed on to him, and that Timothy in turn would pass that trust on to others.

But where are the faithful men? How are we guarding that trust…if indeed we have received the glorious Gospel?

I do wonder what we have received, and I wonder what we are passing on. Is it some kind of church culture? Some kind of “Christian” culture? It is a syncretistic blend of the Bible, marketing, sociology, entertainment, and nationalistic fervor?

Would we show up on Sunday mornings if all that we had was Jesus Christ without the trappings? Is Christ in His Word and the Holy Spirit enough? Might we experiment one Sunday and see what would happen if we didn’t serve the yams and mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce and green beans and pumpkin pie? Would we still return the following Sunday?

Are we entrusting the glorious Gospel to others who can (and do!) teach others? Were  our Bibles to be confiscated has the Gospel become incarnate in us so that we can teach the Gospel without missing a step? Or does Christ remain in a painting, does He remain on a page in the Bible, does He remain in a commentary?

Are we sowing the Gospel into the lives of others so that they may guard it and entrust it to others? What are people hearing and seeing in our lives? Are we living Gospels?

What do the treasures of the Gospel of Christ look like in our lives? Are we entrusting those treasures to others?

Zechariah (9)

Here is what our small group pondered when we worked through Zechariah Chapter 9, maybe there is something here for you:

Our text is Zechariah Chapter 9.

I think chapters 9 – 11 probably form a unit of thought, within which are varying movements. Note the wording of 9:1, “The burden (or oracle) of the word of the LORD”; then note 12:1, “The burden of the word of the LORD.” My point is that this phrase indicates the beginning of a large unit, or series of movements, and that 9:1 commences one series that culminates at 11:17; 12:1 commences another unit which takes us to the end of the book. As always, let’s recall that there were no chapters or verses in the original manuscripts – chapters and verses were added about 1,000 years ago (+/-) to help us reference passages – this was before Google.

Chapters 9 – 11, and then 12 – 14 are similar to chapters 1 – 6 in the sense that in chapters 1 – 6 we have vision after vision, with the visions interconnecting. In chapters 9 – 11 and 12 – 14 we have emphasis after emphasis with these varying areas of focus interconnecting. It’s like a kaleidoscope – the colored glass is the same but the patterns change.

If we really want to come close to having a handle on Zechariah the best advice I can give is to read it again and again and again and watch for the patterns. This is pretty much the same with a book like Revelation (or Daniel), the patterns repeat themselves and as the patterns become more familiar the more we’ll see, both as we read Zechariah and as we read the entire Bible. As they say in NASCAR, “There ain’t no substitute for ‘seat time’.”

In Chapter 9 we see the “world”, the people of God, and the Messiah saving and delivering His people – and since the NT teaches us that in Christ there is now “one people” (Ephesians 2:11 – 3:7 as an example) I see these passages as applicable to all generations, including our generation.

In 9:1 – 7 the “word of the LORD” focuses on a number of kingdoms and peoples immediately surrounding Israel and Judah. We could study any one of these kingdoms in its historical setting, and some receive a lot of attention in the Bible, especially Tyre – which is often a representation of the throne of darkness (you can read Ezekiel chapters 27 and 28 if you want to see an example of this. If you do read Ezekiel Chapter 28 note the unusual nature of verses 11 – 19).

All of the peoples listed in Zechariah Chapter 9 personify opposition to the Kingdom of God; the spiritual descendants of these peoples are undoubtably with us today.

Just as Israel and Judah faced opposition, the Church faces opposition today. Just as in the time of Zechariah and the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple there was opposition to the work of God in His People, there is opposition to the work of God in His people today.

What are the forms of opposition the Church faces today? How are we responding to that as individuals? Our marriages and families? Our congregations?

In Zechariah 9:8 – 17 we see that God not only will be with His People, but that the ultimate outcome of God working in and through His People will be peace for the nations.

Compare verse 9:10 with Zechariah 2:11 and Matthew 28:18 – 20.

God in Christ is on mission to the peoples of the earth and He has commanded us to join Him in that mission. How are we fulfilling Christ’s command in Matthew 28 to “go”?

Are we and our congregations teaching others to “obey all that He has commanded us”? Are we and our congregations living under the authority of the Bible, God’s Word? Are we teaching others to live under that Authority?

I include our congregations in these questions because we are called to live in community with other disciples, and our churches (communities) are called to live in submission to God’s Word. In Revelation chapters 2 – 3 Christ judged local churches – just as nations are judged, churches are judged; Christ even says that He will remove churches that do not repent, and Peter writes that “judgment begins at the household of God” (1 Peter 4:17). Churches that lack the willingness to be self-critical in the light of God’s Word and by the help of the Holy Spirit are churches that are not going to grow in Christ, and that will atrophy – if not ultimately depart from the faith.

  

Compare 9:9 with Matthew 21:5, John 12:15. On Palm Sunday the crowds cheered Jesus, on Good Friday they crucified Him. Can we see ourselves in this?

Do we recognize Jesus when He comes to us in an old VW Beetle? Would we recognize Him if He drove onto our church parking lot in a rusted Yugo? Why or why not?

Compare 9:16 with Isaiah 62:3. Consider 2 Timothy 2:10 and 1 Timothy 4:16. God in Christ sees His People as precious and valuable, Paul says to Timothy that he suffers for the sake of the people of God, and he tells Timothy that Timothy is to be careful how he lives and teaches so that others will come to salvation.

Are we living for the salvation of others? Are we living for the sake of our brothers and sisters? (See 1 John 3:16).

Or do we see our lives as our own that we can do with as we please?

How are we responding to Jesus’ words in Mark 8:34 – 38?

Ezekiel and Revelation

In the early chapters of Ezekiel, the prophet sees the Temple profaned and the glory of Yahweh depart from the Temple. The Temple is filled with idol worship and with unfaithful spiritual leaders of Judah and Jerusalem. The disgusting picture that we see in Ezekiel is reflected in much of the professing-church today, we are exchanging the glory of God for the glory of fallen man, not seeking and receiving “sound doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:3) but rather “accumulating for ourselves teachers in accordance with our own desires.”

In Revelation chapters two and three, we see Christ walking in the midst of the seven candlestick-churches, warning them of judgment, warning them that if they do not repent that their candlesticks will be removed. It is encouraging that there are faithful disciples in these churches, a reminder that God maintains a remnant.

Since Peter writes (1 Peter 4:17) that, “…judgement begins at the household of God…” it seems logical that God’s judgements in Revelation begin in the church.

And yet, in both Ezekiel and Revelation we have wonderful hope, for we see God’s glorious purpose fulfilled in His Son and in His Temple in the final eight chapters of Ezekiel and the final two chapters of Revelation.  In these passages we witness the perfection of God’s people, the Bride of Christ, the Body of Christ – in Jesus Christ.

“…Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.” (Ephesians 5:25 – 27).

Yes, Christ will cleanse His Church, He will judge it and purify it, and He will cast out all unclean things. Yes, as Haggai writes, God will shake all things in the heavens and on the earth – so that those things which cannot be shaken will remain. Those things that remain will be revealed to be those things which are rooted and grounded in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, showing forth His light and His glory.

In the midst of the present chaos, let’s keep our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith – for Christ has a glorious outcome planned for those who are faithful to Him, to His Word, and to His People.

Zechariah (8)

Here's what our small group pondered when we considered Zechariah Chapter 8, maybe there is something here for you:

Our text is Zechariah Chapter 8. As we move toward the conclusion of our time in the Minor Prophets, Zechariah 8 presents a motif that we see time and time again in the Bible, and especially in the prophets – God’s judgment and His deliverance work hand-in-hand. God is always faithful and we can always trust Him.

This passage concludes the series of messages that began in Chapter 7 that are indicated by, “Then the Word of the LORD…”

Compare Zechariah Chapter 8 with Isaiah 65:17 – 25.

Compare Zechariah 8:16 – 17 with Zechariah 7:9 – 10, and Micah 6:8.

Note the concept of “remnant” in Zechariah 8:11 - 12; see also Isaiah 1:9; 10:20ff, 11:11; 37:31ff. This can be an important concept for those who remain faithful to Jesus Christ in a world that has gone crazy – and a professing-church that often departs from (and rejects) God’s Word (1 Timothy 4:1 – 2; 2 Timothy 3:1 – 5).

Compare Zechariah 8:20 – 23 with Isaiah 60:1 – 3, 15 – 22. God and His People will be victorious, no matter how dark things may appear. The darker the darkness, the more brilliant the Light. We are called to be overcomers as we look into the face of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 3:1 – 3; 4:4; 5:4).

How do you sense Christ working in your life?

As you reflect back over the past year, what have been your highs and lows? Your challenges and your victories?

How should the men in your group be praying for you?