What do you mean when...

What do you mean when you say that God is love?  Don Carson in his little book, The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God, says that the love of God is misunderstood.
First, if people believe in God at all today they believe that He is a loving being.  However, what they mean is not what the Bible says.  Because we live in such a self centred world we believe that God loves us because we are lovely.
Second, they are quick to believe one thing about God but not other attributes.  What about the sovereignty of God, the holiness of God, the wrath of God, etc.  God is not one dimensional.  If He is a God of love, which He is, then He is also sovereign, holy, just, etc.
Third, people believe that the only heresy today is that we believe that there is heresy.  Since God is love then all paths lead to God so to call something heresy is just your opinion and is that any different than anyone else's opinion.  The problem here is that it is what the Bible says.  Jesus said that there is only one way to God and even though God is love He has said that we must believe in truth.
Fourth, though we believe that God is love that does create difficulties when we see the hatred in this world and the sufferings in this world.  As Christians this is where we have difficulty because how can we tie God's love to God's justice?
Finally, the love of God is not the simplistic doctrine we make it out to be.  "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life."  God's love can only be truly understood through the cross.

Why do I love God?

So why do I love God?  John tells us it is simply because He first loved us and by His grace we responded to that love.  So often today we find people thinking that God loves them because they are special.  Moses made that very clear to the Israelites that there was no way that they were special.  God loved them because He loved them.  He set His love on them so that they could show to the rest of the world that God does love them.  However, they failed to do that.  They failed because they thought that God loved them because they were special and the other people were not.  If we think that we are loved because of who we are and not who God is then we will fail to show His love to the rest of the world. 

Connections

Tonight I was talking to a friend of mine and we were talking about Deuteronomy.  He will be covering my class while I am gone and he will do chapters 8 and 9.  Chapter 8 is about being grateful and he told me as he was studying the chapter he suddenly realized where he read all this before.  Jesus covers the same material in the sermon on the mount in Matthew 6.  Sometimes I feel that dispensationalists have robbed us of the riches of the Old Testament.  The OT and particularly Deuteronomy has many of the foundational truths that we read about in the New Testament.  Dispensationalists were not totally wrong but many of the disciples have missed some great truths because of seeing the OT as the dispensation of Law and the NT as the dispensation of grace.  It was always grace and it still is Law.  The one thing we need to remember is that Law follows grace not grace follows the Law.

Being separate

How can God's people be a separate people?  For one thing we are called to be in the world but while we are in the world we are not to be part of the world.  The people of Israel were to be a separate people.  They were going into the land that was polluted by sin but they were called to keep themselves separate.  The only way that they could do this was to totally destroy what was contrary to God.
A friend told me that a mutual friend of ours had become widowed and had set her sights on a widower who was not a believer.  She was convinced that this was the man that God wanted for her so she ended up compromising what she believed and moved in with him without marrying him.  Her rational was that she could speak into his life and lead him to faith in Christ.  His former wife had been a Christian but he had rejected her Christianity.  How could this one think she could lead him to Christ while she lived in disobedience to God's desire for man and woman.
Christians find themselves compromising with the world in the area of sexual sins, money and power.  We are told to come out from them and be separate from them. 

I love you because

Why did God love the Israelites?  Was it because they were special?  Was it because it made Him feel good?  Was it because they were numerous?
No, God loved them because He loved them.  "The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.  But it was because the Lord loved you ..."  Deuteronomy 7:7, 8a
Why does God love us?  Because we are lovable?  No!  Because we are special?  No!  So why does He love us?  The only answer I can give is that He loves us because He loves us.  That is grace.

Raising Children in a Post-Modern World

When I put the question to some young fathers they all told me the same thing, "How much time do you have?"
I would like to make two observations.
First, the family unit is important.  In a world that is tearing down all structures it is important for our children to have a structure they can believe in and that is the family.  The family unit can anchor them to the truth of the Bible as well as help them develop a proper world view.  When post-moderns say that all truth is relative and that there is no absolute truth the family can be that important focal point for truth.
Second, we must insulate our children not isolate them.  By insulating them I mean teaching them the Biblical truths and why we believe them.  We know that the world will want to tell them that all paths lead to God and all lifestyles are acceptable but we need to talk to them about the truth of God's Word.

Problems of prosperity

So why is prosperity a problem for most Christians?  Let me list a few things that I see as problems.
First, prosperity turns our eyes away from God to focus on what we have.  We begin to trust in our abilities rather than in God's gifts.  We don't need to trust God for our daily bread so we can live as practical atheists.
Second, we look for ways to protect our assets rather than ways to trust in God.  It seems I am saying the same thing over again and maybe I am but prosperity undermines our trust in God.  Our prosperity should give us peace of mind rather than anxiety but I see people who have so little trusting God while people who have so much worrying about their investments.
Finally, prosperity makes us feel that we are eentitled to these blessings and that other people should respect that.  So many people who have money, not all but so many, feel that they deserve what they have and therefore they are entitled to things that go along with it.
I am not talking about prosperity gospel which is no gospel at all.  It has its own problems and it idolatry.  I am talking just about being successful and the traps and pitfalls that come with having money.  Having money should make us more generous, more content, more willing to serve but it very seldom, not always, does.  I am so thankful for what I have and what I can give.

Avoiding the pitfalls of prosperity

Compared to the rest of the world we are rich Christians.  However, we do find that some are richer than others.  One thing is that when we get prosperous we are in danger of pitfalls.   One of the pitfalls is that we begin to trust in ourselves and not in the Lord.  Moses reminds the people that in order to avoid the pitfalls we need to remember how we became prosperous.
"When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery."  Deuteronomy 6:10 - 12
Did you notice that they were living in cities that they did not build, good things that they did not provide, wells that they didn't dig and vineyards and olive groves that they did not plant.  What do you have that the Lord did not provide?
So to avoid the pitfalls:
Maintain a grace perspective.  You were born in this country by God's grace, you have the family you do by God's grace, you have all that is yours by God's grace.
Follow a God fearing lifestyle.  God has blessed you so that you can be a blessing.  When we see the good things that God has given us do we keep them to ourselves or use them to help others?
Have sanctified ambitions.  It is okay to desire good things if the good things can be used for God's glory.
Finally teach your children about their heritage.  Don't forget where you came from and don't forget to tell it to your children.

Just another friend

I met this friend one Saturday when we had to make a delivery for the Bibles for Missions store to another town 25 km north west.  I was driving and he was my helper.  We talked and got to know one another.  We didn't talk about trivial things, we talked about spiritual things.  Since that day we have worked together many times and we almost always have a discussion around spiritual ideas.  We don't agree on everything but we both know that our salvation is by grace alone. 
One of the best ways to get to know another person is to spend time with them and today when you travel together you can spend quality time talking about the things of the Lord.
I look forward to this time with my friend.  We attend different churches but we love the same Lord and His Word.  We know that what we are doing is for the Lord and His kingdom. 
Finally, we also remind ourselves that we are representing the Lord whenever we go out on a delivery or a pickup.  Our truck says it well, Bibles for Missions. 

Heritage

One thing that can help your children grow in their knowledge of God is to root them in their heritage.  Who in your family was instrumental in what you believe, where you live, where you go to church, etc.  For that reason I put together two little booklets.  The one is about growing up on a farm in Saskatchewan and how that shaped my life.  The other I organized with my siblings as we recalled the influence of our parents upon our lives.  I also have stories by my aunt and my maternal grandfather.  All of these remind us of our heritage.  Though we are never saved by our parents' faith or our grandparents' faith it can help build our faith in the God of our parents. 

The Israelites were reminded often of where they had come from and what God had done for them.  When our children ask us why we do things a certain way we can show them from our heritage.  That was Moses' instruction to the leaders in his day.

Teach Your Children Well

In 1970 Crosby, Stills and Nash released the hit song Teach Your Children Well.  Though I don't agree with all the lyrics of the song there is an underlying message that is important for all of us and that is that we have to have a code to live by and we are to teach it to our children.
However, Moses will tell us that the code we are to live by is the the Biblical world view.  It is important to teach our children but we must have a proper starting point. 
As I said, I don't agree with all the lyrics but the song is worth listening to. 

Post Modern Challenge

We live in a strange world.  When I went to university Christianity was under fire because it was thought to be unscientific and therefore it was thought to be untrue.  Today Christianity is under fire because it claims to be true after all no one has any claim to the truth.  Truth for me may not be the same as truth for you and therefore if you claim that your beliefs are true then you are intolerant and that is the only sin that is condemned.
Moses understood post-modern thinking even though it was ancient times.  He knew that the only way to keep from falling into that trap was to keep true to the Word.

Road Trip

Moses told the Israelites that they were to instruct their children as they walked along the way.  Today he would have told us to do it while we are travelling in our car.  One of the ways to get to know someone is to spend time with them and one way to spend time with a person is to travel with them.

That is how I got to know Mike (I will call him Mike but his fellow workers know him by another name).  Mike and his wife picked me up to go to a meeting which was about 90 minutes away.  During that time I got to talk with Mike about many things and because of that trip Mike and I became very good friends.

Amos said that two cannot travel together unless they are in agreement and that is what I found as I travelled with Mike.  We were in agreement.

Travelling with your children can be a great time to teach them.  Use your time wisely.

Blue Bloods

I like the TV show called Blue Bloods.  It is a show about a Catholic New York family of four generations.  The great grandfather is the retired police commissioner, his son, the grandfather is the current police commissioner, his two sons are police officers and his daughter is a district attorney.  Then there are three children. 
What I like about the show is the family emphasis.  In every episode they have a time around the table at a family meal in which they first ask the blessing then during the meal there is a discussion that takes place.  Most of the time the children take an active part in the discussion.
The breakdown of our society comes when the family breaks down and one leading factor in that is the fact that families do not eat together.  If they do eat together then often the TV is on or someone is talking of the cell phone.  A friend of my son had a rule that at meal times the phones would all go into a basket by the door.  They were to be left there for the entire meal time. 
Here is a paragraph from a 2003 Gallop poll:

Also, dinnertime might be one of the few opportunities during the day that parents get to talk with their children about what's happening in their lives. All parents want to know what's going on with their children, but a 2003 study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University suggests that family dinners can have some concrete benefits for teenagers. The study found that teens who have dinner with their families two nights a week or less are twice as likely to take drugs, more likely to be "high stress," more likely to say they are often bored, and less likely to perform well in school than teens who eat with their families 5 to 7 times a week.

Maybe there is something we can learn from television.

 

Turn off your radio, put away your phone

Moses has much to say in Deuteronomy about the importance of teaching our children.  When our son was three years old he could ask over 300 questions a day and the time he asked the most questions was when he was alone with you in the car or at meal times.  That is why it is important to turn off the radio, the music, when you are in the car with a child.  Give them your attention, except for the attention needed for driving, and talk to them, listen to them, hear their questions.

Today I often see a parent walking with a child and the parent is talking on a cell phone.  The most important person is walking beside you not the one you are talking to on the phone.  I know there will be times that you need to take that phone call but that is not as often as people think.

Turn off all cell phones at meal times.  I remember last summer having a family meal in our backyard.  I told everyone that there would be no playing games or using mobile devices during the meal.  The younger people honoured that request but when someone asked one of the older people a question he pulled out his phone and went to the Internet to find the answer.  When we told him he owed money for breaking the rule he was annoyed and blamed it on us for asking him a question.  We wanted his answer not google's.

Moses says, "Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."  Deuteronomy 6:7

Our children hear too many voices that give them an ungodly world view.  Use your time wisely with your children, your grandchildren.  Teach them well. 

G. Campbell Morgan

G. Campbell Morgan (1863 - 1945) was a British evangelist, preacher and a leading Bible scholar.  He was the pastor of Westminster Chapel in London from 1904 to 1919, and from 1933 to 1943.  One of his many quotes was "The church did the most for the world when the church was the least like the world."  I know that separation is not a favourite word among Evangelicals today but as the church becomes more and more like the world it loses its influence on the world.   We have seen that happen in Canada with the United Church of Canada and though it should be obvious to us we all fall for the lie of Satan.  When the church tries to be like the world so that it can show the world that it shouldn't be like the world then the world sees through that and sees the church as irrelevant. 

Moses reminded the people that they were called to be a separate people.  They were to remain untouched by the people of Canaan.  A lesson we need to learn today.

Misfit

Today I talked to a friend of mine who truly is a misfit.  Before I tell you about her let me say this about her though, she truly loves the Lord and longs for the day the Lord will take her home.
So why is she a misfit?  She has been thrown out of more churches than I have been a part of.  She became a Christian later in life.  Her husband divorced her, her children disowned her, and she has no church home.  She stands for truth and speaks out against those who attack the truth.  She fights against the bullies in churches who put her down because she is a woman and refuses to be submissive to leadership that she sees as bullies, whether she is right about the bulling or not would be open to question.  She also will stand up for those who are unjustly condemned.  She reminds me of an Old Testament prophet who seemed to make more enemies than friends when she speaks out on issues.  She is not perfect but many of the Old Testament prophets weren't perfect either. 
I find it difficult to talk to her, I mainly have to listen anyway, but I have disciplined myself to let her speak.  I can easily become the bully.  I have done that with people in the past.  I can ignore her but she won't let you.  She needs to be heard.  I can listen and I need to practice patience and listen.
Is there a place in the church for a woman such as this?  Many churches feel that there isn't.  They can accept her if she remains quiet and submissive but she refuses to do that.  She hates bullies and injustice and cannot remain silent when she precieves this is happening.  I know she has been a thorn in the side of many pastors and elder boards but she is God's daughter and one day we will fellowship with her around the throne of God.  I feel that she may be wrong in many areas but I must earn the right to speak into her life.  I cannot speak against her without first earning that right. 
Pastors, elders, she may drive you crazy.  She may take up your time but she needs your love more than your condemnation.  She is God's child.
I must confess that if I can avoid her I do but that is not right either.  I may be the only man that she feels that she can unburden herself too.  God give me patience.

Two Tablets

Why were the Ten Commandments on two tablets of stone?  I always thought that the first tablet contained those commandments that related to the vertical, that is, commandments one through four while the other six dealt with our horizontal relationships and they were on the second tablet.
However, this was not the case.  All the commandments were on one tablet so there were two copies of the covenant.  Whenever a covenant was made between two people there were always two copies, one for each of the parties.  The covenant of Moses had two copies because there were two parties, God and Israel.  One copy was God's and one was man's but because God dwelt with man the two copies were kept together in the Ark of the Covenant.

Bookends 2

One time at a Mathematics conference I had there were two rather short but large ladies giving a presentation.  The guy I was sitting beside leaned over and said to me one word, "bookends".  I don't think I remember anything else that was said as I couldn't help seeing the humour of his statement each time I looked at the presenters.

A few years ago I did a series on the Ten Commandments and I included a note about the first and last Commandment being wonderful bookends for the Ten Commandments.  I am re-posting it here.

The first and the tenth commandment are wonderful bookends for the Ten Commandments. The first commandment tells us that there is only one God and we are to worship and adore Him. Anything else is a false God. Then the tenth commandment reminds clearly that we cannot look at the commandments as a list and say we have "kept all these from our youth, what more do you expect of us?" but it strikes right to the thoughts and intents of our heart. When we covet we replace God with the god self. We cannot have one God and then covet something of another person.

Grandchildren

As Moses addresses the people he makes an amazing statement.  These people were the children of the people that had come out of Egypt and were given the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai.  Yet Moses says to the people in front of him that day these words, "The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb.  It was not with our ancestors that the Lord made this covenant, but with us, with all of us who are alive here today.  The Lord spoke to you face to face out of the fire on the mountain."  Deuteronomy 5:2 - 4.
What does Moses mean when it says that it wasn't with our parents but it is with us that God made the covenant?  The covenant that was given at Horeb was given to each generation.  Every generation must renew the covenant with God.  It is not enough that our parents believed but we also must take the covenant to be between God and us.  God has no grandchildren.  Each person must come into a personal relationship with God.  We are not God's children because our parents were God's children. 

Neither Right nor Left

In Deuteronomy 5:32 Moses warns the people about straying left or right with regard to their obedience.  It was a concern in Moses' day and it is in our day as well.
We turn to the right when we make the Ten Commandments say more than they intended to say.  We say that our salvation is based upon keeping the commandments even though we are saved by grace.  We are neither saved by the commandments or are kept in a state of salvation by the commandments.   That is only the work of grace.  So then, why the commandments?
We turn to the left when we say that the commandments say less than they do.  We say that the commandment against adultery or lying do not have a place in our society.  Or why should we honour our parents?  Though our salvation does not depend upon our keeping of the commandments they are not to be ignored.  So what do the commandments show us?
First, the commandments show that we need a Saviour.  We cannot keep all the commandments all of the time and as soon as we slip up we are guilty of breaking the law.
Second, the commandments show us what God is like.  When He says that we should not commit adultery He shows us that He is a faithful God. 
Thirdly, the commandments show us that we do not have to lie or steal or covet.  He can keep us from those sins.
When we read the commandments we need to remind ourselves that we are to look straight ahead, through the commandments to see our Saviour.  If we look to the right or to the left we will miss Him.

A Day of Prohibitions

In the giving of the Ten Commandments as recorded in Exodus 20 the fourth commandment begins with positive words, "Remember the Sabbath day".  In the second giving of the law the fourth commandment begins with positive words, "Observe the Sabbath day".   While most of the commandments are stated in the negative the fourth is stated in the positive.
What I find interesting is how we have taken the commandment that is positive and made it so negative.  We have added so many prohibitions that we would not recognize that it was first given as a positive command. 
Having said that I must add that this commandment is very important to us today.  We do not find our rest in the commandment as our rest is found in Christ but by ignoring this commandment we are robbing our lives of the needed rest and restoration that it needs to keep going.  Many people who have shown so much promise in their thirties are burned out in their fifties.  Even our relaxation is stressful.  We have to learn to rest and be restored if we are to continue to minister in our later years.
Remember, observe the Sabbath.  That was the command to the Jews and to us it is stop trying to find your identification in yourself and rest in Christ who is our identity.

Should the Ten Commandments be Posted in Schools?

I am going to give the answer I hate, yes and no.  First let me say why they should.  I believe that the commandments are the basis of all our laws.  The second part tells us how we are to relate one to another.  No lying, no stealing, no murder, no adultery, etc.  It is important that people know where these laws about stealing and lying come from.
However, I will add a no answer because I think that people see these commandments and think that if they obey these laws then they will have a right standing with God.  It should be pointed out that before the law was given the people had to be redeemed.  It is always so.  First grace then law.  The keeping of the law does not lead us to grace but it can show us that we need grace.  However, grace will lead us to the law.

Happy Birthday

On Friday we celebrated with our two oldest grandchildren as they had birthdays on Friday and today.  They are now 12 and 10, one born on 01/02/03 and the other on 03/02/01.  The one thing that Moses says over and over again is "Teach your children."  I am so thankful that my son and his wife have taught their children well showing them the things of God and teaching them how to love their God.  In a world that batters our minds with ant-christian teaching it is a wonderful thing to see children being taught the things of God.  Children know that we are not perfect but they also see what is most important in our lives.  We teach our children by example, by word and by deed. 
Happy birthday granddaughters.  May you continue to grow in the knowledge and love of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Thank you son and daughter-in-law for your faithfulness as parents.

I want that

The Source, an electronics store in Canada, may have had one of the worst slogans ever, "I want that".  Their commercials show a guy going into the store to buy batteries and then seeing cameras, TVs, computers, etc and saying I want that and that and that.
Materialism is an idol in our society and it comes from wanting more and more stuff.  The stuff we buy ends up controlling us rather than helping us.  We protect our new car from scratches, we study the handbooks for our stuff so that we know how to use them but instead of being a tool they become and idol.
Remember, an idol is something that we look to for things that only God can give. 

Sports and Idolatry

This Sunday is Superbowl Sunday and I wonder where the true worship will take place, in churches or in front of the TV?  Now there is nothing wrong with sports and even with sports on Sunday but when it becomes more important than anything else then it has become an idol.  I am not saying turn off your TV and go to church but to make sure that you put things in their proper perspective.  God will not share His glory with anyone or anything else even the Ravens or the Forty-niners.
Watch the game if you want to and enjoy it but remember that it is only our God who deserves the true glory. 
It is not just the Superbowl that robs God of His glory.  Any sport can do it just as easy, professional or othewise.   Having a desire to see our children become the next sports hero can be a form of idolatry.  Our prayer should always be that our children will first of all and above all love the Lord our God.