Recently, I was praying from 2 Peter that God would deliver His church from damaging doctrines and false teachers and one verse jumped out at me. 2 Peter 2:14 “having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children.” This verse is specifically speaking of false teachers but what jumped out at me is that “unstable souls” were the ones being enticed. What exactly makes one’s soul unstable? I think a great answer is looking at what the Scripture says stability IS. “Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation; the fear of the Lord is His treasure.” (Isaiah 33:6) If we want stability in our lives, it is directly linked to the wisdom and knowledge of God. This is not a wisdom or knowledge that is human philosophy but rooted in the truth of the Lord and the revelation of Him in Scripture. We have a famine of biblical knowledge in the Scripture in our culture and even in the church. In an article, “The Epidemic of Bible Illiteracy in Our Churches” by Ed Stetzer in Christianity Today, he sites some of this lack of biblical knowledge: “But it's more than simply not knowing stories from Scripture. Our lack of biblical literacy has led to a lack of biblical doctrine. LifeWay Research found that while 67 percent of Americans believe heaven is a real place, 45 percent believe there are many ways to get there—including 1 in 5 evangelical Christians. More than half of evangelicals (59 percent) believe the Holy Spirit is a force and not a personal being—in contrast to the orthodox biblical teaching of the Trinity being three Persons in one God. As a whole, Americans, including many Christians, hold unbiblical views on hell, sin, salvation, Jesus, humanity, and the Bible itself.” To read the entire article, click here. So if there is such a problem in the nation and the church we are sure to be the “unstable souls” that would be enticed by false preachers. It is time to take a serious evaluation of our own lives in the word. Are we growing in knowledge and stability? Matthew 24-27 24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
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Have you ever seen a Georgia O’Keefe piece of art? I can’t vouch for all of it, but some of her most famous works are very large paintings of flowers. The unique thing is that she paints in “zoom.” She takes one small square of an entire flower and “enlarges” it so that it’s like you have zoomed in very close to a flower and you are looking at in minute detail. The kids and I did an art project for school this year using Georgia O’Keefe’s technique of making flowers very big. We took a picture of a flower or plant and laid a one inch by one inch square “view finder” over the part we wanted to enlarge. We created some fun watercolor paintings by drawing the small piece to scale in a much larger square. I feel like this exercise is a lot like what Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones does in his sermon series on the book of Ephesians. He takes verse one and preaches two 45 minute sermons. He preaches three sermons on verse 3! In these sermons he keeps saying things like the following: “It is always good to pay attention to what an author at the outset deems to be necessary and important.” “I digress for a moment to point out that when we read our Bibles nothing is more important than that we should look at every word, and question it as to its meaning.” “We must learn how to read the Scriptures; and there is no one thing that is more important when we do so than just this, to ask questions of it.” Clearly, if this man could extract enough meat to preach 3 substantial sermons on one verse, I should take note and consider that there is so much more to gain from reading Scripture than a nice feeling that I completed my checklist of Scripture reading for the day! There is much in there to chew on! Like Georgia O’Keefe desired to make her paintings of flowers BIG so that people would have to stop and look, Dr. Lloyd-Jones is zooming in on each word of the book of Ephesians and making the Word of God BIG and BEAUTIFUL so that people will STOP and really look and really consider what the Lord is speaking through His word and how that affects you and me personally. I began this Ephesians study recently at the invitation of Skip Cone, our friend, mentor, and director of TRIHOP. He spoke so highly of it and I have not been disappointed! The teachings are excellent, giving me fresh insights and things to ponder. But, the real life of these messages has come as I have meditated on the Words of the Scripture and particularly in times with my kids. The kids and I have been “zooming in” on each verse by doing three things: 1. ASK – Ask questions of the Scripture. Sometimes our first question is simply, “What questions should I ask?” Who? What does this word mean? How does this apply to me? 2. THINK – Think about the possible answers to these questions, using the Scripture itself to help find those answers. 3. PONDER – Consider the implications of the questions, the answers, the words. Let these thoughts penetrate and awaken love for Jesus in your heart! This looks different each day. Sometimes we just talk together about the verse. Sometimes we each meditate on the verse by ourselves while we listen to music. Someone may write (or draw) in a journal on their own or we might do that together. Someone else may just think about the questions without writing them down. No matter what we are doing, there has been amazing encouragement as we take the “view finder” and sit it down word by word to enlarge the details of what God is speaking to us through His word. May we all feel challenged whether we are new in Bible study or seasoned students to think deeply about the word and let it transform us! All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. ~ 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Wow what a great May Lampstand meeting! Julie led our time of worship on the keyboard and did a fantastic job! We are thankful for these times to simply behold and worship the Lord. It is so good to sing about who He is, like from Psalm 46, THE LORD OF HOSTS IS WITH US, WITH US IN THE FIRE, WITH US AS A SHELTER, WITH US IN THE STORM! Whew! What power in declaring Truth! I (Matthew) shared from Psalm 19, specifically verses 7-11 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. What benefits there are from reading and studying the Lord’s word, His instruction! There is converting (change), restoration, and reviving for our souls! It brings gladness to our heart, makes us wise, and gives insight for living (our eyes enlightened!) If we really believe all this it will change our approach to the word. We see it is more valuable than gold! We then took some time and prayed through this Scripture as a group as we worshiped some more and responded in singing after voicing our petitions! We continue to press out oil by studying His word at these meetings and hopefully encouraging lifestyles of dedication to the word and connection with the Lord. We will be taking time in future meetings to discuss different subjects in the Scriptures that will fuel our hearts, like studies in the beauty of God, our identity as the bride of Christ and our relationship to the Bridegroom, etc. We are looking forward to receiving the encouragement the Lord has for us the rest of this year. Great time of fellowship and connection with the Lord at the April Lampstand! Here are the highlights of the meeting: We had a special treat because Sharon Anderson came and led worship! This was her first time leading and it was truly a blessing! Julie shared briefly about the battle that we are always in as believers and learning to wield the sword that we’ve been given, which is the word of God! (Ephesians 6) The weapon of the word of God is truly powerful for pulling down strongholds and taking captive every thought that is not helping us know God better. Matthew then shared about the place of the word and worship in spiritual warfare. We took time to respond in worship and prayed for people with needs for healing. I love these times together and how the Lord is faithful to stir among us and encourage us in His presence! Recently, I got so excited about some yard work. Yes, I was overjoyed actually; and not by just the results, but by the process. Let me give you a little background before I share the source of my joy. In 6th grade, I had Ms. Mann as a science teacher. She was one of my favorite teachers that year. If my memory serves me correctly, she had a spring homework project/assignment for us in which we located a bud on a tree or bush that was just beginning to bud. We were to tie a piece of yarn near one bud and then draw that bud weekly and see the transformation as the bud opened. I chose to chart the growth of a lilac bud. That small assignment impacted me in a great way. It was amazing to see the beauty of that bud unfold. It is also when I was encouraged about my drawing skills and it was an assignment that I really enjoyed doing. Fast-forward to Spring 2016. When I was walking around our 2.5 acres in Piney Flats, TN (so thankful for our home and property), I saw something that caught my eye. Whether it was a small purple bloom peeking out of the brush, or me actually recognizing the leaves, I found a lilac bush almost completely overgrown with honeysuckle. Right then, I had a desire to free that lilac bush but as the way things often happen, my spring and summer were taken up with other projects and responsibilities. Fast-forward to a couple of weeks ago, the end of February 2017. We have had unusual whether here at the end of winter/early spring in East Tennessee. Much is budding and coming up out of the ground. We have had some crazy warm days as well as crazy cold days. On one of the warm days, I decided to tackle the honeysuckle and free the lilac bush. My kids got the job of clean up, so they were not as excited as dad was. But as I hacked away at that bush I began to see more and more buds of that scraggly lilac bush; buds, like I had drawn so long ago in 6th grade. My heart got more and more exuberant. Not only did I see the buds, I knew what was to come from those buds. I anticipated the beauty. I got the bulk of the honeysuckle off of the bush and then I notice that honeysuckle wrapped itself around long branches of lilac. The lilac was doing everything it could in years past to reach for sun as it was being strangled by the vine. I unwrapped each branch trying not to break the lilac branches. As I was clearing around the lilac, my kids kept commenting on me hacking away at the honeysuckle. They are fond of the honeysuckle smell and opening the blooms for a drop of the nectar. I seemed to get more adamantly opposed to honeysuckle and got more determined to expel it from that area. When the bush was finally free, it didn’t look full and it did look odd because much of the bush was naked branches without buds but it was beautiful to me. I kept asking the kids, “Isn’t it beautiful?” Later, I asked the same of my wife. They didn’t seem to share the same enthusiasm. It was beautiful to me and there was delight in my heart about it. You see, something in addition to the anticipation of beauty was stirring in my heart. There was a lesson in it for me! The Lord was trying to teach me tenderly and I was encouraged. In Matthew 13, it records Jesus sharing the parable of the sower. He teaches about the word of God. Specifically in that parable, He shares about the seed falling among thorns, “the thorns sprang up and choked them.” (Matthew 13:7). He explains the meaning in verse 22. “Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.” Luke describe it this way, “ Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.” (Luke 8:14) And Mark records it this way: “Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” (Mark 4:18-18-19). So from these 3 passages, what chokes out the word are as follows: Cares of the world Cares of life Deceitfulness of riches Pleasures of life Desires for other things Well, the Lord was helping me see though the freeing of the lilac bush, that there are things choking out the word in my own life. Just as the honeysuckle was wrapping itself around the lilac, hindering its growth, this list is doing the same in my life with the word of God. I want that lilac bush to come to full bloom and beauty. The Lord wants the word to grow in good soil and bear much fruit and become mature. With each hacking of honeysuckle I was seeing the lilac’s potential but also “what could be” in my life if I let God deal with the spiritual honeysuckle (the list above). The hard part is that I, and really all of us all are fond of the things that compile this list, whether we want to admit it or not. There are things that concern us that choke out the word. What are we anxious about? Does it really matter in the long run? Do the things we are anxious over or our anxiety help us in our spiritual journey? Do we care for our own comforts, wants, pursuits more than we value His word flourishing in our hearts? Do we spend too much time thinking about money? Where we will spend it? How much we have or do not have? How we think it may bring us satisfaction? Do we pursue our own pleasures to the detriment of our life in God? Is the pursuit of pleasure an idol in our lives? Do we desire things others have too much? Are we living covetously and describing it as pursuit of noble “achievement”? Just as my kids look so fondly on the honeysuckle and its pleasures, do we love the things of this life, even though they choke our life flow just as the honeysuckle was choking out what could be, choking out the buried splendor of a mature full-blossomed, lilac bush. Are our affections in the right place? Do we think fondly of the “chokers,” which are hindering our growth? I got so excited to see that free lilac bush, not only for purple blooms but I saw that God wants the same for me, to be free from that which weighs me down and chokes out the word. I may look scraggly for a while but thanks to my 6th grade science teacher and my own experience, and faith in Christ, I know that as I let Him deal with the list of “chokers” I will produce lots of blossoms or fruit as the parable of the sower describes. So Lord, deal with the “chokers.” Free us so the word can have full potential in our lives. Plant your seeds in the good soil of our hearts and let them grow, bearing fruit and producing “some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty” (Matthew 13:23). I don’t want to be guilty of reading the word without coming to the Lord while I read the Bible. By coming to Him, I mean connecting with Him, talking to Him while I read the verses. In John 5:39-40 Jesus has a message for the Jewish leaders 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. (Emphasis Mine) OHHHHH! What this verse describes is lifeless religion with no connection, no conversation with the Lord in the study of His Holy word. It’s a warning for us to not be like this; reading and studying to gain head knowledge without also experientially knowing Him! He warns them that what they are doing is missing the mark. They are missing HIM! I have recently revisited a resource by Mike Bickle at the International House of Prayer that I was impacted by about 15 years ago. It is a simple study on Journaling: How to “Pray-Read” the Scripture. It is an exhortation to talk to the Lord as you read through the Bible. You pray passages from the Scripture back to the Lord. Mike Bickle gives instruction about what do when you encounter two categories of truth. First, truths that exhort you to believe and secondly, truths that exhort you to obey. I. When you come to truths exhorting you to believe: A. Take time to actually thank Jesus for the specific truth you are reading B. Ask Him to reveal His truths to you in a greater way. II. When you come to truths exhorting you to obey: A. Commit yourself to obey what the passage describes. B. Ask the Lord to empower you to obey the Scriptures. He encourages you to journal by writing down the prayers to God. Here is an example of this if I were reading through Colossians 1:15-18: 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. I see it is a Scripture exhorting me to obey. I could take a moment and thank Him for the truth found in this Scripture, specifically verse 16. “Thank you Lord that you have created all things. ‘All things’ includes me and my family, also my church family. You have created the beauty we see every day. The rolling hills and beautiful scenery. It is all created for you. I am created for you. Thank you for your creation. Thank you for creating me.” It is helpful to remember the Lord is present with us and wants to engage with us. We can slow down and be patient as we thank Him. The Holy Spirit can use this to tenderize our hearts by simple declarations of thanksgiving. I can take the same Scripture and ask Him to give me greater understanding of His truth. “Lord, help me to see and understand this passage in a greater way. Open the eyes of my heart (Ephesians 1:17-18). What does it mean that all things were created through you and for you? What does that show me about the world around me? What does that show me about myself? My purpose? What does it mean for you to be preeminent?” By doing this the Holy Spirit will cause our insight to gradually increase. Another example would be coming to a Scripture that exhorts me to obey like 1 Peter 5:8-9: 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 1 Peter 5:8-9 I commit myself to obey the truths here. “Lord, I commit that I will walk sober. Help me to be calm and collected in my spirit. Help me to be vigilant, observant and watchful, understanding that the enemy is at work. Help me to be faithful to resist the enemy, to make choices for the Lord. Help me to hold fast to truth, to read and study the truth.” It matters that we tell Him the intent of our heart. It is helpful for our resolve and will bring strength to our obedience. I can also ask for Him to help me accomplish this commitment. Ask the Lord to empower you to do what He asks. When you ask of Him, He will answer. We find ourselves growing in grace over time. These simple applications of prayer while we read the word are huge. It helps us engage with the Lord and “come to Him” Jesus talked about sending Holy Spirit and that He is the Helper sent from the Father that will testify of Himself (John 15:26) and that He (Holy Spirit) will guide you into all truth, speaking what He hears and telling us things to come (John 16:13). What a dynamic time awaits us in the word as we come connecting to the Lord, talking and conversing with Him, receiving help from Holy Spirit! It should encourage us to dive deep and talk often. In Song of Songs 2:14 the Bridegroom is saying to His bride. “O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, In the secret places of the cliff, Let me see your face, Let me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet, And your face is lovely.” Jesus wants to hear our voice. What fuel for our quiet times! What encouragement for our Bible reading! He wants to hear me and I want to hear Him. |
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November 2020
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