Loving Others part 1

 When Godly People Feel Hate toward Unbelievers

  "I do not sit with the worthless or associate with hypocrites; I hate a crowd of evildoers, and I do not sit with the wicked." Ps 26:4-5

I don't know if Jesus would utter these words as the Psalmist does. There is this "tension line" that needs to be defined as Christ-ones. God needs to teach me how to love my neighbors and yet hate all that is sinful. When Christians feel hate towards another person similar to the Psalmist above, how can a Christian respond as Christ would rather than this Israelite? 

In the Psalms, in the Old Testament we see that the Law brings condemnation and therefore people felt it ok to "opt-up" of neighborly love if their enemy is unquestionably an offense to God. Why else would the Psalmist have a right to profess such hatred towards his neighbors. Its the Law's implication rather than the grace at the cross of Jesus.

In living amid the wretched, the Psalmist wants God to be glorified and sin punished. In looking at Psalm 10; 12; 14; 26; 83 I see the Psalmist wishing harm on another person in at least one verse of each Psalm. What is important to note is that the writer doesn't wish to take matters into his own hands; he is asking God to execute the harm instead –to make Himself known to the wicked.  

"So pursue them with Your tempest
and terrify them with Your storm.
Cover their faces with shame
so that they will seek Your name Yahweh.” Ps 83:15-16.

The imprecatory Psalms like 7; 35; 69; 22-29, 83, 109 The writer goes a step further almost taunting God into action: "Do it God, he's offended You, Your Law says you just can't let that slide." Praying like this requires a clear understanding of the situation, the person, the sin, the Law, and God's righteousness. Here anger towards another person is being dealt with by bringing it to God -not placing the toaster next to your enemy’s bath tub. I can't say that I have prayed like this often. But when a predator is evil seeking only to devour… may it be them who is devoured instead of another victim. 

The problem I have with treating my neighbors this way -even though they may be the worst kind of evil; praying this way seems to ask God to forget His Son's purchase on the cross. Jesus has grace for the very ungodly. But if the innocent are murdered then yes; it is a difficult prayer.

  

Keep in mind that in each of these Psalms the writer wants/prays for the wicked person or the society around them to know who God is via the punishment. One of my teachers prays for unbelievers similarly: "Lord get their attention." He doesn't go so far as to wish them affliction or harm, but rather that God would do whatever it takes to bring the revelation of His mercy in Christ to an unbeliever. 

A Sunday Psalm

I want to go deeper with God and seek Him on the Sabbath instead of doing just what i want. So I started by writing a "Sunday Psalm". This is pulling from my trials of being too busy, taking my eyes off of God and mixing that with Isaiah 31. I hope it blesses God, I wrote it for Him. 

 

God is all help, all the time. 

 

Seek the Lord's help, why think of anything else to do?   

Are you banking on Egypt plus chariots times horsemen?

 

If you pay Him no mind -God, your Father... why would you pay Him no mind!?! 

You, the helped and your helper Egypt die together.

 

Remember who jump-starts your vitals. 

Is it not God who fills and clears your plate?

 

Why go to a counselor, a teacher, a mentor, a doctor? 

Skip seeing your family, your work and your friends if you haven't been in Christ first. 

Consult God in prayer and His Word: He's first.

 

Oh glorious Jesus your salvation has made me in right standing with the Father. 

I know the forgiveness now teach me the relational.

Teach me the righteousness that puts our relationship first at all times.   

 

I seek your help God this semester. Help me count and live out the cost.

The Fear of the Lord pt. 3

Why did God say to Satan "Have you considered my servant Job?" (Jb 1:8)

The Lord seemingly invites Job's undoing. Does God discuss with Satan who to bring suffering on? Apparently He can if He wants to. Some brothers and sisters suffer far more than others, where's the justice of that? I fear the Lord because He has not given me the undoing and affliction of Job.

I choose to fear the Lord because if I would have Gotten what my sins deserve I should be dead by now.

If I could rename the Book of Job it would be called: Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?

From one human to another we can praise each other as "good" and think that we are basically approved as "good." The faith error is in taking that further by assuming God praises us the way our neighbors praise us. God's version of a "good" person is Jesus and none other (Mk 10:18; Lk 18:19). 

On our own, God doesn't think us "good"; there is no good in us. We're not "good" people (Jr 17:9; Ps 53:3).  So really the question when someone says "Why does God allow bad to happen to good people?" It should be rephrased: "Why does God allow bad things happen to bad people?" 

This might sound like a contradiction because originally, God created us in His image and His creation was "good" in His sight before the fall (Gn 1:26-31). God intended us to be good. So when we do good things, we may get the accolades of others but honestly/soberly: we are simply meeting God's minimum expectation of us! 

Pop-salvation, Karmic thought, Purgatory, and even the "Test" of people by Allah of Islam are tangled up in this misunderstanding: "If my good outweighs my bad God will let me into heaven  because I'm basically good." -Nay, the good is expected of you. It in no way makes up for your bad. We need Jesus for the bad. Love covers a multitude of sins (1 Pt 4:8) -not good.  

These other beliefs would say at judgement "since my "good" outweighs my bad, it will be dropped off or forgiven. God will forgive the bad, and purify me with purgatory or just because He is forgiving." Then I can enter a holy, spotless heaven in direct communion with God. This post-life atoning makes no sense because the sacrifice pleasing God -by which He covers the bad, has already been made: Christ crucified. Which is the fulfilment of the New Covenant found (Jr 31:31-34) 

"¹⁴ For by one offering (Jesus Christ/ Lamb of God) He has perfected forever those who are sanctified. ¹⁵ The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. For after He says:

¹⁶ This is the covenant I will make with them
after those days, says the Lord:
I will put My laws on their hearts
and write them on their minds,

¹⁷ He adds:

I will never again remember
their sins and their lawless acts.

¹⁸ Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.

¹⁹ Therefore, brothers, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus,²⁰ by a new and living way He has opened for us through the curtain (that is, His flesh), ²¹ and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water^{. 23} Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. (Heb 10:14-23)

*I fear the Lord because He requires an offering for each sin... I am unable to produce that many offerings! My "good" words/works/acts do only what is expected of me. My wretchedness and sin can only be removed by nailing them to the cross and having faith in the Son of God, who took on my sin and died for them. This satisfied God's wrath intended for me.

The Fear of the Lord pt 2

Why does the Spirit of the Lord leave Saul and an evil Spirit from God enter him (1 Sam 16:14; 18:10)?

Here its important to spiral out at the surrounding verses, starting with 1 Sam 18:10. First Saul chose to respond to David's fame by being "very angry" "galled" v8. Then Saul remained constantly jealous of David v9.  Saul cared about how David was perceived by others. The king was jealous of others.

In the second half of verse 10 Saul is "raving" (some translations say "prophesying") and Saul tries to spear David. This escalation of jealousy to attempted murder seems caused by the evil spirit indwelling.  *I fear God because I know I have been "jealous", "very angry" and by His grace has led me to the cross of Jesus and His blood rather than to Saul's spear.

Opening the scope larger as to why God sent an evil spirit, someone might be surprised that Saul was first anointed and commissioned by God (see chapters 9 and 10). Despite the God-approved anointing, Saul dishonored God, made unauthorized sacrifices (1 Sam 13:9). Here king Saul did not wait for the prophet Samuel, and showed he revere God and His sacrificial system only as it suited him. 

Spiraling outwardly more:  "Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel,  'I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned away from following Me and has not carried out My instructions.'” (1 Sam 15: 10-11). I think God was provoked to send evil spirits to Saul because of Saul's actions -not just because He is God.  *I fear the Lord because He can change anyone for His plan regardless of merit, some have years of obedience and then God test with evil spirits.

On the outter spiral of this spirit-change is this truth:
"But today you (Israel) have rejected your God, who saves you from all your troubles and afflictions. You said to Him, ‘You must set a king over us.’" (1 Sam 10:19)
*I fear the Lord because all around me I live among a people who would rather have their gods and reject You and Your saving works. Yet, the Truth of Jesus Christ changed me. *I fear You Lord because You could send to me an evil spirit due to my nation that acts and speaks as if they don't need you. Instead I have a spirit that is hungry for You. Forgive us, Humble us and revive us.  

-God, Satan has the amount of power You permit him to have and not one ounce more. 
-Rid me Lord of jealousy, of living in fear of what others think.
-Rid me of spiritual impatience that would cause me to think I don't need the blood of Christ, like Saul did.

The Fear of the Lord pt 1

Why did God harden Pharoah's heart (Ex 4:21)?

Much of what I know about God gets challenged with this passage of Scripture. My understanding of justice make me doubt God would do that.

 I notice I'm quick to love on Pharaoh, to be his District Attorney before God. What God did to him seems unjust. My opening statement would be like: "God the world is hard enough, Pharaoh's no angel but doesn't he get a fair shake at knowing the living God. Besides You are supposed to be unchanging and therefore good all the time. How is hardening someone's heart good?" 

Pharaoh (probably more so that most unbelievers) saw God's work and had the chance of humbling his power under God's. God knew Pharaoh's leadership consisted of changing his mind. 

God hardened His heart purposefully. So that all of Egypt/the world will know:
 "By now I could have stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with a plague, and you would have been obliterated from the earth.  However, I have let you live for this purpose: to show you My power and to make My name known in all the earth" (Ex 9:15-16).

 Certainly He could harden my heart even as the Holy Spirit indwells, I can become despondent to the point of being a hard-hearted Christian. It is possible. That is why I fear the Lord. 

I fear the Lord because He hardened Pharaoh's heart and chose to soften mine. 

Romans 8:1-4 "Are You Sure You're Sure?"

God has grown me in the faith, what grace. Trust and Obey. There is no condemnation for my past, present, future because I'm in Jesus! **Warning second sermon ever.**

Bless the Lord, oh my soul because of Christ in me

So much of my relationship with God is growing.
1. There is a robust stirring of the Spirit on my prayers.
2. A persistent awareness of Jesus in places that seem mundane.
3. My compassion for the lost and broken people is growing.
4. My enemies are subjects of prayers, blessing and faith in God's power upon them.
5. I give willfully and hunger to be more generous.
6. The Holy Spirit caused me to deal with all hurts of my past and release them to Jesus.
7. Being in the Scriptures is usually the best time of my day, (many small bits all day long -not just one chunk).  
8. Asking the Father for direction and provision trusting His ability and pleasure to do so. Whereas before I feared my future and just hoped God would do something.
 9. The Spirit's teachings mixing with my understanding causing godly living and other-centered humility.
10. Service and fellowship with believers to glean peace.
11. Sincere excitement when I see Jesus in others, I love seeing others owning their cost of discipleship, and seeing how the Holy Spirit grows them.
12. Wanting God more because of who He is and nothing else.